Posts Tagged ‘preschool’
Grace Geller on September 2nd, 2010
The school telephone has been very busy these last two weeks as we fielded two different types of phone calls. One was the predictable call from parents checking on their child’s adjustment to the preschool setting, the other (also predictable) parents of recent graduates, now in Kindergarten. The last few weeks I’ve shared some of the transition issues young children are learning and mastering when left for the first time in a new setting. This week we focus on our graduates.
I am a firm believer that children are capable of reading, tying their shoes and acquiring appropriate independence skills prior to entering elementary school. For the last five years, we have succeeded in accomplishing this goal 95% of the time. We set high standards for the children and provide them with the skills necessary to achieve these goals. It is a formula that has worked well in all of the schools I have had the pleasure of working with and for. Children who graduate from our program are competent and excited to take on their next learning adventure. The first week goes off without a hitch. Week two is when the phone calls start pouring in. The children do not want to go to school. The class work is too easy! It is for babies….
Most parents take the complaints with a grain of salt, but then they look at the work and agree it is for babies. The children stand at the edge of a great precipice ready to try their new wings and they feel like they have lead weights tied to their feet. Rather than soaring to great heights, they are being tied down. What’s a parent to do?
First take a deep breath….. Teachers need a little time to get to know their students and how they function in their classroom setting. To each parent their own child is a genius, as it should be. However, the definition of genius is different for most of us. After two weeks, if you and your child still believe they are not being appropriately challenged; write the teacher a note outlining your child’s academic strengths and weaknesses. If your child is reading, send a book to read to the teacher or demonstrate their printing skills. Remember: One parent’s definition of reading or writing is not the same as others.
Finally, if after contacting the teacher and establishing a suitable plan for your child’s education, the work still remains too easy, it’s time to request a conference. A discussion between a parent and teacher will clarify what your child is demonstrating in the classroom setting. Understand that you might not have the complete picture of how your child is functioning. If all else fails, speak to a guidance counselor, vice principal or the next person in the chain of command. Do not become prematurely disillusioned. When you advocate for your child in a calm and organized manner, you help ensure that their educational, social and physical needs will be met. The most important point: It is not okay to allow your child’s burning quest for knowledge to dim. It is not okay to just let it be.
The curriculum can change to meet the caliber of the student; it is up to the parent to be an advocate for it!
Peace & Light,
Grace
Technorati Tags: Education, first days of school, Kindergarten, preschool
Grace Geller on August 26th, 2010
Fall 2010 school year has begun in our preschool and the classrooms are bustling with activity. The front desk’s phones are ringing and the administrative staff is busy checking on the children who have been left in our charge. From the back of the school we can hear a mixture of happy and sad voices.
No matter how many years we do this, it is always difficult to watch children who are exhibiting signs of distress. As parents and educators we would like to have their first experience at school be pleasant, and for the majority of children it is. But for some, it is a difficult transition. Children of various stages and ages will exhibit distress when left on their own in an unfamiliar environment. It is a normal reaction.
How families deal with their child’s “normal” reaction can influence how their child will deal with new situations now, and in the future; as well as how confident they will be when left to their own resources. Some of our families have spent a significant amount of time helping their child prepare for the transition to school. They have visited the classroom, played on the playground and spoken to the teachers. Though they have planned well, this does not guarantee that their child will not have any difficulty when left in the care of their preschool teacher. All children go through a certain level of anxiety when left on their own, but some children have had opportunities to develop self soothing and coping skills and the transition is shorter and less difficult.
All parents want to spare their children (any and all) pain and distress. But is sparing them the pain and distress really in their best interest? Every year we see one or two parents withdraw their child from preschool because they cried when their parents left them at school. By not allowing a child to grow through the process of learning to trust others to meet their needs, we may be robbing them of acquiring skills they will need to gain for success in the future. There is such a thing as “over-protecting.”
All children need to be protected from physical and mental harm. However, they do not need to be protected from learning how to deal with developmentally appropriate separations and restrictions. When they are given the opportunity to navigate the social terrain, they begin to acquire skills and confidence that they can bring with them to the next task or trial that presents itself.
It is important that parents do not rush in to rescue a child before they have had ample opportunity to figure it out on their own. Socially adept children learn from parents who have confidence in their child’s ability to sooth themselves in a difficult situation and make appropriate choices when allowed to. Or at the very least, learn and grow from their mistakes.
