Preschool Question - Tempe,AZ

My opinion is that preschool is less about the ABC's and 123's and more about social skills. At that age kids are still learning primarily through play. They need to learn how to follow the teacher, follow the rules, play nicely with other kids, etc.

Being organized in the way you are describing is great. But just because she doesn't present her lessons the way you were taught doesn't mean she isn't doing a fabulous job with the kids.

Site words and math problems in pre-school? Why? Pre-school should numbers to ten, alphabet, colours, how to hold a pencil, how to print your name, how to use scissors, how to stand in line, sit in a circle, share and take turns. They should learn most of this through music and play.

I've learned to expect nothing more than socialization out of my girls' preschool. They make a big deal there that the kids only goal is play, and creativity, and discovery. I was a little surprised with my first daughter, when I asked the assistant teacher if they would now be learning letters or how to spell their names in the second year (age 4). Nope, they don't teach them ANYTHING there.

However... I observed at my daughters 5th birthday in spring, at a gym, where there were 2 teenage girls leading the kids in activities, and the kids from her class at preschool fell in line real quick and were obviously very well behaved and used to following a "leader's" instructions. And when my daughter got to kindergarten that fall, there were zero issues with learning the logistics of school or how to be good citizen. She couldn't write her own name, but she learned that within the first month and was reading a couple months later because all the other aspects of school life were already familiar to her. I heard this was not the case for all the kids... that some of them show up to kindergarten not knowing how to share or line up or sit quietly on the rug.

I think exposure to the role of teacher/student and the general classroom environment are all you need... how to play and create and discover within a structured environment among same-age peers.

Aaaand... one last thing... are you really a teacher yourself? I can't imagine any teacher would EVER print out curriculum for another teacher. I mean really, what would you think of a parent who took it upon herself to provide you with some curriculum? NO way, right? Are you really being THAT parent to a fellow teacher? I am seriously curious what you teach and what age level. Can you even picture one of your student's parents suggesting a curriculum for YOUR class?

Preschool should be play-based. Kids learn through free-play.

Is your child happy? Is she having a good time? Does she have friends? Does she get to spend a lot time playing inside and outside?

I promise a play based preschool is great. Children this age should be getting a lot of physical activity and lots of creative play time, They are going to spend the next 13 years sitting at desks, learning.. They need to learn to balances, run jump hop.

Our daughter was in a mostly play based day care and preschool. She loved it. She learned routine, she learned her colors, some numbers some letters.. We did not even realize she had taught herself to read. We spent tons of time reading at home to her..

They colored a lot to help build up their fine motor skills.

I studied child development and I was not instructed on having any lesson plans.

We were trained to keep schedules, to encourage a child's natural abilities and interest. To guide the children through different experiences and to guide them through expected behaviors based on their ages.

The more physical activity the better. Sitting at desks or tables, were a small part of our classrooms. They were busy and active. Learning how to communicate with each other. Learning how to express themselves.
Not curriculum based.

I expect a very loose curriculum that is play based. My daughter's preschool is fully play based for the 3 year old class and then a bit more task based in the 4 year old class but still very much rooted in play (otherwise I wouldn't have chosen it). The children have a daily routine and one or two monthly "themes." They come in, wash hands, find their name and put it on a chart and then they are free to play. After they play for a bit they clean up and then they do centers. One group of children will work on writing their names and other easy words while another group listens to an audio book and yet another group works on letters and letter sounds. They use games and puzzles to work on the alphabet. Then they have story time. The books tie in with whatever the theme is. Last month it was trees, leaves changing color and apples. Then they wash up and have a snack. Then they either go outside or do an art project. They do calendar and have show and tell. They have a few songs and dances. Then they gather their things and go home. This is 4 days a week in the morning. I don't think full time school is necessary for 4 year old children. Hell, I don't think it is necessary for most children regardless of age but that is neither here nor there.

The goal is to get the children ready socially for kindergarten. If they have an academic heads up, wonderful, but academics won't go far if the children won't follow directions (thus the routine), sit quietly (story time) perform basic self care (washing hands/opening snacks), respect other students (show and tell), etc.

