Preschool? "Yes"; Expensive? "No"

I am inclined to believe that there is too much emphasis on creating the “ideal” learning environment; however I believe that an “enriched” early childhood experience is necessary in order to succeed in today’s society.  I believe that preschool is necessary, but it does not have to be expensive.

The cost of today’s preschools left me dumbfounded.  Ten years ago I spent approximately $500 per month to send my daughter to preschool, and I thought that was outrageous.  Recently our class toured a 5-star preschool that cost $1300 a month.  It was nicer than my daughter’s preschool, but not extensively.   Granted everything from the building to the toys was newer, but I don’t think the curriculum was worth 3 times what I originally paid.

What do the newspapers say about preschool?  A July 2011 article in The Fiscal Times called “Rich Baby, Poor Baby” says that parents are sacrificing to send their children to expensive preschools.  See  website The article states that there is no proof that spending more actually helps a child to be more successful later on in life. The article states that families spent roughly $4000 (2% of family income) on education for children from the ages of 0-17 in 1960; whereas, in 2010 families spent over $38,000 (17% of family income) on education children.  These figures merely prove that families were willing to spend more, not necessarily that they received more.

Another thing that I noticed was that there didn’t “appear” to be any differently abled children at the more expensive preschool.   We owe it to our children to provide quality learning environments for children of all abilities.

Is $1300 a month for education reasonable?  The answer lies in a combination of esthetics and marketing.  Service providers only charge what the market will bear.  If a couple is able to afford a product and they believe they “owe” it to a member of their family to provide that product, they will pay the asking price. 

Should we even bother to send our children to preschool?  I believe yes.  The national Research Council says that “Children who spend more months in preschool do better on achievement tests in second grade, have fewer behavior problems in third grade, and are less likely to have to repeat a grade.”  See  http://www.4children.org/issues/2000/september_october/preschool_builds_school_readiness/

In that same article the Abecedarian Project says that  not only did children from low-income families score better on reading tests if they went to preschool, but that even at age 21 they had a higher IQ.  So the value of preschool is far-reaching. 

What exactly are the benefits of preschool?  According to the California Children and Family Commission (see http://www.ccfc.ca.gov/contact_us.asp)  This website states that children who attend preschool do better in elementary school, are more likely to graduate high school, more likely to get a good job, and less likely to be involved in crime!  The National Association of Child Advocates claims that a quality preschool has “long term” effects on a child’s success later in life.  See http://www.eric.ed.gov/ERICWebPortal/search/recordDetails.jsp?searchtype=advanced&pageSize=10&ERICExtSearch_SearchCount=1&ERICExtSearch_SearchValue_0=Making+Investments+in+young+children&eric_displayStartCount=11&ERICExtSearch_Operator_1=and&ERICExtSearch_SearchType_1=kw&ERICExtSearch_SearchType_0=kw&_pageLabel=RecordDetails&objectId=0900019b800c1b7c&accno=ED448863&_nfls=false

I believe that a preschool experience is vital for a child’s success, but I do not believe that experience should not be achieved at all costs.  Parents need to use a little common sense when determining how much money they are willing to spend on early childhood education.

Are preschools worth it?

Are preschools worth it? Do we spend too much time trying to create the "ideal" learning environment for children? As I ask myself those questions, my mind travels to the concept of Montessori education. If you are unfamiliar with Montessori, simply put, it is an education style which focuses on the child's sense of discovery and independence in order to learn. Most children have a natural sense of curiosity about the world, and desire to explore and master their environment and Montessori education embraces this drive. Children are allowed to explore abstract concepts such as language, science, and math in a very hands on way with teachers acting more as guides in their education. The skills they learn are meant to facilitate and nourish a lifelong desire to learn and grow, as opposed to a traditional preschool education which focuses on reaching basic benchmarks to prepare the child for elementary school education.

