Top 10 Signs of a Quality Childhood Program
- Children spend most of their time playing and working with materials
or other children. They do not wander aimlessly, and they are
not expected to sit quietly for long periods.
- Children have access to various activities throughout the day.
Look for assorted building blocks and other construction materials,
props for pretend play, picture books, paints and other art materials,
and table toys such as matching games, pegboards, and puzzles.
Children should not all be doing the same thing at the same time.
- Teachers work with individual children, small groups, and the
whole group at different times during the day. They do not spend
all their time with the whole group.
- The classroom is decorated with children's original artwork,
their own writing with invented spelling, and stories dictated
by the children to teachers.
- Children learn numbers and the alphabet in the context of their
everyday experiences. The natural world of plants and animals
and meaningful activities like cooking, taking attendance, or
serving snacks provide the basis for learning activities.
- Children work on projects and have long periods of time (at
least one hour) to play and explore. Worksheets are used little,
if at all.
- Children have an opportunity to play outside every day. Outdoor
play is never sacrificed for more instructional time.
- Teachers read books to children individually or in small groups
throughout the day, not just at group story time.
- Curriculum is adapted for those who are ahead as well as those
who need additional help. Teachers recognize that children's different
background and experiences mean that they do not learn the same
things at the same time in the same way.
- Children and their parents look forward to school. Parents feel
secure about sending their child to the program. Children are
happy to attend; they do not cry regularly or complain of feeling
sick.
Also ask if the program is accredited by NAEYC. NAEYC-accredited
programs complete a rigorous self-study and external review to prove
that they meet standards of excellence in early childhood education.
Source: NAEYC
