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So my kid is in VPK and it can go from 7:30 in the morning to 6 pm, but we can drop her off and pick her up anytime between those hours. The teacher said we should try to have her there between 8 am and 4 pm because that's when they do the most learning of the core stuff I guess. So I looked at her schedule and she has 45 minutes of TV in the middle of the morning! Sid the science kid. Every day. Before that is snack, then playing outside, then lunch and then rest. But yet they have a math 2 section after 4 pm. Math 1 is in the morning. Hello? Now I understand that they can't be constantly doing real schoolwork for all that time, but really Sid the science kid? There have been many studies that show how detrimental TV is to children. I am not trying to be judgemental and will admit that I still let them watch some at home sometimes if they need to settle down and sit quietly for a while or if I just have to get something done. Knowing that it's bad for them, and trying to limit it. Why would they provide an activity for kids at VPK that has been shown to be bad for them? When they have teachers and people there specifically for kids they have to zombie them out in front of a TV set? Whose idea is this?! And I don't know if math 2 is a second teaching of the same math or if it's a part 2, but if it is a part 2 I don't want her to miss it, yet I certainly don't want to leave her there until after 4 pm. So my kid will miss out on math but will not miss out on TV. Outstanding.
Anyone else have a problem with this?
What is VPK? Based on those very long hours, it sounds like day care.
TV is not bad for kids. Sitting kids down in front of the TV for HOURS is bad for them. Apparently they are allowing one TV show the whole day?
They appear to follow the same type of schedule many families follow at home. I would be more upset that Sid the Science Kid was the show they chose to let the kids watch.
It sounds like you need to ask the teachers if the math lessons are the same.
VPK here is only three hours long. Most PreK is only three hours long. Honestly, the rest of the time it's just daycare, so a 45-minute science show (I thought it was a 30-minute show though?) really isn't anything to get worked up about. Preschoolers really don't need to be doing that much math; at that age, it's just learning to count and maybe some patterns. If you're not working full-time, then I'd just try to find a morning-only program where they do preschooly things for a few hours, then you can pick her up and do whatever you want with her in the afternoons.
I think "Sid the science kid" is a good show, and it only lasts about 20 minutes or so. Even though it's surprising to see it on the schedule, maybe there is a reason: the kids can relax and learn something about science at the same time. Maybe a lesson is drawn from the episode after the children have watched it?
So she's what, 4 years old? If she's not watching tv much at home then I really don't think you need to worry about 45 minutes a day, and I certainly wouldn't be worrying about her missing out on some on the structured learning as kids that age don't need to be in structured education, they need to be playing (its the best way to learn at that age).
It is "Voluntary" after all, so if you don't care for that, there are probably others in the area. 7:30 to 6 is a really long time for a kid that age to be anywhere. That's more of a daycare than a preschool. Even 9 to 2 seems like a long time for VPK, they certainly aren't sitting at desks doing math exercises or learning history and science. I would imagine most of it is running around outside, snack, nap, a little TV, so yeah, daycare.
Most "daycares" don't call themselves that anymore since it's interpreted negatively. They will call themselves something like the "The Wonderful World of Learning" so people feel better about dropping their kids off for 10 hours at a daycare.
Most "daycares" don't call themselves that anymore since it's interpreted negatively. They will call themselves something like the "The Wonderful World of Learning" so people feel better about dropping their kids off for 10 hours at a daycare.
^^ this!
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