Hacker News Board Hacker News, browsed like a classic message board
Live data from Hacker News

Forest kindergarten

en.wikipedia.org

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

31–40 of 45 posts

Re: Forest kindergarten

#31

Post by em-bee »

EL_Loco wrote: post #30
barry-cotter wrote: post #19

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> I believe that it was a better program than a median program, but I’m not sure if it’s because his peers came from families who could afford to spend time with their children, or if the program itself was better than median. Doesn’t matter which is true. Early educational interventions fade out universally and we have nothing that effects adult intelligence or conscientiousness which explain pretty much all variati…

What do you mean by 'fade out universally'?

i think it means that the effects get lesser and lesser. that is, having a child go to an exceptional kindergarten may show the childs improvements in elementary school, but by the time they are in highschool that child is no different than a child that went to an average kindergarten.

i don't know if that is true.

i believe there are some things that really make a long term difference, however these things are more likely coming from the parents themselves and less from the schools they go to.

Re: Forest kindergarten

#32

Post by watwut »

em-bee wrote: post #18
watwut wrote: post #16

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The montessory materials I read were not about following passion. It was rather that kids could choose order in which they did educational activities during dat - but in the end all the kids did the same ones. It is more about illusion of control and freedom within limited bounds.

it's the freedom to choose within the available options (that is the world as you know it). as kids get older the options expand, and hence learning to make those choices as opposed to taking what is fed to you is really the most important part. dfee's son was denied that choice, and hence the effect that montessori is supposed to have may not take hold.

The kid was under 4. And montessory as original philosophy really was not about learning to make educational choices.

Montessory was designed for troubles boys originally. The effect it was supposed to have was that the kids that fail get some order and controll at the same time and build good working habits.

It worked for non troubled kids too and had good results, but it was not designed to push kids fast forward.

Re: Forest kindergarten

#33

Post by Sharlin »

emteycz wrote: post #28
Sharlin wrote: post #24

Earlier quoted context omitted.

In their own narrative, of course, they're just good people trying to protect children/live their live in peace/etc.

Yeah but freedom is about tolerating what you don't like because it's none of your concern. I don't understand how the "land of the free" could favour a small group so much. It's unthinkable in my post-socialist country.

"Land of the free" is propaganda, plain and simple.

Re: Forest kindergarten

#34

Post by checkyoursudo »

Waldkindergarten was great for my boy. My younger girl isn't quite old enough for it yet where we live, but I am sure it will be good for her as well.

My boy was outside, no matter the weather, every school day for about 3 hours, and then inside for about 45 minutes.

Large motor skill and plenty of loose- or un-structured play with many other kids seems to be a really great way for young humans to develop. They went on hikes, exploring everywhere, looking for scat, and all kinds of activities during their outside time every day.

If you have the opportunity to let your kid do this or something like it, then I highly recommend it.

Re: Forest kindergarten

#35

Post by spark4410 »

dfee wrote: post #10
em-bee wrote: post #6

Earlier quoted context omitted.

can you elaborate on post-montessori please? how does that look like to you?

I loved the idea of Montessori, and it’s an issue I raised in open discussion at one of the school’s group chats. Basically, in principle it’s great. Children drive themselves and follow what they’re passionate about (with a teacher’s encouragement). If they’ve got a tendency for math, for example, the teacher helps them develop their own intuitions and keeps those pathways open for them. In practice, my son believed…

I do research in Montessori and other developmental pedagogues, and what you described — restricting access to materials on the basis of age — is not a typical Montessori practice. Nor are “Stations”.

Children proceed through Montessori as they demonstrate mastery of developmental materials. The teacher should be closely following each child’s progress and will introduce a new material when they show readiness. Materials are kept organized by domain on accessible shelves but children would lay out a mat or find a table and bring materials there. In fact one thing the teacher is observing is their ability to independently select a material that is of interest, work with that material in a state of concentration, and replace the material where it came from when they are finished with the material. Goals are independence and autonomy in a community that supports respect for others. When it’s done well, it is really beautiful to see a community of little scientists at work.

