You Have To Watch If You Are Or Wish To Have A Play Based Program!

[Unregistered]

I think this is a really interesting area of discussion.

How 'prepared' are children from a play-based school versus traditional preschool setting? Or perhaps this questions is better framed as how does a play-based program help to prepare a child for the school system? I'm intrigued enough to look into this a bit more.

I do a combo of both right now but the pressure comes from me and needing to let go of my expectations of what a preschool looks like. My parents are pretty easy going and like the 'others' I do with the kids which gives me some freedom to experiment.

I had a very similar philosophy in my daycare when my oldest dd was young. When she started school, I noticed that she struggled with the structure and the more traditional teaching techniques. I started to implement components from both philosophies, so the kids wouldn't be as shell-shocked in a traditional classroom. There just isn't a one-size-fits-all teaching approach, so many students benefit from a variety.

[Movingforward]

Like many that has commented, Bev Bos' center is great and inspiring but hard to implement in a family childcare. I was letting my fantasy run to have a place like hers for quite a few days but realized that it wouldn't be possible.
BUT any play-based program can take away something from her program. How in-tuned she was to the children's developmental needs! Running a place like that would take a lot of time and energy to teach the parents as well so I can see why those parent meetings are so crucial. All those custom made structures were great, truly inspired!

Thanks for sharing!

[cheerfuldom]

I am watching this video right now. Looks like a lovely place, but no, not realistic for a person's home.

I think that when parent's present play based or other alternative preschools, like Waldorf, it is their responsibility to know the program and what it will and will not do. They need to supplement their own child's education if they plan to send them to a kinder that is in complete opposite of their current preschool environment. They only thing that truly bothers me about alternative preschools is the worry that parents then send their 5 year old to traditional school settings and leave a child there shell shocked. Alternative preschools have many lovely choices but are becoming trendy, more than anything else, and so some parents are not making informative, educated choices on the best fit for their own child.

For instance, my 1st grader is first on the wait list for an expressive arts school where the focus is not mainly academic. There are critics to the school that say academics are not a priority there. The school still seems like a great fit for my gifted, creative child (she has tested gifted, it is not just me saying this). I will be supplementing her education at home so she doesn't lose the interest and ability in things like science, which is taught but not a focus at the expressive arts school. It is my responsibility as a parent to fill in the gaps as I knowingly place my child in an alternative school.

[cheerfuldom]

Anyone know the staff ratio at a place like Bev's?

[cheerfuldom]

never mind.....I saw online that you have to be over 2.5 to go there, it is part time only, 2 or 3 days a week for a couple hours a day. So this program is not for the full time working parent unless they have alternative childcare. There is A LOT of parent participation expected. The staff is not in full on kid mode all day long with all that dirt and paint everywhere

I think it is a lovely program but no, not realistic at all for the majority of providers and parent needs.

I would love to do more loose parts but it takes time to re organize all that each day and also, it is a safety hazard for babies and toddlers. Safety is also a concern for things like an indoor swing, drills, free art area. Sanitation is a concern for things like soil in the pillow area, open access to the pond and small animals. Can you imagine head to toe filthy kids charging thru your living room every day? It is so fun for kids but not realistic for typical home provider.

[Unregistered]

The meetings are because its a cooperative preschool. I had my son at one for three years and it was the best thing in the world! I actually paid to take my son there while I worked at a different preschool because I preferred him to be there! We parents worked one day a week at the school and attended a once a week meeting. We also had to put on a big fundraiser every year as well as serve on committees! There was a lot to do. I would go to work at the other preschool and drop off my son at the co-op 4 days a week. Once a week, I worked my co-op day. When you say she has helpers- yes! We could do so many amazing things there that couldn't happen in other settings. Why? Because we had a staff there of like 6 adults a day with like 15-20 kids! Granted only 2 were employees and the rest were parents with no ECE, but those parents were extremely invested and involved and received a little ECE at least, in the weekly meetings.

As far as prepping kids for Kindergarten, any ECE person I know thinks state programs and head start are the worst and prepping for school is best done with complete free play and child led everything. Since many parents here read up on the latest ECE practices, they know that there is a disdain by the ECE community for "kindergarten prep" "teacher lead lessons" and the whole teaching to the test and no child left behind etc etc style of teaching. SO, it's not a hard sell at all. The parents here are more the types to pay a LOT for an all out door program where kids play in water and dirt all day and are not ever told to sit down and learn a letter sound or forced to cut out a shape. I like it. to each his own, I know, but I believe all of this is truly in the best interest of the children and hope it continues to gain popularity.

[cheerfuldom]

The meetings are because its a cooperative preschool. I had my son at one for three years and it was the best thing in the world! I actually paid to take my son there while I worked at a different preschool because I preferred him to be there! We parents worked one day a week at the school and attended a once a week meeting. We also had to put on a big fundraiser every year as well as serve on committees! There was a lot to do. I would go to work at the other preschool and drop off my son at the co-op 4 days a week. Once a week, I worked my co-op day. When you say she has helpers- yes! We could do so many amazing things there that couldn't happen in other settings. Why? Because we had a staff there of like 6 adults a day with like 15-20 kids! Granted only 2 were employees and the rest were parents with no ECE, but those parents were extremely invested and involved and received a little ECE at least, in the weekly meetings.

As far as prepping kids for Kindergarten, any ECE person I know thinks state programs and head start are the worst and prepping for school is best done with complete free play and child led everything. Since many parents here read up on the latest ECE practices, they know that there is a disdain by the ECE community for "kindergarten prep" "teacher lead lessons" and the whole teaching to the test and no child left behind etc etc style of teaching. SO, it's not a hard sell at all. The parents here are more the types to pay a LOT for an all out door program where kids play in water and dirt all day and are not ever told to sit down and learn a letter sound or forced to cut out a shape. I like it. to each his own, I know, but I believe all of this is truly in the best interest of the children and hope it continues to gain popularity.

