What Are The Things I Learned In Preschool

On May 2, 2018, I went to the Williams College Children’s Center to observe a group of children and see how signs of development show up in everyday life. According to the website, the Center serves a wide age range of children, going from six weeks to preschool, while also caring for elementary-aged children with after-school care. However, the group I observed when going to the Center were the preschool children that were roughly 3 to 4 years old. Arriving at 10 AM, the group started the session with show and tell, before moving on to play outside. Within the hour, there were many examples of physical/motor, perceptual, cognitive, language, and emotional/social development from the children that was very appropriate to see within their particular age range.

Toddlers develop a sense of autonomy by letting them explore new skills. Preschoolers develop a sense of initiative as by beginning to plan and initiate activities with others. School aged children develop a sense of industry by feeling confident in their ability to achieve goals. Evidence shows that experiences in the 1st years of life are extremely important for a child’s healthy development and lifelong learning. How a child development during this time affects future cognitive, social, emotional, and physical development, which influences school readiness and later success in life (“Early and Middle Childhood” n.d.)2)

I believe the purposes of today's schools include learning curriculums that are enjoyable for students that improve knowledge and prepares students for real world experiences. I want my students to feel like they have a purpose of being in school and are capable of making changes. These beliefs have been shaped by the educational experiences that I had in a preschool classroom my senior year of high school. In my preschool classroom, I taught eleven preschools science, math, social studies, reading, and writing. When I made lesson plans I planned lessons that students would enjoy, but also were learning the curriculum. Some lessons that I created was when the students were learning their letters I put shaving cream on trays and would have

In an article written on Edutopia about the national preschool debate, kindergarten teacher Steve Malton states that children understand carpet time, clean up procedures, and how to share, and preschool has a huge impact on that. (Lester, 2007). Routine is important because if a large portion of their brain is wondering or worried about what they are going to do next, there is less room to spend on actual learning. Educators and development researchers aren’t the only one sure of the importance of preschool. Economist at the University of Chicago and Nobel Laureate, James Heckman, not only notes that the long term impact of early education on socioemotional development may be the most important takeaway from preschool, but he also asserts that preschool is the time to teach children the ‘soft’ skills such as focusing on a task, keeping an open mind, and controlling their tempers (Grindal & Heckman, 2013). These are all essential skills that they will eventually need to succeed, not only in primary and secondary school, but also in the job market and in their interpersonal relationships. Preschool aged children are becoming able to decipher their own emotional states and the emotional states of others and are able to talk about them. Preschool enhances these skills and encourages self-confidence and communication. Children who attend preschool also tend to have better communication skills because that have more child to child interaction as well as needing to effectively convey their needs to their teacher. These children are also more likely to engage in positive play, develop mutual friendships and are more likely to find acceptance from their peers. Through their play, they learn how to work in teams and cooperate with other children. Their counterparts, on the other hand are more likely to experience quite a

When I was observing the preschool lab there were many different activities that we kids were involved in. There was one table for snack time, two tables for the kids who wanted to play with play-do, and then there were several other kids who were playing outside. In the room there were about 12 preschoolers and 4 teachers. I noticed that each teacher stayed with a group of about 3-4 kids. This is important because each teacher can focus on the three or four kids they are with at that time. If the kids need any help or assistance a teacher was always close by and paying attention to that individual child’s needs. The room was very well organized and the kids were spread out so that not all of the kids were doing one activity at a time.

In the past decade, the spotlight has been cast on the importance of children attending preschool. This topic has taken part in both political and social debates, where it is questioned if preschool really does benefit a child’s thought processes and ability to grasp on to intellectual concepts at a quicker rate. As a strong supporter of early childhood education, I have taken it upon myself to enforce this idea into the brains of millennials that are prone to believe that early childhood education is an unnecessary and an expensive luxury. Despite the sudden rise in people that belittle the importance of early childhood education in our society, I have committed my life to supporting and educating children being that they are our most valuable resource. Choosing to become both an early childhood educator and advocating that preschool become a requirement for all American children has allowed me to combine my love for children and education into a profession that will both benefit society and allow me to lead a life I am content with.

