How a preschool uses PAW Patrol to teach democracy

ANNANDALE, Va. (AP) — As lawmakers voted on a budget deal at the U.S. Capitol, a different kind of vote was taking place dozens of miles away in a sun-drenched kindergarten classroom in Virginia. At stake: which animated dog was the best character in the cartoon “PAW Patrol.”

During a heated primary, the 3- and 4-year-old students in Room 14 of the ACCA Child Development Center had narrowed the number of finalists down to two finalists: Chase, a German Shepherd who wears a police uniform, and Skye, who wears a police uniform. wears. pink ‘puppy pack’ and is a favorite among the girls in the class. The children cast their votes by scribbling their names in chalk under the pictures of the two characters. By mid-morning it was a dead end: five votes to five.

Benejas Abeselome, 4, put his name down for Chase.

“The police catch bad guys,” Benejas said. “I wanted to be a police officer because I love police work.”

It will be years before these young people vote in a real election, but ACCA is one of many preschools across the country where students receive early citizenship education. The goal is nothing less than raising good citizens and strengthening democracy.

At this age, children do not learn about the three branches of government or how a bill becomes a law. Teachers work with them on how to resolve problems with classmates, how to deal with anger or disappointment without being hurtful, and how to think about the needs of others. These are lessons, teachers say, that can be difficult to learn from adult politicians — especially during a vicious campaign season.

“We are all here to help these children develop into better citizens… to be better problem solvers and to be better equipped socially and emotionally,” said Mary Folks, a teacher at the school. “Because once they get a handle on that, I feel like the things they accomplish and the things they do will have a better impact on this world.”

The most important social studies lesson preschools can teach is “social democracy,” says Dan Gartrell, an early childhood education expert. His book on teaching preschoolers about democracy, ‘Education for a Civil Society’, is used by ACCA and other preschools.

It “begins with valuing each member of the group as a worthy member and worthy of expressing thoughts and ideas,” Gartrell said. From there, he said, children can learn to treat their peers kindly, resolve conflicts and negotiate difficult situations without using hurtful words.

Engaging with toddlers in a way that makes them feel like their voice matters is important groundwork, says Rachel Robertson, the Chief Academic Officer of Bright Horizons, which operates more than a thousand preschool centers worldwide and embraces democratic ideals in its approach to preschool education.

Around age 3 or 4, a child “begins to become a real member of the community, to contribute to the classroom community and to think a little bit more broadly about the world,” Robertson said.

At ACCA, like many kindergartens, young people are given a lot of autonomy. There are hours dedicated to free play. Kids get to vote on what they study and eat: A classroom had just finished studying sand because kids were curious about it after summer beach trips. And students can taste apples and vote on which variety the school will order.

It’s all to show kids that their thoughts are valuable, just like those of their classmates. This Thursday, ‘PAW Patrol’ was all on their minds.

In Room 11, 3-year-old Jade, who wore pink sneakers that lit up when she stepped, explained why she supported Skye.

“I like her helicopter,” Jade said. “I like that she saves everyone.”

In Room 13, teachers created ballots in English and Spanish. When they asked the class who won the election, one boy said confidently, “Me!”

Many of the kindergarten students represent the first generation of their families to be born in the United States. María-Isabel Ballivian, director of the preschool, said she finds ways to remind them that they are American, even if their families don’t speak English and have only recently arrived from other countries. First, she’s organizing a big gathering for the 4th of July.

“Giving them a sense of belonging now will be a tool that should help them become resilient when they encounter discrimination,” Ballivian said.

Ballivian said there are things many politicians can learn from going back to kindergarten — things like how to weather disappointment and how to think about the well-being of people who are different from them.

“I don’t see how we can change the adults,” Ballivian said. “But I do know that if we work hard, we can prepare our children for a better future.”

Back in room 14 there was an important development. Another student named Janet had cast her vote and written her name under Skye’s photo with a backwards “J.” The students counted the votes out loud. Skye emerged victorious.

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Associated Press journalists Nathan Ellgren and Almaz Abedje contributed to this article.

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