"We could do so much with two jars of Play-Doh and an hour," said Kaitlin Fullerton, who has been a preschool teacher and director for 14 years. "An educator of older children would look at that very differently." As per her insights, the experience can transform a simple playtime into a comprehensive developmental activity. This kind of perspective reflects the distinct learning needs of younger children.
"Four- to 5-year-olds are very different from 12- to 13-year-olds," said Deborah Stipek, an education professor at Stanford University. "The development of TK brought home that we weren't really preparing teachers to teach little kids," she pointed out, emphasizing that early education requires specialized understanding that traditional teacher training often overlooks.
Beginning next year, the state will require elementary school teachers in TK classrooms to have the equivalent of 24 units of early childhood education or development credits. This will ensure that teachers are better equipped to provide a play-based learning environment that meets the unique needs of younger students.
For parents who are considering TK, the enhanced training means their child's first experiences in public school will probably be steeped in joyful, play-based lessons designed to help the state’s youngest students thrive.
#early-childhood-education #transitional-kindergarten #teacher-training #child-development #play-based-learning
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