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ANNANDALE, VA – As lawmakers voted on a budget deal at the U.S. Capitol, a different kind of vote was taking place in a sun-filled Virginia preschool classroom a dozen miles away. At stake: Which animated dog was the best character in the cartoon “PAW Patrol”.
In a heated primary, Year 3 and 4 students in Room 14 of the ACCA Child Development Center narrowed it down to two finalists: Chase, a German shepherd who wears a police uniform, and Skye, who wears a police uniform. Pink is a favorite among the “puppy pack” and girls in class. Children cast their votes by writing their names in crayon beneath the pictures of the two characters. By mid-morning, it was very heated: five votes against five.
4-year-old Benezus Abselom entered his name for the Chase.
“The police catch the bad guys,” Benezas said. “I wanted police because I like policing.”
It will be years before these youth can vote in an actual election, but ACCA is one of many preschools across the country that is starting students’ civics education early. The goal is nothing less than creating good citizens and strengthening democracy.
At this age, children are not learning about the three branches of government or how a bill becomes a law. Teachers are working with them on how to solve problems with classmates, how to deal with anger or frustration without being hurtful, and how to think about the needs of others. Educators say these are lessons that can be difficult to learn from adult politicians — especially during acrimonious campaign seasons.
“We’re all here to help these kids become better citizens… to become better problem-solvers and better equipped socially, emotionally,” said school teacher Mary Fox. “Because once they get control of that, I think the things they accomplish and the things they do will have a better impact on this world.”
The most important civics lesson preschools can provide is “social democracy,” said early education expert Dan Gartrell. Her book on teaching preschoolers about democracy, “Education for a Civil Society”, is used by ACCA and other preschools.
“It starts with treating every member of the group as a worthy member and worthy of expressing ideas and opinions,” Gartrell said. From there, she said, children can learn to treat their peers with kindness, resolve conflicts and deal with difficult situations without using hurtful words.
Engaging with children in ways that make them feel like their voices matter is important groundwork, said Rachel Robertson, chief educational officer at Bright Horizons, which runs more than 1,000 preschool centers globally and builds on its early education approach. Adopts democratic ideals.
Robertson said, around age 3 or 4, a child is “starting to become a real community member and contributing to the classroom community and thinking a little broader about the world.”
At ACCA, like many preschools, youngsters are given a lot of autonomy. There are a few hours dedicated to free play. Children vote on what they read and eat: One class had just finished studying sand because the children were curious about it after trips to the beach over the summer. And students can sample apples and vote on which variety the school will order.
The aim is to confirm to children that their ideas are valuable – as well as the ideas of their classmates. This Thursday, all they were thinking about was “PAW Patrol.”
In Room 11, 3-year-old Jade, who wore pink sneakers that glowed when she stepped, explained why she was supporting Skye.
“I like his helicopter,” Jade said. “I like that she saves everyone.”
In Room 13, teachers created ballots in English and Spanish. When he asked the class who had won the election, one boy confidently said: “Me!”
Many of the preschool students represent the first generation in their families born in the United States. Maria-Isabel Ballivian, executive director of the preschool, said she looks for ways to remind them that they are Americans, even if their families don’t speak English and have recently arrived from other countries. For one thing, she hosts a big gathering on the Fourth of July.
“If we give them a sense of belonging now, it will be a tool they have to be resilient after facing discrimination,” Ballivian said.
Ballivion said many politicians could learn something by going back to preschool — how to cope with disappointment and how to think about the well-being of those who are opposite them.
“I don’t know how we can change adults,” Ballivian said. “But I know, if we work hard, we can prepare our children for a better future.”
Back in Room 14, an important development occurred. Another student named Janet had cast her vote by writing her name backwards with a ‘J’ under Skye’s photo. The students counted the votes loudly. Sky won.
Associated Press journalists Nathan Algren and Almaz Abedje contributed to this article.
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