When should my child go to a “learning” daycare or preschool?

Question:

When should my child go to a “learning” daycare or preschool?

My son is almost two years old. We have several kinds of daycares/preschools around our home. As a parent, I see some daycares/preschools that just “watch” your child and then others that stress learning and teaching. When do you think it is important to find a more academic daycare?

Response:

First of all, the most important part of any school that works with children birth to age five (4 year old kindergarten) is that children are learning primarily through active hands-on learning that involves a lot of play. Your child will show amazing overall development in a center that helps him become independent and teaches him how to problem solve and think critically while developing his cognitive, social, emotional and physical skills. It should look and feel busy with a lot of talk between both the children and teachers.

With all of that said, I like to see children going into some sort of organized program when they turn two.  Many churches offer a Mother’s Morning Out for just 2 days a week.  If you can’t begin your little one at two you should definitely plan for them to go to school by age three.  This is important for your child’s social and emotional development.  You are definitely his first teacher and you do so much with him at home but you probably don’t work on group-related skills (how to fit in with more than a few people) and how to wait your turn, etc…  All of these skills are practiced naturally in an organized school setting.  Your child’s language will blossom once engaging with more children as well.  He will then have other children to copy-cat.  This is why third and fourth born children develop language skills earlier because they are constantly imitating what their siblings are doing.

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A dream ratio at any preschool would look like this:

2 year olds = 4-5 students to 1 teacher

3 year olds = 6-7 students to 1 teacher

4 year olds = 10-12 students to 1 teacher

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Play for young children is work. However, the environment must be set up appropriately for children to actually learn through play. Children don’t learn through so called “educational learning toys.” The environment must help the child engage in imaginary play (builds those critical problem solving skills) and where the child can use toys in a variety of ways. When toys only operate in one way no real learning is occurring on the child’s part. The child must be working, making decisions and changing roles during play for learning to occur. Look at the environments of the centers – which ones could you see your child “working” in and which ones are just too cluttered, full of inappropriate toys or no toys at all?

I personally believe in the constructivist theory of early learning. I believe that we learn by doing and that small skills and concepts build upon each other for overarching understandings. I believe that worksheets don’t build dendrites in the brain. Therefore, your child shouldn’t be in a center that uses a wealth of “workbook” related activities. These are merely time-fillers for the teachers and don’t offer learning to such young children.

I love the Montessori approach to infancy and beyond. I love the Reggio Emilia curriculum format that started in Italy and I love Creative Curriculum that is used in many American preschools.

Upon visiting a facility, if you see a lot of whole-group rug time or children running around aimlessly, these are both red flags. Students aren’t engaged at a level that is both stimulating and appropriately meeting their developmental needs. RUN! RUN FAST!

Hope this information helps to answer your question. You will know if a center is right for your little one after visiting a few.

Sincerely,

Tracey Bryant Stuckey

Chief Creative Learning Officer

www.wigglegigglelearn.com

http://traceybryantstuckey.com