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On Choosing a Kindergarten or Elementary Program
Dear Parents,
I have been thinking about some ways to assist you as parents in trying to decide what educational options are available to you in the years ahead as your child goes into Kindergarten and Elementary School. Of course, I would like you to consider out Kindergarten and Elementary Program as an option, but the information I would like to share with you is information you can use when you evaluate any program. I would certainly like to advise you to go in and observe any classroom your child might be in before you make that decision.
Before you decide about a Kindergarten or First Grade class for your child, I would like to invite you to come to visit our classroom at any time and observe what we do on a typical day. Feel free to send an email or call to schedule an appointment to visit.
Phyllis, Elementary Teacher
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What are 6-8 year olds like?
The psychologist Erik Erikson described children between the ages of 6 - 8 as being in the "Stage of Industry." They like to create projects and want to do a job well. If they have opportunities to apply the skills they are developing, they feel competent. By competent we mean sure enough of themselves to take risks and to struggle with challenges in order to reach a goal, solve a problem, or complete a task. Children who don't have a sense of their own competence tend to feel inferior. "I can't do it" becomes their refrain. Erikson's theories explain how important appropriate challenges are in order for children to feel successful.
Stanley Greenspan, a noted child psychiatrist describes these years as the time when children move beyond viewing themselves as the center of the universe and enter the "rough and tumble world of peer relationships." They define who they are and how they view themselves in relation to others--primarily their peer group. During these formative years it is difficult to protect them from some of the language and advanced concepts that they are exposed to on a large playground. Be sure to find out what schools do to monitor what goes on during playground time.
Greenspan's theories demonstrate how important it is for children to have time to practice the skills of both working with others and being independent. As educators and parents, we want children to develop socially and emotionally in order for them to become teenagers and adults who can face challenges and make decisions for a healthy and successful life.
These are some principles that make up a good classroom. Keep these in mind when you are exploring the options for your child during the next few years:
1. Learning is active. Children are doers--they are ready to explore the world around them by learning how things work. Active learning capitalizes on this eagerness to learn. By handling materials, interviewing people and taking trips, for example, children's understanding deepens and their learning solidifies. Hands-on experiences enable children to move from the concrete to more abstract levels of learning.
2. Learning is challenging. Challenging work is difficult enough to stretch children, but it is also within their reach. Work that is too easy for children fails to motivate them. Work that is too hard defeats them. When work is carefully balanced to challenge children, they feel competent and proud when they complete it. Challenging work requires time to study and explore issues in depth and should be accompanied by encouraging messages from teachers and parents, "You can do it." I will help you to succeed." If a child goes into school reading and has to spend the first few months learning the alphabet the child will soon feel that learning isn't exciting. In our program the child can go right on from where they left off.
3. Learning is varied. Assignments and lessons should not all look alike or require the same kind of product. When children are introduced to new concepts and are given chances to represent them--by making charts or graphs, drawing pictures, buildling models, putting on skits, or describing it in their own words, they increase their understanding and learn to use different skills to communicate. Different modes of representation also challenge children to think about their learning in new ways. And finally, children have different learning styles--what works for some children may not work for others. When searching out a class, be sure that most of their learning isn't done by everyone doing the same thing at the same time.
4. Learning is meaningful. Meaningful learning is engaging because children see a connection to the real world. In great classrooms, the projects assigned, topics studied, and the lessons taught are both interesting and relevant to children. According to several studies, when children understand the relevance of what they are learning, they are more likely to approach these activities with a positive attitude. Moreover, children tend to retain what they have learned when they have a reason and desire to discover something. Current research about how children learn and how the brain functions confirms that human beings remember more when they know they are learning something and when they can connect to what they already know.
5. Learning is collaborative. Collaborative learning takes place formally when children work with one or more classmates on a project or task with specific goals in mind. It takes place informally throughout the day when children working at tables turn to their peers for help or to share ideas. As they collaborate they acquire social skills, taking turns, sharing, giving and getting help, solving problems and listening to others. They also work on their academic skills--designing questions, discussing and trying out ideas, explaining their findings to others. In the process of interacting, children clarify their own thinking and can master new subject matter.
6. Learning is a shared responsibility. Sharing responsibility means that the family, the teacher and the child all contribute to the learning process. Parents, who have been teaching the child since birth, share valuable information with teachers. The teacher provides a clear structure and serves as a guide, knowing when to challenge children to investigate on their own and when to teach specific skills that will assist them in their explorations. Children know what the expectations are, develop a plan, and carry out their work with more and more independence. As a result of sharing, children take charge of their own behavior.
Our "Peace Curriculum" works to address this issue. We are constantly working on ways to handle conflicts peacefully. The "Peace Rose" is a very concrete way for children to work out conflicts among themselves without adults having to impose a solution upon the child. Through the use of the "Classroom Meetings" a child or the teacher may open up for discussion any problems that seem to be an issue and ways are searched out for discussion with a solution. Values are learned--values that are basic to a democratic society. These values include self-respect, respect for others, and a sense of responsibility for the community and the environment.