Peace & Light,
Grace
If you would like to read more about transitioning to preschool, check out my post on “First Days.” www.preschooltimes.net/first-days
Technorati Tags: New School Year, preschool, transitions
Grace Geller on August 12th, 2010
Class assignments went out this week and the phone calls from parents began to trickle in. Each person had a different idea of what made a teacher a “good one.” Some parents want their child to be with their “friends,” others felt the teacher’s personality better suited their child’s personality, and still others were curious about why I had selected a particular teacher. When it comes to deciding if a teacher is good or not, there are many criteria. As an administrator my criteria may be different from a parent’s and still different from a child’s.
First I divide good teacher into two basic categories: good employee and good teacher. In this business you can have a good employee but only a moderately good teacher, a good employee who is a great teacher, or a great teacher who is a moderately good employee. (There is no reason to keep a moderate teacher who is a moderate employee, is there?) However, most people are not really involved in the business end of running a school. Instead, their interest focuses on an important question: “How does this affect me (my child)?” And that’s okay. After all, you select the school because of the administration, right? It is the administration’s job to manage their employees and set the tone for the entire school.
Let’s assume that the teachers at the school are good (if not great). What is it that distinguishes a good teacher from a great teacher? A good teacher plans effective, appropriate lessons and implements them. They arrive on time and have the materials readily available for the children when they arrive. Each child is greeted warmly and assisted with organizational clues.
A great teacher has all of these characteristics and qualities, plus something more. The component that elevates a teacher from good to great is their ability to: observe a child at work and play, question the learning taking place, observe patterns in the child’s thinking and adapt the lesson to the child (as an individual). On occasion, great teachers change the lesson to hone in and develop the children’s interests. A great teacher is interested in the process of learning as well as the outcome. They are interested in the dynamics of how a child learns, as well as their own learning.
You see, great teachers love to learn. They are interested in everything. Most of all they are interested in learning to be a better teacher every day. Periodically great teachers come across a child who does not respond to all the usual curriculum delivery techniques. This pushes the teacher to dig a little deeper to understand how that child is processing and learning. Understanding this progression a good teacher will hone her/his skills and move closer to becoming a great teacher. Learning to become a great teacher is a process that is influenced by the diverse make up of their class. Diversity allows each child to learn and appreciate differences and similarities. The most interesting lessons become even more so based on the characteristics children bring to the classroom. Classes that are too homogeneous tend not to propel them forward.
Sometimes we must be forced to think, for it is in the knowledge of what we do not know that we can achieve greatness.
Peace & Light,
Grace
Technorati Tags: preschool, teaching
Grace Geller on June 9th, 2010
Well the dust has settled, camp is up and running and I finally have time to reflect on the wonderful year we spent together. It seems like just yesterday I would spend my days reassuring families that their two- year-old would: Stop crying or biting or hitting…and then all of a sudden those same two year olds are singing in five languages, able to read, tie their shoes and are graduating from Pre-K! What happened to the time in between?
All those days linking the beginning to the end was the middle work… all the hard work:
Early to bed
Arriving on time
Allowing your child to take responsibility for him / her selves
Doing the right thing
Successful endings are preceded by hard work. The hard work of the Two year old teachers helped prepare the children for the Three year old program; and the hard work of the Four year old teachers, prepared the children for Pre-K. The hard work of the parents prepared the children to grow and be ready to receive direction.
When I look at our competent Pre-Kindergarteners performing at graduation I see them with the knowledge that everyone plays a small part in the development of a child. It is the sum of all these small parts that leads to a competent, confident child. The more people who positively participate in the development of a child, the closer that child can come to reaching his / her full potential.
That is why I cringe when I hear the term “day care.” We do not take care of days! We care for children. We care about who they will become. We take pride in helping to shape the future. What we do here in the Early Childhood setting is very different from elementary school setting. Here we have the luxury of time to know the whole child and their families. We create a plan to help children eradicate undesirable behaviors, overcome deficits and gain competencies in life and academics.
Here we become part of a child’s family and they become part of ours. Children share stories, tokens from their family vacations and foods and customs from their home countries. We trade recipes and advice. Teachers relay funny anecdotes or concerns for the children in their charge. They share these with directors, teachers and their families. And tiny parts of your child’s life merge with ours and we begin to form a community.
During graduation, it is with great pride that I look out over the audience and see the parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, best friends as well as the Two year old, Three year old, Four year old teachers and their families. Everyone is in attendance watching the children as they prepare for the transition from preschooler to grade school student. This is the message we tried to teach and hope will serve them well in the future.
A message to the children;
10 suggestions for a healthy future:
- Listen to your heart; it will help you know the truth when you hear it.
- Plant your dreams on solid ground.
- Start something new.
