Parents of preschoolers often worry that their children are behind, and more and more schools and legislators are pushing to teach preschoolers more than ever before.
What should preschoolers really be learning though?
The National Association for Early Childhood Teacher Education work group has come up with a list of fifteen things that preschoolers should learn. The list might surprise some of those parents, teachers and educators.
North Seattle Community College instructor Tom Drummond, who came up with the list, says these are what our priorities should be:
15 Capabilities: Outcomes for Early Eduction
Here is a way to describe more important qualities in children than "academic readiness" or the ability to pass a knowledge test for entry into elementary school.
When children leave early childhood to enter common school they can . . .
- Participate as a member of an interdependent community.
- Care for themselves, the others and the community.
- Treat other with love and compassion.
- Cooperate with other children to accomplish group goals.
- Celebrate group accomplishments.
- Laugh and play with a tangible sense of joy.
- Express many human emotions in language and art.
- Be inquisitive.
- Initiate new ideas and invent solutions to problems.
- Stick at difficult tasks or come back to them later in order to succeed.
- Run, hit, catch, throw, kick and tumble.
- Sing and dance with exuberance.
- Paint, draw, sculpt, and construct objects of beauty.
- Maintain the community's spaces in cleanliness and order.
- Greet guests with courtesy and charm.
He goes on to say:
"These are all natural acquisitions for children from all cultures when they are (1) treated as capable human beings, (2) listened to and (3) trusted. "
and later:
"Then imagine being a Kindergarten teacher and having children with these 15 capabilities enter the room at the beginning of the year. There would be no 'behavior problems'. These children would be responsive and eager to learn. The teacher could get right to work, listening to the children’s interests and findingout what aspect of the world they wanted to explore."
You can read more about the fifteen capabilities at Early Education Advocates.
Parents interested in preschool in Minnesota can look into Minnesota Head Start (in many communities, the program is home-based in your home). You can also find additional Mankato preschools here.
Remember that children have absolutely no true need for preschool outside of the home if their needs are being met at home, too. Universal Preschool offers parents all the information and support they need to do preschool at home, plus compelling reasons why this is in the best interest of many children.
See also:
What chores should a preschooler do?
Dealing with parenting know-it-alls
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