Hellobee Boards

What do they mean by “academically focused” – like are they really drilling preschoolers on math and spelling/letters, etc.? “Academic” seems to have a lot of definitions!

My LO is at a center that’s “academically focused”, and it is still totally play-based at the same time, it’s just that the games they play have academic purposes – focusing on certain letters, numbers, building counting, etc.

Even if they do “drills” (I wouldn’t call them that) they are fun and more play than school-like. For example, they were doing counting the other day. Each LO had a piece of paper with 4 squares on it and the squares were labeled 1, 2, 3, 4. LO’s had to put the correct number of little teddy graham-like cookie things onto each square. Then they ate the little cookies. So, you know, not really a tough learning environment!

Everything that they do I would consider “play time”. Yesterday they studied cause and effect and did a science unit by creating “rain clouds”. Each LO filled a container with water, added a “cloud” of shaving cream to the top and then took droppers and dropped blue dye onto the “cloud” to see what happened. This is an academic exercise (and fine and gross motor skills), but it’s totally just a cool game for the kids to see what their “rain cloud” looks like compared to everyone else’s rain cloud. The teachers then connect that activity to why it rains outside (i.e., real rain and clouds).

They also have plenty of truly free play time, both indoors and outdoors, every day.