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Saturday, October 1, 2011

Pre School Education ..........

 An article titled  Pre School Education  which I wrote for Cityplus, has been published in Indra Nagar edition dated 29 th Sep, 2011.

Pre-school education enhances child's overall development

Date of Publishing: 2011-09-24 00:00:00.0

Gone are those days when kids were put to school after the age of five and directly they were taken in class one. Though parents are the child's first teachers, the concept of Play school, Pre-School cropped up when the joint family system was drifting, the mounting pressure for both parents to take up full time job and the need to engage the kids constructively, paved the way for the mushrooming of the Pre-school Education.

Education for pre-preschoolers definitely enhances the children's overall development. The immense exposure a child gets makes it compulsory to channel them to identify their potentials. Hence the focus is on child-initiated activities which help them develop a strong knowledge basis for further education.

The Pre-school actually facilitates the child's ability to "inter-translate" between language and mental images, so that children get to combine the knowledge they have acquired with their thoughts which occur in their minds to express in their familiar language. Many a time one might see them using a mixture of multi languages they are exposed to.

The kids who come to pre-school are with a mixture of different background, with no exposure to controlled atmosphere. Bringing them under one roof from a free to a controlled atmosphere is a herculean task. The teachers who impart education are not only well qualified but also well trained and have a lot of patience to deal with the temper -tantrums of the kids.

Here it is worth mentioning that all children attend school for the first time and it becomes difficult for the parents to control them emotionally, to a different environment. From the' mom with me' set up to 'total strangers with me' consumes a lot of time to get them adjust to the new atmosphere.

Apart from their academic skills, the preschool develops their socio-emotional skill to make them get ready for the higher classes. The foundation for their future journey thro' their academic life is laid here and this is the crucial development period for them hence it is important to see that they go well with the academic and social pursuit as well.

What are the activities that should be incorporated at the entry level?

Most of the activities selected to preschoolers are of free choice, that is open ended with plays, action songs, rhythmic music which give a lot of emphasis on the physical activities that allow kids to have fine motor skills, in the form of art, craft and music within the prescribed frame of curriculum.

Children have access to various activities with the building blocks, puzzle tray, props, picture books, toys, art and craft materials throughout their day time spent in play school. Activities in groups include, story telling with gestures, expressions and props, games, action songs, group songs. At the same time there is a variety when they keep changing their activities. While they involve themselves actively in the activities, it provides them a platform to think better.

They are given a chance to move about but with an aim and there is no wandering or roaming around. Their movements are focused. They do make 'constructive noise'.

Teachers also work with individual children, small groups, and the whole group at different times during the day. They do not spend all their time with the same group so there is a rotation of teachers.

The children are taken from known to unknown when it comes to learning names of vegetables, animals, flowers and fruits. They learn numbers and alphabet as per their context in day to day life.

The simple concept of meaningful activities like joining for a prayer, answering the attendance, having snacks together, gives them the basics of learning together with peers.

Outdoor play is never sacrificed for more 'chalk and talk' time. These activities provide them a sound healthy body.

The framing of curriculum is adapted for the regular normal kids and kids with special needs and kids who go ahead of their peers. So, kids' potential is tapped and identified.

Parents look forward to a school where they feel secure about sending their children happily to attend where the same care and attention is given. Parents have the choice of picking up a Pre-school of their taste and convenience.

Fortunately, the Pre-school curriculum includes the concept of listening, readiness to share, organizing oneself, self control and give and take. The equipments and the furniture colorful and attractive and cater to their level.

Even the 'one child ' comes out of its shell to mix and mingle with his/ her peers, to adjust and share and interact willingly and voluntarily.

–MATHANGI K KUMAR






the link is .....

 http://www.jagrancityplus.com/city-news/pre-schooedition on l-education-enhances-child-s-overall-developme_1317031131.html

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