Over the years I’ve gotten many calls from people in the child care industry who are frustrated by the pressure they feel from parents to push young children into academics. These dedicated professionals know that “kindergarten readiness” encompasses a lot more than knowledge of ABCs and 123s. Children need to develop emotionally, physically and socially. Young children need to do what they do best (play) in order to develop into healthy, independent and competent learners, but it’s hard to communicate this to parents in the few hectic moments at pick-up and drop-off time.
Likewise, I know many parents that feel lost when it comes to choosing a child care or preschool for their cherished little ones. Our earliest schooling memories are usually from elementary school. “Academic” learning is what we are familiar with, so naturally that’s what we look for as we search for the perfect learning environment for our young children.
Today I came across an article in Child Care Information Exchange magazine that may help teachers communicate a young child’s learning needs to parents and help parents understand what they should be looking for in a quality program. So, no matter which end of the parent/teacher relationship you most relate to, this article is worth reading. It’s entitled “The Child’s Job: Talking to Parents about Child Development“. In it the author encourages us to “think about children as being born with a job to do. Their job is to live their lives, learn about the world, and develop into the very best people that they can be.” It’s a big job and a quality early childhood environment will support our children every step of the way.
Filed under: Education Industry | Tagged: Child Care, Child Development, Early Childhood, Importance of Play
