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| First Time Moms |
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I am a traditionalist when it comes to early childhood education. I don't like Leapfrog and Vtech toys and others that claim to teach babies and young toddlers concepts such as letters, shapes, numbers and colors. I believe that children learn naturally through play. I seem to be in the minority on this, judging from the popularity of these products. Anyone have any thoughts to share on this?
Marcia |
| Posted by Marcia on 05/21/2007 11:13 AM
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I worked in early childhood education for 7+ years as a teacher and administrator, and have a degree in family psychology.
I don't mind things like LeapFrog and Vtech, as long as they don't take the place of more traditional learning activities such as reading with children and hands on activities for art, science and math. The mistake comes in relying on these sorts of things to educate your children, instead of using them as a tool, while keeping their education in your control.
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| posted by Kelly on 05/21/2007 01:11 PM
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Hi Marcia,
I agree with you wholeheartedly. Teaching young toddlers some of these concepts this early is not natural. It is best to teach these in a natural setting such as in a child's directed play. I love the old time stacking rings, shape sorters, etc. without all of the bells and whistles. Although some things are good such as some of the new toys with black and white patterns which is proven that infants are attracted to this contrast. I must say we do own a few leapfrog and vtech toys, but for the most part my son gets bored with them pretty easily. My main pet peeve in the world of educating children though is the use of flash cards. What do you think? |
| posted by Andrea on 05/21/2007 01:33 PM
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Thanks for the input. I also worked in Early childhood education for several years before I had my son. I agree that having and using these toys is not harmful unless it takes the place of constructive play for learning. The problem I have with them is that they make parents believe that their children will be at a disadvantage to their peers if they don't use them. I have had parents ask why we didn't use them in my preschool classroom.
I have written several articles on the topic of early childhood education. Follow the link below if you are interested in reading them.
http://www.helium.com/user/show/125650
Marcia |
| posted by Marcia on 05/21/2007 02:15 PM
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Marcia - I appreciate the quality of information you have available on Helium! When I was a brand-new first-time parent, I didn't have any training and my mother's role modeling only went so far (because I was an extremely and oddly compliant, quiet child). I LOOKED for information about child development, nurturing learning, and parenting.
I didn't see that a lot with new parents that I encountered in the child care field. Many were clueless about what I considered the most basic concepts of child development and behavior. And they weren't recognizing their ignorance or looking to change it!
Anyway - we got several comments about the lack of electronic toys in our environment, and our teachers were trained to point out that we simply did not have time or space for them considering all the learning centers that were offered in each classroom, and the rich daily schedule of planned activities. I don't remember one parent, out of probably 400 children, that argued the case for having them in the classroom. If they had, I could have responded with, "Since you think so highly of these electronic toys, I assume you have some at home {They say yes} In that case, their need for technology education is probably being met. However, we are able to create highly enriched play and learning environments that most families can't afford to provide at home. Our emphasis is on laying the foundation for the most basic skills that all of us need to function."
My kids had various electronic things when they were young; but they never had a product that claimed to enhance their learning in a special way that couldn't otherwise be achieved (couldn't afford it!). They are intelligent, social, physically healthy young people without deficits, so I guess I did ok.
I think anyone who is educated in child development would agree with you. Those who would argue with you are victims of the advertising of the electronic wonder toys. |
| posted by Kelly on 05/21/2007 04:19 PM
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Thanks, Kelly. I appreciate your input. It is tough to know what is best with so many conflicting views out there. When I was teaching, it was part of my job to give parents information that would help them stay involved in their children's educations. Though I am no longer teaching, I want to continue to help parents gain access to information that can help them give their children the best possible start.
Marcia |
| posted by Marcia on 05/21/2007 04:56 PM
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I applaud your goal and it reminds me of how I felt when I decided to go back to college and get a degree so I could be of more help to other parents.
We have a program called Parents As Teachers in Oklahoma. It's a free program for parents of babies and young children. When I was involved because my daughter was a baby (I told you I was always looking for ways to be a better parent), my son was referred to their preschool program and it was so good for him! The educator assigned to me inspired me. I could get a job like hers - helping educate parents - if only I had a degree! I ended up doing something different than I though I would, but it was related and I felt like God had me exactly where He wanted me.
What I'm trying to say in the longest way possible is: there are so many different avenues for your interests and talents and I want to encourage you to get that good information out there in any way you can - without sacrificing your family, of course! They must always come first! |
| posted by Kelly on 05/21/2007 08:00 PM
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