What is Kindergarten All About?
By James L. Hymes, Jr.Ed.D
There is a lot of misunderstanding today about kindergartens.
I'd like to pass on a few ideas for you mull over about what a
kindergarten looks like, and why; and what it is supposed to do.
I hope you find the ideas interesting and perhaps they may set
to rest some questions you have.
One of the troubles in understanding kindergartens is that we
all remember best what school was like in the years not too far
behind us - our high school days, 5th and 6th grades: sitting,
themselves answering the teacher's questions, getting a grade,
doing homework...
That is school, upper grade school. But kindergarten isn't like
that. Kindergarten is a school for five-year-olds-- that is the
important point. And I don't need to tell you that your Five is
very different from your upper-grade youngsters. So:
Kindergarten looks different.
It sounds different.
Kindergarten has a whole different style. It is for Fives. It
is geared to Fives. It is custom-made to fit children of this
particular age.
The key question, then, is: What are Fives like? For one thing,
although they talk big and brave, inside of themselves Fives are
very soft. They are essentially shy. They put on a show of big,
but they know that the world is pretty overwhelming, They are
timid, even the toughest of them.
A school for these children - a school for beginners - has to
be a gentle school. It has to be a warm and friendly school. Kindergarten
can't and must not be a place that overpowers youngsters and pushes
them back.
This means that the size of a kindergarten is important. A kindergarten
shouldn't have the feel of an auditorium or a stadium. It means
that children should be able to spend a lot of their time in little
groups - two or three children together, or even working alone
- so they can be and at ease. And of course, the soft tone and
good spirit of the teacher are exceedingly significant.
What else about Fives? A note that always strikes me is that they
are doers. They are forever on the go. They are into everything.
Their nature will change as they grow older but right now,Fives
are not good sitters; they are not youngsters who can keep for
very quiet long; and they are not good listeners either. Instead,
they have another quite wonderful quality: They want to see and
do for themselves.
What does this mean for a kindergarten? It means that the emphasis
has to be on reality and on action: on animals, on jobs the children
do, on activities they carry out on trips they take, on workers
of all kinds who come into the classroom.
The emphasis has to be on chances for children to use their hands
and to work tools: magnets, magnifying glasses, saws hammers...to
work even with what look like with playthings: clay, blocks, paint,
puzzles, sand...Kindergarten is not a place for teaching children
by talking at them, not a place for grownups' lectures. It is
a place where active children are involved in the goings-on. Fives
learn best that way.
James L. Hymes Jr. Is a Past President of the National Association
for the Education of young Children and author of many publications
for parents and children.
Here are 10 signs of a good kindergarten classroom:
1.Children are playing and working with materials or other children. They are not aimlessly wandering or forced to sit quietly for long periods of time.
2.Children have access to various activities throughout the day, such as block building, pretend play, picture books, paints and other art materials, and table toys such as legos, pegboards, and puzzles. Children are not all doing the same things at the same time.
3. Teachers work with individual children, small groups, and the whole group at different times during the day. They do not spend time only with the entire group.
4. The classroom is decorated with children s original artwork, their own writing with invented spelling, and dictated stories.
5. Children learn numbers and the alphabet in the context of their everyday experiences. Exploring the natural world of plants and animals, cooking, taking attendance, and serving snack are all meaningful activities to children.
6.Children work on projects and have long periods of time (at least one hour) to play and explore. Filling out worksheets should not be their primary activity.
7.Children have an opportunity to play outside every day that weather permits. This play is never sacrificed for more instructional time.
8.Teachers read books to children throughout the day, not just at group story time.
9.Curriculum is adapted for those who are ahead as well as those who need additional help. Because children differ in experiences and background, they do not learn the same things at the same time in the same way.
10.Children and their parents look forward to school. Parents feel safe sending their child to kindergarten. Children are happy; they are not crying or regularly sick.
11.Individual kindergarten classrooms will vary, and curriculum
will vary according to the interests and backgrounds of the children.
But all developmentally appropriate kindergarten classrooms will
have one thing in common: the focus will be on the development
of the child as a whole.
Copyright 1996 by National Association for the Education of Young Children. Reproduction of this material is freely granted, provided credit is given to the NAEYC
