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Show ! Emphasis on preschool education discouraged of the child's learning experience, rather than as worthless play that interferes with instructional time. When children have ample opportunity to interact with other children in ways that help them learn to co-operate, negotiate, help, and solve problems rather than when they spend most of their time working individually at desks or tables. Elkind said that parents may obtain more detailed information on what to look for in a pre-school by requesting NAEYC's free brochure, "Good Teaching Practices Prac-tices for 4 and 5-Year-Olds." Interested In-terested parents can write the NAEYC at 1834 Connecticut Avenue Ave-nue NW, Washington, D.C. 20009, and enclose a business-sized self-addressed, self-addressed, stamped envelope. ; As a record number of American 4-year-olds head off to school this fall, the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) is advising against placing plac-ing too heavy an emphasis on academic instruction in pre-schools. pre-schools. ;"This year, for the first time, approximately half of the country's 4-year-olds will be enrolled in preschool pre-school that's a jump from 43 percent who were enrolled just four years ago," says Dr. David Elkind, NAEYC president. "Preschool "Pre-school can be a wonderfully enriching en-riching experience when the program prog-ram is specifically geared to this age group. Unfortunately, an increasing in-creasing number of little children are being 'taught' as though they were in first or second grade, and that is totally inappropriate." During the pre-school years, he notes, teachers should focus on helping children learn how to learn how to pay attention, how to follow instructions, how to get along with other children, etc. "At this age, children lack the social and mental development needed to profit from formal academic acade-mic instruction. A heavy emphasis on it frustrates the child and weakens his curiosity and natural excitement for learning. Moreover, Moreov-er, it consumes valuable hours when a child should be learning the skills that will permit him to be successful suc-cessful at home, at school, and with friends," Elkind says. Elkind gives these examples of , teaching practices which are appropriate for pre-schoolers and which parents should look for in selecting an early childhood prog ram, whether pre-school, nursery school or kindergarten: When there is little, if any, use of ditto sheets, flashcards, and other rote-teaching materials." "At this age, children learn best by hands-on activities," Elkind says. "They will more quickly learn about ab-out 'three', for instance, by handing hand-ing out three cupcakes to friends than by coloring in three balloons on a ditto sheet." When the teacher talks mostly to children individually rather than to the whole class. When children are allowed to select their activities from a variety of areas like blocks, music, art, puzzles, etc. rather than when the teacher initiates and directs all classroom activity. When vigorous outdoor activity activ-ity is recognized as a valuable part |