Ok, let's turn on the lights, guys. A real place for children to play has to be FOR children which means delightful from a child's perspective, and a child's perspective is rarely, if ever, composed. Children are loud by nature; they are messy by nature; they are careless and neglectful in their daily activities. They move a lot, so by adding an artificial "low" to a child's play and taking away color, light and movement, we are not gaining balance, we are losing connection.

Lots of people like the "put it away" clean line atmosphere at home, but at the same time will flick on TV because there is nothing else to look at or to tinker with. As a teacher, I advocate leaving lots of things around. Artistic things to look at, things to touch, to smell, to play with will do more to teach a child than toys, and teaching is the name of the child rearing game. I always ask the kids, "If you were all by yourself - then what? Children need to know about things we use and how to these things work. And if a child never tinkers, he won't know.

Last week, my four year old grandson discovered that in the old hutch in my kitchen there is a flour sifter that holds 20 lbs of flour. Because my house is an antique, I have antique furniture. The flour sifter has been in my use 25 years, and now Bill has discovered it. He now likes to climb up on the hutch and sift out five pounds of flour at a time. He also discovered my rotary phone which is near by.  

When he's not busy with these, he will restock Newburgh's original post office cubby with all kinds of trinkets he finds on one table or another. He also enjoys filling odd teapots, cups, containers, boxes and other things with lentils or beans that he rifles from the hutch.

What does he learn? He learns about space, measurement, balance, weight, full and empty, circles and squares, pieces and wholes - in other words, he's learning math. He learns something new every time he comes over, and he LOVES to come over because of the things he finds.  "Can I come to your house?" he says every time I see him, and when he is at my house, he's a delight; he's busy, he's making and doing and the TV is off.

At school, I try to present the same confusion of stuff so that the children will be able to touch and discover real life stuff all day long at school. The walls are alive with teacher's and children's art work. The shelves are crammed full of toys, books, stuffed animals, dolls, science specimens, giant pickle jars full of art stuff, puzzles, musical instruments, and too many other things to count. I've heard over the years, "Put them away; reduce the clutter; tone it down; get rid of all the plants that make the place look like a jungle," and I just laugh because I know the kids are learning.

I think children learn from organized and usable clutter like old jewelry boxes filled with pounds of junk, from drawers filled with odds and ends, from boxes of ribbons and buttons and old wooden spools of thread, to jumbles of old game parts, trunks filled with somebody's very old clothes to scraps of wood and beads and stuff most people would throw away.

I think the high style of modernism is lost on children because children never stop asking questions, and how do you ask questions about plain walls and scant things?  Children never stop wanting to touch and smell and play with junk. Gypping the kids out of this kind of clutter with an absence of things to look at and touch and think about stifles curiosity, and TV is no substitute. Beautiful things, simple things, things with parts, things that move, things that grow, things that change are things that teach.  

Looking for preschool?  Ask the expert!

Looking for preschool is always a little daunting for parents searching for the first time. Questions about what age to send them and what kind of program is best to get children ready for big school are questions most frequently asked. I recommend that all parents look for places that are teaching environments, because these preschool years are too precious to waste.

Should I send my two year old to preschool?

Here the answer depends on the child. A two year old far from potty training and far from sitting for any length of time, or one who can't listen will miss the point of preschool.

Most two year olds need a lot of individual care. If a preschool is set up to give a child that care, go for it, but remember too that a two year old's time should be mostly his or her own to use as he or she wants, and that's important. Children learn by playing, and play should attract and encourage children.

Most two year olds are not ready for much structure. Too much structure will make any child unhappy. Curiosity and security are bred by an environment a child can trust. Trust comes from stable unchanging team of teachers and regular times and regular activities.

Learning is at its best when children gravitate toward what a teacher is doing simply because they love the teacher and want to know too. It's as endearing as it gets.

Choosing an open place where a child can be around older children learning is the best choice.

Should I send my three year old?

At three, a child is ready to learn a few facts. He's ready to sit, to have some structure, but play is still the primary part of his day. He needs to learn how to play, how to make things work, how to do things especially build.

Teachers should show children how to work puzzles, how to use art materials, play games, and work with other toys, but more importantly than any other thing, teachers will teach a child to listen, and that has to start at three. A four year old who does not know how to listen is a child who is behind.

Choosing a place where a lot of short teaching episodes are spaced thoughtfully through the day is the best choice for a three year old. Make sure there is a lot of play time available.

Is my four year old ready?

A four year old is ready for most kindergarten work. Fours have speech down pat and are ready to make language work. They love putting letter sounds together and making numbers grow with addition and subtraction. Art is always an experiment, and the discovery subjects like geography and science are a whole safari waiting to be explored. So do send the inquiring four year old; it will make a big difference in his life, but choose a place where he can stretch intellectually.

Is there such a thing as a full time preschool?

Yes. There are a few full time places that teach all day. But teaching times should be short and there should be time for children to play. A curriculum should be available for parents to review. Questions like, "How does the day unfold for the children?" should be a question easily and enthusiastically answered by teachers.

What about ordinary childcare? Isn't that really enough?

That depends on the childcare. If a child is learning, then it's enough. If a three or four year old is watching TV all day and still can't put a puzzle together that's made for a two year old or draw a simple drawing or listen to at least part of a story, no, it's not enough.

Studies show that children who attend a preschool enter kindergarten with fewer problems than children who don't. Kindergarten is no longer the place where a child learns his letters, how to count and how to use art materials - he should already know these things, and that's what preschools do.

Where do I go to find a place for my child?

Call the local Resource and Referral in your area. In Evansville, it's 4C. Tell them what you are looking for.