? Teacher interaction experts say that the quality of teachers is one of the most important factors in a good kindergarten, and it cannot always be measured by a piece of paper.
"As a parent, you really want to find out whether the teacher respects your child, whether the teacher treats your child as an interesting person, and whether there is happiness in the classroom," said Dale Fallon, a professor of early education. Author of children's education and Tennessee studies at Vanderbilt University. "You don't need a teacher's degree to create such an environment."
Ideally, parents should arrange a pre-school visit where they can observe the teacher's behavior. Deborah Stipek, former dean of the Graduate School of Education at Stanford University, said that what we need is teachers who listen more and talk less.
"I have seen many teachers ask open-ended questions, but they don't really listen to the children's answers," she explained. "Just like her job is to ask questions. But her real job is to involve children in meaningful conversations, which requires listening to their voices and following up with them. "
If you can't visit the school, Farran suggests discussing their methods with the teacher. "See if they are excited about the possible learning opportunities," she said. "If (teachers) just say,' I make sure they know all the numbers and letters', that's not what you want."
Experts say that excellent kindergarten teachers treat each child as a problem to be solved, not an empty container to be filled.
"You try to find out their talents and what makes them successful," said Ihma Iruka, a research professor at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and the founding director of the Equity Research Action Alliance. Frank Porter Institute for Child Development at the University.
? When you visit a classroom designed for junior students, please consider whether there is space suitable for children's needs. "In the classroom, you don't need many desks or tables," Farran said. "You need a carpet where they can sing and get together, and then you need many centers with interesting things to do."
If the preschool is a part of K-5 or K- 12 school, the preschool space should be separated from other parts of the school, and it is best to have its own bathroom and playground outside the door. "The more transitions children have to make, the more negative emotions they have, because teachers have to control children," Farran explained—for example, asking them to wait in line in the corridor and keep quiet.
Look for classrooms that display children's works, not ordinary posters, to reflect the culture of children in the class.
"I'm looking for ... is there any way to introduce the nature, cultural relics and languages of other countries?" Iruka said. "I am looking for a feeling that this space is breathing and it also represents the children in the classroom."
Bouffard said that if the class is going on, you should pay attention to the "productive buzz" instead of silence. "Children should be busy, they should talk, they should make noise from children, but not in a chaotic way."
? Game-based learning Bouffard said: "It is important to understand that academic learning in the late primary school is different from pre-school learning." Children need to "build" knowledge through play, exploration and discovery, rather than listening to teachers.
In some pre-school classes, studies and kindergarten preparation have become synonymous with teaching basic skills such as counting, letters and letter pronunciation. But experts say that it is more important for kindergartens to help children develop deeper cognitive and social emotional skills, such as self-regulation, attention, executive function, flexibility and persistence, which will bring long-term academic and life success.
In order to cultivate these deeper skills, preschool classes should combine free games for children with what Stipek called "interesting learning".
Interesting learning, also known as guided games, involves activities designed for specific learning goals, but these activities are hands-on and open, and teachers let children participate in questions and dialogues while working.
Bouffard said that teachers "may do some demonstrations and introduce some new words, but they won't tell children what to do, and they won't ask them to repeat what they have done". "They really let children become active builders of their knowledge."
? Preschool classes in cultural response classrooms should reflect the communities they serve, which is another factor that is not included in state-level quality standards. Iruka said: "Being rated as high quality does not mean that it is actually culturally responsive," especially for black children.
She said that parents should not only check the courses, books and materials they are using, but also check the educational practice. "I'm looking for a space without this ... physical and mental control. People of your level have to do this. You have to do this. Otherwise, you are destroying it. "
Experts say that teachers and leaders in schools should be diversified, and parents should ensure that this project is suitable not only for their children, but also for their families.
"If it doesn't work for me, if I can't interact with the leadership and my children's teachers in a comfortable and positive way, I will eventually become weak," Iruka explained.