What are public kindergartens like in new york?

One month after we first arrived in new york, we started to apply for public kindergartens for our children.

the principle of selection is the distance from home+intuitive judgment of on-the-spot investigation.

We live in the west of Midtown Manhattan. Without considering private kindergartens, there are not many public schools to choose from. We selected three schools to consult our teachers, and basically no appointment is required in advance. The teachers will give a general introduction, and then prepare relevant materials according to the application requirements on the website of new york Education Bureau. The school will also give an application form and a list of materials to be prepared, which probably includes parents' ID, family residence certificate, income certificate, work certificate and child's birth certificate, etc. After the materials are fully prepared, they will be handed over to the school, which will report them to the Education Bureau, and then they will wait for approval. After the school has vacancies, they can enter the school.

visas for working, studying and visiting in the United States can all be applied for public schools.

generally speaking, the application process varies from 1 to 6 months, mainly depending on the degree of the school. We were lucky. The whole application process lasted less than a month, and we received a phone call from the school to be admitted.

public kindergartens in new york are divided into Early-learning, Pre-K and k grades, which correspond to small classes, middle classes and large classes in China. Early-learning degree is relatively tight, it is not free and compulsory, and it needs to be equal. Children over two years old can apply, mainly serving families where both parents work. Because early education in the United States advocates parents to raise children by themselves until they are 3 years old. Fees are charged according to parents' income, ranging from tens of dollars to hundreds of dollars per month, which is a symbolic fee compared with the monthly fee of 3, dollars in private kindergartens.

Pre-K and K are similar to our compulsory education. There are many degrees, and you can enter school when you are old. Free, including lunch. For example, children born in 212 can all be Pre-K in September 216.

the school we applied for is an Early-learning education ccenter, and the highest grade is only Pre-K. There are purple room(2-3 years old), blue room(3-4 years old) and red room(Pre-K) respectively.

other types of schools include: Pre-K center, district school and charter school. The grade of each school type is different, and it is chosen according to the time of admission. For example, the lowest grade of charter school generally starts with K.

when we first went in, we stayed in the purple room for two months and then went to the blue room. I will be promoted to the red room in September!

When you walk in the street, you will often see the propaganda slogan "Pre-K for All" put up by the Education Bureau. Anyone who lives in New York, regardless of rich or poor occupation, can attend school if they meet the requirements.

When I visited the school on the spot, I also deeply felt the gap between the rich and the poor and the solidification of social class.

The first school we went to was located in a public rental housing community. The classroom of the school was in a semi-basement, and there was no independent closed playground. Children had to cross the street to the playground of the community for outdoor activities. None of the children in the classroom is white. The bathroom floor is wet and not very clean.

The second school is a branch of the first school. It is built in a church, on the fourth floor, and there is no elevator. The children's classroom is transformed from the kitchen, and there is no space for outdoor activities at all.

After reading these two schools, I was quite anxious to attend a public kindergarten in Beijing. The conditions are much better than this! I secretly made up my mind that children, especially girls, should never be allowed to grow up in such an environment.

I didn't see a normal kindergarten until I went to the third school.

The classroom is bright and you can see the sunshine. There are many functional areas.

toys are abundant and the environment is clean and tidy.

There is also the library area, and there are a certain number of books in the classroom.

There is an independent and closed playground.

After careful study, the three schools have different geographical locations and different positioning. The first two schools are in the government policy housing community, and there is an upper limit on family income. If it exceeds the limit, it will not be accepted, mainly for low-income families (about 22, yuan per year). The apartment buildings in the community where the third school is located are relatively new, surrounded by the 4S shop of Mercedes-Benz, BMW and Audi. Family income will be considered when submitting materials, but there is no requirement for the upper limit of family income. Therefore, the source of students is also diversified, including whites, blacks, Hispanics and Asians.

Through chatting with the parents I met in the park and long-term observation, it is found that the children of families living in Manhattan with educated parents and working parents, especially white people, basically go to private kindergartens. I once met a white father. He was a programmer himself, his wife worked in a multinational company, and their two children went to private schools.

Of course, there are also some excellent public schools, mostly in the Upper East and Upper West. Especially in primary schools, it is also a teaching area like Beijing. Exclude the children of the poor with house prices and rents. Sad reality.

