Our Parent and Child class enjoyed circle time one recent, clear morning. There is plenty of play to be had in our Early Childhood classes: Parent and Child, Preschool, and Kindergarten. In the November/December issue of Scientific American, in an article entitled, 'The Death of Preschool', by Paul Tullis, the fruits of childhood play are illuminated. More and more preschools and kindergartens are bringing in academic lessons via lectures and tests, despite research that shows these activities work against the learning process and can be detrimental to later academic work. Although most educators understand this to be true, they feel pressured by parents and by standardized testing to show 'results' at an early age. Bright Water School's early childhood program protects the younger years and allows children to grow and develop as they were meant to: through play, movement, and exploration.
