Millions of kids will take lunchboxes, backpacks , and rolling bags to head off for their kindergarten first day this year. Some will attend for a half-day while others will attend all day. There are private schools, while others will be enrolled in public schools. However, for all students the first day of kindergarten will mark their entry into a system in which they will spend the next 12 years getting an education of a fundamental level.
This raises questions. What are the characteristics of a classroom that is high-quality? What will parents learn from the program? What are the best ways for parents to keep their education at home? In short, what are the things children do in the kindergarten classroom?
Kindergarten is where the foundations of social, physical and emotional development as well in the fundamentals of literacy, language thinking and cognitive abilities. It also provides an opportunity to transition from the classroom at the home or in preschool to a more traditional school environment, where children are required to interact with a teacher as well as a set rules, and one another to be able to learn.
“I consider that kindergarten is an excellent start into our educational systems,” says Alissa Mwenelupembe who is the senior director for early learning accreditation of programs for the National Association for the Education of Young Children the professional organization working to improve education quality in early childhood. “It can be a good way to meet some of the goals in emotional and social development that children have to achieve in order to succeed in their the future academic endeavors.”
Kindergarten learning
In a guideline issued from the National Association for the Education of Young Children According to a guideline issued by the National Association for the Education of Young Children, good quality 英文國際幼稚園 should focus on the following areas of learning:
Physical development. This refers to the development of large motor skills, which includes the movement of legs and arms and fine motor abilities using fingers and hands. Physical activities and playing outside exercises in class addresses the earlier. Drawing, puzzles and other classes activities focus on the latter.
Social development. This is the way an individual child interacts with others such as working cooperatively and making friends, as well as resolving disagreements and other issues. The activities that are part of the classroom are designed to help develop these abilities, assisting children to become more comfortable with each other.
Emotional development. This assists children in understanding and manage their emotions. “Teachers assist children in recognizing the feelings, discuss them their emotions and feelings as well as show compassion for other people,” the association wrote. “They also support children’s development of self-regulation–being able to manage their feelings and behavior.”
Literacy and language. It helps develop communication through writing, reading, and listening. Literacy is an important topic in the beginning of school particularly in the kindergarten years, as these skills are crucial. Children learn to read so they are able to read and be able to learn later in the grades.
Cognitive and thinking skills. This helps students investigate and make observations as well as ask questions and resolve problems. “Teachers aid children in planning the actions they’ll take as well as encourage children to discuss and reflect on ideas, and to involve children in making choices,” the association wrote.
Math writing, reading sciences, arts and social studies are all taught in high-quality kindergartens. Mwenelupembe who is in charge of accrediting kindergartens, says that the things she’s looking for in a well-run kindergarten is energy and excitement, with kids engaged in learning materials as well as one another to aid in every aspect of their development.
“What is crucial in the kindergarten years, that you may not always notice the fact that learning through play is taking place,” she says. “When kids are seated in front of their computers all day long and working on things like worksheets, they don’t make sense of our knowledge of brains and the way children’s brains develop.”
How parents can help
Parents have a lot they can do to aid kindergarten children grow in all of these areas, as per experts in education. “Parent participation is crucial,” Clare Anderson, an education consultant from Maryland and Maryland, wrote via email.
“Skills such as perseverance and stamina are essential for children to be able to complete the foundational tasks in spoken language, vocabulary and the ability to count,” she says. “Parents are able to play a huge part in encouraging kids to question at, inquire, and discover.”
Here are some suggestions for parents could do to support the kindergarteners in their learning:
Encourage exploration. Experts in education say that every day activities can provide a lot of opportunities for children in kindergarten age to master everything from cognitive abilities to reading. A good example is a visit to the supermarket.
Discussing the differences between vegetables, discussing about the hues of the vegetables, talking about the amount of something you’ll need aiding them in understanding how much something costs all those normal daily moments are essential elements of learning that will be carried into the school of their choice,” Mwenelupembe says.
Engage in conversations. Making time for long conversations with children and talk about the activities that are happening at home can prove useful, whether it’s making a meal or watering your garden. “Being capable of speaking and clearly explain what it is you’re doing with your child can provide them with an enormous vocabulary and a lot of comprehension,” Lindenfeld says.
Read. There are few things that can increase literacy levels than reading and with children. The large and exciting library at your home and reading the books with your child is a time well spent.
Reading with your child can be useful,” Lindenfeld says. “No what age, and no matter the length of time your time spent reading. If you’re only allowed 15 minutes in a day for reading, the fifteen minutes spent reading are very important for the child you are reading to.”
Develop everyday abilities. Anything that requires cognition skills can help children learn. “To enhance learning in kindergarten I’d consider (about) everything that aids in the development of executive functions of the brain,” Lindenfeld says. “So just like everything that helps develop the capacity of thinking critically problem-solve multitask, organize and evaluate.”
Encourage physical activities. Opportunities to improve motor skills are plentiful however, experts say physical activity can be integrated with reading or other disciplines to make learning enjoyable and productive. For instance when an adult read an article, kids can draw pictures or perform the text. As Mwenelupembe says, “Children learn with their entire body.”
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