September 27, 2009

Play-Based Preschool Article

I found this very interesting. If you have a preschool age child, or will have one soon, you may find this article from the NYTimes useful as well. It is long for an online read, but I learned a lot.

The School Issue: Preschool

Can the Right Kinds of Play Teach Self-Control?
Published: September 25, 2009

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    http://www.nytimes.com/2009/09/27/magazine/27tools-t.html?pagewanted=1&ref=magazine

    Full disclosure of my bias: I seemed to be the only parent in the room who gasped in shock when the preschool teacher announced that they would be sending home weekly homework. Really? With 4 year olds? Why is everyone else so ga-ga over homework? I didn't really like it when I was a student, and I see little value in starting it with kids so young, except to guarantee that they hate it sooner.

    1 comment:

    Kate said...

    Apparently I need to work on my own "executive function" skills, too; that article was a long one to get through!

    Worth it, though. Thanks for the link.

    Basically all of these recent articles have me way confused about when, if ever, I'm supposed to praise my children, and if so, how? I think I've already told Georgia "good job" 40 million times. And put her in time outs, which everyone seems to really be poo-pooing now. Ack! What's a mother to do?