I am curious if the your school screens the parents at all? I saw one local co op that does background checks on parents but most do nothing at all. Its like an open door there. That was my worry with local co-ops.....the security factor of me not knowing who my kids where exposed to. I personally would rather have less in the way of play based in order to gain more in the way of security and safety but thats just me as I am very paranoid about adults abusing or negatively influencing my children (language, etc.).

but I do agree that the play based program is more successful with more adult involvement! you still have to clean things, make sure no one drowns or gets hurt, etc. This just isn't possible in many ways with one caregiver, multiple ages down to infants, and long hours that are typical of in-home care. I agree though that play based is gaining in popularity and I am glad of that. I hate when people ask about curriculum for infants, how soon will their kid learn letters and stuff like that.

[Unregistered]

No fingerprinting. That was my first concern too. I had seen how people were in the family childcares and in centers I had worked. And I didn't want my child with some of those people! I was then worried how these parents would be. Well, I could see the program was so much better quality than any others I had worked at. I saw the two staff (director and assistant) split up the inside and outside. Kids are free to go in and out at all times and a parent stays at each area assigned (sand box, play structure, bikes, woodworking, inside art, outside art, library, cooking table, block area, writing center). Then the director walked around the whole outside from area to area and the assistant did the inside. Whenever either went through one of the doors, the other went through another door so there was always a director in sight. There were no phones aloud. And the directors would give parents tidbits of info or model how to be with the children. I am super paranoid because some of the bs I've witnessed working at family childcares and my mind was at ease in the situation. I mean, just imagine there would be like 10 kids max outside and ten inside. One teacher can see whats going on with 10 kids and can see and hear what parents are saying and doing with them. I'm sure it depends how good the director is. They set the tone. Ours was great! Very much like Bev Bos.

[Unregistered]

Oh and forgot to add- we did know who our kids were exposed to. We met with them every week for 2.5 hours for night class/meeting and then worked with them during our once a week shift AND we all hung out together whenever a chance came up . We all would become friends. We also had to do extra work days a couple times a year for like 4 hours on a Saturday to fix the school up. Then we also worked for each other whenever anyone was sick or the child was sick so we would have to get another parent to sub- which happened ALL the time. So, we would really do like 2 days a week with the kids. Plus some of us, like me, liked to just go in for fun to be with our kids. So we would talk and talk. We all got to know each other and I came to realize it was all people who were very invested and into being with their child and doing everything they could to do right for them. So, there wasn't any weird bad language or messed up behaviors going on.

[childcaremom]

Sounds amazing! I'm glad both you and your son had that opportunity

[jenboo]

I am watching this video right now. Looks like a lovely place, but no, not realistic for a person's home.

I think that when parent's present play based or other alternative preschools, like Waldorf, it is their responsibility to know the program and what it will and will not do. They need to supplement their own child's education if they plan to send them to a kinder that is in complete opposite of their current preschool environment. They only thing that truly bothers me about alternative preschools is the worry that parents then send their 5 year old to traditional school settings and leave a child there shell shocked. Alternative preschools have many lovely choices but are becoming trendy, more than anything else, and so some parents are not making informative, educated choices on the best fit for their own child.

For instance, my 1st grader is first on the wait list for an expressive arts school where the focus is not mainly academic. There are critics to the school that say academics are not a priority there. The school still seems like a great fit for my gifted, creative child (she has tested gifted, it is not just me saying this). I will be supplementing her education at home so she doesn't lose the interest and ability in things like science, which is taught but not a focus at the expressive arts school. It is my responsibility as a parent to fill in the gaps as I knowingly place my child in an alternative school.

I feel like most children who go to a school like this would most likely go to an alternative school. There are so many project based charter schools these days.

[Movingforward]

There was a guest speaker from my class that taught at a emergent curriculum preschool (pricey preschool might I add), their philosophy was similar to play-based and was asked if we want to prepare children for kinder, wouldn't it be better to start them off in a more traditional classroom setting? He replied with if we know that children learn best through play, then he would rather keep them from the traditional academics as long as possible. What a great answer!

I do wondering how the children adjust to kinder after having such freedom.

[itlw8]

While I saw many things that would not fly with licensing I also got many new ideas. the one thing she said was ever changing. That does not mean all the old stays and more is added. I need to remember that. I have been wanting some sort of curtain and never thought of a shower curtain. I think we will be having some sort of stage.

I get more ideas than I can get done I need to remember she said it happened over 10 years all the changes she pointed out.

I do leave the art stuff out for the most part and it works well. ( most of the time) Paint has been moved the 16 month painted the glass door that was perfect I left it for a few days but it could have been the wall or a coat. So he can paint but I want to know when and that everyone really did put on a smock. Work in progress.

[spedmommy4]

There was a guest speaker from my class that taught at a emergent curriculum preschool (pricey preschool might I add), their philosophy was similar to play-based and was asked if we want to prepare children for kinder, wouldn't it be better to start them off in a more traditional classroom setting? He replied with if we know that children learn best through play, then he would rather keep them from the traditional academics as long as possible. What a great answer!

I do wondering how the children adjust to kinder after having such freedom.

I recently completed a masters degree in early childhood special education. Although parents want to see academics in preschool, current research does not support academic instruction in preschool. The little ones learn best through play.

http://educationnext.org/much-too-early/

They will do well in Kindergarten if they had an enriching/supportive environment, play based learning opportunities, and learned how to get along with peers.

[Unregistered]

How on earth is she licenced

I want to make one for my community but where is the info about how she is licenced???? There is no way my licencing officer would approve.