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What exactly do they 'do' at preschool

waiting4babywaiting4baby
in Preschoolers
Hello, sorry I hope you don't mind me posting in here as strictly speaking we are not preschoolers yet- but my usual forum is a bit on the sleepy side ATM and I was hoping for a little input.



I've just had a look around a pre-school /nursery and I am so disappointed. I'd just like to hear your opinions and what goes on where you are.

It really looked like a stay n play type of thing. Children running around everywhere and just playing at lots of different things alone. They apparently have a 'story time' and play around the weeks theme 'bob the builder this week'.... Anyway it looked like fun but I want zachariah to go somewhere where he will learn things. He's already so behind that I feel this just isn't right...(visually impaired- not talking-we are waiting for a formal developmental assessment).



Am I being completely naive? Do they not learn anything useful until 5+? is learning about numbers/letters/colours for example solely a parental responsibility and school don't even attempt to do basic things like this or was it just a rubbish place I viewed? .... I'm sure the one we had originally picked out for z before moving had a little more intellectual capacity to it? He needs help not playdates?



Thanks

Replies

  • pixie_woopixie_woo
    A lot of the learning that Spencer does is through play, e.g drawing and mark-making is great pratice for learning to hold a pencil properly and beginning to make the shapes of letters. Using the ballbearing run is teaching action/consequence. Dressing up is learning about the world and developing imagination and social skills.



    I think pre-school is really about building the foundations for a formal primary education.



    If you're really concerned then ask to see a copy of the most recent OFSTED report.



    Liz x
  • maybe_baybemaybe_baybe
    I work in a nursery which also has a pre-school, although i mainly work with 2-3 year olds. We have all just been on and course and while there it was emphasized how important it was for the children to play and how they shouldn't be forced to sit down and do numbers, letters sounds etc. as they should be learning all this through play. Even from age 2-3 we are learning them about colours, counting etc. but it isn't in such a routine way if you know what i mean, it is through play and simple activities they enjoy such as playing in the sand or water tray etc. One of the ladies who took the course was a reception teacher and she said that as a reception teacher when a child started in her class she wouldn't expect any of the children to know how to write their name, read words etc. She starts from scratch with them, and she said how often some parents would teach their child things such as writing their names learning their letters etc, thinking they were helping them but often they would do it in the wrong way, so therefore the teacher has to undo it all and teach it again the right way, which is often harder for the child than learning from scratch. I'm rubbish at explaining myself but I hope you get the idea. x
  • xJellytotsxxJellytotsx
    Sorry am gatecrashing, but I'm an infant teacher in scotland, and what the others have said is all very true, younger children learn so much through play, to the extent that in my school we are moving towards play based learning in p1 (reception?) aswell. It may not look like much but its amazing what the children develop through play, more than they ever would through a 'structure'. If you are unsure of a nursery you could speak to them about their planning and what the learning purpose of each activity is - this should be clear. Hope you find one you like x
  • waiting4babywaiting4baby
    Ok thank you everyone, it makes me feel better to know that's how it's supposed to be. Lol! Jellytots this was actually a group of nursery & reception together. (not really sure what that means but I was told it was combined).



    I am still looking around as I want to make sure I've made the right choice for him but unfortunately as we are late in applying (he was 3 in dec) a lot of places are full so I need to decide if I just go for this one as he could start almost immediately or hold out for something else. I know it's silly but it concerned me a bit that they had so many places still available if everywhere else is packed too, you can't help but think something must be wrong lOl :roll:
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