Baby boomers remember kindergarten as a time of play and social interaction. Today, kindergarten is serious business with most students learning how to read before going on to 1st grade. So, what should preschools become? Should preschools with 3- and 4-year-olds be the beginning for teaching reading and math skills? Which format is best?
Academics vs. Play in Preschools
Larry Schweinhart, president of High/Scope, a nonprofit educational research foundation based in Ypsilanti, Michigan, says, "Parents have reason to be concerned about this because of the ‘push down’ we’ve experienced. Kindergartners are now expected to learn what first-graders once learned. It’s something we’ve been talking about for years, but it’s just gotten worse." [1]
How much can small children be expected to learn at a younger and younger age? David Elkind is greatly concerned about this new trend. Elkind is known for his books on child development. His works are more than twelve but two that are often quoted are The Hurried Child (Cambridge, 1981) and The Power of Play (Cambridge, 2007). Both books stress that children are being pushed far beyond their natural ability to cope with inappropriate expectations.
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