I hope everyone had a wonderful summer! It went really fast, but after our work week I am excited to get the new year started! I got to meet some of my new friends and families yesterday at our orientation. Thank You to everyone that took time out of their day to come to orientation. I just wanted to take a moment and tell some of our new families my thoughts on preschool. I am getting ready to start my 10th year of teaching preschool-5 years as an assistant at IWonderY Preschool, and this will be my 5th year as Lead Teacher at CLC. As I have learned more about how a child's brain develops and how children learn best I have changed my own thinking of how I do things. I like to share this information, because you will not see a lot of projects go home that you know exactly what it is. I gave you a printout at orientation titled Process vs. Product. I hope you were able to read through that so you will better understand where I'm coming from. I want children to grow up and be creative, independent, self thinkers. There is plenty of time at "Big School" where your child will have to do exactly what they are told and follow directions. It is our job as your child's preschool teachers to set the foundation to make them ready to do these things. In preschool your child will learn respect, listening skills, participating in a group, being a good friend, being independent and being responsible for their own actions. They will be exposed to Colors, Numbers, Shapes, and Letters.They will do lots of fine motor tasks. They will not do worksheets. They will not do a lot of product art. They will do hand/footprint art just because I love it so much, but I'm the first to admit that it is a teacher made project and a gift to our parents. It does give them a sensory experience, but that is about it :o) During art time I like the children to be creative and come up with their own ideas. So just because their art may not look like "something" please don't dismiss it. When your child brings home art oh and ah over it and ask them questions about what they made. To be considered Process Art we are able to give the children the materials we want them to use with no directions, or give them a theme and let them choose their own materials. For example if we have been talking about weather or clouds and I give the children blue paper and cotton balls I have choose the material I will not say make me a sky with clouds, or I can say make me a sky with clouds and let them choose their own materials. I hope that wasn't too confusing and if you ever have questions just ask. I just don't want you to think my child isn't bringing home cute little art projects they must not be learning anything! At CLC we learn through the process, through doing, through group and hands on experiences, and mostly through Play the way research has shown children learn best.
My cloud example came from this paper read for more information:
http://www.pakeys.org/uploadedContent/Docs/ERS/Process%20v%20Product.pdf
