I remember reading an article back in the fall by the Onion which was titled
Increasing Number Of U.S. Toddlers Attending Online Preschool.
The article cited a fictitious report from the United States Department of Education which had an expert citing the following:
“With access to their Show-And-Tell message boards, recess timers, and live webcams of class turtle tanks, most toddlers are finding that they can receive the same experience of traditional preschooling from the comfort of their parents’ living room or home office." Image via http://i.telegraph.co.uk/
However, it appears that the folks from the Onion may have been on to something now that Vinci Education has created just such an option. In an article in The Washington Post's Answer Sheet Column, Valerie Strauss highlights Vinci's endeavor by citing the following cautionary message to parents from the company's website:
"The preparation needs to start when your child is 4, if not earlier. VINCI Virtual School provides you with a ready-to-go curriculum to make your time more effective, with the structured lessons and with the focus on building literacy and math skills while broaden knowledge on science."
I can only pray that parents do not buy into this type of thinking and instead worry more about interacting with their preschool children and not letting some online program do it.
cross-posted at www.patrickmlarkin.com
Patrick Larkin is the Assistant Superintendent for Learning of Burlington Public Schools in Burlington, MA and the former principal of Burlington High. He blogs about education at www.patrickmlarkin.com.
