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An overview of "Ages & Stages"Thank you for being such interested parents! Our staff is eager to share information about child development between the ages of 3 and 5 in general and to help you understand our preschool and kindergarten programs specifically. Classes, conferences and informal conversations with parents are always welcomed.All children are ready! The question is what are they ready for? A child's first school tasks should be based on his/her developmental readiness; challenges without pressure and success based tasks are encouraged. Self-esteem and a positive view of learning is the goal! Does the child readily feel good and motivated to accept the tasks presented? The child psychologist Jean Piaget (1896-1980) has taught teachers the importance of understanding the timing of "learning" to coincide with a child’s physical and mental growth. His studies show that children pass through three periods of mental development. Certain tasks presented to children during these stages show their readiness level. Sensorimotor period: (up to age 2) They obtain a basic knowledge of objects through senses. Concrete operations: (2-7 years) They develop language and drawing skills by doing. (7-11 years) They develop logical thinking and organizational ability. Formal operations: (11-15 years) They reason realistically and deal with abstractions. Play is children's most important work in the concrete operations of the preschool years. In playing with each other and in investigations with hands-on tasks, children learn, not only the language of teamwork and self-expression, but also how to problem solve, listen for directions and clues & discover the art of meaningful and articulate conversation. Parents often feel that the "jump" to Kindergarten is other than a natural transition and are concerned about "readiness preparation." We want to help parents understand the many many dimensions of readiness and how we provide and access those experiences in our preschool curriculum. Our goal |
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