Schools, schools, schools

I'm still mulling over whether to send Zoe to Anneliese. I'm hoping to find a school that is like it here in San Diego or Encinitas. I should have done this earlier as this is a bit late in the day. Most schools are accepting applications now and evidently one is supposed to do tours before February. Anyhow, I discovered that there is a cooperative preschool nearby in Solana Beach. A cooperative school is one where parents are expected and obligated to help at the school. While perusing its website, I came across a section with helpful advise for parents while they are "helping out" at the school. I thought it made a lot of sense and it gave me a fresh perspective on how I should interact with Zoe and Evan when it comes to certain types of play and when they are say drawing or painting.

A common mistake made by parents as they interact with children is to ask a busy child, “What are you making...What is that?”. Young children many times are not making anything when they are drawing, painting, etc. What they are doing is learning to grip a crayon or paintbrush and learning different strokes or movements with their fingers and hands. They are experimenting with colors and textures, and just having fun along the way. When we suggest to a child that there is a desired end result, we are taking away from the above process of learning. The process is much more important than the product. We want children to feel comfortable in their own creative expression, no matter how it turns out in the end. We like to provide children with many open-ended activities, which may not be aesthetically pleasing to a parent who is a product-orientated person. Some better types of questions are “Tell me about this...Tell me about the colors you used...Wow...look at this pattern over here...” etc. When you are at the playdoh or clay table, or drawing with the children, please let the children create their own things. If you start drawing a field of flowers how you see it, this may intimidate a child to draw their own pictures. Soon, you will hear, “You do it for me ... I can’t draw a field of flowers like you can!” Please stick with simple drawings of patterns and designs; with playdoh or clay, use simple movements like rolling balls, smashing pancakes, etc. 

 (Sandy Hill Nursery School http://www.sandyhillnurseryschool.com/helperguidelines.html)