If your child is attending an NAEYC* accredited preschool (the highest standard in my opinion) then the curriculum will vary slightly but absolutely be PLAY BASED at this age. In other words, quality programs don't subject 3 and 4 year olds to lessons, worksheets, etc. because that is not how they learn at this age.
My kids were always exposed to plenty of letters and numbers but they spent their time preparing for real school by listening to stories, singing songs, taking turns, sharing, listening to and following directions and having access to all the manipulatives that would prepare them for sitting still, focusing, counting/sorting (math) and writing (beads, scissors, glue, play doh, coloring/painting/drawing.)
These are the skills preschoolers need, so as long as that is happening, and they are happy of course, then there's nothing to worry about.
*google NAEYC if you are not familiar with it

I expect preschool to be fun.. play with other kids of same age.. learn some basic social skills, take turns, table manners, listen to teacher.

I do not expect them to learn reading and math.. that is for real school ..

let your child have fun.. preschool is fun.... once real school starts it is not fun.. it is work, homework report cards.. not fun.

Some people on here can be harsh in a thinly veiled manner. Given the change in how things are being done, I can see wondering if it's a good change. Also if your 4 year old is your oldest, parents tend to worry more. My kids went to Montessori so I guess there was some structure. And I bet it seemed impt to me at the time. But I can tell you that a couple of years later, it makes no difference. Kids even out unless maybe they had zero preschool and watched mindless tv most of their lives before K. So if your child is happy there, don't worry. 4 is very young still. Even in this competitive world, it's young.

The preschool my daughter went to was structured. Her pre school teacher had a degree in early childhood education and it showed. They learned so much that year and they had fun as well. The teacher was pretty hyper so she was good at keeping up with 4 and 5 year olds.

Sometimes the degree you earn really isn't for you. Teaching may not be for this teacher. Some people go into teaching thinking it is a very easy job when it isn't. It's a lot of work especially if you really care about the kids you are dealing with.

I know a lot of people think preschool should be about play and exploring but that is just not the world we live in now. It encompasses all, play, exploring and learning. I think you are doing the right thing by talking to the teacher and offering advice. After all she is in charge of your daughter for a big part of the day and you have to feel comfortable with that. Good luck!!!

My child's preschool (ages 3-4) has set lesson plans every week. They have sight words. They have themes. They play and create and make art and have story time related to those themes. The teacher is very creative and the kids love him.

Maybe some others here haven't seen it in action, but I have in my child's preschool, and kids can absolutely have fun and learn through playing in an environment set up around a learning theme.

For example, right now my child's theme is The Farm. They have the Little People farm set out. They turned one area of the room into a barn scene where they have toy farm animals in there to play with (stuffed animal horses, etc), and a little plastic wheel barrow, etc. In another corner they have a play garden (all the little plastic vegetables and such from a play kitchen set). The teacher will read stories about farms. In the art area, they will have coloring pages with a farm theme, and they will be prompted to paint their favorite farm animal. At the circle-time area, there are a few sight words related to theme on the wall. So yes, a preschool CAN be fun, play-based, AND have a learning curriculum based on theme, etc.

If that's what you want and you are not getting it, it is perfectly OK to talk to the director about it. If she can't help her new teacher get on her feet, then it's ok to look for somewhere else where you are actually getting what you are paying for.

When my son went to preschool it was all about structure and social skills. They had to put their coat and back pack away by themselves, wash their own hands, use kind words, etc.
I read a lot to them at home and let them use websites some-like abcmouse.com, readwritelearn.org, star fall, etc. None of my kids learned sight words until Kindergarten (although many were labeled in preschool they weren't part of the lesson plan)
I know it's tough when it's your profession. Weak comparison, but I coach soccer and have a HARD time not critiquing my other child's coach. The poor kids were getting slaughtered this weekend. I had to walk away.

If you feel like you are a more superior teacher for your child, then maybe you need to be teaching your child.

Many things go into planning classes for preschool and more. It's equally important for children to learn the structure of the school because when they start k it's expected that they are so what knowledgable of the routines and structure plus the social aspect with other classmates and learning how to socialize and get along with others.

The best laid out plans for structure can still need for social interaction.

Again, if you feel like you are a better educator, then pull your child and educate to your expectations.

take a day off and be a volunteer aide for the class for the day. That will ease your mind on what is going on in the class and the best way to offer constructive criticism and/or praise to the teacher. It's really the only way you'll feel more comfortable.
Pre school is totally about ABC's so the kids are ready to learn to read in kindergarten.

