Play Based Programs vs School Readiness Programs
Seven news recently reported that more and more parents are enrolling their toddlers, as young as 2, into school readiness programs. These programs are more structured than preschool and focus on basic numeracy skills and learning to write. The parents intention in enrolling their children into these programs is to give their tots an advantage when they start school.
Click here to see the news article by Georgia Main for 7 News.
I am currently in the process of deciding if my eldest daughter will go to school at 4.5 years old or 6 years old. You see, we are in the small group of parents that have a choice of when to send our daughter to school, as she was born in June. The cut off in NSW is 31 July. Let me tell you, it is not an easy decision.
Do you think toddlers need school readiness, structured programs Image source www.freedigitalphotos.net Young School Kid Smiling At Camera by photostock
What I do know is that she is currently thriving at her play based preschool and the thought of enrolling her into a school readiness program scares the hell out of me. My first thoughts when I read about these programs was - since when did it become acceptable to rob a child of their childhood? These days, when a child goes to school, they are expected to learn at a rapid pace and as a result, they tend to grow up much quicker than in the past.
My current thoughts are that once she begins school, she will be in the system for at least 13 years. She is only a child once, so I see no harm in allowing her to enjoy her childhood for 1 more year and know that she is truly ready for the academic journey that lays ahead of her.
Do you think school readiness programs are appropriate for toddlers? Do you prefer play based programs or more structured programs when educating your children?
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236493 - 2023-07-18 00:40:02