- Be bold, smart and fair.
- Do the right thing.
- Try something different.
- Hold on to who you are.
- Keep your body and mind healthy.
- Know what matters most.
- When you fall down, pick yourself up and move on.
And as the hall empties and the stage lights dim, I am a little sad to see them go but then I remember….tomorrow a new group of two year olds start. God, I love this job!
Peace & Light,
Grace
Technorati Tags: family life, graduation, preschool, preschool teachers
Grace Geller on June 3rd, 2010
The final part in our series by our guest author Sharon Alm
Let’s talk about the part television and computers are playing in your young child’s life. Both can be wonderful resources! Both can also be mindless noise-boxes. Hopefully, you are guiding the Technology Department in your household.
Ideally, you will coordinate the language and vocabulary with what you present via technology. The best part is that you, the parent, can and should always be with your child when either TV or the computer is “in charge” of your child’s attention. Delayed recordings of children’s shows provide you with the ability to show selected parts of a show that your child would especially enjoy. Attention spans are short, and viewing should be, as well. There’s always another day and another time. More is not better.
Sesame Street has been a favorite for many years. The big, purple Barney seems to be especially loved by pre-toddlers, simply for its simple songs and rhymes and colorful
activities. You’ll have to decide what is best in your home for your child.
Books you read with your child can guide your selection of television or computer experiences. A book about the ocean might suggest a technology experience to share a specific “critter” or to expand something else in the book. The same might apply to an Arthur book, followed by and Arthur cartoon story.
Computer software can also provide continuation of book subjects. I taught at a private school in Florida where three-year-olds were quite adept at inserting the disc needed for their pre-reading software. Technology is everywhere…..please, use it wisely.
Continue talking, talking, talking (and singing) to your child in every situation. Don’t forget to stick in those rhyming words as you go through your day (bread /head; sock /rock; chair /hair; cup /pup; bug /rug). Things will be “connecting” inside of your little one‘s brain, and you will begin to see the results of your consistency.
Peace & Light,
Grace
Technorati Tags: Early Childhood Education, Early Reading, preschool, reading
Grace Geller on May 20th, 2010
Continuing with our series by our guest author Sharon Alm
Your reading aloud continues as you watch your child grow by leaps and bounds! He/She is reacting to and responding to your familiar words during routines, your rhyming fun, and the naming of the items in each book’s pictures.
It’s time to share another step along our journey to reading. This concerns the realization of the strange looking “marks” on some of the pages in your books. These marks are the keys that open and share each book’s story. Your child needs to know that reading is talk, written on the page. Each book is telling you something to share with your child….not just words. This is the guiding step to reading comprehension. Understanding and remembering what the words tell us is the meaning of reading. It’s why we read.
It starts with naming the words and emphasizing the beginning sounds. As you do this, make sure that your child looks at your mouth, when you isolate a word for him/her to learn. Seeing your mouth change shape makes him/her aware of how words begin.
Hearing and watching you make the correct shape of each beginning sound teaches the correct way to say it. Lips together for the “mmmmmm” sounds when something tastes good, or lips together then apart for the “bye-bye” words visually teach the M and the B consonants. Imitations will soon follow, and you are on your way to teaching your child the letter sounds heard in our language.
Relating the sound and the written symbol for a word is a definition of Phonics. Phonics is one way to actually teach reading. But my belief is that relying on learning words by letter sounds alone will make your child a word-reader. He/She will miss the message of the story if focusing on individual letter sounds of each word. Most children learn to read by recognizing a whole word by sight, not individual sounds.
I also, strongly believe that every child must know the sound / symbol relationship. The real study of Phonics is best left to classroom teachers. Our written language is very complicated, with many pronunciations, blends, digraphs, base words and endings, etc. Teachers are trained to present our confusing written language in an orderly manner.
Your child should know the alphabet letters and sounds by kindergarten time. It’s an important part of teaching reading. To help you as you begin to tackle this part of reading, have one or two sets of magnetic alphabet letters for the refrigerator. Perhaps Grandma has a set or two left from your younger days! They are wonderful! Keep them in a container (aside) so that you can isolate the one or two letters that are used most often, at the beginning, for a teaching time period until the imitating begins and the connection is made.
Begin your consonant challenge with “Buh,” “Fuh,” “Muh”, “Puh”, “Vuh,” and “Wuh.” These have the most obvious mouth movements youngsters can handle. The other letters include “inside-the-mouth-and-throat” sounds that are developmental. The vowels are the letter sounds that change, in our language. You’ll catch those as your child grows.
