Ban the “Bears”! We Can Do Better in Preschool!

By Karen N. Nemeth, Ed.M., author and founder of Language Castle and

Pamela Brillante, Ed.D., author and assistant professor of special education

You know those colorful, plastic “bears”? We’re sure you do because they are in nearly every preschool classroom in the U.S. We think that’s a problem and we are about to tell you why. Be prepared to experience a flood of emotions about this topic – and then keep an open mind to see if you agree.

1. You use the word “bears” to refer to them, but they have nothing in common with actual bears – at a time when we are trying to build children’s rich, interesting … and accurate…vocabulary!
2. They are only found in school. You might plan activities and assessments for sorting and counting with the “bears”, but let’s think about this a minute. While you can assess students in these activities and you can see and document progress, is this true learning? Any skill or knowledge you think children are learning when using them is not likely to be generalized because children never encounter anything like those “bears” in their homes or communities. If children can’t use that skill or knowledge across other settings and in other situations, has the skill really been learned? Why use a learning material that is so isolated to school alone?
3. The “bears” don’t do anything. They can’t be molded, connected, or stacked. They can’t stand for anything or represent anything. They don’t inspire creativity or imagination. Maybe teachers and kids like them because they are just too easy, and we will concede they are cute, but is that enough to justify using them?
4. The “bears” come in four colors and a couple of sizes. You can’t change the colors or the sizes; you can’t make it easier for some children to discriminate between the sizes. There’s no real texture, no sensory experience to speak of. They all look exactly the same so there’s nothing interesting enough to describe or discuss. They don’t support science, technology, engineering, art or literacy. Their value to math learning is extremely slim. Is that really enough to qualify as hands-on learning?
5. The “bears” don’t really support true math learning because counting them or sorting them has no inherent meaning. Having three friends and only two crackers is a meaningful counting experience. Having three bears, or four bears, or two bears… well, who cares? What difference does it really make? Sorting those bears into piles of reds, greens, and blues seems like it’s some kind of learning experience, but what for? On the other hand, sorting the empty paint cups and full paint cups will make a difference in your ability to make a painting.

We think those “bears” are like the plastic-wrapped, cream-filled-sponge-cake snacks of the education world. Sure, kids like them, but they like junk food too and we don’t put that on the lunch menu. For children who are dual language learners, those “bears” offer no real vocabulary or content to learn and may be truly confusing since they have no obvious value. For children with cognitive or learning disabilities, the “bears” are a poor choice because they offer no context, no generalizability for any small bit of learning that might occur.

So what can you use in place of those “bears”?

1. Small items that have interesting vocabulary associated with them such as different kinds of nuts and bolts or small colorful blocks that can be used to count and sort and build and create. With some of these items you are also adding unique fine motor experiences, so you have an added bonus.
2. Some items need to be sorted and counted all the time in real life, so sort and count them! Use items that children are accustomed to using such as socks, silverware, coins, crayons and markers. Think of how much fun you can have sorting ugly colorful socks, and you get to work on finding matching pairs at the same time. Then you can add a home/school collaboration by having the student sort the family socks on laundry day as developmentally appropriate “homework”.
3. Connecting blocks with bristles, pegs or snaps, or empty food containers, or photos of friends and family members that have been glued to small pieces of cardboard can also be counted and sorted… and the pretend play and conversation can keep going.
4. Items that are countable and sortable but also have interesting properties such as small stones, seeds, cookie cutters, pipe cleaners, or squares of different fabrics support varied sensory experiences and greater vocabulary.
5. Sorting and counting can be a valuable part of participating in the classroom community with activities like setting the table for lunch, or helping to put away the art supplies. Having parents add specific, meaningful and developmentally appropriate “cleaning up” activities at home will build necessary skills and make you their favorite teacher ever!

Children’s learning time is just so valuable. We hate to see it being used for the least possible benefit. In the same few minutes a child is quietly sorting plastic junk into piles for unknown reasons, just think about how much more could be learned if he was classifying the building blocks to see if he had enough large blocks to make the base of his tower, or if she was counting the number of animals that fit in the barn to see if she needs to build a bigger barn. What if the children sorted the pretend foods in the kitchen area, or prioritized their favorite books in the library area? Would you hear more talking and more sophisticated vocabulary? Would you hear children recalling these activities in different areas of the classroom, on subsequent days and at home with their families? Have you ever heard a preschool conversation start with “Hey! Remember yesterday when I was putting those plastic things into piles again?”

Isn’t it really the purpose of high quality early childhood education to provide engaging, meaningful, content-rich experiences that all children can use in real life and in getting ready for school? All children, especially those who are dual language learners or who have disabilities, need the best experiences we can provide for them. We really can do better!