At work today my coworkers were discussing preschools. They were talking about a test kids take to get into a quality NYC preschool. The kids are about age two or three. Also one mom was looking at a 27000 a year preschool. Im sorry that is nuts.
Wow. That's what the boarding school where I teach charges its boarding students (day students are something like $17K. That must be SOME pre-school...is it full day, or half day? <snark>
The kids who go to a school like that *might* manage to eke out accelerated learning for a little bit, but then...let's just say they'll end up the type of kid who's a perfect little student, almost a little mini-adult at age 10, and then all hell breaks lose in adolescence and you'll never get them to sit still and focus, perhaps not ever again.
What ever happened to play? The HS where I teach give the kids a 20-minute break, mid-morning, and then a full hour for lunch. Some go to meetings one or two days a week, but for the most part, they hang out, chill, play football or frisbee, etc. They've got to get their ya-yas out in order to be able to learn...just as pre-schoolers should be able to play, play, play.
All of this cancellation of recess time and pushing little kids into academics...feh. No Child Left Behind? In a pig's eye...
Elise
