Prologue and a water painting that dries and is redrawn_ 8
Part 1 Only in Kindergarten_ 12
ㆍ Ages 3 to 5: The age to spend time with the Little Prince_ 14
Tears of a Baby Elephant Tied to a Pole_ 19
There are no English kindergartens in Korea_ 24
ㆍ You can't teach any subject without understanding children_ 31
ㆍ A buffer zone that exists only in feeling_ 35
ㆍ A kindergarten teacher who becomes your own teacher at your discretion_ 39
ㆍ An open perspective that doesn't see them as problem children helps overcome problems_ 43

Part 2: My Smallest School in the World_ 48
ㆍ The starting point of self-esteem, “Mom, look at me because I’m talking!”_ 50
Rules created through interaction_ 54
ㆍ Cultivating the wisdom to overcome shortcomings_ 60
Why is it necessary to learn unchanging standards?_ 66
ㆍ The power of words that come from empathy: “It’s okay” and “I see”!_ 72
Integrated education through dialogue_ 75
ㆍ A broad perspective and balanced attitude gained through mixing_ 78
ㆍ The foundation of learning is concentration, developing concentration_ 84
ㆍ Innovation School is an elementary school that borrows the kindergarten system_ 89

Part 3: What Happened at Kindergarten That Mom Doesn't Know_ 94
Prince of the 'I Don't Know Anything But Me' Country, Who Had No Friends_ 96
"It's all your fault!" Tears from a child who never apologizes_ 100
What can I do if I haven't learned it? I can't do it!_ 105
ㆍ You can't become a king who has never been to the bathroom alone, right?_ 109
ㆍ A transparent copycat with no color or thought, with no ego_ 116
A child who ran into a wall because there was no book to teach him how to move his body_ 122
ㆍ A child who is always beaten cannot trust adults_ 130
ㆍ The fist master who made friends by keeping his promise to wait_ 136
ㆍ I'll say goodbye to the loner now_ 142
ㆍ The reason I chose the slow and effortful path over the fast path_ 146
Adaptation begins with letting things be_ 151
ㆍ The prince of the country of arbitrary deeds became the prince of the country of manners_ 156
ㆍ A six-year-old perfectionist who can't participate in games for fear of losing_ 160
ㆍ The reason why people vent their anger by yelling and sweating_ 169

Part 4: What will children learn in a kindergarten where they only play? _ 174
ㆍ Art class to create your own color through careful observation_ 176
ㆍ Learning Hangul through word play_ 179
ㆍLearning various ways to express thoughts and feelings_ 181
ㆍ Comprehensive language skills developed through continuous, frequent speaking_ 187
ㆍ Experiential learning to experience another world outside of kindergarten_ 196
ㆍ Can elementary school math concepts be studied in kindergarten?_ 200
ㆍ Understanding the concept of space through the stacking area_ 203
ㆍ Weighing the same amount while playing in the sand_ 206
ㆍ Draw a graph of your favorite foods to compare them at a glance_ 209
ㆍ Interactive class where students read and discuss books_ 212
ㆍ Seeing and internalizing the art of dance from a child's perspective_ 217
Safety education to develop safe living habits_ 220
Studying Social Studies While Writing Thank-You Letters_ 227

Part 5: Two Hours of Miracles_ 232
Outdoor play that opens up interest in the outside world and limitless possibilities for communication_ 234
ㆍ A game that fosters cooperation and fun for children with poor motor skills_ 240
ㆍ 10 Strategies for Tag_ 243
ㆍ Children who relieve stress from reality through play_ 246
Finding a Mentor Through Role Play_ 251
ㆍ Block play with infinite transformations_ 255
ㆍ Sand artists who can create anything with sand_ 259
ㆍ Make a flag and follow where the wind blows_ 265
ㆍ Infinite transformations of water painting, sand painting, and car wash play_ 268

Part 6: Studying to Become a Straight-Minded and Upright Person_ 272
ㆍ Knowing Me, Why You Call Me by My Name_ 274
ㆍ Learning basic living habits needed for living together_ 280
ㆍ Develop your sensitivity by looking at the sky_ 284
ㆍ Understanding the true meaning of celebrating a birthday party_ 287
ㆍ A subject you can never learn at school: making friends_ 294
Learning to Comfort and Be Comforted_ 299
ㆍ Saying I'm upset without saying it's your fault_ 302
ㆍGender sensitivity starts with eliminating feminine and masculine colors_ 305
ㆍBe able to say “no” and stop when you say “no”_ 312
ㆍ Children have a completely different sexual curiosity than adults_ 317

“Children grow happily one more day in kindergarten.

“Those days will become the blueprint for a child’s life.”

Questions about kindergarten: Is kindergarten just a place to play?
Kindergarten is the center of children aged 3 to 5, the starting point of self-esteem and socialization.

How is self-esteem developed in children? Children's character, social skills, and cognitive development all experience explosive growth between the ages of three and five.
The space that surrounds a child at this age is not just home.
The environment surrounding a child is divided into the home, where parents exert their influence, and the external environment.
Socialization is the result of the interaction between these two factors.
Therefore, it can be said that a child's self-esteem is created along with socialization.

This book began with curiosity about what kind of place kindergarten, the first starting point of a child's socialization, is.
Kindergarten is at the center of the 3-5 year old period when a person's characteristics such as personality, character, and cognitive ability are determined.
What role does kindergarten play in a child's life? To address this question, I began to investigate the nature of kindergarten education, its differences from private education, children's developmental processes, the spatial characteristics of kindergartens, and the specific educational formats implemented in kindergartens.


