I grew up in a culture where education is always structured, kids don't have any choice to do what they want to do. Playtime is also defined by the teachers. Talking in the class or sharing ideas with friends is prohibited, education means numbers and letters only. Unfortunately, I still see this strong belief in millennial parents who obviously grew up like me with a structured education where play based curriculum has no value. I learned the importance of play based curriculum through the workshops and seminars I attended. The rules of the play is they are supposed to get dirty and play all day, when they get bored they invent new ways to play and end up making new friends. I raised all my three boys with play based curriculum. I volunteered during their early childhood programs and participated in their play based education activities. Now my kids are in middle school and college, I can see that they are better equipped with the skills they need for college. What are the differentiators? They have empathy, self-control, problem solving skills which they need to survive and excel in the college.
When I started Sailors Preschool, I ensured implementing these very foundations of play based curriculum as part of our curriculum. My students who attended different preschools in the past had emotional issues or separation anxieties when it comes to going to school. The parents either had to drag the kids (literally) to the school or even worse used to get a call from the school to pick up the kids in the middle of their busy workday as their child was crying continuously or not participating in their rigorous academic activity. I can see how happy my students are with Sailors play-based curriculum; the results are amazing. The kids want to come back to the school every day with a big smile on their faces. The same parents now admit that they see a lot of change in their kid’s behavior - since the kids see school is fun! Not only that, these kids use more negotiation skills, learn on their own how to resolve conflicts without using hands and more importantly the kids are transforming into a well-behaved children. And I know that these skills are going to help them in future with college, just like it is helping my own children. The real challenge is...how can I convince the parents who believe that the best way to send their kids into college is only by rigorous education and running around different tuition centers? Any thoughts?
When I started Sailors Preschool, I ensured implementing these very foundations of play based curriculum as part of our curriculum. My students who attended different preschools in the past had emotional issues or separation anxieties when it comes to going to school. The parents either had to drag the kids (literally) to the school or even worse used to get a call from the school to pick up the kids in the middle of their busy workday as their child was crying continuously or not participating in their rigorous academic activity. I can see how happy my students are with Sailors play-based curriculum; the results are amazing. The kids want to come back to the school every day with a big smile on their faces. The same parents now admit that they see a lot of change in their kid’s behavior - since the kids see school is fun! Not only that, these kids use more negotiation skills, learn on their own how to resolve conflicts without using hands and more importantly the kids are transforming into a well-behaved children. And I know that these skills are going to help them in future with college, just like it is helping my own children. The real challenge is...how can I convince the parents who believe that the best way to send their kids into college is only by rigorous education and running around different tuition centers? Any thoughts?
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