*Facing the Preschool Academic Arena
One of the most important questions you will face as a parent, when entering the preschool arena, is the type of teaching philosophy you would like your child to engage with in their primary academic setting. Simply put, the grand debate between a traditional more academic approach or a more progressive “whole child” approach.
Now this may be news to some, but luckily we are privy to wide range of instruction styles, philosophies, curriculums, etc. in NYC so we can shed a little more light for those with limited access.
It can be overwhelming when first starting to consider what is out there, but let’s make it simple for you. Today we are just going to discuss the “Whole Child” approach. This teaching philosophy is globally known and has been around for a very long time, but more recently took preschools by storm the last decade or so. Since then it has been catching on like wildfire to other preschools across the country.
*What Is the “Whole Child” Approach?
The basic description is teaching to every part of the child. This means not just focusing on teaching academia, which is the traditional approach. More specifically, it means attending to every part of the child’s personality, every part of their make up. It is meant to scaffold learning in the following areas; the child’s cognitive side (academia), physical and fine motor development, the creative side (very important!) including art, music, imaginative play, and more. It also focuses tremendously on the child’s social emotional and social interaction skills, which are a definite goal of all preschool classrooms.
*What Does the “Whole Child” Approach Do?
The “whole child” approach is meant to foster learning with the child and for the child across all areas of their being. It makes the preschool classroom less of an environment of strict teaching and more of a space where their personal development is balanced with their role within the group. This is all done within a safe and nurturing setting. After all, as per the “whole child approach”, one’s best learning can only be done if the child is happy, feels safe, and is nurtured.
*Don’t All Preschools Do This?
You may be thinking that all preschools do this right? Wrong! When thinking about a traditional preschool visualize this; think desks, worksheets, numbers, letters, reading, writing, etc. That’s what preschools used to look like and many still do. There is nothing wrong with that! I can agree with many children attending a more traditional setting than the more progressive one described above. The traditional approach is still completely valid and successful depending on the child, the instruction, and the teacher.
However, there is still room to introduce the “whole child” approach.
*Lets Create a Pros and Cons List!
One of my favorite strategies in making any decisions is utilizing a pros and cons list. It helps to outline each side and weigh your options much more accurately. You can use this strategy in almost any decision making situation, but we’ll save that discussion for a productivity post :).
But! You can definitely make a pros and cons list for deciding whether or not this strategy would benefit your little one. Let’s take a look!
Pros:
- Environment is based specifically around the elements of comfort and safe vibes for your child.
- Focuses on all developmental parts of your child. If they are more creative it will emphasize that, if they are more musical it will emphasize size that! This is all done in addition to more organic methods of academic instruction (meaning it will weave in the academics to these different activities)
- It allows your child to play to their strengths.
- It allows your child to thrive in less traditional areas.
- It creates a stronger sense of confidence due to overall personal development.
- It allows your child to be the leader in their teaching with the teacher scaffolding their development.
- It is meant to create a sense of happiness and ease around schooling.
Cons:
- Not as strong a push towards academia.
- Can be too abstract for some parents and children.
- Lacks structure that some children need to focus.
*How to Decide If the “Whole Child” Approach Is Right for Your Preschooler
It is up to every parent to decide whether or not you think this approach will benefit your child. The only way to know this is to do some serious observations on your child’s language, interests, play skills, and overall personality. Most likely you’ll already have this information so don’t get caught up on getting specific anecdotes or records. But do observe a little more closely. Ask yourself questions such as do they play in groups? Do they separate easily? Do they like painting and drawing or do they like building, sorting, etc? Your observations are key in finding the best setting for your child.
*Summary
Do your research when thinking about the right school setting for your preschooler. Research the different philosophies, and check out the school’s mission statements. See if it is something you align with in regards to teaching your offspring.
The “Whole Child” Approach is one fantastic way to go. Personally I think a mix of a few would create my most ideal setting, but definitely including some strong elements of this specific approach. Just remember, you are the parent. You know how you want your child to be taught and how you want your child to learn. Again, do the research, make a pros and cons list, and lastly decide as the parent what you think would be best for your little one. You got this!
If you have any questions, comments, or ideas please share them in the comments section below! And definitely subscribe to the newsletter for updates and ongoing happenings at TylekTeaches.com. The subscription link is just on the right hand side of this post. See you there!
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Explore resources and opportunities for action in the links below. Download indicators (PDF) of a whole child approach to education and community engagement and use the ASCD School Improvement Tool to assess your performance on those indicators. Join ASCD and our partners, and together we’ll change the face of education policy and practice.