What do you think preschool-age children of today will need to learn so they are prepared for the future?
Lourdes Dumke, Master of Education in Early Childhood Education observed a preschool classroom and she wondered, "Why has the focus of some preschools become so intensely academic in recent years?" When Dumke recalled the parent-teacher conferences she had when she taught preschool, many parents expressed their concerns about their child getting into a good college. Though these parents were thinking way too far ahead into the lives of these four year old children, Dumke believes it's not healthy for preschoolers to be required to primarily focus on strengthening their cognitive skills. Here are the 5 things Dumke and I believe preschool-age children of today need to learn so they are prepared for the future (American College of Education, 2018):
Fine Motor Skills: Using crayons, scissors, pencils, and other hands-on activities will help their little hands be prepared for when they are ready to write words.
Listening Skills: If the children you teach don't listen to you, make an effort to show respect by listening to them.
Basic Needs: Once preschoolers learn how to take care of their own basic needs, such as "setting up lunches, putting on their own shoes, fosters their independence."
Social Skills and Conflict Resolution: Helping children learn how to get along with others will benefit their social skills and work through conflict in a peaceful manner.
Free, Unstructured Play: Giving preschoolers the opportunity to not be limited around activities will help them learn how to make use of their imagination while playing. You might be astonished at what they can do all on their own!
What are the Two Most Important Things Young Children Need to Learn to be Successful when they Enter the Primary Grades?
The two most important things I believe young children need to learn before they enter the primary grades are their literacy skills and social-emotional skills. Early intervention specialist, Amanda Morin the time preschool children enter first grade, they are expected to know the alphabet and recognize rhyming words; this will help them read simple books. In addition, incoming first graders are expected to write and share information through a variety of mediums such as. writing letters, drawing, listening to others, and speaking aloud.
Building a young child's social-emotional skills is just as important as teaching literacy skills. A study published by George Mason University proved how preschoolers' social skills is directly correlated to the chances of their early school success. From the study, the researchers informed readers the importance of teaching children how to understand their and appropriately express their emotions. If young children aren't taught how to gain social awareness, they will have "inability to interpret emotions can make the classroom a confusing, overwhelming place, hindering classroom adjustment." I believe that learning both of these things are essential for preschool children to learn because if they don't, they will feel incapable of learning at the same rate as the other children once they reach the primary grades.
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