tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6534665086749553287.post8399763222826492502..comments2024-03-27T08:53:29.267-04:00Comments on CURMUDGUCATION: Destroying Pre-KPeter Greenehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16511193640285760299noreply@blogger.comBlogger5125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6534665086749553287.post-13579423039091302932017-10-02T22:34:38.748-04:002017-10-02T22:34:38.748-04:00Peter, so many wonderful quotes out of this articl...Peter, so many wonderful quotes out of this article. My favorite is this one:<br /><br />"If you are trying to teach a four year old how to be curious, you are seriously confused."<br /><br />When we had kids, my mother gave me a couple of books by Bev Boss that she used as a preschool director. My favorite was "Don't Move the Muffin Tins" (the name comes from DIY crayons.)<br /><br />That's what 3-4 year olds ought to be worrying about. Letters are for later.Brian Villanuevahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14372144072813376916noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6534665086749553287.post-56658770609299904222017-10-02T18:58:27.595-04:002017-10-02T18:58:27.595-04:00Peter, you realize this is about setting metrics f...Peter, you realize this is about setting metrics for social impact bonds for pre-k and early literacy, right? That is TS Gold is for. That is what the intrusive kindergarten entry assessments are for. The academics are going along for their careers. Everyone is looking the other way pretending like they don't understand the large financial framework behind providing "pre-k" placements for children whose families cannot afford exorbitant day care costs. Can we please not gloss over that part? People need to understand the WHY behind this happening. Soon the impact metrics will be extended to early literacy and the doubling-down on data collection will be normalized though third grade at least. And then it moves on to workforce placement, so we lose every scrap of humanity that is still left. Impact investment markets MUST be part of this story.<br />Alisonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01460110630084320034noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6534665086749553287.post-31918166105784433852017-10-02T17:29:02.475-04:002017-10-02T17:29:02.475-04:00Peter—Leonie Haimson’s tweet tipped me off to your...Peter—Leonie Haimson’s tweet tipped me off to your post. We haven’t met, but we should. Maybe at NPE in Oakland? We certainly share the passion for nurturing children well and defending them against the depredations of standards-based accountability. <br /><br />You might want to have a look at my own blog, at ECE PolicyWorks, where Inrefularly feature the voices of early educators. They’re the experts, and yet their knowledge and work is devalued, and they've been sidelined in our conversation about education reform. Here’s the link: www.ecepolicyworks.com. <br /><br />As for Suzanne Bouffard: her book’s in my office in a tall stack marked “to read.” There are some excellent books by early childhood educators that have been published over the past couple of years, which I’ve reviewed at my I’m not sure I’ll get around to reviewing Suzanne’s book as I’m at work on my next book about play as the foundation of democracy and civil society. But your commentary has further piqued my interest.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05802089010418663387noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6534665086749553287.post-49982455236445913402017-10-02T16:31:40.191-04:002017-10-02T16:31:40.191-04:00Dear Mr. Green and Commentors:
First, I wouldn’t ...Dear Mr. Green and Commentors:<br /><br />First, I wouldn’t be here at all if I didn’t agree most of the time. This particular subject is very important to me and we can’t let the people who want to grind little folks down win this. You wonder: Don’t they get enough satisfaction grinding down working people? But, that being said: Well, (sigh) once again I am compelled to reach back into my own experiences to set everybody straight.<br /><br />I had worked before my first son was born and wanted to do so to again to help out with the family finances. My husband and I made a list of day care centers close to where we lived. In the days leading up to the Saturday we set aside to visit and compare these places, my husband and I had long discussions about what kind of a place we wanted for our son.<br /><br />Although I am a teacher, I thought it best to find a place where there was an emphasis on play and also socializing and learning to play with others. My husband agreed somewhat, but thought it would be good if the place also taught letter and numbers.<br /><br />So, that Saturday morning we strapped the kid in his seat and went out to find a day care center. And y’know what? It turns out that play vs learning wasn’t the issue. When you open the door to the place and your nose is SMACKED! by the stench of urine? Well, you know right then to back out ‘cause “you’re in” the wrong place. Honest to Pete! It was more than just one!!!!!! <br /><br />You’re welcome. :)! <br /><br />Leila<br /><br />And now, FREE! The Banana Trick: When I would go to the store with my son, when he was at the age when nowadays you see videos of kids having a store meltdown, I would go to the produce department first and select, from a hand of bananas, two exactly the same size bananas. I would explain to the grocery clerk. “See these two bananas? My son will eat one while I shop, but I will bring up the peel to the counter and have the clerk ring up the other banana twice." Skeptics: This. Worked. Every. Time. It may be because I thought of him first, and he liked that, but Hey...I Dunno, maybe he just liked bananas!!Leilahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02447044081130341196noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6534665086749553287.post-49342526288806258302017-10-02T15:42:54.779-04:002017-10-02T15:42:54.779-04:00When I visited the Woodland Cooperative Preschool ...When I visited the Woodland Cooperative Preschool in Seattle (a totally play-based preschool for children from 2-5), I asked the teacher (Teacher Tom) what problems children might have going from this totally appropriate learning environment to the "sit down and be quiet" education they might encounter in schools. His answer: "You don't prepare for a famine by going on a starvation diet!" Anyone truly interested in early childhood education should start reading Teacher Tom's Blog, in which which share what HE learns from the children. Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02460639229043860740noreply@blogger.com