Hello, Karen!
I think this is such an interesting topic. After serving joyfully in the early childhood field for over 40 years, and still going strong, I have seen numerous trends, philosophies, and modes of practice gain attention. Some stick around, some come an go. I realize and fully agree that research does, and should, impact our best practice. And yet, in the past few years, I have begun to observe and weigh what is considered to be quality in regard to young children based on my own experiences, coupled with my education in ECE.
Karen, I think that the Pledge of Allegiance is important and appropriate for the preschool classroom. At one time, in my zeal to adhere to strict DAP principles, I may have questioned the practice of reciting it, much as I did the reciting of singing the alphabet song, because I had learned in a class that it was too abstract and meaningless. And yet, what I discovered in my own practice, is that many young children in the United States will continue to learn the alphabet song by someone, even if not at preschool. How many times have we heard a parent or grandparent proudly request their toddler to sing the ABCs for everyone? Sure, the children may not fully understand what they are singing at the time, but when letters and the sounds they make are later introduced in DAP ways, the names of the letters are not complete strangers. They are familiar and beloved, providing a friendly bridge to higher learning.
Similarly, I believe that the Pledge of Allegiance is an important way to encourage a basic unity in our society. Certainly there are many differences of political opinion literally raging throughout our county right now, but even so, thankfully, we have freedoms that allow us to express them and take action to support them. The value of that blessing is worth celebrating from an early age, perhaps around four years of age. While the concepts may be abstract, I find that explaining the words and meanings of the pledge are better understood by young children than we sometimes give them credit for. There are many aspects of a quality, DAP classroom that relate to the respect and rights of individuals and appreciation of democratic principles that children can relate to and celebrate.
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Jennifer Andrews
Director
The Potters House CDC
Liberty Twp OH
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Original Message:
Sent: 06-15-2021 12:50 AM
From: Karen Miller
Subject: Reciting the Pledge of Allegiance in Preschool
I'm sure you and I are not the only preschool teachers to think about this. I personally think that kids younger than 4, may be too young to say the pledge. But, I believe that for Pre-K and older it is okay. I believe that learning to recite is not a bad thing, even though it is abstract at this age. The reciting is like a "hanging peg," that will be able to be added on to as they get older. "Saying" the pledge is one of my "student jobs" in the morning. This last year I found a video of a young girl saying the Pledge of Allegiance on YouTube and I had my student leader follow along with the video. Saying the pledge was really not working well in my classroom, until we started using the video. In previous years I read a book to students: The Pledge of Allegiance by Scholastic, several times throughout the year to discuss the meaning of the pledge. I'm interested to read what other teachers think.
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Karen Miller
Head Start/Pre-K Teacher
R. B. Cox Elementary
San Antonio FL
Original Message:
Sent: 06-14-2021 04:05 PM
From: Sarah Pyle-Shackelford
Subject: Reciting the Pledge of Allegiance in Preschool
Hello, to all! After years of study and decades of teaching experience, I have found a crossroads of collaborative thought: Is reciting the Pledge of Allegiance developmentally appropriate for a preschool class? Initially, I am persuaded to lean toward it being inappropriate because it is rote, and the symbolic meaning is too abstract for young children to understand. However, another perception is that reciting the Pledge is the beginning of learning these important concepts, similar to learning the ABC's song. What are the potential benefits of reciting the Pledge in a preschool?
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Sarah Pyle-Shackelford
Georgetown TX
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