We selected a play based preschool. My daughter did lessons on seasons, or colors, or numbers, or plants, or animals, etc. At the end of the year, they knew that all the older kids were going to K and made sure that they taught the kids enough to be ready for K in our school district. They could write their name, ID the alphabet and most numbers up to 20. We knew the school's plan in the fall and they followed up in the spring to discuss our individual child's readiness. Things that came home were songs and cookie recipes and artwork and letter practice. Things I could use to see that my DD was learning something. DD did not have sight words or know how to read, but she knew colors and shapes and was fine when she entered K.

It sounds like the teacher and the director need to get together. You've expressed your concerns. I would follow up if you don't think they've been addressed.

You say pre-school and 3 months ago. School only started in August and that's only 3 months ago.

So I assume you are not actually talking about a pre-school class in a public school but a child care classroom.

So no, they don't actually have to have a curriculum and go by it. In child care the emphasis is on children learn as they play. Google that if you're not familiar with the term.

We actually never sat down and did math or reading words or anything like that in child care and I have worked with the older kids classes for over 13 years.

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What my day was like with the 4 year old (all day in the same class) and 5 year old kids that did half day kindergarten Different group in the morning then they switched out when the other kids went to afternoon classes) was like this.

8am go to work, take my class from the general "come in and sit down until the teachers come to work room"...don't know what else to call it.

8-8:30 get everyone situated, get them headed toward circle time starting at 8:30.

During circle time we'd do the day of the week, the weather, the color of the month, the color of that week, the topic of the week, etc...we'd sing songs, march around with instruments to music, do stretches and exercises, act out things like a plant growing from a seed along with the music, talk about our morning, that sort of stuff.

After circle time, often 9:15-9:30 we'd have a morning snack then go to table time. BUT we might also go paint, do an art project, write in their journals, and all sorts of things like that. Not sit down and do math but more of a hands on to what we talked about during circle time.

After doing some table activities we'd play, either outside or in the play areas. Then it was time to clean up and get ready for lunch then nap time. They'd wake up from naps around 2:30/3pm and have a snack. Then it was play time until parents picked them up. As the classes got smaller they combined and did stuff that didn't have to be cleaned up like watching a movie or reading books or something like that.

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One of my average months might look like this. (I used the Mailbox Curriculum for preschool age kids)

February, the colors of the month would be red, white, pink, silver.

Numbers of the month probably 5, 6, 7, and 8 since those are the weeks of the year.

Then the week topics would be:

1st week U S Mail

2nd week Valentines Day

3rd week Human Heart

4rd week Dental Week

For the mail week I'd have called each family and asked them to let every relative know we wanted the kids to receive a ton of mail at the center. Every kids needed something every day. We often had mail coming in from other countries! The kids could go to the post office for a tour before 9-11 but that stopped then. We could go and tour the P O Box area and the Post Masters office but that wasn't fun. We'd write letters to others and go put it on the mail box for the carrier to pick up. This really helped the kids understand how mail worked AND it brought other family in to their lives because they got cards, letters, and pictures that week. Then they kept coming all year!

For Valentines Week we used all the colors to make Valentines for all sorts of people then we actually would go deliver them in small groups in my van. I'd take a few kids and we'd take a bunch to a nursing home or a hospital ward, lots of getting out of the building.

Of course we had a Valentine's Day party at the end of the week too.

For the human heart we'd lead into this naturally from a Valentine heart to what the human heart does and looks like. We made booklets out of the curriculum and I went and bound them at a local support place with a machine. The kids did activities all week and learned a ton of stuff about the heart.

For dental week we made a box into a smiling mouth with teeth, the kids would use yarn to "floss" the teeth, we cut a huge toothbrush out of a box so they could "brush" it's teeth. We bought the kids each a toothbrush that week and they'd go brush their teeth every day after snacks and lunch.

I did a good job with the kids but we didn't sit down and do math, didn't sit down and work on spelling or reading or a school classroom situation. We played and had fun and the kids soaked it up.

If you're talking about a child care setting for your child then perhaps you'd have been happier with an actual public school pre-school class instead. It might not be too late to enroll her in the one in your neighborhood. I know it's a hassle due to them getting out earlier than the other kids and them not having after school care but still, it might just make you feel better if she's in an actual classroom instead.

I'm a little confused that a teacher really never heard of lesson plans, and I'm even more baffled by such an unprofessional director who would tell you that one of her staff members never heard of the curriculum. The director's job is to hear your concerns and to tell you that either a) she will address it with the teacher or b) correct you and your assumptions. It is absolutely NOT to discuss personnel issues or teacher "failings" with a parent.