However, as I ponder this, my mind springs back to the parents. No matter what education a child receives in preschool, it must be followed up by the parents at home. Children must have a strong base of support in order to grow and flourish. Many parents believe it is the school system's responsibility to educate their child, and these parents put very little work in their child's educational needs when they get home. If a child does well in Montessori or traditional preschool, and comes home to parents who don't take part in their child's education then that child misses out on the foundational building blocks for a lifetime of learning.

Ultimately a child's education begins at home....

  

Preschool gets an "A" for Awesome!

Who wouldn't want to give their child an even playing field as other students.   Preschools are not just a fancy place to drop your children off while you are working; it is a place where children are fostered to develop the necessary skills to be the best student once they enter elementary school.  The preschool experience is not only learning shapes and colors, it goes way beyond that. Through a evidenced based research  the National Institute for Early Education Research were able to prove that preschool programs  are proved to create higher test scores, improve social skills, decrease grade repetition and special education, improve graduation rates, decrease crime, and increase earnings in the future of participating children.   

                I believe in the quote “You get what you pay for”.  Although many of the prestigious preschools are rather expensive, the tuition the preschools receive is then put into every aspect of the school.  The more a preschool charges, the more equipped they are to pay higher educated teachers, and also help the teachers further their education.  The more expensive the preschool is,  the more money can go into buying supplies and equipment that each teacher needs to educate the children.

                When visiting the preschool recently I loved how organized it was.  Also, many of the teachers were very encouraging and patient with the students however; there was one situation where I felt the teachers were actually discussing one of the children’s home situations in front of the students as well as me, a guest.   That is very inappropriate and unprofessional.  Besides this issue I would have no problems enrolling my children in the preschool.    The preschool seemed to address every minute detail, and incorporated into the curriculum, class room set-up as well as the bi yearly assessments.  The one detail I am not sure was addressed was handicap accessibility or teachers able to accommodate children with developmental disabilities. 

                As part of the preschool’s curriculum, students are exposed to other cultures through imaginative play, are projects, as well as story books.  During my visit, there was display boards decorated from different cultures.  I was also able to sit in during circle time, where the teacher was reading a book about the Sudanese culture.   There was great and ensuring that the children are accepting of different things that don’t mirror their own cultures. 

Here's a video on how important early education is.

Click here to see more of the National Institute for Early Education Research results from the study on the benefits of early education.  

Preschoolers learn from working together.

Do young children really need environments tailored for the learning of specific skills to thrive in today's society? Are we making too much of preschool--is it really that necessary to enroll Johnny or Janey in the community's up and coming preparatory school? Is there too much pressure and emphasis put upon parents to "get ahead" and have their child on the noble tract to learning that's designed by private companies? Of course not! Children need all the help they can get. And what better way to have a lasting effect on a child than to immerse him or her in a creative, loving, supportive and structured environment such as preschool? I understand there are differing opinions on this matter and perhaps I am taking the less popular viewpoint but the way I see it, it DOES take a village to raise a child. In the past several weeks I have had the wonderful opportunity to observe and interact with different preschool environments in the area and I must say I am impressed! I can't say enough about the schools we have visited as part of this semester's pediatric fieldwork rotation.

Formal learning provides a child with structure that introduces them to "rules of fair play" which when followed, make socialization and the navigation of life's transitions smoother. And a formal environment such as daycare, preschool, or Sunday school can also provide informal learning situations as it fosters collaboration with each other and imitation of one another within the confines of play time. As children age they tend to form groups and to function as a larger whole to accomplish goals. This time is so important to social and emotional skills development. Because play is a child's main occupation, it facilitates overall learning in what is a child's most natural environment. But play supported by structure creates the added benefits of consistent exploration, positive influences, and experienced, adult guidance if needed.

Skills ranging from small and large motor skills, listening skills, literacy and language development, and math skills are just a few to name that all children should be supported in from an early age. Mastery of these skills helps set the tone for a child's self-confidence and esteem as well as helps make them ready for public school and all it has to offer. Structured time can give a child tools for living. Tools for living can help a child grow into a productive and fulfilled member of society. And in this way the child can give back what was provided for them--a opportunity to grow into the person they want to be!

