Long hrs in preschool/daycare harmful
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Long hrs in preschool/daycare harmful
| Sun, 03-19-2006 - 3:09pm |
http://www.signonsandiego.com/uniontrib/20051101/news_1n1earlyed.html
Very interesting. Particularly the difference in the middle to upper income kids vs low income.
"I personally feel children need the nurture of their parents and the home," she said. "Those early years, that's when they are bonding to their family. That nurturing, only the family can give that."
I tend to agree.
MM, WOHM to B&E, 7.24.03

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"Children do NOT have a developmental need for education."
Could you please enlighten as to what you think the developmental needs of children are?
Years ago, I was actually hoping playgroups would give the socialization benefits preschool offers and then we wouldn't use preschool. But DH convinced me I was wrong.
How does the parent or 2 in your playgroup "structure" free play in such a way as to focus only on the children and direct them in meaningful, quasi-educational free play? Are you talking about kinderclasses? or the notion that (of course) the parents should be disciplining and hands-on with discipline?
Do you have activity zones (cooking center, arts and crafts, blocks, coloring, etc.) that each parent oversees? That's how free play operates in our preschool ~ it's quite structured without the child really aware it's education, KWIM?
"The purpose of public education is not to meet a developmental need of children to be educated because there is no such thing. The purpose of public education is to ensure that society is made up of people with at least a certain level of knowledge and skills. Our society couldn't function if the majority of the population didn't have this education and so we as a society have agreed to pay for it with taxes."
This entire paragraph completely and utterly contradicts itself.
In one playgroup I attended, there was a rotating schedule of 2 parents who were responsible for the weekly plan. They then organised several choices of craft activities and free play zones. The usual pattern was craft/free play followed by a snack, then circle time with singing and finally book reading.
In another playgroup, someone was actually hired to run the activities. The structure was fairly similar to the one above. In both of those cases, the playgroups were specifically meant for immigrant families speaking a different language at home (the first was an English group in Switzerland, the second a German group in Sweden). I think that may have had something to do with the more formal structure as one of the main intentions of those playgroups was to make sure that children were exposed to the home language outside the home. Hence the singing and storytelling aspects were particularly emphasized.
In all honestly, I do see something wrong with extended days, regradless of whether the time is spent in a before or after school program at school or in a regular dc program outside of school (as is the case in my district).
I stand corrected.
I was not aware that 2 of the 13 schools offered b/a in my district.
Thanks for the info.
Edited to include correction:
In all honestly, I do see something wrong with extended days, regardless of whether the time is spent in a before or after school program at school or in a regular dc program outside of school (as is the case at my dd's school).
"I realize all that."
<<"Where as, preschool is generally a part-time program in most cases, although at times it is also offered on a full day basis. However, it is rarely, if ever, offered on a full time basis.">>
"And we showed you, time and time and time again, in vast geographical region, where preschool IS offered on a full-time basis."
No, you didn't.
Preschools that are offered on a full-day + extended day = full time basis, yes.
But preschools that are offered on a full time = full time basis, no.
"And is not rare."
Yes, preschool offered on a full-time 40 hour a week, 50 weeks per year basis IS rare.
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I agree. But you earlier agreed with my definition of fulltime being full-day for 180 days or more a year. And those are not rare. You can't change definitions now.
"unschooling is a life philosophy and to a large degree, a lifestyle."
Very well said. Wonerful post btw.
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