Why is Texas ruining it's pre-K program?

Question

Several years ago Texas public schools had a wonderful pre-K program for ESL and at-risk children. The program made learning fun and introduced 4-5 year old children to the joys of learning, taught proper classroom behavior/social skills and introduced parents to the services the schools offered.

The program has been altered to be more academic. If the studies of how children learn are correct most academic learning and physical skills training, e.g. memorizing times tables or playing a piano, gives only temporary advantages. By the time children reach the age of nine all the advantages of an academic pre-K program have been erased. But, the frustration of teaching 4-5 year old children age inappropriate material remains.

If this is true, the administrators of Texas pre-K programs are hurting the children, why?

Answer 1

My kids both attended pre-k in TX (austin) My youngest is currently attending.

I was not thrilled that my son was never really taught the basics that he needed for Kinder. (turns out his teacher was ot really teaching and they got rid of her)He basically did alot of artwork.

My daughter on the other hand, has learned so much, and LOVES it! They mainly focus on letter sounds and basic things like numbers, color, shapes. But also incorporate science projects.

I think that it has set the tone for going to school for her, b/c she loves learning now and will probably continue to do well.

My son, however went to Kindergarten NOT knowing all his letters and sounds and has been struggling to catch up ever since. &  does not enjoy school.

Answer 2

It's going on all over the country and in a few years we are going to see kids completely turning off school. Blame No Child Left behind and that idiot from your state who is running the country. All schools are doing now is teaching to the test and it is hard to test all the skills kids learn in an appropriate preschool. Sure, test scores will go up for a while, but we are turning out a bunch of kids who have no ability to think creatively,have no intellectual curiosity and do not get to experience of learning by discovery. Until parents and concerned teachers unite to stop this pressure on kids things aren't going to get any better.

Answer 3

realy all depends on what school district you are with. the ones that my kids go to, (3 of the 4-went to the pre-k program) and it was a good one. they mostly worked on their numbers/alaphbet/colors, the basic building blocks to education and learning. It was a little more intense than say rpe-school but it still have enough of the pre-school aspects that the kids didn't really notice they were learning until the endof school yr when they could say Wow, i learned that.

Answer 4

As a kinder teacher I don't think that our kids are being hurt.  We have high expectations for our kids and trust me, LOTS reach that goal.  It takes work and parents need to be involved but is there something wrong with that??  Shouldn't kids learn and their parents take an interest in their learning?  For kids, you are supposed to make learning fun.  That's the way our kids learn.  I work at a Title I school and I know that my kids learn through songs, books, finger plays and from their peers.  Our kids at this age are not memorizing times tables.  They are memorizing their alphabets and sounds and things like that.  But I am constantly telling my parents that they need to make the learning fun as well and use things around them instead of flash cards or making them sit for an hour.  They should be outside writing the letters in the sand, or reading the labels at the store, or pointing things out in the world around them.  I think what you are talking about depends on the teacher and parent that the child has.

Answer 5

it depends on the school you go to

Answer 6

Individual districts have curriculum control.  If you don't like you're district's curriculum, start by speaking with the teacher, then the principal and then the school board.  You may find that one person in that chain got the idea in their head that little children should play less and work more instead of learning through play.  Once you find this misinformed individual/group, you and other parents can deluge them with outstanding schools' more play friendly examples and the latest research.   If they won't budge, it's time to organize other parents to vote out the school board!

Answer 7

My answer is that you are astute!!!