As child-led early childhood educators, we often react strongly and negatively to the assertions that our role is to prepare children for the future. We reject the “push-down” from elementary schools and the idea that everything before “school” must imitate what children will experience when they start kindergarten. As educators, we are uncomfortable with the notion that all the learning opportunities we offer children should be focused on preparing them for kindergarten. We know that a sole future focus denies the children in our care the ability to dig into their interests and ideas while being seen as competent and capable.
We need to remember that we are responsible for the children in our care (not in charge of them). This responsibility includes helping children build the foundation for everything else. What makes this different from a forced future focus is the way we present this information to others and how we choose to support the children.
We need to focus on being present and just being. The best way to prepare a child to be four is to do what the three-year-old needs and wants. The best way to prepare a child for kindergarten is to give them experiences that build on their strengths, skills, and interests in the years before they start primary school.
Spending time with the child practicing skills ahead of time may be important for some learning, but not all. There is no point in pressuring a child to sit through long group time when they are not ready. Building in opportunities for wait time is unnecessary, as they naturally occur in everyday life. There are so many things that aren’t worth practicing, i.e., standing in a perfectly straight line and walking silently down the hallway.
When we spend too much time focusing on children becoming future students, we deny them the pleasure of experiencing present moments. Young children are amazing at immersing themselves deeply in what is happening in the present. They love finding interesting things and sharing that interest with others. Take time to enjoy the present moments with the children in your care. They are only young for a short period of time.
