What's more important in preschool- play/socialization or academics?

[sparklett]

DS will be 3 next month and will go to preschool this fall. We're looking at a program that's 3 days a week, 3 hours per day. We've explored several options and now I'm sorta stuck. DS is advanced for his age and we've met with programs who want to put him in with the 4 year olds and programs who just let everyone learn together. To be honest, DS is going to learn in any environment and I'm not really of the opinion that kids who go to preschool are automatically going to excel in the rest of their education. Right now he's a socialite and really just wants to play.

So I'd like to hear from you....

To you, what is more important? An academically- inclined school or a play-based school where it's more about socialization and play?

We've seen schools that teach 3-year-olds Spanish and "prepare them for the rigors of kindergarten" and schools that fall on the complete opposite end of the spectrum.

Also, how much time should be spent playing compared to time spent in the classroom?

THANKS!!!

[SomedayMom]

Well, I think that K is more rigorous than it used to be and a lot is expected during K. I think that some level of academics are important. I also think kids can get those things at home if the parents would prefer that. To me the socialization is the most important thing, but being able to learn something through play is also important since. We chose Montessori b/c it introduces knowledge at the right pace for the individual child in a fun way. Everything he does at school is fun for DS. I think the classroom time should be fun and there should be opportunities for breaks and outdoor play as well. I would not ever choose a hardcore academic preschool. FWIW, our school introduces the preschoolers and toddlers to Spanish in a very fun animated way (TPR method) and there is definitely evidence that early exposure to different languages is extremely good for kids.

[jillmamma]

Originally Posted by sparklett

To be honest, DS is going to learn in any environment and I'm not really of the opinion that kids who go to preschool are automatically going to excel in the rest of their education. Right now he's a socialite and really just wants to play.

So I'd like to hear from you....

To you, what is more important? An academically- inclined school or a play-based school where it's more about socialization and play?

For me, play based hands down! My main goals for my kids in preschool is to a) be okay for a few hours w/o mom, b) learn some basic school routines like raising your hand to speak, staying in line, etc., c) make some new friends, d) do some things that are fun and different from home (crafts, games, sensory stuff, etc.), e) have a good time doing "their" thing. That said, I don't mind a little academics (hands on sorting things by color/shape, letter of the week, tracing their name, etc.), just MOST of the focus should be play.

Originally Posted by sparklett

Also, how much time should be spent playing compared to time spent in the classroom?
THANKS!!!

I would hope that a lot of the learning could be done THROUGH play, but stuff like writing, worksheets, etc. I would want only maybe 10-20% of the time.

DD's preschool is like this...they do lots of arts and crafts (helps them learn fine motor control which helps with writing, cutting, etc.), outside time, singing, working with manipulatives, and some writing/seatwork, but not overly much. DD has gone from knowing a few letters to all of them, scribbling to writing her name and other letters and drawing pictures, not knowing how to use scissors to using them correctly, and has gotten MUCH better at listening and waiting her turn.

Honestly I feel that the trend nowadays is to push adademics younger and younger, and I don't know that that is necessarily the best thing if the kids are not developmentally ready to learn it...it could just frustrate them. Both of my older ones had to be ready developmentally, then bam! they would pick up on the skill quickly! One example...DS is 7, and not reading much at all at the beginning of first grade (behind most of the other kids in his class) and now is reading right at level because he was finally READY to learn it.

Hope that answers what you are looking for!

[MJB]

Play, definitely. I don't think there is any need for formal academics before kindergarten.
I also have a 7 yr. old who went from being "behind" in reading at the beginning of 1st grade (his first year in school) to being on level by the second semester. He was ready to learn and did so without frustration.
I also have a 4 yr. old who's almost finished with his 2-year play-based preschool. He's reading on a 4th grade level, not because they taught him how at school, but because he was ready to learn and did so. All of the kids in his (no worksheets!) class can write his name, count to 20, and know all or most of their letters. Many know some sight words and a couple others are beginning to read. They are all easily ready for kindergarten in the fall (although a couple boys are going to young 5s classes instead). Even in a play-based preschool kids will learn to write their name and letters/shapes/numbers/colors.

