I don't claim to be an expert on this stuff, but it is why I went to school. Sooooo, here is my posting about preschool, language, and ideas for you.
First let me say that I am not the product of a preschool education. Nope. Never went. Did well in school. Learned what I needed to know there, although I suppose I had some "teaching" from my parents along the way. Anyway, I never really believed in the whole preschool thing. I still don't, really. HOWEVER, living in New England, there is a strong push to get your child in the best preschool with the best curriculum with the best experiences. Those schools also have the biggest and best price tags, too. Chris and I have talked alot about what we should do with our kiddos. Claire is smart, not that I am bragging. It is simply a fact. She has a very large vocabulary, learns quickly, uses sounds far above what is expected for her age, and has a memory like no other. That being said, language is tied to cognition. Theory and research have supported this idea for years and years. Our concern was that her daycare, although wonderful, would not provide her with the push that she needed. Miss Maureen is preschool certified, so she does provide instruction in terms of units of learning--Africa, Wild West, Animals, etc., but again, concern was in regards to Claire being pushed (ie. differentiated instruction.) I did my research on area preschools, had a tour at LEAP all set up, and then had an epiphany. In all of my preschool drama, I was turning into one of "those" parents. The parents that as an educator so desperately swore Id never be like--my child is so bright, only the best for them, push, push, push, yada yada yada. This epiphany pushed me to look at Claire and her needs very differently. It was from that point that Chris and I--it was mostly me as Chris doesn't have the understanding of education and experience with preschool curriculum or child development--decided that what Claire and Mya needed was a daycare where they could stay together in a small, nurturing setting with structure, and an indirect focus on learning. Miss Maureen's is that place. Our decision was also based on the fact that Chris was deploying and that would be a major shift in our family structure. Consistency is very important in a child's life, so I have pushed to keep things as "normal" as possible in this time of abnormalcy. SOOOO, in addition to what Claire gets at Miss Maureen's house, I have been working with her at home. Again, I am no expert. Here are some ideas and websites that I have found helpful:
http://www.everythingpreschool.com/
http://www.pbskids.org/
www.magickeys.com/books
http://www.notimeforflashcards.com/
http://www.teachmama.blogspot.com/
http://www.weteach.ning.com/
http://www.lettersoupblog.blogspot.com/
http://www.1plus1plus1equals1.blogspot.com/
http://www.storylineonline.net/
http://www.mymontessorijourney.typepad.com/
http://www.abc123learning.blogspot.com/
http://www.thepreschoolhomeschool.blogspot.com/
I guess the biggest thing that I do is talk all the time. We talk about everything we see on our walks, on our drives, in the stores, etc. We talk about what we are doing while making dinner, count everything we can, and talk about the steps to processes (tying shoes, putting on clothes, etc.). When Claire asks a question, we give her an answer despite the urge to say "because it just is" or "because I said so," etc. Again, I don't claim to be an expert in child-rearing, teaching or anything of the sort. I am just simply sharing what has worked for us and what we do to foster learning in our home. I hope you find it useful.
First let me say that I am not the product of a preschool education. Nope. Never went. Did well in school. Learned what I needed to know there, although I suppose I had some "teaching" from my parents along the way. Anyway, I never really believed in the whole preschool thing. I still don't, really. HOWEVER, living in New England, there is a strong push to get your child in the best preschool with the best curriculum with the best experiences. Those schools also have the biggest and best price tags, too. Chris and I have talked alot about what we should do with our kiddos. Claire is smart, not that I am bragging. It is simply a fact. She has a very large vocabulary, learns quickly, uses sounds far above what is expected for her age, and has a memory like no other. That being said, language is tied to cognition. Theory and research have supported this idea for years and years. Our concern was that her daycare, although wonderful, would not provide her with the push that she needed. Miss Maureen is preschool certified, so she does provide instruction in terms of units of learning--Africa, Wild West, Animals, etc., but again, concern was in regards to Claire being pushed (ie. differentiated instruction.) I did my research on area preschools, had a tour at LEAP all set up, and then had an epiphany. In all of my preschool drama, I was turning into one of "those" parents. The parents that as an educator so desperately swore Id never be like--my child is so bright, only the best for them, push, push, push, yada yada yada. This epiphany pushed me to look at Claire and her needs very differently. It was from that point that Chris and I--it was mostly me as Chris doesn't have the understanding of education and experience with preschool curriculum or child development--decided that what Claire and Mya needed was a daycare where they could stay together in a small, nurturing setting with structure, and an indirect focus on learning. Miss Maureen's is that place. Our decision was also based on the fact that Chris was deploying and that would be a major shift in our family structure. Consistency is very important in a child's life, so I have pushed to keep things as "normal" as possible in this time of abnormalcy. SOOOO, in addition to what Claire gets at Miss Maureen's house, I have been working with her at home. Again, I am no expert. Here are some ideas and websites that I have found helpful:
http://www.everythingpreschool.com/
http://www.pbskids.org/
www.magickeys.com/books
http://www.notimeforflashcards.com/
http://www.teachmama.blogspot.com/
http://www.weteach.ning.com/
http://www.lettersoupblog.blogspot.com/
http://www.1plus1plus1equals1.blogspot.com/
http://www.storylineonline.net/
http://www.mymontessorijourney.typepad.com/
http://www.abc123learning.blogspot.com/
http://www.thepreschoolhomeschool.blogspot.com/
I guess the biggest thing that I do is talk all the time. We talk about everything we see on our walks, on our drives, in the stores, etc. We talk about what we are doing while making dinner, count everything we can, and talk about the steps to processes (tying shoes, putting on clothes, etc.). When Claire asks a question, we give her an answer despite the urge to say "because it just is" or "because I said so," etc. Again, I don't claim to be an expert in child-rearing, teaching or anything of the sort. I am just simply sharing what has worked for us and what we do to foster learning in our home. I hope you find it useful.
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