Deborah Stipek, the Judy Koch Professor of Education, adds a note of skepticism to this article on the rise of preschools designed in part to remedy "nature deficit disorder" in young children. These new programs, which in a few instances operate without a building, tend to bundle up kids to spend several hours outdoors even in inclement weather. Their proponents say that lessons from interaction with nature offer distinct benefits that cannot be duplicated in the classroom.
But the story adds a note of caution:
Deborah Stipek, an education professor at Stanford University who studies early education, is not a booster of the outdoor preschool model. “I have a feeling that this is a flash-in-the-pan idea,” she said.
Professor Stipek pointed out that excellent natural materials can be provided to children indoors and that setting times when they can freely choose between activities like blocks, art projects and dress-up allows for plenty of self-determined “adventures.” And while she is a strong believer in the benefits children get by spending time outside, she is skeptical of the idea that spending the whole day outside is necessarily better.
“I don’t see benefit of being outdoors doing the same activity as you’d be doing indoors,” Professor Stipek said.
The complete story is available on the Hechinger Report website in addition to being posted on the New York Times website.
The former dean of Stanford Graduate School of Education, Deborah Stipek comments frequently on early childhood education, among other subjects. For her thoughts on research into preschools' effect on children, read her op-ed for the San Jose Mercury News. She has studied what constitutes a quality preschool, and can offer tips to parents about what to look for in selecting one for their children. She is currently engaged in projects examining new ways to improve math education for preschoolers. She is slated to become faculty director of Stanford's Haas Center for Public Service in fall 2016.
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