[madskye]

I think it depends on the school, entirely. Our current preschool doesn't call itself playbased, and also markets the "academics" but I think everything they do is fun and age appropriate.

My DD's school sounds a lot like the more academic one you are describing, but it is learning through play. She is learning Spanish, but it is done through song and cooking and dancing and crafting--not worksheets. They have some computer time each week on www.starfall.com and she thinks that is a big treat. Her day has a schedule and they have time for free play in the morning and afternoon but it's not free play all day long. They just started a garden, so some of the outside time is spent gardening now. Her day is much more directed than what we experienced with playbased, and I'm very happy with what I see.

I work from home, and we've run the gamut from daycare to playbased preschool to the more academic preschool.

She just turned five, and we spent her 1-3 years in a playbased daycare, which was great until 3, when "playbased" started to look like basically no structure at all and just a lot of time for the kids to fight over toys.

Then, still clinging to the notion that playbased is where it's at, but thinking maybe the day was too long at the daycare and that was the cause of all the hitting, biting, etc--I took her to a small playbased preschool--2.5 hours 3x per week. Indeed, the kids were better behaved, better supervised, but she was bored! She felt like they only thing they did was circle time. She missed doing art, dance, singing and the short structure wasn't giving her enough. We stayed from Sept-Dec and then left. It was hard to bounce to another school but it was the right decision in the long run.

So, now she's at a more academic preschool She goes 4 days a week 9-3 and they do a lot and she loves it. Their program probably seems more academic and structured, but I think it's all age appropriate. I don't particularly care if she learns Spanish or not. What I think will be helpful next year is that she's basically familiar with what will be next years kindy schedule, so hopefully going every day 9-3 to a different place will not be a challenge. She understands sharing. She understands the concept of listening to the teacher and being a friend. She knows her alphabet and can spell her name and some other words, but according to the kindy orientation we went to--that's not necessary. For me, it's more knowing that she's stimulated where she is, that she likes school and is excited to learn.

I think a lot of time more structured programs get a bad rap! She learned about clouds last week. She learned a little song, did a craft with cotton balls...has been pointing out the cumulus and nimbus clouds to me when we are in the car...does she need that for kindy? Nope. But I still think she had a fun time learning about clouds and I think some kids really thirst for that kind of knowledge and interaction.

[One_Girl]

I think that play and socialization are more important. Kids have years to learn academic stuff, but they only have a short period of time to be kids and truly focus on play. Kids also learn and work through a lot through dramatic play as well as through building and socializing. I put my dd in a structured center for 5 weeks one summer while I was working and she picked up an attitude and the habit of spitting. Once she stopped attending that preschool she went back to being herself and the spitting ended. I am sure that there are also bad play based centers out there. It is very important to really check a place out and make sure you like the atmosphere before going with a school no matter what you choose. If you pick a good preschool the teachers will guide your children through any problems they have socializing and there won't be a lot of hitting or hurting each other whether the school is totally play based or completely structured.

[MeepyCat]

I'm strongly in favor of play and socialization in preschool. I appreciate that my kid is beginning to be interested in letters (although he thinks that all possible three letter combinations spell "cat"), but I'm not stressed about him learning to read. He will when he's ready. On the other hand, I appreciate that he's polite, outgoing, and making friends.

I do think that a certain amount of structure is helpful in preschool. It helps set expectations and makes it easier for a relatively small number of adults to manage the kids. I think total lack of structure is a mistake. A plan that includes some structured activities (circle time, arts and crafts), some physical activities, some rest, and some free play is good.

[LynnS6]

To you, what is more important? An academically- inclined school or a play-based school where it's more about socialization and play?


Play, play and more play. Read: Einstein Never Used Flashcards or Play = Learning.

There's good research to show that kids who go to academically based preschools are (a) no farther ahead academically than kids who go to play-based schools and (b) they dislike school more.