While I do think that a teacher should be organized, I think your expectations for a highly academic preschool are surprising. If there's a story about Thanksgiving and then the kids make turkey designs by tracing their hands and sticking on googly eyes, great. But it's not really necessary that it all hang together, is it?

Everything was fine until 3 months ago - so that means they changed in early August? The timing is odd. However, if the school is shifting to a whole child approach and away from academics, that makes sense. The children are FOUR years old. The point of preschool is to get them to separate from Mom/Dad, follow directions, work in a group, and transit from statio to station. A theme is nice and it can be helpful when the story lines up with the art project, but mostly preschool is about social skills and some fine/gross motor.

Academics is dicey - and it's not what they need in kindergarten. I can't believe you think they should be learning math at 4! Sure, a little work recognition is okay, mostly for their own names. But spelling is premature here - and even your post shows the difficult adults have with some words (it's "sight words" not "site words"). So if you, as a teacher, either make that mistake or fail to catch an auto-correct by your computer, you may be on thin ice demanding this emphasis by a preschool teacher. You know all about lesson planning yourself, but you had to go on line (so I assume you are much more familiar with older students and less familiar with preschoolers). Moreover, as a teacher, you still felt that preschool teacher should be getting curriculum advice form a parent (you) and you didn't feel that you should go through her supervisor. I think that probably communicated a whole lot of disrespect to the teacher. Is it at all possible that the teacher didn't engage with you in this discussion, and not that she doesn't know how to teacher 4 year olds?

I think you need to really find out the goals of the preschool, and you should be far less concerned with "content" in the sense of academic achievement. In my years in elementary school and middle school, I never saw a kindergarten teacher wishing that the new students came in knowing the alphabet and sight words and math. Instead, they wanted kids with a good sense of participating in a group, an understanding of sharing and not being the star of the class (not requiring all the attention, being able to wait their turn), some fine motor skills such as being able to hold a pencil or paintbrush or put pieces in a puzzle (but without concern about whether they write a letter "A" right side up or upside down, and generally being able to communicate with words and not their hands.

If this is not your expectation, you can probably find a highly academic preschool. But I don't think that's going to prepare your child for kindergarten. Kids need to think and play and listen to stories, not regurgitate facts. The ones who go to kindergarten "bored" because they don't have enough worksheets, but who can't negotiate their own space without whacking the kid next to them, and who can't make it through a day with 20 kids in the room.

If I were you, I would go back to the director and start from the beginning: What's the philosophy or approach of this preschool? How is that communicate to staff? What staff development opportunities and supervision do you employ? Can you share a typical lesson plan with me (for a day or a week)? What should I, as a parent, expect? How can I, as a parent, be supportive of my child? What questions should I ask of my child and what questions should I avoid? (So, "Tell me 2 things you did in school today" might be way more appropriate than "What did you learn today?"

You should not ask for an evaluation of the teacher. You can certainly share your concerns, but I think you need to get a good explanation first. And I think your communications re curriculum enhancements should be based on a planned meeting with the director and absolutely not with the individual teacher. There are a million things on the internet, and those may to be in line with the school's planned curriculum at all.

If this teacher is making your child feel safe and welcomed and valued as a class member, if she's nurturing and encouraging, if she is teaching some basic manners (wait your turn, walk in a line, clean up when asked), then your child is learning skills that will serve her very well in kindergarten. She can learn to read and do math later. She will never be successful in elementary school if she does not do first things first.

After a lot of research, I was of the opinion that kids don't need structured learning before kindergarten if they are having enriching playtime and good exposure to the world around them, overhearing good conversations, being read to, etc. But when the daycare where my first went part time (to socialize) actually had "lessons" going on, I was pleasantly surprised.

When she was 4 I found a school with K4 that wasn't any more expensive than daycare, so I threw her in 4yo kindergarten with desks and the whole nine yards. She came out of there thriving, reading and writing. HOWEVER, we couldn't afford it for my second two, and I had also begun homeschooling in a classical style. So the younger two had no formal structured learning before kindergarten age, and my second did a loose entire homeschool kindergarten year.

I recently put them all in public school for personal reasons, and all three, kinder, 1st grade, and 3rd grade, are ahead in their classes and doing wonderfully with the regimented learning.

So my point is it really doesn't mater how many lessons she's having right now as long as she's having fun and being stimulated and being allowed to play a lot. But you could possibly find a K4 where it's real school instead of playschool. Either way, she'll be fine for kindergarten at 5.