More Than Childcare: Building the Foundation for School and Life
Early childhood educators, don't underestimate your influence.
For many young children, the adults in a childcare center or childcare home are among the first consistent relationships they experience outside of their families. That makes our role much bigger than providing care or preparing children academically for kindergarten.
We are helping build the foundation for how children experience relationships, learning, communication, and belonging.
Preschool Is More Than Academics
There is a growing expectation that preschool should look like school—worksheets, academic drills, sitting for long periods, and measurable skills.
But when we place academics ahead of relationships, we can unintentionally place unreasonable demands on young children.
Children need to develop the ability to listen, communicate, understand that our words and actions reveal what is in our hearts, solve problems, take turns, build friendships, and trust the adults caring for them.
These skills don't compete with literacy.
They create the foundation that allows children to learn.
A story can build vocabulary while opening a conversation about feelings.
Play can develop language while children practice cooperation.
A disagreement can become an opportunity to practice problem-solving.
A song can build language, listening, memory, and connection.
Learning is happening all day—even when it doesn't have the label "preschool."
Our Environment Should Be Designed for the Children
We should not create our classrooms simply to make adults feel comfortable or to convince others that we are doing "real preschool."
Our environments should reflect the actual children in our care.
What do they need?
More opportunities to talk?
More movement?
More books and storytelling?
A quiet place to regroup?
More opportunities to practice friendship skills?
Intentional early childhood education begins by observing the children in front of us and responding to their developmental needs.
Partnering With Parents
Sometimes parents may not understand why their child's day doesn't look like traditional school.
Instead of becoming defensive, we can help parents see the learning that is taking place.
"Today we practiced using words to solve a disagreement."
"We read a story and talked about how the character felt."
"The children worked together to build something."
"We practiced listening and waiting for a friend to finish speaking."
These are not activities instead of learning.
They are learning.
Ephesians 6:4 reminds us:
Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord. - Ephesians 6:4
There is wisdom here for all of us who care for young children. Children need guidance, but they also need nurturing relationships. We should be careful not to create environments where constant academic expectations overwhelm the very children we are trying to prepare.
Watch the Companion Reel: Moxie Shares How She Feels About Learning
In this reel Moxie shares that grown ups want kids to learn so much and she asks what does the bible have to say about this..... What teachers can learn from this reel is that selfish ambition gets in our way of teaching what is most valuable to the child. Standards that place high demands and unreasonable expectations on children in hopes for school funding is causing children to lose their natural desire to learn and to learn from a place of curiousity.
Don't Underestimate the Foundation You Are Building
A child may not remember the worksheet you gave them.
But they may remember the teacher who listened.
They may remember being helped to find the words to solve a problem.
They may remember being encouraged to try again.
They may remember that books were joyful.
They may remember that their classroom was a place where they belonged.
That is foundational learning too.
Early childhood educators, stand confidently in your purpose.
You don't have to make childhood look like elementary school to prepare children for school.
You can intentionally weave literacy, language, social-emotional learning, play, relationships, and exploration throughout the day.
Build the relationship.
Build the heart.
Build the skills.
Build the foundation.
Because children don't just need to be prepared to enter school.
They need to be prepared to learn, connect, communicate, and grow when they get there.
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