"Education is a natural process carried out by the child and is not acquired by listening to words but by experiences in the environment." Maria Montessori
I would like to take this opportunity to thank Tory for all her support and her willingness to share information with us. Thanks Tory!
Also, a note of thanks to Julie! She always seemed to know which questions to ask that would spark further research of the topic! Way to keep us thinking outside of the box!
Monday, April 16, 2012
Tuesday, April 3, 2012
Intelligence??
A commitment to the "whole child" does not need as assessment. A child's development is as individual as the child, and as long as major milestones have been met, the rest is truly not relevant. I want to reference a video I watched about preschool in Sweden. There is no formal curriculum. There is a continuum of care and children are encouraged to play. Our western culture would frown upon such things, but Sweden has no intention of changing what is working and has been for years. Mandatory school age is seven, and that is the child's first venture into formal education. Statistically, by the age of ten, they have some of the highest reading scores in Europe. Is it because there was no pressure to learn before they were ready to?
The children stay together in a group (1-6) for their entire time in preschool. The younger ones learning from the older ones and the older ones being entrusted to do as much as they can. They help with meal times, cleaning, and caring for the younger members of their class. The teacher is truly a facilitator encouraging their independence. They seem to function much as members of a family would. The children develop confidence in their own abilities. They spend approximately 1/2 the day outside, regardless of the weather. They are dressed appropriately and become quickly acclimated to the weather.
The additional comments I would make are in reference to why our western culture wants three and four year olds to become "little adults". Perhaps we should look at other cultures who allow their children to be children before they are "forced" into formal education. Seven seems like the proper age. The NAEYC claims a child is not ready to track letters on paper until between the ages of six and eight.
Reference:
How the do it in Sweden(video, 2011), Retrieved April 1, 2012 from the World Wide Web: http://www.teachingchannel.org/videos/how-they-do-it-in-Sweden-preschool
The children stay together in a group (1-6) for their entire time in preschool. The younger ones learning from the older ones and the older ones being entrusted to do as much as they can. They help with meal times, cleaning, and caring for the younger members of their class. The teacher is truly a facilitator encouraging their independence. They seem to function much as members of a family would. The children develop confidence in their own abilities. They spend approximately 1/2 the day outside, regardless of the weather. They are dressed appropriately and become quickly acclimated to the weather.
The additional comments I would make are in reference to why our western culture wants three and four year olds to become "little adults". Perhaps we should look at other cultures who allow their children to be children before they are "forced" into formal education. Seven seems like the proper age. The NAEYC claims a child is not ready to track letters on paper until between the ages of six and eight.
Reference:
How the do it in Sweden(video, 2011), Retrieved April 1, 2012 from the World Wide Web: http://www.teachingchannel.org/videos/how-they-do-it-in-Sweden-preschool
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