Preschool and worksheets

[kibba]

My four year old is in a preschool class two days a week right now and they keep doing worksheets. She gets a stapled pack in her backpack each time she has class. It's usually 3-5 sheets. This is not homework, but things they are doing in class. I was under the impression they would be doing more hands on work and I don't care for worksheets at all. I don't think it's age appropriate and I think there are better ways of learning. I know early childhood research shows that worksheets are not the way to teach this age group too. If they were just an option for kids to do it wouldn't bother me, but the way my daughters class is set up is it seems they have to do them.

She is going to this same school next year for preK and I'm concerned this is how it's going to go next year. She will have a new teacher and the PreK teachers have an Early Childhood Degree (this years teacher just has experience, no actual degree) She will be going four days a week and I'm just worried about what they will be doing in class. I know that all teachers have their own teaching style, so I'm really hoping that it wont be like it currently is. I've thought about scheduling a meeting with the director to ask about curriculum and to address my concerns. I'm just not sure how to word myself without insulting the current teacher. I had hoped to keep her here for Kindergarten, but if we start getting packets of worksheets daily next year, I'm afraid I'll be looking for a new school. I noticed the worksheets early on, but kind of ignored them. Then my daughter got a note at the top of one "Didn't want to follow directions" (maybe because it's boring?) I don't want her getting in trouble for something that shouldn't even be going on in the classroom.  The teacher even felt the need to talk to me about it when I picked my daughter up. I feel like maybe I'm over thinking all of this ( I have an Early Childhood Degree) but then I think about it and honestly it just seems a bit lazy for a teacher to print off and hand out some worksheets. I taught for six years and not once did I use a worksheet.  

[LuckyMommaToo]

Well, FWIW, I totally agree with you. It's not developmentally appropriate. Even the more "structured" preschools around here would never be requiring multiple worksheets a day. Maybe it it were one station you could choose from, that MIGHT be okay. I think it's definitely worth a conversation with the teacher, and then the director.

-e

[kibba]

She only had three weeks left with the current teacher though , so I don't care what they do the rest of this year - more concerned about next year. Should I ask for a meeting with the director and next years teacher? I'm not even sure what to say other then "I noticed my daughter is getting a packet of worksheets home almost daily for the two days a week that she has class.  I know at this age children learn better with hands on activites vs worksheets and it just concerns me to see so many sent home"

It just feels like a week argument? I'm just not sure how to address the issue? They might not realize anything is wrong with worksheets? I'm not sure if the director has a degree or not in Earlychildhood.

[Pepe]

Hello,

I recommend that you request an observation of the class your daughter will enter next year or possibly a meeting with the teacher so that you can get a feel for what goes on and whether it's a match for your ideology and your daughter's needs.  As for arguing with the director about the value (or lack thereof) of worksheets--despite your early childhood degree--I would tread very carefully so as not to put that person on the defensive.  You could instead ask about their rationale re: the worksheets.  For example, if this is a public school system, they are likely chained to NCLB and the over-assessing involved, and have found it useful to emphasize paper-pencil skills early on (which is the case where my son is in school, but it offers other benefits and we are rolling with it).  Of course, you might still decide that that particular environment is not for your family, but maybe it will help to think of yourself shopping around for the right fit instead of attempting to change their ways.

Good luck!

[kibba]

Thank you for your post Pepe!

My concern was how to word things in a way that doesn't make it seem like I'm looking to argue, because if the director doesn't know any better, she might not see a problem with it. The current teacher has taught there a long time, and I imagine it wasn't this year she decided to do worksheets. They did just sent out a questioner forum with things parents would like to see, what they liked/didn't like. So I imagine they want to hear parent feedback. I'm so worried about wording things correctly when I go in. I will word everything carefully in what I say.

Also, I have heard of people asking to observe the classroom to make sure it is the right fit, how would I ask to do that? It seems a little weird, but I have heard about this from multplie people. Do I simple just ask "Is it alright if I come in for a day and observe for few hours to make sure the classroom is a good fit for my daughter?"

It seems to make sense, because then I can actually see how the teacher deals with the children and when the children are not doing what they're supposed to be doing (issues I haven't thought about until I started thinking about the idea of observing)

[kibba]

Sorry for the grammer/spelling errors. I can't seem to edit my post to fix them :(

[tbone_kneegrabber]

It's usually pretty normal to observe classes so I don't think that would be seen as too weird. I think, "I'd like a chance to observe the class so dd and I can talk about the transition" or something.

