"We are the 'slow school' movement," said a mom at my 4-year-old's preschool.

She was responding to an N.Y. Times article that one of our teachers had e-mailed to families. The article by Peggy Orenstein was "Kindergarten Cram: Toss Out the No. 2 Pencils and Let Them Play."

It was that "slow school" approach which led me to our cooperative preschool.

While attending a preschool fair about six years ago, I was amused by the preschools that assured me they would get my child kindergarten-ready. And then I crossed them off my list.

It's not that I'm unconcerned about my children's education. When my older daughter at 2 1/2 years old asked me to teach her to read, I taught her. But I am concerned about my children growing up too quickly.

At the time I found Family Preschool, I knew I was looking for a school that was play-based. I didn't know I was looking for a "slow school."

Family Preschool is slow -- both in its approach to learning and its approach to family.

It took my husband and me nearly eight years of marriage before we decided to start a family. So, of course, I would need a school that would allow a slow transition. I needed a school not only for my daughter but also for me. I needed a school I could be a part of.

Family Preschool is run by families. We have a director and teachers, but parents serve on the board and take turns helping in the classroom. At least once a month, I get to participate in my 4-year-old's play. And what fun it's been for me to watch her growth and the growth of my daughter before her.

I like the slow, gentle approach our teachers take. They let our kids learn by playing, and they let our children direct their play.

My youngest daughter and her friends fill pots and pans with sand and "cook" at a playground bench. They spread thick layers of sand over mulch to create gardens.

They dig in the flower beds and fill the birdbath with clover. They smash pumpkins and plant seeds all over the playground.

No one tells them that the sand needs to stay in the sandbox or the water in the birdbath. No one tells them not to break open the pumpkins. There will be time to learn such rules. For now, what they're learning -- that exploration and that time with family -- is more important.

Slow is good, but it passes quickly.

Those pumpkin seeds our kids planted in the fall are sprouting plants now. Together, we're learning that these plants are amazingly hardy. They're strong enough to stand up to small, stomping feet that are anything but slow.

Catherine Wright lives in Hillsborough. She serves on the current Family Preschool board. Write to her at catherine.wright@gmail.com.

IF YOU GO

What: Family Preschool Open House

When: 2 to 4 p.m. today

Where: 4907 Garrett Road, Durham, on the campus of Eno River Unitarian Universalist Fellowship

Details: Receive general information, a tour of the school and a chance to meet members and staff.

More information: Call 402-1500 or visit www.familypreschool.org