July 19, 2007

Question: My 3-year-old daughter has been on the waiting list for two preschools and we just found out she got into both for this fall. So now it's decision time and we're torn about which one to send her to. One is a lively, play-oriented school where the kids look like they're having a lot of fun. The other is a more quiet, serious environment with a strong emphasis on reading and math. The schools in our suburb are very competitive and we don't want our daughter to start kindergarten at a disadvantage. But our guts tell us she needs time to be a kid. Can you provide some guidance?

Answer: Fortunately having fun does not mean sacrificing learning. And getting children ready for school success does not require a quiet, serious environment -- especially at the age of 3. Children learn a great deal through play, particularly in an environment with interesting things to explore and adults to provide developmentally appropriate guidance and encouragement.

Young children are naturally curious and eager to learn. Whether acting out a favorite story, measuring ingredients for cookies or taking care of the class guinea pig, children absorb important concepts in language, math and science that will serve them well when they move into the K-12 education system.

Equally important to future school success are the social and emotional skills children develop through active interaction with classmates and teachers -- skills such as focusing attention, expressing emotions appropriately and respectfully, understanding other people's feelings and solving problems together. A well-run "lively, play-oriented" preschool can provide all these things and more.

Several years ago Dr. Kathy Hirsh-Pasek, a psychology professor at Temple University, conducted a study that compared children who attended an academic preschool with those who attended a play-oriented preschool. She found no short- or long-term differences in school achievement between the two groups. And, in elementary school, children who had attended the academic preschool were less creative and more anxious than those who had attended the play-oriented preschool.

Hirsh Pasek, with colleague Roberta Michnick Golinkoff, has written a book called Einstein Never Used Flashcards: How Our Children Really Learn-and Why They Need to Play More and Memorize Less (2003). This book may be helpful as you decide which preschool will best suit your daughter. The authors also offer creative ways you can encourage your daughter's learning at home, while having fun at the same time.

Dr. Erickson and her daughter can be heard every Sunday, from 2 - 4 pm, on "Good Enough Moms," on FM107.1 radio in the Twin Cities or via Webcast at www.FM1071.com