Kids learn through play. That doesn't mean that you can't have literacy centers, writing centers and the like. Our play based preschool had those, along with dramatic play areas and sensory areas and fine motor areas. Kids were encouraged to use all of them. They did craft projects that worked on the motor skills needed for writing. They were taught to recognize their name by looking for their name card at snack time. They had circle time and sang songs, listened to stories and learned to raise their hands to get a turn to talk. The 4 year olds work on recognizing letters and writing their names. But that is as academic as it gets.

Also, how much time should be spent playing compared to time spent in the classroom?

Depends on the classroom. If the classroom is set up for play, it doesn't matter. If the classroom is 'seatwork', then I'd say about 5% seat work and 95% play.

[Linda on the move]

play and hands on learning.

We homeschooled for preschool and did lots of art, cooking, hands on science, field trips, time in nature, hands on math, reading wonderful books together, puppets, etc.

Worksheets have NO place in preschool (IMHO) but there are lots and lots of ways to learn.

[Momily]

The school where I work right now describes our PreSchool program 1/3, 1/3, 1/3. 1/3 of the day is spent in child directed activities -- either playing on the playground or "choice time" in the classroom, where kids choose with very little restriction between different activities.

1/3 of the day is spent on adult directed activities -- that might be listening to a story, singing songs or finger plays, talking about the calendar, having a dance class or a PE class, working with a group of children to act out a play, walking to the grocery store to buy fruit to bring back and make a salad, having a conversation about the chicken eggs they're hatching etc . . . Sometimes everyone is doing the activity together, sometimes the teacher has called together a group of kids to work on a specific skill (e.g. she might call 3 kids over to play a math strategy game, and then calls 2 others to read them a story) It's never worksheets, and very "playful" but the adult is choosing and driving the activity.

1/3 of the day is spent on routines, a large part of that is nap, the rest is sitting at the snack table, putting away your things in the morning, going to the bathroom, lunch etc . . .

For our program, which serves many "at risk" kids, it's a nice balance. Many of our kids come in with skills many years behind what I used to see when I worked in a half day program for affluent kids, there our kids basically just played, and they turned out great. I strongly believe that if you provide them with a rich variety of play opportunities to chose from, over time kids will choose what they need to get ready for kindy. But, when we've got 140 days during which the kids are available about 4 hours a day (assuming a 6 hour day with snack, lunch, and nap) and 4 years of missed experiences to make up, they may need more focused instruction, to make sure that they get the highest leverage skills first.

If you asked me "what's the most important thing in preschool", however, I'd say "langauge". I believe that giving children a vocabulary to talk about their world, helping them learn to ask and answer questions, helping them learn to use words to impact their world and solve social problems, is the most important thing. If I were picking a preschool for my child, I'd listen to what comes out of the teacher's mouth, and make my decision largely on the quality of that.

[JL83]

I think there should be a mix. We're shopping for a preschool right now.

We've rejected the couple of completely academic free "playschools". They just don't have anything of value for us. My kids plays with other kids all the time at home and at the playgroup we go to. They didn't do fun/cool crafts or have a focus on learning. They were simply a free for all where kids can play for 2.5 hours 3 days a week.

So now we're considering a preschool that is playbased and follows the Emillio Regia philosophy. So they have a loose curriculum. They do teach stuff through play.

I would not consider a preschool with work sheets and a focus on seat work for 3 to 4yos.

[eepster]

We chose Montessori, in large part b/c it really is pretty much beside the point if you want to call what goes on all day "socializing," "play" or "academic." It is all three all at once. If you look at a class it is pretty impossible to say which students are "just" playing, which are working hard on a new academic concept, and which ones are learning an important social skill. Yes, some "works" (activities are called works in Montessori) are more playful such as the pouring activities, and other works look very academic such as the movable alphabet, but since the child is freely choosing what they want to do, all activities must be equally enjoyable on some level or they would sit on the shelf collecting dust.

