June 27, 2012

I'll Meet You at the Beginning


I am back in country (well, this country anyway) and have just started work for JBY.  A few posts ago I was letting you know about my need to take some time to dig into research about scope and sequence.  I wanted to gather ideas to help build a framework for my writing here.

I discovered something interesting.

The words here are all about early childhood, but I was undecided about whether or not to include kindergarten under that umbrella.  Kindergarten is definitely still early childhood, but the educational demands in school systems for children of kindergarten age are incredible.  They are much closer to what the expectations used to be for first grade students.  In some ways this is understandable because kids today are growing up in a very different world.  Many children are ready for the challenge of these new expectations.  Most children, however, are ready intellectually before they are ready emotionally and physically.

There is a definite scope and sequence of content starting with kindergarten.  It can be overwhelming for students and teachers alike.  There is no need to be worried though!  Most students soak it up, or at least as much of it as is appropriate.  And the ones who aren't quite as sponge-like?  Schools get better everyday at supporting students' individual needs.

The wonderfully interesting thing -as far as what this means for preschool education- is that the scope is essentially from nothing to everything.  It is 100% based on the uniqueness of the child.  And the sequence is allowed to flow naturally based on the child's interests and inclinations.  We get to meet children at their beginning.

There is such freedom in preschool education.  It allows for so much exploration and discovery...my two very favorite things!
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