The most important school in life is the first school

What kind of education do children aged 3 to 5 need, and what format should it take? Professor Kim Kyung-ran explains that while intensive instruction in specific areas like reading, writing, and arithmetic can be postponed, there are certain things that should not be overlooked during kindergarten.

If we compare kindergarten education to a tree, there must be no empty space in the trunk for the nutrients in the trunk to flow to the branches.
Kindergarten is the first school where the first objective form of education takes place, comprehensively fulfilling all the elements necessary for a child's growth.
It is a place that satisfies quantitative factors such as cognitive growth while simultaneously filling in non-quantitative factors such as emotions, sociality, and morality.

Young children fill these elements by living with professional teachers and friends in a place with various facilities including an outdoor playground.
These are the most important factors that determine a person's life.
The absence of academies that teach fun, immersion, social skills, and character proves that there is no substitute for kindergarten.

In kindergarten, the first school, children learn to judge their own behavior, learn how to make friends, and learn what they should and should not do, and what others like and dislike.
While living in kindergarten, children grow by making their own decisions.
This is something you can never experience in a home where parental influence exists.
Therefore, children aged 3 to 5 need a buffer zone for socialization, away from their parents, not too large or too small, with about 20 people.
Self-esteem, morality, and character are naturally developed in children while they are in kindergarten.
This is what you must learn before anything else.


Why Your First School Determines Your Last School

If you expect your child to express himself or herself and accept others through various experiences, you must provide them with the opportunity to experience things to their heart's content every day at kindergarten.
Complex problem-solving skills and adaptation, not just simple knowledge and information, are formed over a long period of time, and these can never be helped from the outside.
This is because it is a power that is developed through children's own experiences, making judgments, and going on new adventures.
It is an ability that is developed by climbing the slide better than yesterday, observing friends to play well, and resolving conflicts with friends.

Even things that parents consider negative, such as conflicts between friends, competition for toys, and stress, can be considered positive factors within the kindergarten environment.
By solving problems with your teacher and friends, you will be able to solve similar situations on your own without being overwhelmed.
More important than learning English, math, or science is gaining experience through the daily routine of kindergarten.
That experience will become an inner strength that will permeate the child's life.
It is no exaggeration to say that whether a person will be passive, active, creative, or dependent is decided in kindergarten, the first school.


The competence of kindergarten teachers determines the quality of education.

In kindergarten, teachers have a completely different role from teachers in academies or elementary schools.
Kindergarten teachers individually guide the growth of children.
Unlike school teachers, kindergarten teachers are guides who make children think, realize, and make decisions.
They exert an absolute influence on children, but that influence is never outwardly apparent.
It plays a role in making people do things on their own without being told to do them, and in making them judge without being judged.
Above all, respect the child's thoughts.

Kindergarten teachers are professionals who understand young children and can provide them with the necessary elements.
These experts are trained in the necessary communication and behavioral skills when dealing with young children. While in charge of the kindergarten curriculum, they also go beyond the curriculum.
These teachers are in charge of the parts that cannot be judged quantitatively.


Fun and focus learned through play, essential elements in the age of artificial intelligence.

The education provided in kindergarten is completely different from the reading and workbook solving provided in elementary school.
Reading books, talking, and playing outside are all kindergarten subjects.
If you only look at the curriculum, you will likely hear people say that it is a kindergarten where children only play.

However, the core of the kindergarten curriculum is to think while playing and to realize while playing.
Kindergarten teachers have the power to capture the attention of children in less than 10 seconds while reading, allowing them to freely explore the world within the book, and to keep them focused for the entire day.
The ability of young children to find fun things to do and focus on them becomes the foundation for all their future education.
Concentration and problem-solving skills come from this foundation.
And these are unique tasks that only humans can do, and cannot be replaced by artificial intelligence.
Through reading books, talking, and playing outside, children develop the ability to explore and concentrate on interesting things.

Rediscovering the Ordinary Kindergarten

Kindergarten is a fun place for children, with friends to play with and teachers who understand their feelings.
At one time, almost all children went to kindergarten.
However, the value of kindergartens is gradually being diminished by the emergence of English kindergartens (English academy kindergarten programs) that emphasize special features and play academies that teach children through play.

But a kindergarten must remain a kindergarten forever.
Because the time spent in kindergarten cannot be replaced by anything else.
At this point, it's time to consider whether you're squeezing your child into learning and whether you're missing out on what's truly necessary in the pursuit of specialness.
Hillary Clinton, Bill Gates, and Steve Jobs also took time out of their busy schedules to send their children to kindergarten.

Unlike in Korea, in the US and Europe, the argument that we should “reawaken the empathy, creativity, and imagination of childhood” to prepare for the age of artificial intelligence is gaining traction.
MIT's Media Lab, which created the World Wide Web, GPS, and virtual reality, has created a program called Lifelong Kindergarten.
The rediscovery of Montessori education, which is synonymous with kindergarten education, is also taking place.

If you miss kindergarten, not only will everything be delayed, but it will also result in consequences that cannot be recovered.
This is because all the qualities that a human being should have, such as self-esteem, morality, character, and joy, sprout there.

Why send your child to a seemingly ordinary kindergarten? Why do we need an ordinary education, not a special one? Because everyone has childhood experiences, experiences they don't remember, that remain with them throughout their lives as habits, emotions, and educational qualities.