Preschoolin it!

Do I think that there is too much emphasis on creating the perfect learning environment…Yes and No. I feel that it is great for children to get an early start and the preschool that we visited seemed to do an amazing job of doing this. The curriculum goals seemed appropriate and very functional to a child’s development. But do children that don’t go to swanky preschools not get as good of an education? Are the less expensive preschools not as good? I don’t necessarily think so. 

As you may know, I have a child on the way and we will definitely be sending him/her to preschool. My wife and I both went to preschool and they were not very fancy. But the question is…did it help us? Will it help our child in the long run? Or is it just something that helps children develop quicker, not necessarily better? According to a study that was conducted in the 90’s, “those with higher-quality preschool classes did better in language and math skills than those in low-quality preschools. But as the children moved into the second grade, the report said, ‘‘the difference between the language skills of children in high- and low-quality care decreased.'' It was suggested in this study that this is because children learn so much in kindergarten and 1^st grade. On the other hand, the study also found that the children who went to quality preschools did continue to do better in their math.

For more information on this study, please click here 

With that being said, I do feel that children can be just as successful by going to a “regular” preschool as opposed to a fancy one. I also feel that some children will develop just fine if they don’t go to preschool at all because of the amount they learn in kindergarten and 1st grades. But I think that preschool is very good for children to help them start to develop earlier and get them ready for a more structured environment like kindergarten. 

And a video just for fun...

I wonder if this spelling bee champ went to preschool

 

See, Smell, Taste....... Appetite!

This semester was so much more than what I expected from geriatrics.  But one of the biggest normal changes that I have

encountered this semester would be the decrease in appetite.  I had the opportunity to see breakfast and lunch served while

doing my fieldwork.  I saw many of the patients eat a little and then push their plates to the side. I did not know that so

many things affect their appetite such as taste, smell, and medication. I always wandered why my grandmother food

seemed to get more salty as she became older and now I know that as you age your taste decreases by 50 percent. Not only

that but as you age there is a decrease in taste buds which affects sweet, sour, salty, and bitter taste buds. I never thought

that age could cause you to loose sense of taste or smell, but now that I know I can see how an older person would lose

their appetite.  When you first get a plate of food the look and aroma of the food is the first thing that triggers your

appetite.  Then the taste and texture of food makes the meal more enjoyable.  But as you age you lose the ability to

discriminate food and you can’t really enjoy your food.  Many of my clients complained that the food was so bland even

after putting two packs of salt on their food.  There were many who added packs of sugar to their juice and still would state

that it was not sweet enough.  But these are the types of things that cause other issues such as hypertension, malnutrition,

diabetes, and a decrease in food intake.  I take a step back and wander what if that was me, what would I do? I am a very

picky eater so I’m sure my food intake would be at the very minimum.  But if I had someone to take the time to maybe

season my foods by adding flavors that could possibly enhance the taste or change the texture of my food so that it is

pleasing to me.  These are some of the little steps that we must take to ensure that our elderly are getting enough nutrition

and has the appropriate intake.  Food for thought when you have a terrible cold besides the aching and runny nose and

sore throat, how does food feel in your mouth without being able to really taste the flavoring of the food?  Here is a link

featured on msnbc news about appetite loss :

( http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/8203257/ns/health-aging/t/appetite-loss-elderly-not-good-sign/ )