You have more of this wide, wide world to share and lots of talking to do before you need to worry about your child learning “c/kuh” and “guh” and “juh”, or individual vowel sounds. Remember that your child is learning a whole word now, and the vowels are part of that whole-word learning. Each word comes as a package—-and if you outline it, by the way, each word has a shape that is also helpful to your child’s young eyes.
Peace & Light,
Grace
Technorati Tags: Early Reading, family life, preschool
Grace Geller on April 22nd, 2010
Each spring as the weather begins to return to its warm, sumptuous generosity, we are blessed with new growth and beauty. Inspired by the beauty of nature, we set out to try our hand at duplicating and creating some beauty of our own!
Across the school, classrooms are humming with activity. Each class is laden with an abundance of raw art materials waiting patiently to be turned into a masterpiece. Hands: drip with finger-paints, cake with clay, clench hammers, and pound wood, as each new creation begins to take form. There is no more colorful place than a classroom of preschoolers set free with their imaginations. After a year filled with experiences which demonstrated each medium’s varied capabilities, they are ready to strike out on their own. Some children are creating hats inspired by the Hat Parade, others are busily working on their own interpretation of the solar system (don’t ask what started that project!), while still others are painting the background of a bean bag toss game.
Classrooms are alive with language as the children describe what they are doing and problem solving when something doesn’t work out as intended. Some are frustrated with a negative turn of events while others embrace the mistake and incorporate it into their piece. Watching the children create gives me some insight into their self concept as well as their problem solving skills. Children who are confident will often continue with a project even when they face difficulty, while those who are still unsure of themselves will often abandon a project when adversity strikes and still others will just live with their mistakes. Teachers can help by demonstrating appropriate problem solving skills that they then can apply to their creations. The more problem solving skills the children are familiar with the greater their successes.
Creating our own piece of art is like creating our own life. We are all given materials to work with; some will create a safe and orderly life while others will create a more abstract experience. The more problem solving skills you have in your arsenal the better able you will be to deal with an adverse condition when it presents itself. It takes confidence to build a life you can be proud of.
So, as my little preschoolers prepare their works of art for display and their teachers help label their work, I will see more then the pretty colors and the precariously balanced building. I will see their lives unfolding.
Peace & Light,
Grace
"The Mona Lisa"
Technorati Tags: art, family life, preschool
Grace Geller on April 8th, 2010
This post is the first in a three part series by guest author Sharon Alm:
You are overwhelmed from the moment your little bundle is put into your arms. You feel great love and great responsibilities —the two greatest realizations a baby brings to your life. Both realizations are wonderful! Both realizations are acted upon the moment you kiss that little head and utter, “I love you.” You’ve begun the most wonderful and rewarding job: PARENTING. Your words have taken you to the first educating step toward reading.
Talk…..talk….talk…..talk to your child, no matter what you are doing. The tone and rhythm of your words have been there during the pregnancy. Now make it real. Language is your way of opening the world to your child. Don’t worry that your child won’t understand all that you say, because you actually don’t know just how much is absorbed into that little brain.
Sing a few words over and over: “I love you….Yes, I do!” With your big smile and a clean diaper, that task has been fun, too!
Nursery rhymes bring the magic of words that are almost alike. They are fun! Learn a few simple nursery rhymes. Saying them slowly brings the rhyming and the rhythm to life! They can be sung to a creative melody. They can be said as a chant. They can be said in funny voices! They can be said with a nod of your head to the left and to the right. The verses will bring a smile to your face, and a smile to your child’s face. The rhyming words can be isolated and said or sung slowly to emphasize their likeness. Rhyming words are fun! You have taken another small step toward reading.
Parents are the first and most important teachers in a child’s life. Never forget it. You are models. You are security. You answer the crying and make things right. You are there for them. Your eyes and your smiles paint a picture of the world to them….make it a beautiful and a positive picture.
Books and reading aloud should definitely be a part of that positive and beautiful picture. As your child grows into a regular bedtime, please make reading aloud part of that nightly routine. It’s a time of closeness and relaxation, and a great introduction to books! You’ll find lots of books along the bedtime theme. Try a “board” book (heavy cardboard) as your child learns to reach for things. Don’t rush….read calmly and pleasantly. A bedtime without a book is lonely.
Peace & Light,
Grace
Technorati Tags: Early Childhood Education, infants, preschool, reading, toddlers
Grace Geller on April 1st, 2010
Preschoolers are the smartest people I know. Don’t get me wrong; I have the opportunity to meet and speak to some of the most complex minds, but it is the youngest members of society who constantly remind me of true “smartness”. Preschoolers have the innate ability to discern that which is important from that which is not.
