

Asking 'what if?' leads to exciting possibilities for learning

10:48 PM, Feb. 28, 2014  |  Comments
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What if every child in our community arrived on the first day of kindergarten excited about the days ahead? What if every child recognized their name and spot at the table, waved goodbye to loved ones, said hello to new friends, and sat down to begin a conversation about the items on the table?

Teachers could begin the day with instructions on how the children were to begin. Children would listen attentively to directions and then follow them, talking quietly to each other, with anticipation and excitement. They could discover things about themselves and each other in the first moments together.

They are capable of sharing, interacting and exploring in a safe and enriching classroom. They use the "executive function" they learned in preschool and at home to wait, attend to the teacher's direction, and stay on task for the seven or so minutes that the task requires.

What we know about children's kindergarten readiness is that executive function, focus and self-control are the foundation for other skill building. If a child comes to school without the ability to manage their attention, their emotions, and their behavior, no amount of ABCs or 123s is going to get them through to first grade. These skills are the things of which high quality, child-friendly early childhood experiences are made.

Imagine preschools where children are discussing the weather - how many days in a row it had rained or what tomorrow will be like. Imagine children sitting in a circle as the teacher reads, "It Looked Like Spilt Milk" and talks about what clouds look like. Or how the shadows are long in the afternoon, and asking the children their theories of how shadows are made. What sort of rich learning could take place in environments where teachers were listening to the thoughts of children, adding information to help them expand their knowledge?

Every Child Promise will support programs that will prepare children for kindergarten through rich, engaging experiences in emotionally supportive and safe environments. As we embark on the next 10 years, we will be looking to work with programs that share the vision of high quality, in a variety of settings.

What if parents were able to choose from a list of high quality programs that met their needs and the needs of their children, a program that was affordable, accessible and respected their language, culture, faith beliefs and was located near their home, work or school? What if?


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