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Preschool, however, does not work the same way. A good preschool promotes learning through play. I taught in a NAEYC accredited preschool and our curriculum was based on play. Our students did not have any problem integrating into the regular school in kindergarten or first grade (we had some kids who did not meet the cut off for k who stayed in our program for an extra year).
The OP hasn't indicated that the kids at her daycare are prohibited from playing, just from acting up.
The OP hasn't indicated that the kids at her daycare are prohibited from playing, just from acting up.
It depends on what you mean by acting up.
I would suggest that the reward system they use is totally inadequate to preventing acting up anyway. Aside from that reward systems should not be combined with punishments and using as timeout at the end of the day to punish children who did not come up to the teacher's standards is simply wrong. If you put them into time out how can they play? And aside from that the time out is longer than the recommended 1 minute per year of age if it lasts for 10 to 15 minutes at the end of the day.
The kids do have a chance to play, they go outside 2x if the weather is good, but they also do a lot of sitting during the circle time. Each classroom has a camera so I checked in around 11am and at 11:45 they were still sitting in the same spots on the floor. So if my son starts talking or playing with other kids or does too much moving then he looses a star. I think the only other play time is around 4:00 when they start to get ready for everyone to go home.
The kids do have a chance to play, they go outside 2x if the weather is good, but they also do a lot of sitting during the circle time. Each classroom has a camera so I checked in around 11am and at 11:45 they were still sitting in the same spots on the floor. So if my son starts talking or playing with other kids or does too much moving then he looses a star. I think the only other play time is around 4:00 when they start to get ready for everyone to go home.
This is a very poor daycare, if that is the case.
45 minutes of circle time without moving around? Not good for 4 year olds.
Our circle time tended to be 20 to 30 minutes and even then we did songs and dancing and moving around during that time. We never sat still for that long.
Outside time is a good thing, but how long are they outside? Is it free play or structured? It should mostly be free play.
Do they do centers? Playing with unit blocks teaches mathematics concepts and problem solving. When children paint, they learn motor skills, eye-hand co-ordination, and creativity. When children play in the dramatic play corner, they learn about adult roles and about their emotions.
I would caution against undermining the school's system in front of your son. That's not a good example, and it's a sure way to be labeled a "problem mom."
That said, reward systems are notoriously unreliable ways to influence kids' behavior, and I don't know why schools/day cares are still holding onto them. Children are each motivated differently, and announcing which child has assimilated the best is a little creepy. Personally, I would be pretty annoyed if I were paying $1200 a month for my child's care and they gave him a piece of candy at the end of the day, right before I picked him up. I'm not a crazy health-food fanatic, but you're going to give my kid sugar without asking me first? No. Especially not at that age. A teacher who has a good command of her classroom should not have to "pay" for students' good behavior. It's lazy and fosters rivalry, which shouldn't be encouraged in kids that age.
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