Early Education

I was talking with Laila's Ninang Bev earlier about preschool. Seven-month old Wilby would be old enough to attend school next year, you see, and she wants a good argument to tell the hubby.


Well, I am an avid fan of early education so she only needed to start the topic.


Preschool, I believe, is a very good avenue for older babies--especially the onlies--to socialize. They learn valuable life skills in being in a controlled environment away from home. They learn to follow rules and to get along with other kids.



An additional treat is that they are taught skills--everyday things like holding a crayon or pen or cutting paper with scissors--that parents untrained in preschool education would not consciously think to teach their kids.


In a conference with Laila's teacher last year, I was surprised to learn that she is able to manipulate a pair of scissors. I don't even let her hold one at home. These activities, like tearing bits of paper or pasting, helps them hone fine motor skills.


Other class exercises like playing in the jungle bars or scooping pebbles and tranferring them from one bucket to another helps develop gross motor skills. And to think we even discourage her from running or jumping for fear that she'd fall and crack her head open.


By the end of the first year Laila knows her colors, shapes, number and is famliar with most of the alphabet. This year, she is able to recognize individual letters in words and type them in the computer.


She also has an enormous vocabulary for her age. This I recognize because she's never been into a screaming or crying fit as a result of not having the words to express her feelings. She has words to express most of what she says. Or she expresses her disapproval with a booming NO!



Of course, you have to choose the right preschool for your child. Preschools are generally playschools, although they can still be classified into three pedagogies--traditional, progressive and Montessori. I don't think a preschool that requires the kids to sit still in their chairs for long periods of time will be good for any kid. Toddlers and preschoolers are generally very active and they need a lot of different activities so they wouldn't get bored.


Laila's bloomed in a progressive school (Nest) and in a Montessori (Mayfield) but I would like to have her try a traditional (preferrably Francsican-run) school when she reaches elementary. I spent 11 years in a Franciscan school, Stella Maris College. There I learned values that rules the adult me--integrity, honesty, simplicity and, most importantly, being frugal.




I don't believe that kids will get tired of school when you start them too early. I started school when I was three. I admit there were points during school that I was counting the years until I finish. But I don't think I really got tired of going to school. If you enjoy what you're doing, why stop.


I guess what I want is for Laila to enjoy school. More importantly, I want her to enjoy the experience the joys of learning. You don't stop learning once you step out of school. I want school to help her enjoy the experience so she'll want to learn wherever she is.