Kindergarten these days is teaching kids less than what they would have learned two millenniums ago, and it is an issue of concern. The child spends his/her day in school following instructions on what and how to do various tasks. What this means is that a 5-year-old will typically spend their day involved in more teacher-led activities like solving mathematical problems, learning to read, practice how to write, spelling practice, among other things.
The effects of Kindergarten can be felt throughout the child’s education at higher levels like elementary school and even through high school. The current kindergarten curriculum currently pushes for children to concentrate more on academics, and this, in turn, lessens their desire to explore and the ability to view themselves as learners, and this may be detrimental to the child’s learning journey.
Why Did Kindergarten Become Less Engaging; What Can Be Done To Remedy The Situation?
I felt the need to do more research on this issue, and my quest led me to interview some stakeholders in the sector. The children in Kindergarten, their guardians, their teachers, and also those indirectly involved, including researchers, university lecturers, activists, and those who make the policies were among those I interviewed. The aim was to try and understand these changes; how have they reshaped Kindergarten. This information would assist get the general view from them on what they believe children in Kindergarten should do in school.
The majority of the interviewees had concerns about the new trend in Kindergarten. A school head was concerned that today’s children had been stripped off the joy of being in Kindergarten, which in turn negatively affects their development.
These interviewees gave several ideas on how Kindergarten may be made more engaging. They suggested an increase in recess time, which ensures the children have more time to play and socialize. They also suggested that teachers be more involved in a child’s learning through frequent discussions between them and the children. The teachers should play a part in nurturing a child’s creativity, learning where the child’s interest lies, and encouraging self-learning. They also suggested the reduction of result-oriented tests for kindergartners.
From the interviews, I gathered that the interviewees attached quite an importance to Kindergarten. They gave the impression that it is a very crucial part of a child’s educational journey, and it should be made seamless and practical.
What Can Be Done To Help Kindergartners Enjoy And Benefit Being In School
Making Kindergarten more interesting requires changes done to the entire system, including changing how learning is conducted in the classroom. The curriculum should be reformed to allocate more time for children to engage in activities that help n their development. They should have more time to interact among themselves and doing fun activities like playing. More emphasis should be placed on social and emotional learning rather than academic learning
Teachers also have a part to play. They suggest the revamping of teacher’s training for purposes of making them professionally able to provide kindergartners with all-round assistance by supporting their cognitive growth and also in their social and emotional learning to help them nurture their talents and achieve academic excellence at the same time.
All this, however, will only be possible if the education system undergoes reforms. The system should be restructured to focus more on a curriculum and programs that focus on the all-round development of the child as opposed to solely focusing on academic achievement.
It is crucial to demystify the myth that a child is successful in Kindergarten and school in general only when they have acquired a specific set of academic skills and knowledge. That is why the stakeholders need to provide an engaging learning environment in Kindergarten aimed at guaranteeing children grow to become competent, life-long learners, and not just academic slaves.