**Independent**。 When Tianmei first went to purple room, the youngest child in her class was two years and one month, Hispanic, and her family language was Spanish. The little boy never cried when Tianmei cried hysterically. When I miss my mother, I go to the closet and hold my blanket in my arms.

I talked to his mother, and she said it was because she deliberately trained his independence. Children who are two years old and one month old wash their hands, go to the toilet, eat, clear the dishes, brush their teeth, make the bed and sleep, and wear clothes and shoes at school. Everything is done by yourself. When Tianmei was two years old and one month old, it was unimaginable.

**Positive **。 This view and practice is also practiced by their American parents. One afternoon, when I went to pick up Tianmei from school, kanden, a little white boy in my class, shouted no no to his mother! And throw things. His mother didn't say, don't throw things! ! Instead, let him reach out his hand and ask him: What is the hand used for? It's for picking things up! Then his mother picked up the clothes he had thrown away. Then he said that the hand is still used to "give me five", so he gave a give me five to kanden. This practice has given me great enlightenment. I always say don't do this or that, and give my child all kinds of restrictions. It is better to express it positively and tell her the correct way. This is a habit of thinking, in intentional practice.

**Attachment ** 。 I feel that the theoretical basis of American child psychology is based on attachment. At first, when Tianmei didn't adapt to kindergarten, I had a long chat with several teachers. They all thought that because China children were not brought up by their parents, they were brought up by their grandparents, so the children felt insecure and the attachment relationship between children and their mothers was unstable. Why didn't American children cry when they went to kindergarten? Because they were brought up by their parents before they were two years old! ! ! Because their attachment to their parents is safe and secure! Going to playground and the library can prove that 5% is brought by my mother, and it is delayed. 3% are played by my father, and 2% are nannies or Asian grandparents. Therefore, there is a theoretical basis for more and more elite women to become full-time mothers after childbirth. When I was a working mother, I envied a stay-at-home mother. I really had the opportunity to be a stay-at-home mother for a few years before I knew the struggle and difficulty. Psychological adjustment for stay-at-home mothers is another particularly grand discussion topic.

**Hard way **。 In the first two months, when Tianmei was sent to kindergarten to say goodbye, she always cried and said, Mom, hug me! Mom, hug me again. Listening to these words will break my heart, won't it! So I always encourage her very gently. The teacher watched anxiously, because this method still didn't work after two months. The teacher asked me to use a hard way, and they thought that sometimes I should be strong and crisp. Put it down and leave. Don't look back. After crying with her, I found that the sense of security that children need is that their parents are stronger people than themselves. Sometimes being strong can make children feel at ease.

**Routine** 。 One day, I took an afternoon class, which was half an hour later than the usual time to pick up Tianmei. When I arrived at school, the teacher said to me: She does n't know the time, but she knows the routine! The child is really a magical creature. She started crying when you didn't show up when you should have. I haven't had an afternoon class since then. But also try to live a regular life every day, and don't break her rules at will. Children need this fixed rhythm, which will make them feel safe.

-The teacher basically does not teach knowledge, but introduces common sense, such as week, month, spring, summer, autumn and winter, shape, color, origin and ceremony of festivals.

-Pay attention to cultivating behavior habits, living in groups and solving problems in case of conflict. For example, cover your mouth with your arm when you cough, wipe your hands with a paper towel instead of sleeves when you get dirty, push the chair in after dinner, and tell the other person to stop when you grab toys, etc.

-Do what you can, and ask the teacher for help when you can't. For example, you need to wear a down jacket before going out to play in the playground. Many children don't zip up after putting it on themselves, waiting in line to ask the teacher for help.

-to help others, you need to get their consent. When I was with Tianmei for a few days, I watched children play with toys in the classroom. May I help you? It is the most common conversation they hear when playing with toys. If the other party says yes, it will start to help, otherwise it will be a toy grab and will be criticized by the teacher. This also shows that the school is still protecting children's space for independent exploration and trial and error.

-Classroom Rules must be observed. They have a meeting time every morning, mainly to repeat the rules in the classroom, and the teacher will make songs and teach them what to say in specific situations. When the teacher says it's a rule, it must be observed.