Loss of Abstraction

    "Optimal aging can...be viewed in terms of our successful adaptation and continued participation in life..." (Padilla, p. 33, 2012). So says our text book and I happen to like this loose definition of aging well. This past semester has been a wonderful opportunity to witness first hand exactly what we have been reading about in a book--the normal affects of aging. What surprised me the most about aging in normal ways and what I saw evidence of was the loss of abstract thinking. I naively assumed that the loss of something cognitive such as abstract thinking would come to equal dementia on some level. This is not necessarily the case. In fact, skills or tasks that require abstraction are one which naturally become difficult for seniors.
     One of the residents that I spent time talking with--I will refer to him as JG--was kind enough to allow me to perform a cognitive assessment on him. The cognitive screening tool I chose to use is called the FROMAJE which was created specifically with the geriatric population in mind. While this tool asks concrete questions about orientation to time and place, or math questions, or even memory questions, it contains a question which discusses proverbs and is meant to consider abstract reasoning. When questioning JG I found him to score well on all of the concrete questions, with maybe a little trouble on the math. But the proverbs discussion took us off into an explanation that didn't make sense. This semester has also pointed out to me that concepts such as selection and compensation are natural ways for the aging individual to adapt and at times, attempt to 'cover up' a deficit they may be experiencing.
     At first I considered it a possibility that JG suffered from a mild form of dementia, but after studying our chapter on the aging process out of Occupational Therapy with Elders, I can see that this may have been a perfectly normal blunder for him. It is important as a student but especially as a practitioner that I come to understand the difference in the changes which aging brings on as some of them are natural (primary) and some abnormal(secondary). Differentiating between the two will allow me to create appropriate treatment plans and get down to the "just right challenge" for each client.

Things That Make You Go "HMMM"

Remember the song from the early 90’s by C+C Music Factory “Things that make you go hmmm?”  I loved that song.  When I’m reading my textbook and I come across something that I’ve never heard of before I write the word “hmmm” in the margin.  It allows me to go back and re-read the paragraph later on.  Paragraphs that get marked with a “hmmm” contain things that blow my mind.  They’ve got brand new information that seems to come out of left field.  The information may be contradictory or illogical, but it always makes me happy to read it because it reminds me that there are a lot of interesting things out there still to be discovered.

I had an experience like this when I read this text in our textbook  

“Conversing with a patient and/or observing the individual perform a familiar ADL can be misleading because people frequently retain social skills in the presence of a cognitive impairment, and ADLs are overlearned activities and, therefore, not a good measure of ability to problem-solve, learn, and safely engage in ADLs and IADLs.” 

  I, naively, thought that if someone had a cognitive impairment, I’d know it when I saw it.  It’d be written all over their face and their actions.  Right?  WRONG! 

I discovered this firsthand when I was assigned a dementia patient on fieldwork.   When I first met her she seemed “as right as rain” as the old people used to say.  (I had mistakenly equated “Communication and Social Skills” with “Cognitive Skills.”)  We talked about her children, grandchildren, hobbies, etc.  She was, and still is, delightful.  I would never have believed that she had dementia if I hadn’t given her the “Set Test.”  When I did my eyes were opened.  I struggled to believe the information.  She scored very poorly on it, and, to be honest, it made me kind of sad.  I really thought that she had it “all together.”  

Then I remembered Ms. Gonzalez lecture when she said that elderly patients can conceal their dementia with their social skills and ability to do ADLs.  I had stumbled across a perfect example of that class.

I also saw examples of this when I took a field trip to a CCRC this summer.  Not only were the patients able to carry on conversations, but one patient was able to do an intricate craft that involved gluing small pieces of wood the size of matchsticks!  He was phenomenal!  Yet he was in the early dementia art class.  You can’t judge a book by its cover.

The reason that this lesson will stick with me is that in my career I’m sure I will see more than a few elderly patients that “seem to have it all together.”  I’m going to need to be cautious when dealing with them.  Just because they can carry on a conversation doesn’t mean they have the judgment to perform a stovetop cooking activity.  I have to plan my treatment sessions carefully.

That’s where my training will come in handy.  After I have achieved competency in several of the cognitive assessments, I can help identify those patients that need extra supervision.  I can work with them, and their families, to discover other activities that are less dangerous, but still allows them independence.  

As this semester comes to an end I am left with one resounding wish.  My hope for my patients is that they are as independent as they can be for as long as they can.  That’s the same thing that I’d want for myself.