On Choosing a Preschool, Expert Says “Children should Have Choices”

One of the biggest milestones in a child’s life is when he starts going to school. With different kinds of teaching methods and educational systems being introduced, what should a parent’s key considerations be in choosing a school for his/her child?

Smartparenting.com.ph got the chance to interview Dr. Thomas Armstrong, an American multiple intelligences expert, educator and psychologist during his talk at the Superkids 2012 Conference on Early Childhood Education. Read on to learn about his recommendations.

(Related stories: Picking The Right Preschool: What to Consider, The 5 Ps of What to look for in a Preschool, Choosing a Preschool (Traditional vs. Progressive))

 

Smart Parenting (SP): What should a parent look for when searching for a perfect preschool?

Thomas Armstrong (TA): “[It should be a school] where children are treated with respect.”

• “The curriculum is oriented toward drawing the child out.”

• “Kids get the chance to really read good children's literature.”

• “Children have the opportunity to make choices in what they are to learn.”

• “Teachers have a genuine and deep passionate interest in helping children achieve their full potential.”

• “There's a climate. What does the climate feel like? Does it feel dead? Does it feel too serious? Too formal? Or is there a sense of lightness and happiness and playfulness in the classrooms? Are the children engaged in the material; do they seem to be self-motivated? Or do they have to be motivated with rewards with points and smiley faces?

If they have to be rewarded with points and smiley faces and little prizes and stuff like that, that's extrinsic learning. What you want in the best school is a school that promotes intrinsic learning, which is learning just for the love of learning.

Look for a school that that instills in the children the desire to figure out how the world works and to learn how amazing the world is, to be astonished by all of the incredible things in nature, all the different life forms they are, in the universe, how it's structured, and to be inquisitive; to ask questions and to be curious and to have teachers who take those questions seriously and honor those questions and really respond to them in an honest and clear way, and then ask their students questions, and listen carefully to those responses, and to take those seriously.”

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SP: Is there any particular teaching method that fits all or majority of the criteria you mentioned?

TA: “I don't think there's any one approach. There's no one school model that I would say, "That's the one you need to follow." And it's good, because there's a variety then for the parent to consider. You have choices.”

 

SP: If you are to assess your child on his readiness to go to a formal school, what would the criteria be? 

TA: “Well, certainly their ability to socialize is a factor, to get along with others, their sense of self sufficiency so that they can spend several hours outside of the home where they're not totally dependent on their parents, where they don't go into deep crying or depression if they're isolated from their mothers, for example. That's a big issue for some kids.”

 

SP: In the Philippines, a small percentage of kids are homeschooled but that number is growing,thanks to advocates. What are your thoughts on homeschooling?

TA: “I've talked with parents of children who have special needs who weren't fitting into the school and who were getting very frustrated and feeling negative about themselves, feeling like they were stupid, and having social problems with their peers. And in an environment like that, I thought it was much better to get out of that environment and into a more positive environment.

A homeschool environment, if it's structured in a stimulating way, where the love of learning, exploring, making choices, and being introduced to the world with passion and vitality is given importance -- that kind of environment can be just absolutely wonderful for a child.  There's nothing about homeschooling that's going to put kids at a disadvantage. If they form bonds with other homeschooling families, they can have events that can involve the kids with each other. That can be solved."

 

SP: What elements would make for a good homeschooling environment?

TA: “Every learning environment has some sort of structure, but [it has to be] an appropriate structure for the developmental level of the child. That would mean intriguing materials and activities and a parent who's actively and passionately involved in the process, who themselves model learning and being curious and asking questions and really getting the child excited about learning. Those are the elements that I think really make for a good homeschooling environment.”

(Read related articles:Homeschooling in the Philippines: FAQs and Tips for Parents, Homeschooling Your Big Kid (6 to 7 Year Old), The Benefits of Homeschooling Your Child)

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SP: Do gadgets enhance the learning process? Would they improve learning?

TA: “There's nothing about the gadgets and the technology that is going to make things better or worse. It all depends upon the nature of the software.

• What does it do?

• Does it help engage kids? Is it interactive?

• Do children have the chance to do problem solving?

• Does it introduce them to the world in a vivid and exciting way?

Technology can just be the same old stuff, electronic test books [or] worksheets, in which case, it's not an improvement. That's the first thing. Second thing is,

• What kind of mediation is being given?

• Is there a teacher there interfacing them, helping them and stimulating them? The teacher should be there to help the child probe more deeply into the material, and ask them questions to extend the learning process, to connect the learning process, not just to what's there in front on the screen but to other things as well, guiding the process.

There's a lot of talk now about what's called the "flipped" classroom, where kids go online at home and get the direct instruction from the computer and they go to the classroom and get individualized help. I think that that's not such a bad idea because they get the value from the software, from the web-based application.

There's a lot of talk [as well] about the Khan Academy; 3,000 different lessons in math, in science, in medicine, and history -- just little 8-minute segments where they're taught a specific skill. And teachers are using this now where the kids will take these mini-lectures at home and they'll come to school, they'll do problem solving and the teacher will be there to help them.

I think that's a good model. I think the combination of using the best of what's there and then having the teacher there to extend the learning is really the best approach, or the parent, as the case may be.”

(Related article: New Study: Kids Better with Gadgets than with Reading or Writing)


There is no singular method or teaching style that will make a child a genius or more intellectually advanced than his peers, but with these expert guide points, evaluate what the school offers and find the best fit for your child.

Got concerns when it comes to choosing a preschool? Leave a comment below and let’s start a discussion..