Preschool prepping kids for kindergarten

What goes on at preschool? Lots if your child gets to build his brain along with block towers. After 40 years of study, though, researchers and teachers continue to find themselves on the defensive:

"Children who graduate from our play-based program are not only ready to take on kindergarten, they are ready for life," says Kristen Clark, a preschool director in Davidson, N.C. "Learning requires active thinking to find out how things work and to figure out first-hand about the world we live in."

The children leave the program with a self-confident "I can do it!" attitude, she says. Other goals include: The children are able to listen and follow directions; have strong self-help skills; and develop gross and fine motor skills such as cutting and climbing.

As for the confusion over academics, Clark says that even 2-year-olds can do rote counting. But they have not a clue about what numbers stand for. A child fitting pegs on a board with one hole, then two, then three begins to understand one-to-one correspondence. A 3-year-old is not able to visualize the number 6, for example, but can work with six objects to build a bridge to a symbolic equation that comes later.

Clark's goals parallel those in "Kindergarten Success" (JosseyBass, $14.95, 2006) by Amy James. She says children are ready to enter kindergarten if they are able to:

--Verbally communicate needs, wants and thoughts.

--Use complete sentences to recount an event.

--Ask questions.

--Take care of bathroom needs.

--Put on a coat.

--Share and take turns.

--Separate easily from parents.

--Approach new activities with enthusiasm and curiosity.

--Follow two-step directions.

--Run, hop, walk, skip and throw a ball.

--Hold crayons, pencils and scissors properly.

"Your child needs to achieve most of the milestones on this list to be truly ready for kindergarten," James writes.

Kindergarten success comes through early play, several experts say.

"A boy's play is his brainwork," says family therapist Michael Gurian, author of "The Minds of Boys" (Wiley, 2007, $15.95). "Like anyone who works, he needs to do it in an appropriate workspace."

In a preschool class, that workspace needs to be roomier than some teachers and parents might expect, Gurian says. Opportunities to make choices such as through a variety of centers at preschool is good for the developing brain, he says.

The Alliance for Childhood has sought out expert comments for its "Call to Action on the Education of Young Children," including these:

"The current pressure on early childhood programs to become increasingly academic actually dampens young children's natural curiosity and ability to learn," says Nancy Balaban, of the Infant and Parent Development and Early Intervention Program, Bank Street Graduate School of Education in New York.

"Through play, children learn how to share, take turns, cooperate, be flexible, learn self-control. They also can learn their fundamental skills such as numbers, colors, shapes and letter recognition," says Dorothy Singer, a senior research scientist emeritus at the Child Study Center, Yale University.

"Play equals learning. Play not only enhances learning, but also fosters creative thinking," says Kathy Hirsh-Pasek, professor of psychology, Temple University in Philadelphia.

In her new book "The Secret of Play" (DK Publishing, $16.95, 2008), Ann Pleshette Murphy shares key milestones reached during play for children from birth to age 12. For example, for 3-year-olds: Children imagine during play; tackle their fears by facing them; explore the outdoors; share and take turns; ask "why"; cut with scissors; throw a ball overhand and choose a favorite color.

Betsy Flagler, a journalist based in Davidson, N.C., can be reached at p2ptips@att.net.

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