On average, 50% of children in the United States do not attend preschool (Annie E. Casey Foundation’s annual Kids Count, 2012). For many children, the most important and vital schooling comes before they even enter kindergarten. Children who attend preschool before entering kindergarten do not only learn things such as counting and their ABC’s but they are offered a chance to learn social and emotional skills, how to interact with other children, and how to network in a structured setting. Children who do not have the opportunity to learn these essential advantages are not as prepared for kindergarten as children who have (Linda Broatch, M.A., 2013). Many children enter kindergarten without ever having the opportunity to be in a structured environment. These children struggle learning new rules, guidelines, and procedures that are necessary to know when attending kindergarten. Between the ages of 3 and 5, a child 's vocabulary grows from about 900 to 2,500 words, and his/her sentences become more complex (Linda Broatch, M.A., 2013). Attending preschool helps children expand their vocabulary at a young age. It also gives them a chance to use their senses to explain and discover why things happen. The research proposal, as presented in this paper, will focus on the effects of children who attend preschool before kindergarten. The psychological perspective in which I will view this problem is the positive psychology perspective (Hockenbury, 2011). I believe that attending

The most anxiety-inducing, exhilarating, and fulfilling experiences in my life all involve preschoolers. Irksome and affectionate, I never know how to feel about kids. One moment, kicking me in the shin, and the next, asking to sit by me and hold my hand, kids baffle me. Teaching and interacting with preschoolers has stretched me farther than what I thought was possible, and made me a better person. I have learned to be more prepared than I need to be, as preschoolers have a way of thinking up the most obscure questions I never thought of. Sweet and kind, I know their intention is not to vex me, but to learn from me. Because of this, I have learned to be patient and helpful, helping them achieve their goal, which is also mine. I want them to

I have a part time job at the Mars Hill Preschool here in Florence, Alabama, and this is where I completed my observations. I work in a classroom with ages seventeen months up to two year olds. Most days we have ten children, but some days we will have as many as thirteen children. As anyone could imagine with thirteen toddlers, it can be hectic and a lot is always going on. The preschool is part of the main school which happens to be a private institution which is really small for a school. Most of the families represented at the preschool have a great background and are financially stable. This aspect may differ to the outcomes of the observable behaviors, than children who come from a more troubled background.

Everything a child does or experiences during his/her earliest years is educational (“Quality Early Education”, 2005). Unfortunately, children’s experiences at this young age vary drastically, based on many factors, but especially socioeconomic status. So how do we even the playing field for our children as they grow beyond these earliest years and enter school? Although there is no magic answer to equally prepare all children for school, high-quality preschool programs have been proven to have an incredible impact on working towards this goal (Doggett & Wat, 2010).

I would say that my understanding of preschool children has not changed much since coming to SDSU a year ago. The one idea I think that has changed is how independent that young children (0-3 years old) really can be. I have always been one to do things for the young children because I didn’t think they could do it, but if I give them the opportunity, they can! It does help if the preschool has items available at the child’s level. For an example sinks or their cubby space. So if anything has changed in my understanding of children is that they are capable of so many things!

Barbara Wiler, Ph.D., deputy executive director of the NAEYC says, “Good Preschools provide children with rich experiences that give them skills, information, and attitudes that prepare them for the primary grades and for life. ” (WKRLIP, P1) Preschool isn’t like kindergarten. It’s a stepping-stone that will prepare young students for the years of schooling they will have

Preschool education has evolved dramatically since the early 20th century; from strict and rigid control paradigms, to enriched programs like the Montessori Method and beyond. Learning is a life-long adventure in the philosophy of discovery. To maximize learning, one cannot underestimate two things: learning opportunities and the environment surrounding the learning activity. Learning opportunities must be interesting, meaningful, and purposeful for learners particularly children.

I personally believe that high quality early childhood programs consist of teaching young children to think in a creative manner so that they succeed in a multifaceted world full of constant change. I also believe that play is a momentous and more

Most children attend a preschool, whether it was through a day-care or someplace that they attend two or three times a week. In preschool, a child learns general ideas of sharing, social skills (having full conversations), how to tie shoes and the alphabet. Teaching these skills to children at the ages of three or four gives them a building ground to continuously further their education.