Cycle One - The Culture of Childhood

            Who would have thought that one of the major decisions of any parent would be to decide which pre-school to send their child?  I am not a parent yet but I never thought that this decision could have certain economic implications or determine how well my child will do in school later on.  Personally, childhood was a well-balanced mix of play and academics (it’s weird to think of 4-year-olds being academic!).  Regarding play and imagination, I remember being a very creative and active child.  I was always playing with dolls, played house and dress-up with my friends, and enjoyed going to the safest playground in the world – with each set of play equipment set far apart surrounded by rubber pieces which always so painfully got stuck in my sneakers. 

All of this was under the supervision of a parent or a teacher.  I never minded the supervision.  Although adults were present they never interfered in our playing or childhood squabbles.  I assumed that this childhood I experienced was the same for everyone – until this week’s readings I never really thought about others having different kinds of childhood experiences that could potentially affect how successful they were.  Thinking back, I do recall two sisters that lived across the street that my sister and I had frequent play-dates with.  These two girls were from Venezuela and were allowed to leave their home and cross the neighborhood street at a young age without parental supervision – something my American parents, and admittedly myself, would never let a young child do.

On the other hand, my childhood was filled with academics as well.  I loved learning and it was something my parents supported.  According to my mom the church-based preschool I attended taught some reading and phonics but hardly any math skills. Kindergarten through the third grade, academics was not a major part of my elementary school curriculum as I went to a Montessori school.  Student-centered play and student-interest drove what I would do each day in class.  I have said many times that I do not remember learning anything academic at that Montessori elementary school – I credit my parents with teaching me everything I learned up through the third grade.    Every summer my parents would purchase academic workbooks for my sister and I to complete and this is when I remember learning how to write, comprehend my reading, and learn procedural math skills.  Fourth grade and on, once I switched schools, I remember academic learning.  At my new school I had a desk with textbooks and tests and quizzes to take and I was thrilled with this! 

I would like to consider myself economically successful on a personal level and as a benefit to my community.  Whatever government entities or businesses invested in my early childhood education were dollars well spent.  The return I was able to give them on their investment is that I am a creative teacher in the community I grew up in.  I am on my way to earning a Masters degree so that I can learn how to be a more effective teacher and the unconventional projects and games I use in my classroom engage students and make them more critical thinkers.  Whether it was the play or academic portion of my childhood that led to the success I have today (which I am eternally grateful for) we will probably never know since I had a good balance of both worlds while growing up.  Going to a preschool that emphasized socialization and peer play and spending most of my afternoons and weekends with friends at the playground could be the reason why I am unafraid to try new instructional games and project ideas in my classroom.  As well, because academics were an ever present part of my childhood summers, maybe that is why I took high school, undergraduate studies, and now this Masters program so seriously which has led to me having a full-time job that allows me to support the economy.

Continuing on the “return on investment” theme, I wanted to hear first-hand from politicians there views on investing in early childhood education.  The statistics presented in Preschool in Three Countries Revisited were interesting – someone actually took the time to itemize and analyze the economic impact of quality early childhood education programs.  Here is a clip of a debate amongst gubernatorial candidates in Minnesota from back in 2010.  The responses of the politicians to the moderator’s question are true to form: we must be implementing researched-based instructional methods in preschool classrooms.  However, the answer given by the last candidate is the most thought provoking and logical when discussing the topic of investing in early childhood education and its potential returns.

As mentioned earlier, I have not given much thought to my culture of childhood before this week’s readings.  But after reflecting on my past, it raises questions about the culture of childhood my current students must have had.  The high school I went to was diverse but most of the students were born in America.  However, the high school I teach at has a very different atmosphere.  The work ethics and play habits of the students differ greatly than what I was exposed to in high school.  For example, the majority of the students at the school I teach at are Haitian born.  They are always playing basketball (before, during, and after school).  When I was in high school, the courts were seldom used except during P.E. class.  I went ahead and looked for some information about the early childhood education in Haiti.  The video below shows a new early childhood program schools in Haiti are adapting - of which the narrator said the program is designed to share with other schools indicating international use.  The program places an emphasis on students developing individuality - a necessary character trait in adults to support a global and strong economy.   Although this video did not answer my initial question about the traditional culture of early childhood education in Haiti, I ended up liking that this innovative program is making positive changes in one of the Western Hemisphere's poorest countries.  As one mom explained, her four year old daughter is learning how to make decisions and think independently which is needed whether children are playing with one another, studying math, reading, or writing, and out in the job market.

            I do not think there is just one answer – that would be too simple.  In order for adults to be well-rounded students they must be a part of a well-rounded curriculum and culture.  One area should not be the main focus – I feel a childhood culture can incorporate progressive instruction without losing cultural values and still allow time for students to play and engage with one another.