What kind of worksheets are they doing?  I ask, because ds often does some cutting practice or maze "worksheets" during quiet time at his school.  The kids *are* giving usually a choice of quiet time activities including beading, drawing, books, or activity/worksheets.  Ds *loves* them, which cracks me up, because I am usually so anti worksheet!  

[JudiAU]

My almost 4 year old loves "homework" i.e. the little workbooks that have alphabet letters to trace/draw or related games, books with patterns to cut, simple mazes, dot-to-dot or alphabet-to-alphabet, etc. He calls them a kind of art and I buy them because he enjoys them. He taught himself to write the alphabet before we ever had the books or I wouldn't have gotten them at all. We do all natural toys/media-free so this is just a simple way for him to interact with something. My primary objection to them is that they are over priced.

But...I DON'T think that it is age appropriate as a preschool aid or to be used in a preschool environment. Personally, I find to that be lazy anf unimaginative of the staff and a worisome skills-driven approach. Even if the school is developmental there are 1,000 better ways to learn those skills. Geesh teachers. Earn your salaries.

[les_oiseau]

Can you schedule a time to talk to the would-be-next-years teacher? I have 2 preschoolers and watch 3 others every once in a while, and while sometimes they really enjoy and worksheet type activity, I would expect 3-5 somewhat mandatorily done worksheets a day would make most preschoolers not enjoy school. At 4 they are just toeing the line between learning from non-structure and understanding structure. That's my experience anyway.

[LynnS6]

Originally Posted by Pepe 

Hello,

I recommend that you request an observation of the class your daughter will enter next year or possibly a meeting with the teacher so that you can get a feel for what goes on and whether it's a match for your ideology and your daughter's needs.  

Yes, this is a very good idea. I would also request a meeting with the director to discuss their curriculum philosophy, and to overtly state that you do not think that worksheets are appropriate for 3 year olds. If you look at the standards for the National Association for the Education of Young Children, worksheets don't figure in what's developmentally appropriate at that age. I would say that you're looking for a play-based curriculum and are concerned that the 3s teacher isn't implementing this.

The fact that the 3s teacher doesn't have a degree in early childhood ed also would concern me, as would the fact that the director hasn't put a stop to it. Either the director knows and approves or doesn't know. Either one isn't a great sign, IMO.

FWIW, there's good research evidence to show that children who attend academic preschool programs are only marginally further ahead academically when they start K than children who attend play-based preschools. Furthermore, that 'advantage' disappears by the end of 1st grade (maybe even K, I don't remember off the top of my head) and the only residue that's left is that the kids who attended academic preschools are less eager to learn. They equate learning with being bored.

Because of that, I was very very careful in our preschool experiences for our kids. Our kids went to a lovely Reggio Emelia daycare 3x a week and they did our church preschool for 1 year. The church preschool was play based with some projects. They did ask the kids to write their names during the 2nd half of the year when they were 3, but it was the only writing they were asked to do, and they were free to skip it if they wanted. Had my child brought home 3-5 worksheets each class I would have been in there in a flash seeing what was going on.
 

Originally Posted by kibba I've thought about scheduling a meeting with the director to ask about curriculum and to address my concerns. I'm just not sure how to word myself without insulting the current teacher. I had hoped to keep her here for Kindergarten, but if we start getting packets of worksheets daily next year, I'm afraid I'll be looking for a new school. I noticed the worksheets early on, but kind of ignored them. Then my daughter got a note at the top of one "Didn't want to follow directions" (maybe because it's boring?) I don't want her getting in trouble for something that shouldn't even be going on in the classroom.  The teacher even felt the need to talk to me about it when I picked my daughter up. I feel like maybe I'm over thinking all of this ( I have an Early Childhood Degree) but then I think about it and honestly it just seems a bit lazy for a teacher to print off and hand out some worksheets. I taught for six years and not once did I use a worksheet.

Why wouldn't you schedule a meeting? What's holding you back? That's a huge red flag for me. You're ignoring your own, good training to try to make nice to this teacher who's boring your child to tears with worksheets. (OK, so maybe it's a bit of hyperbole.) Just remember, you are employing these people to give your child a positive first experience at school. If they can't employ qualified people who know something about developmentally appropriate practice, why are you there?