Early Childhood Education

Blog post #367 of 365

The debate lives on.

People have debated education as long as people have been educated. At first it was only for the people who worked for the rich. Then only for the rich themselves. Then for boys and privileged girls. Eventually everyone got a chance to go to school.You'd probably be surprised just how recent (around the late 1880's in most places) that new fangled idea came about but I for one am glad it did.

In the early days of education the wee ones were taught at home. Formal education for young kids didn't begin until kids were ready. Read able to sit for 4 to 6 hours in a chair. So usually after potty training and well into language development and social skills. Sometimes way into social skills. Pre-formal education skills were learned in the home, at church  and in the community. Yes, back then most towns had a church or more that every 'civilized' person attended.

The question most recently debated is: Which is better for early childhood education, play or academics?

As a child of the 60's my early childhood education (Kindergarten) consisted of a bunch of play where we learned to get along with others, follow directions. We had light academics where we learned to identify some shapes, colors, numbers, the alphabet. We also learned about important people like firemen & policemen and how to identify our names. (I do not remember being read to but we sang songs.) We ate a snack, usually a graham cracker and white milk (not sweetened 'strawberry' or chocolate milk for us) and had a good long nap in that half day of school.

I went to school to become an educator. While in school I spent a year working the the early childhood education department. Part of that year I help work on the department's accreditation application. It was interesting. I remember they had a really broad approach to teaching early childhood educators. Sadly most States and districts adopt one idea of how early childhood education should be offered. It is still a half a day in most cases but now with way more academics and a lot less play. Oh and don't get me wrong I am glad 2/3 of their time isn't spent napping. I hear some still have a rest time. Really nearly fifty years later and you spend a big chuck of teaching time taking a rest?

I believe the earlier child is exposed to education the better. For many Mom and dad should be the first teachers. But this is usually not the case either. Parents work and parents don't always know to work with their kids at all. Even something as simple as identifying body parts. Who doesn't play where's your (fill in a body part) with their kids? Or helping them identify colors and shapes when they are one, two and three.

To be honest a few kids are ready to read and write at two and three. They are ready to do simple math and write their names while others aren't ready until they are four or five. Formal school at 3 sure but be realistic a 3 hour day at 3 years old and work up to a 5 hour day for a 5 year old. Oh wait we can't do that because no district is willing to pay a kindergarten teacher for preparation time no matter how important that might be and no union is going to 'settle' for a part time kindergarten teacher contract. So the teacher spits the day with am and pm kids with their own set of challenges.

In the first year or two (if you start at 3) lots of play and a little academics thrown into the play. By the time kids are in Kindergarten they should be really ready to write letters, draw shapes, identify colors, do simple addition and subtraction (single digit for sure) and identify sight words. Learning should be a balance of play and sitting in circle time or at their desks. Lots of reading from the first day of school until they begin reading to you!

The problem you say is where is the money for early childhood education. Well to be honest it is spent on special programs for the kids who are not doing as well all though elementary school and beyond. You want kids to do their best, be their best, work smarter not harder well then give the a chance! Rant over.