230 Early Childhood Education
230 儿童早期教育
In a time of low academic achievement by children in the United States, many Americans are turning to Japan, a country of high academic achievement and economic success, for possible answers．However, the answers provided by Japanese preschools are not the ones Americans expected to find．In most Japanese preschools, surprisingly little emphasis is put on academic instruction．In one investigation, 300 Japanese and 210 American preschool teachers, child development specialists, and parents were asked about various aspects of early childhood education．Only 2 percent of the Japanese respondents listed "to give children a good start academically" as one of their top three reasons for a society to have preschools．In contrast, over half the American respondents chose this as one of their top three choices．To prepare children for successful careers in first grade and beyond, Japanese schools do not teach reading, writing, and mathematics, but rather skills such as persistence, concentration, and the ability to function as a member of a group．The vast majority of young Japanese children are taught to read at home by their parents．
当美国孩子学习成绩不理想时，许多美国人将注意力转向了日本，并希望能找到其中的缘由，因为日本是一个学业成就高而且经济成功的国家。然而日本幼儿园提供的答复却出乎美国人的预料。令人惊奇的是，日本幼儿园极少关注学科教育口在一项调查中，向300名日本幼儿园教师和210名美国幼儿园教师，儿童发展专家与家长提问了有关儿童早期教育的事情。日本的答卷者中只有2%的人将”给孩子一个良好的学习乙开端”作为社会建立幼儿园的三个最主要的原因之一。相反，“一半以上的美国答卷者将“给孩子一个良好的学习开端”作为社会拥有幼儿园的三个主要原因之一。为了让孩子为成功的未来职业生涯做准备，日本学校不教学生阅读，写作与数学，而是忍耐力，专注和合作的能力。大多数的日本孩子由家长在家里教阅读。
In the recent comparison of Japanese and American preschool education, 91 percent of Japanese respondents chose providing children with a group experience as one of their top three reasons for a society to have preschools．Sixty-two percent chose the more individually oriented．Americans listed group experience as one of their top three choices．An emphasis on the importance of the group seen in Japanese early childhood education continues into elementary school education．
在最近对日本与美国的学前教育进行比较时。91%的日本答卷者将”给孩子提供团队经历”作为社会建立幼儿园的三个主要原因之一。62%的更强调个性发展的美国人把此顶作为社会建幼儿园的三个主要原因之一。这种从日本的早期儿童教育所见的对合作的重要性的强调一直延续到小学教育。
Like in America, there is diversity in Japanese early childhood education．Some Japanese kindergartens have specific aims, such as early musical training or potential development．In large cities, some kindergartens are attached to universities that have elementary and secondary schools．
跟美国一样，日本的儿童早期教育也多种多样。有的日本幼儿园有明确的目的，如早期音乐培养或潜力开发。在大城市里，有的幼儿园附属于既有小学又有中学的大学。
Some Japanese parents believe that if their young children attend a university-based program, it will increase the children's chances of eventually being admitted to top-rated schools and universities．Several more progressive programs have introduced free play as a way out for the heavy intellectualizing in some Japanese kindergartens．
一些日本家长认为如果孩子进入大学的附属幼儿园，将来会有更多的机会考上一流的学校或大学。一些循序渐进的项目将自由玩耍引入其中，将它作为在一些日本幼儿园中降低学生沉重学习负担的一条出路。