Note to the Parents (part two)

On February 3, 1997, Time magazine came out with a special report on children's brain development. The issue had pet scan pictures of the brain's wiring, landmark study results, interviews with scientists, and anecdotal stories.

This issue changed my professional life.

The lead article, "FERTILE MINDS", written by J. Madeline Nash, brought to our attention that brains are wired at such an incredibly fast speed and that the child's environment has a profound affect on the child's growth.  Yes, genetics are responsible for the actual wires that are present, but the environment can make a huge difference in the way those wires are connected.  Nash states "Moreover, it is becoming increasingly clear that well-designed preschool programs can help many children overcome glaring deficits in their home environment." 

Wow.  If quality programs can help children overcome glaring deficits, I wondered, how can they affect children in homes without deficits?  I began an in-depth study of early childhood environments, and continue to do so almost 14 years later.

Here's a TIP:  The environment can be broken into three areas: 

Temporal (schedules and timing)
Interactions (among all adults and peers), and
Physical Environment

What to look for in terms of the TEMPORAL environment.

Look for a program that understands children and is
flexible enough to accommodate all children.

Children need time to learn, explore and play on their own in a rich classroom environment.  Time to gain control over the materials, time to practice social skills. Determining what is the appropriate amount of free time a child needs is as confusing as figuring out how old you are in doggy years.  Children's timetables are not the same as adults.  When they are done, they are done.  Not when the buzzer rings.  This means that for some children, ten minutes in the blocks may be all they need today, but to others, 45 minutes may still not be enough. A well-designed preschool program recognizes these needs, and makes accommodations so all children's needs are met.

Look for a program with at least one hour of

classroom play every morning and every afternoon.

Specials like gym, Spanish and music can be interesting, engaging and even educational, but be cautious that they don't take over the classroom's schedule.  If the child has a morning special in addition to a 25 minute circle time, this can add up to over 60 minutes of group time.  Add 30 minutes for lunch, 15 for snack, and (hopefully) 30 minutes for outside play, plus time for transitions, potty breaks, etc, this could leave as little as 30 minutes of free play time opportunity in the classroom.

Look for a preschool that focuses

on the children's needs and interests.

It's normal for 4 year olds to sit in a group activity for as long as they are interested.  If they are not interested, it is completely normal for them to want to leave circle time.  It's not that they have ADHD or are rude and disrespectful, it is that their brains are looking for more interesting things to do.

When looking at a preschool, take some time to watch group activities.  Are ALL the children engaged in the activity?  Are children who are not interested allowed to seek other activities? 


 
Next time, we'll talk about interactions.  In the meantime, you can read the article "FERTILE MINDS" http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,985854-3,00.html#ixzz17ZkhwbqD