If in your school progress was age-linked or materials were set up at stations, than whoever “certified” that school does not understand sone pretty basic and fundamental concepts of Montessori education. Or they have gone off the Montessori nap somehow.

Another basic tenant of Montessori is free access to the outdoors. And there is a lot of work about what the outdoor environment should offer in the way of exploration, gardening, etc.

Sorry you had the experience you had. When done well it is difficult to imagine a better way to do early childhood than Montessori. I wish I’d had it.

Re: Forest kindergarten

#36

Post by dang »

Sharlin wrote: post #33
emteycz wrote: post #28

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yeah but freedom is about tolerating what you don't like because it's none of your concern. I don't understand how the "land of the free" could favour a small group so much. It's unthinkable in my post-socialist country.

"Land of the free" is propaganda, plain and simple.

Maybe so, but please don't post unsubstantive comments to HN.

Re: Forest kindergarten

#37

Post by rubidium »

checkyoursudo wrote: post #34

Waldkindergarten was great for my boy. My younger girl isn't quite old enough for it yet where we live, but I am sure it will be good for her as well. My boy was outside, no matter the weather, every school day for about 3 hours, and then inside for about 45 minutes. Large motor skill and plenty of loose- or un-structured play with many other kids seems to be a really great way for young humans to develop. They went…

As a parent of three 3 and under, and interested in this, can you share some of the practicals?

-what if it’s cold (40f) and rainy? Do they still go out? What do you dress your kid in?

-what about fights with sticks?

-what about all the stuff in the woods that may or may not be edible (eg mushrooms)?

Just interested as these are some of the “how would that part work?” That come to mind for me.

Re: Forest kindergarten

#38

Post by Doxin »

rubidium wrote: post #37
checkyoursudo wrote: post #34

Waldkindergarten was great for my boy. My younger girl isn't quite old enough for it yet where we live, but I am sure it will be good for her as well. My boy was outside, no matter the weather, every school day for about 3 hours, and then inside for about 45 minutes. Large motor skill and plenty of loose- or un-structured play with many other kids seems to be a really great way for young humans to develop. They went…

As a parent of three 3 and under, and interested in this, can you share some of the practicals? -what if it’s cold (40f) and rainy? Do they still go out? What do you dress your kid in? -what about fights with sticks? -what about all the stuff in the woods that may or may not be edible (eg mushrooms)? Just interested as these are some of the “how would that part work?” That come to mind for me.

> what about fights with sticks?

As an anecdote, I went to a school with a decided lack of sticks. Fights were had by throwing building blocks instead. Kids will do stupid things, and sticks aren't inherently more dangerous than building blocks.

Re: Forest kindergarten

#39

Post by rubidium »

Doxin wrote: post #38
rubidium wrote: post #37

Earlier quoted context omitted.

As a parent of three 3 and under, and interested in this, can you share some of the practicals? -what if it’s cold (40f) and rainy? Do they still go out? What do you dress your kid in? -what about fights with sticks? -what about all the stuff in the woods that may or may not be edible (eg mushrooms)? Just interested as these are some of the “how would that part work?” That come to mind for me.

> what about fights with sticks? As an anecdote, I went to a school with a decided lack of sticks. Fights were had by throwing building blocks instead. Kids will do stupid things, and sticks aren't inherently more dangerous than building blocks.

Right but in a classroom the teacher intervenes. In a “free play” outdoors how are the rules defined and enforced?

Re: Forest kindergarten

#40

Post by nkrisc »

sephlietz wrote: post #11
nkrisc wrote: post #8

There's one near where I used to live in Chicago. They use a local Forest preserve. Strangely there is a contigent of neighbors who continually try to get the whole thing shutdown because they don't think young kids should be outside like that all the time. They try to complain and say they leave garbage or are noisy or other invented complaints. From what I understand, what they're really upset about is that they ca…

If you're talking about the one at the North Park Village Nature Center, it looks like they were already shut down. :( https://blockclubchicago.org/2019/06/20/preschool-program-ki...

That is the one and it makes me very sad, I hadn't realized they'd been shutdown.
Post reply on HN