No Place Like Home
But the World Beckons By Laurel Jones Childs Reprinted with Permission
The following article was written by our very own Laurel Childs while teaching Jr. Kindergarten at Ridge Lake. She now resides in heaven, but her view is still so true! I have taught in the field of early childhood education in public and private schools for 26 years and was shocked to read Emily Ford’s column “Pre-K Is Not the Best Answer for All.” I applaud Tennessee efforts to put the focus on education where it begins – in the early years. Ford wrote that she fears making Pre-K classes available to all children, regardless of need, would raise unfair expectations about what 4 year olds are expected to learn. But we are not in Kansas anymore. Educational standards have already been raised!
Laurel Childs
{8} FLIGHT ~ Eagles Soar
With the explosion of the computer/information age, abilities and expectations have soared faster than the tornado that snatched Dorothy up from the security of her farmhouse. Young children today live in a new world where critical thinking skills, processing and comprehension of the task at hand can be done for them with a touch of a button. Ask any teacher who has taught more than 10 years…they will tell you that the standards have been raised, but not by any “misguided expectations of the teacher.” Through technology the world has become smaller and our classrooms have lost their walls. Do you wonder why Barney does not appeal to 4 and 5 year olds anymore? Because they have the experiences and cognitive abilities to realize that
Any quality pre-kindergarten classroom is a happy, busy, action packed place with learning and play opportunities around every corner.