So the topic for today is; “Is there too much emphasis on creating the perfect or ideal learning environment for children vs. letting them develop on their own?” This is in regard to the sometimes higher cost of preschools for children. In my opinion I think initiating children into a learning environment early on has great possibilities for the child academically and socially. It is also great for early detection of any learning or emotional disabilities to get recognized. The cost of these great schools is not feasible for everyone therefore leaving their children without the same advantages of getting a head start on education.
I think it is great to get kids into a learning environment early on. They are children after all who rely on us as adults to guide them into their futures. Realistically it is not always possible to stay at home and go through child rearing books with your kids as they develop day by day. Through my own experience it has been imperative for kids to have assistance with development before they start pre-k or kindergarten. It was also very apparent when we visited the elementary school a few weeks ago the differences in the children’s abilities. What seem like simple tasks to us grown-ups are so very important for the developing child; cutting, drawing, skipping, jumping, etc. All of these things are key components to developing a good foundation for the years to come. Before we went to the school I naively figured all 4-5 year old kids could use scissors, skip and catch a ball with their hands not just their whole body.
We have another great semester of learning/experience coming up! I have included a link here that is a video of an OT working on a variety of skills with a young boy with Autism. She will be working on sensory integration while working on writing, problem solving, and communication - all in this little video! She has some really great techniques to tuck into our tool bags J
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nDnTgJJxVjQ&feature=related
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