Preschoolers... Brought to you by the makers of Baby Wow! CD-Roms for babies and toddlers

With information from the National Association for the Education of Young Children NAEYC (Click here for UK Ofsted Reports)

Preschool teaching styles: In a nutshell

Preschools: I've researched each type of educational philosophy discussed below, and to me, they all seem pretty similar. There is a minor difference here and there, but the similarities are much more apparent.

I think the main thing to think about when looking for a school for your child is how the school fits your child and your family's style.

It all comes down to personality: your child's, the teachers', the school's, and yours. Visit the preschools and see them in action, bring your child to participate if you can, and go with your gut feeling.

How do the teachers treat you? Do they have time for you and your children? Are the teachers engaged in their work or do they appear to by going through the paces? Mother's or father's intuition can be quite accurate. Nobody knows your child better than you so follow your feelings.

Preschool Philosophies

Developmentally Appropriate:

• Individually appropriate and age appropriate
• Fits the needs of each child
• Encourages children to learn through the use of "manipulatives" --real objects
• Children learn about topics that are "personally meaningful and interesting"--ie. language skills are improved through children's story telling
• Teacher's goal is to learn each child's skills and help to develop them by providing challenges for each individual
• Children are encouraged to work individually or in small groups whichever is more comfortable for them

Montessori:

• Allows children to select work that captures their interest rather than projects selected by a teacher
• Children are encouraged to take care of themselves; go to the bathroom without assistance, prepare a snack when they are hungry, clean up their own spills
• Encourages individual progress--children learn at their own pace
• Classes are not segregated by age

High/Scope:

• Children are encouraged to make choices about the activities and materials they use
• They are encouraged to take out materials they find interesting and put them away when they are done
• As they pursue these activities, they engage in "key experiences" --there are 58 identified by High/Scope

The 58 key experiences are grouped into 10 categories--creative, representation, language and literacy, initiative and social relations, movement, music, classification, seriation, number, space and time

Reggio Emilia:

• Follows the children's interests rather than adhering to a set curriculum of academic goals
• Children are encouraged to work in groups
• Materials children work with are very diverse (not just paint & clay--wood, pine cones, shells)
• Teachers believe children can express themselves through various visual media--not just speech
• Children's work is carefully"documented" through the display of projects, allowing them to learn that their work is important, and to see progress made over time

Teachers try to encourage children to find answers to their own questions rather than giving children scientific answers