Many of you may have seen or heard about the social experiment conducted by the Washington Post. It focused on social priorities, perception and taste. A violinist played beautifully in an urban subway. The adult commuters barely paused a moment to hear the music, but the children were transfixed. They did not want to move. Every parent, without exception, forced their child to move on quickly. Even as they were forced to leave, the children continued to turn their heads in the direction of the music.
I quote from the study, “The violinist finished playing and silence took over. No one noticed. No one applauded, nor was there any recognition.
No one knew this, but the violinist was Joshua Bell, one of the greatest musicians in the world. He played one of the most intricate pieces ever written, with a violin worth $3.5 million dollars. Two days before, Joshua Bell sold out a theater in Boston where the seats averaged $100. “
So who was the smart person in this story? Certainly, it was not the professionals, workers or parents who passed the musician without even acknowledging him. It was the littlest members of our society who slowed down to enjoy the beauty where they found it. No one had to tell them this is Joshua Bell the great violinist. They heard his music and understood this is a thing of beauty and it must be enjoyed here and now. No matter how they tried to point this out to their parents, no one listened.
As “grown-ups”, we tend to like our beautiful moments to arrive as scheduled. Of course we will pay for this privilege but it is also in paying that we find their value (He must be good; the tickets are $100.00 dollars). But it is our children who see the world in real time. If they see someone behaving ugly, they see it here and now and when they see something beautiful or interesting, they want to experience it now; not in some unseen future time. It is the children who understand the true value of a moment. It is the adults who, in their never ending desire to meet too many deadlines, squander beautiful moments in anticipation of a big payoff which may never come.
As an American I was taught by word and action to embrace the efficient, no nonsense approach to life. And this behavior model has served me well up a point. It is my time spent with preschoolers that has taught me to appreciate the gift of each day and to understand how fleeting a moment can be. So the next time you are tempted to push your preschooler along, pause and see just what it is that has caught their attention it might just be a wonderful gift; the gift of a moment.
Happy Holidays,
Peace & Light,
Grace
Technorati Tags: family life, parenting, preschool
Grace Geller on March 25th, 2010
Over the last few years we have all had an opportunity to examine our expenses for areas in which we could fine tune our spending. I, like many of you, have taken the opportunity to evaluate that which is necessary and enriching and that which is just plain fluff. Doing without certain items has been liberating. The constant demands to purchase, maintain and store “stuff” can oft times be confining.
The school system is not unlike us. They too must make decisions about where their monies could be of the most benefit. No one even considers slashing spending on the “basics”: reading, writing and arithmetic, but the arts seem to be fair game.
With the abundance of research on the cognitive development, it is worrisome that important areas of the curriculum may be removed from the standard curriculum. On the cutting block once again is the fine arts program. Too often we do not give the fine arts program the level of importance it is due.
Music and Art are essential to brain development. Words and music are natural partners. As any preschool teacher can tell you, “singing” is the easiest way to get children to remember important details. For instance, I do not know a teacher who would even attempt to teach the days of the week or months of the year without the help of a song. The patterns, tempos and modulation used in music correlate with similar attributes used in conversations.
Science is now confirming that words and sounds are linked in the brain. Studies have found that there is an overlapping of the brain’s ability to process language and musical sounds. People with brain injuries, that have impaired their ability to talk, improve dramatically with music therapy. I personally am not surprised by this. My mother, who suffered with Alzheimer’s disease in the later part of her life, could barely remember the names of children or dogs but she could remember all the words to her favorite songs and passed many hours listening to her music and singing along.
Music education can be helpful for children with dyslexia or autism by helping them use language more accurately and effectively. Musical training enhances the brain’s ability to do many things. It can help train children to hear the nuances in sound. Playing instruments can help children learn how to focus on a particular sound while screening out extraneous ones even in the noisiest of atmospheres.
The written and spoken language has sounds and rhythm. Playing music and experimenting with sound exposes children to different sounds and rhythms. This ultimately helps them learn phonics and how to read. Music also promotes physical development. By experimenting with different sounds and ways to create these sounds, children practice their gross and fine-motor skills and hand-eye coordination. They also begin to develop an awareness of their body within a physical space.
So, as your school or school system begins to fine tune their budgets, let them know that it is important to keep the fine arts in the schools. If they need to cut something, tell them that we will teach our own children to brush their teeth and wash behind their ears; it is their job to make sure they can sing!
Peace & Light,
Grace
Technorati Tags: art, finance, fine arts, music, preschool
