Too much like school

[Rosebel]

Can I have some ideas about what your children do in preschool or in a preschool within a nursery?
The nursery my son is at (where I work) is changing the preschool and it sounds more like school than nursery. The children will be reading, doing number work and a little bit of literacy.
I much more prefer learning through play which they do at the moment. Behaviour management is going to become much stricter but some of the ideas are just too over the top.
My son won't be in preschool for about a year but if it stays the same I'm seriously considering changing nursery, although I do worry about how current nursery will react to me if I do move him.
Then I started worrying that maybe all preschools are the same. If that's the case then obviously no point in changing nursery. I know when my older children went to prescribed it was learning through play but they are teenagers now so could well be different. I've also only just returned to childcare so maybe a school environment is common for preschool.
Be really interested to know what your child's preschool is like and if it's more of a school environment does it work okay?

We are in Scotland so may be different but my daughter is in preschool, she will be 5 in march and go to school next August. Her nursery do number and letter recognition, but it's all play based learning and not really any sitting at a desk with books. They do follow the national curriculum of excellence.

Pre schools in my experience are like that. However, I think it is pointless teaching them like that and it doesn’t benefit them (based on research and my oldest dd). So my younger two have attended a nursery which is totally different, they play outside all the time, they learn fine and gross motor skills and the core strength needed to write through play. When ready for school they easily pick up reading and writing, whereas it’s a struggle for 3 year olds and also not fun for them.

Up until this month we did loads of outside play and learning through play in the preschool room but we've had a change in staff and this is where the new ideas are coming from.
My son is a June baby so will be quite young when they're teaching him to read (and sending homework) and doing maths. I just feel it's too young.
Besides we were always told when I was training not to do reading and especially not formal maths or English because all schools teach the skills differently and it's really hard for a child to have to unlearn one way and then learn a different way.
At least I can see how it works this year and make a decision about next year closer to the time. I'm not keen on the idea for any child tbh but the other member of staff is senior to me so have to try it for now.

Our son was in nursery from 2 to 5 (September birthday so missed the last school year by the skin of his teeth). The nursery is very outdoors focussed, which is great, but there is very little in the way of learning going on. By 4, and possibly earlier, he was definitely more interested in learning than playing. With the benefit of hindsight, I wish we'd put him in preschool at 4, or possibly even 3.

I think it depends to a large extent on the child. He was late speaking, but as soon as he did, all he was interested in was alphabets and numbers. I wish I'd paid more attention and started him earlier in preschool looking back, because he kept saying nursery was boring.

Hello! Completely agree with previous comments! Education of preschoolers should take place in the form of a game. This makes it easier for the child to explore the world. In addition to preschool education, my wife printed on a color printer training pictures here wunderkiddy.com/category/pre-writing and played with the son in the "school". Studied numbers, colors, animals. Pre-writing worksheets by a child gradually and unobtrusively prepares him for school. Develops motor skills and perseverance. True, the son could not stand it longer than 15-20 minutes, he ran away to play cars.)))

We learn through play, lots of fun learning activities that can be accessed that are a little more structured too, like board games. Mostly we carefully choose resources and teach by modelling or introducing vocabulary. We always have a register and story time as part of the day to help them learn to sit together as a group. We might do some slightly more formal phonics with the eldest and keenest ones in the summer term but that isn’t forced, by then you know which children are ready.

I’m pretty sure the EYFS continues to promote learning through play.

Preschools should not be teaching children to read! I don't know of a single one that is. It is not part of the EYFS for their age. Year R continues the EYFS where they will learn their phonics. They will not want to unpick any learning that hasn't been structured the same, or have children that are bored because they've already learnt it. Preschool should still be learning through play and getting the skills needed for reading and writing. I would move him personally, seems very odd.

Homework sounds totally over the top for a preschool

It was the early to mid 80s so I am sure things have changed since then. But I was taught to read at nursery. They made it fun and I was ahead of my peers in reading throughout primary school.

In England school nurseries and reception are learning through play. What is happening in nursery which you don’t like?

I work in a preschool and this is not usual. There are many many skills they need before formal reading and writing, and this is what a preschool is for.
They need to develop listening skills to be able to decipher the sounds in words, good eye tracking skills to be able to move their eyes across text on a page, good core, shoulder, elbow, wrist and hand strength and dexterity to be able to competently manipulate a pencil on paper, and good concentration skills to be able to bring all those things together and be engaged in learning to read and write.
All of those things can be developed through play, children will just switch off if presented with formal phonics/worksheets etc before they are developmentally ready.

Just that there is too much formal learning. We do still have lots of learning through play but everyone seems more uptight when the teacher is in.
The kids seem to be okay and are doing reading but they just don't seem relaxed as they used to be.
Quite a few parents don't like the new approach either. Still undecided about September 🙅‍♀️

Is it a personality/change issue? How much formal learning is their? Is the teacher an eyfs specialist?

My DD’s pre-school was like this. She moved from the nursery to pre-school room the week after her 3rd birthday as she is an August baby. Full uniform, weekly homework, learning phonics. Still plenty of play though.

She loved it and was so well prepared for school when she started. All the other children loved it too. A couple of parents moved their children out before pre-school as they didn’t like the idea of it. I saw one a while later and she wished she hadn’t as her child hadn’t settled at the new place. If he’s happy, I’d leave him be and move if it isn’t working out.