Tough Love, Matt Lauer?

To those who don’t spend much time around 4-year-olds these days, the sight of them walking up the steps to attend school can seem a little much. That was the undercurrent of a segment on the Today Show yesterday that was part of NBC’s two-day program, Education Nation. After visiting a pre-k classroom in Boston and reporting on children getting prepared for school routines, Matt Lauer, co-host of the Today Show, remarked: “It sounds a little like tough love.”

It was an odd statement. Were the children being threatened with sit-ups if they didn’t hang up their coats correctly? Was snack time being withheld if there was too much chatter? Not at all. Some of the scenes on the segment showed children sitting in a circle laughing and responding to a teacher’s questions. Another scene showed kids playing with blocks, with a little help from a grown up. There were shots of parents hugging their kids’ goodbye and getting a little emotional about the first day of school, but that’s the case at preschools and early learning centers all over the country on that memorable first day — whether they are part of a public school or not.

The principal, Traci Griffith of the Elliot School, responded quizzically: “I’ve never thought of it as tough love. I think of it as love.”

Maybe the “tough love” sentiment came from the sense of physical space that comes with a big elementary school. It’s appropriate to be asking questions around the country — in schools and otherwise — about the physical space that is available for 4-year-olds and whether it is appropriate for them. Are the sinks and toilets at their level? Can they easily reach their cubbies, browse bookshelves and see their artwork? (This is why we need to support for physical infrastructure improvements to build upon the spaces we have in elementary schools but also how to form partnerships with preschools and other learning centers throughout a community that may be better set up for very young children.)

More importantly, what kind of interactions are they having with teachers — are teachers skilled at not only being warm and nurturing, but also drawing out conversations and introducing children to new concepts using creative lessons entwined with physical and social emotional learning activities?

These are the kinds of questions that parents and reporters should ask when they wonder about the appropriateness of pre-k. Let’s hope NBC will dig into those questions at some point.

What are your thoughts on NBC’s Education Nation coverage? Have you attended or listened to any of the panel discussions taking place at Rockefeller Center? We’d love to hear your take on whether NBC’s two-day media blitz may help move the conversation forward on how to improve the education system in this country.