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Friday, May 27, 2005
Kicked out of Pre-K
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
A report by the Foundation for Child Development says pre-k students are getting expelled for behavior problems in alarming numbers.
The organization says its findings show the important of “behavior consultants” in preschools “to help early childhood teachers support children with challenging behavior.”
From the press release: “We know that children’s positive learning and development depends on attention to their social and emotional development. High-quality prekindergarten programs must focus not only on literacy and math skills, but also on children’s behavior and emotional issues,” said Marilou Hyson, Senior Advisor for Research and Professional Practice at the National Association for the Education of Young Children. “This study shows that when there are behavioral consultants available to help teachers support children’s social and emotional development, we are less likely to see children expelled from prekindergarten programs.”
We know discipline is a huge problem in public schools. How far should pre-k teachers go to keep a disruptive child in the classroom? Is it better in the long run to correcct the child’s behavior problems early? Or should teachers send the child home so other kids in the pre-k class won’t be disrupted?
