Preschool: More Important Than Ever

I am sure that many of you have heard of the newest educational legislature coming our way called the Common Core. At this point 45 states (see them here: http://www.corestandards.org/in-the-states) have adopted and are using (or getting ready to use) these standards as a baseline for the curriculum for all schools in their state. These standards span from the Kindergarten years through highschool and detail the concepts and skills that children should be striving toward at every step in their educational careers.

As early childhood educators it is important that we know what is expected of children once they reach Kindergarten so that we can truly give them the knowledge and skills necessary for them to have a successful first year in elementary school.

I think it's pretty safe to say that most of us in the field focus on the basics (alphabet, numbers, shapes, colors, etc.), but how many of us have our students almost reading by the time they leave our schools? How many of our children are counting to 30+ and have the ability to write the numbers 1-30 as well? No longer do we have the freedom to merely introduce our children to letters during the preschool years; our students need to leave our schools knowing their letters (upper and lower case) as well as the sounds the letters make... and these are just the "basics" these days.

I have to tell you it is a constant struggle for me with my schools and curriculum to find the balance between what is developmentally appropriate and what the public school system will require of my students once they get there. The disconnect between the two educational philosophies makes our jobs even more difficult. We want our students to develop a love of learning, yet be prepared too. This struggle is essentially what lead me to developing the Fusion Early Learning Curriculum.

Take some time to read through the Common Core Standards. Maybe share them with the parents of the children in your care or hold a Common Core workshop or information night at your school.

Below you will find some easy ways to begin integrating more "common core" skill acquisition into your schools. I would love to hear what you are doing to "bridge the gap" for your students! If we work together we can help to ensure a solid educational (and developmentally appropriate) base for the young children in our country.

So what do you think? Is the Common Core something that will help early educators or hinder us? Let me know your thoughts at meghan@fusionkids.com!

So you're probably wondering who exactly is sending you this fabulous information! Let me introduce myself. My name is Meghan Hamilton and I am one of the owners/founders of Fusion Early Learning Preschools and Curriculum. My husband, Tom, is also one of my business partners and we have two amazing children, Jack and Emma.

We have 4 preschools in California as well as one licensed "Fusion Early Learning School" in Florida. I have written several articles for local publications regarding school readiness and early education and our schools have been named the "Best of" in our 2 local counties for the past 5 years.

You are receiving this newsletter because my fantastic Curriculum Consultant, Abbie Moore, has contacted you recently. Please enjoy it! My hope is that you take from it some valuable information that you may immediately use in your own preschools and early learning centers. Should you have a topic that you are particularly interested in learning more about send me a quick note and I will be sure to cover it in an upcoming newsletter. If you think you may want to learn more about the Fusion Early Learning Curriculum, keep scrolling... you can visit us online, e-mail us or give us a call anytime. Abbie is eager to share it with you! Thank you for all that you do every day! You are impacting the lives of our future teachers, scientists, authors and artists!

Visit our website or FEL on facebook to learn more about our schools and curriculum. It's an approach to early learning that leaves students excited and engaged in the world around them using a method uniquely our own. Looking forward to connecting with you all soon!

Email: abbie@fusionearlylearning.com
Website: http://www.FusionKids.com
Phone: 530.906.7207
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Fusion-Early-Learning-Preschool-Curriculum/164602487073855?ref=hl
Twitter: @fusionschools