Lesson 1: Introduction to the Course
Learning Outcomes
Upon completion of this lesson's material, students will be able to:
- Define quality preschool programming
- Explain characteriscs of qualified preschool educators
- Discuss the importance of preschool in early childhood education
Teaching
Read chapter 3 in The Early Years Matter
It is important to note here that there are two different types of programming for children before they enter kindergarten. Preschool describes any program before kindergarten. This could be a childcare, private pay programs, churches, head start, etc. They could be funded in anyway and follow guidelines or chose not to. PreK is described as a program in the public school and run by a school district which uses government funds and involves no fee for families.
Here in Maine, programming has combined in several ways to meet the needs of children in families. In Central Maine, you will see many collaborations between public schools and other programming, most likely a Head Start program.
Regardless of the name of the program (Preschool or PreK) the purpose typically remains the same - to prepare children for Kindergarten.
Preperation for Kindergarten can mean a variety of things. Most families think that children need to learn their letters and numbers. However, most Kindergarten teachers will tell you that the things that are most important are:
- peer relationship skills
- ability to follow a routine
- ability to follow direction
- self care skills
- exposure and practice with cognitive domains (language, literacy, math, science etc.)
- positive attitude and readiness to learn
While this is not a full list, it gives you an idea of the complexity that preschool (or preK) encompasess. It is NOT about ABC's and 123's. It is about the WHOLE CHILD.
Similar to working with infants and toddlers, teachers will experience some of the same disparties. Some of the misconceptions include, lack of adequate teacher training, lack of appropriate pay, the conception that early childhood is not a true profession and that we are just "babysitters". Keep in mind, while 80%of the brain is formed by three ANOTHER 10 PERCENT happens before the age of 5! We are still impacting our future through impacting the brain development of preschoolers.
Assessment
Lesson 1 Quiz
Answer the following questions in 3-5. Each question will be graded 25 points. Use your text for support.
1. What is the cost range for a preschooler in a full time, center based or family childcare in the State of Maine. (you will need to research this question - it is not in your text; cite your resource)
2. How may a parent determine quality in a preschool program? List THREE different indicators of quality programming.
3. What are three characteristics of a preschool professional that make a difference for preschool chidlren in quality programming. BE SPECIFIC with EXAMPLES. Each characteristic should be in your own words and supported by the text.
4. How can a preschool professional support the parents in their program?
Lesson 1 Discussion A
Provide one idea about how you could personally raise awareness about the importance of early childhood (preschool age specificially) in your area?
Lesson 1 Discussion B
Describe your earliest preschool memory. Explain who was involved, things you heard, things you saw, anything you smelled, was there any food involved, and was there anything special to touch and feel? How has this experience affected who you are and how you work with children today?
In order to get full credit for discussions you must post ONCE in reply to the prompt in the Lesson and reply to at least TWO other students' posts. These instructions will apply to every graded discussion in this course and will not be repeated.