Another great thing about the academics of Montessori is that they are always at the exact right level and intensity for the student, since the student regulates that him/herself. A student who is starting to read never if forced to sit through the letter of the day, and the student who hasn't even really mastered the alphabet isn't forced to laboriously copy his/her name with little comprehension.

(There are many schools that call themselves "montessori" that don't really follow the system, so if this isn't what you see when you visit it isn't a real Montessori.)

[MattBronsil]

What I think is similar to eepster....great post.

The biggest thing for me is development. Once you start separating all these things, is it really a good thing?

[sapphire_chan]

Go to the schools and pick the one where the kids look happy and your ds says "can we go back There?"

(That said "rigors of kindergarten" is a phrase that gives me the heebie-jeebies.)

[ollyoxenfree]

I've always thought it was unfortunate and sad - tragic really - that play/socialization and academics are considered mutually exclusive. It says so much about what's wrong with attitudes and beliefs about learning and education.

[sparklett]

Thanks so much for all of the great comments. You've really helped to reinforce what I was already thinking. Sometimes it's so easy to get sucked into all of the early learning hubbub... I need to keep reminding myself this is PRESCHOOL we're talking about, not college!!

We're going with Montessori. I found a very traditional M program and another one that says they "take the best of Montessori and combine it with other successful programs...." That sounds fishy to me, so I think we like the traditional program better.

I am shocked by the cost of these programs. The average is about $500 a month for Montessori and that's going 3 days a week for 3 hours at a time. Ouch. I'm hoping we get what we pay for! There's cheaper programs, but it would mean having to enroll him in a more "mainstream" program or something that includes religious education, which is something that I absolutely do not want.

I never went to preschool and have done quite well for myself both academically and professionally. It's hard to make the choice to put DS in preschool, but he WANTS the stimulation and the socialization with other kids. I suppose we could do all of this via homeschool and playgroups, but right now I just don't see that working for us.

Thanks again.

[shesaidboom]

Play, definitely. Playing IS learning. Kids gain those pre-reading, pre-math, early academic skills through their play. For example, playing with blocks teaches them spatial awareness, sorting, and one to one correspondance, which are necessary skills for learning math. Dramatic play helps them make sense of the world around them and work through issues they are facing. Using small manipulatives and playing with playdough helps prepare their hands for writing. They also gain valuable social and language skills in a play based pre-school environment. Some children do gain these skills at home, but a supportive and varied pre-school environment can enrich them that much more, and prepare them for success in future academics.

There's nothing wrong with a mix of play and academics, but I really don't see the point in an only academic pre-school. Not gaining strong pre-academic skills before jumping into full on academics is like learning to run before taking that first step.

[lolar2]

Definitely play. However, I don't consider foreign languages to be academic at that age, as long as they are taught in a reasonably natural, non-academic way such as through songs and stories. Plenty of preschoolers all over Latin America, Spain and for that matter the US speak Spanish! I also am not against the presence of some academic work, as long as most of the day is spent playing. That is, if there are academics as a small part of the curriculum, that isn't a deal-breaker the way, say, certain safety issues would be.

[velochic]

Dd (who is 8 now), started "preschool" at 3.5 yo at a language immersion international school (in the US, not Canada). She is in 2nd grade now and the school *is* academically rigorous, but still those years in preschool were mostly about dd learning the language (that she is now taught in) and playing. She learned SO much just through play. We knew that this IB program would lead to being very academic, and it's what she needs to challenge her now, but they certainly didn't forget the playing those first few years... even in Kindy. I would vote for play-based learning for the younger years. I mean, they're kids only once. Why take that away prematurely?

[TiredX2]

IMO, for an academically advanced preschooler many academically focused preschools will be VERY frustrating. DD & DS both knew all they needed to go to kinder by the time they were 3, so if they had focussed on academics it would have been basically all review (outside of a mixed age Montessori done "correctly" but we were not interested in the hours they required). We went play based all the way. We made the same decision with kinder for DS (DD homeschooled kinder)--- 1/2 day so he could socialize and then do some learning at home in the afternoon.