Alright, so here it is...the early childhood education comment/post/debate/thought/whatever. I will post pictures later on today (probably) of what Sophia has been up to, our new car, the stuff I won etc. Seems like we're all a bit worn out in regards to politics - at least I am, so no debate on the elections (sorry Kari).
So, here is my thought. The other day I read a blog (I won't link to it, because I don't know the person and don't want everyone go staring at/judging someone else etc.) where a mom wrote about her frustration with her child's pre-school. Apparently she was not satisfied with the academic part of the pre-school, that it wasn't teaching her child enough/anything. At the same time though she was noticing how much her child had progressed in social/emotional areas like playing better by himself, being more creative etc. She mentioned that the pre-school had more of a focus on social environment and the like.
The reason why this stuck with me was because I feel like I've noticed some trend/tendency about pre-school, namely that it ought to be an academic setting, a place for our youngsters to learn. Learn what? Well, whatever, numbers, basic science, letters - you name it. Just as long as it's 'learning'. I noticed this also, of course, while working in day-care. Everything was always designed to show to the parents all the learning that took place in class rooms. There were lesson plans (actual lesson plans for usually more than 8 different areas) for each age group, even the babies.
And what's my issue with all that? Mainly that I start to feel that it's ridiculous that we want our young children to already be learning all the time. Let me explain. Of course, I'm not opposed to learning. Au contraire! I want Sophia, Alba Zoë and any other future kids of ours, to learn as much as possible. I want them to be smart, and bright. Who doesn't want that for their child??? So, I'm not opposed to learning at all. And I'm certainly not opposed to teaching children from a young age on. They are so curious and like little sponges who absorb knowledge like it's candy. What I'm starting to resent and question is what seems to develop into an early 'pushing for knowledge'. Instead of going with that children want to do, or to just let them play and stimulating creative play etc. it's all about learning. The sooner your child can read/write/do math/science the awesomer your child is and you as a parent. Sometimes I feel tempted. I'd like to show off a Sophia who's 2 and can read.It's tempting to try and present reading at every possible opportunity.
But why? Research for example shows that early IQ tests (given to pre-school aged kids, like 4 or 5 years) do not predict future academic performance AT ALL. As a matter of fact, it seems that a lot of kids who do great at that point on an IQ test, are just like everyone else a few years down the road. Also, while all these kids are now being bombarded with academic knowledge at age 3, 4 and 5, it seems that their counterparts in other places of the world, where education is started at a later point, not only do just as well, but often better. I looked over my school reports from 1-4 grade. It was pretty interesting to see what they taught (by the way I didn't attend pre-school as a kid). It was writing, reading, and math. That's it. The other subjects were music and art and electives such as specific art projects or nature walks etc. No science.
Anyway, I don't really have a lot of evidence or research to make my case. But, what I'm really starting to dislike and question is how children are pushed earlier and earlier into learning 'stuff'. Why not let them enjoy their childhood while they can? Why not let them choose and decide what they want to learn by going with their cues? Why all the plans, all the pre-school groups to 'teach stuff'? Why not just letting them play or create or discover as they see fit?
And with that I'm not saying that we can't or shouldn't plan activities for our children. I think we definitely should. I also think pre-school groups can be fun. I think Sophia would love that and I'd love for her to have that exposure to be with other kids. But, I don't care for her to learn about numbers, biology or letters or whatever else. I don't see a need for instruction at her age in anything academic. But I see a huge need for her to play, to create, to socialize, to discover and explore. When our children have a life of academics ahead of them, why already push this on them at such an early age??? To me it seems that a big part of that may be our own pride, wanting brilliant toddlers. I may be wrong, of course. It just seems odd to me. And I just don't like the thought of life already getting so darn serious earlier and earlier for our kids. And lastly, I really don't see the academic benefit of all this 'early childhood education'. If there is research that shows how in the long run (as in 20 years later) children are way better off because of early childhood education, then I'll change my views, but for right now I don't think there is any real value in it, other than soothing the conscience of parents who want brights kids and think the sooner the better. I'd bet all our debt on the thought that a child who just plays and enjoys life, and doens't give jack about letters, numbers and the like until they start school at 7 years, can and likely will do just as well as any other child or maybe even better. Apparently, children do better anyway with starting school later than earlier. I could be wrong, but I'm just not buying into this whole early academics crap, and quite honestly I'm starting to feel bad for al those kids - even if they actually enjoy their pre-school. They may enjoy something else so much more.
Friday, November 5, 2010
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20 comments:
I definitely agree with a lot of your feelings on this topic. For me, preschool for my kids has always been much more about social interaction and having something to shake up our week. I have practically zero academic expectations because I teach my kids whatever I want them to know at home, whenever I feel like teaching it. I stopped reading any type of parenting magazines, etc. really early on with Alia because I couldn't stand the feelings that they massed on innocent parents that if they didn't buy certain toys and introduce certain things at certain times they were going to totally screw up their child's entire future! They present articles that make you think you have to have completely structured and purposeful interactions with your stinkin' 3-month-old if you want them to be intelligent later on. I completely disagree. Kids need to be kids and they need to play and have fun. There are a million things that they learn naturally just by their own creative play - we don't need to force it on them.
I do, however, have my own personal feelings in regards to reading. I feel that most children are ready to read MUCH earlier than our education system teaches it. And my own philosophy is that there is no way in hell that I am going to let the educational system "teach" my child this skill in the way that they do it. Reading is absolutely one of the most important things we will ever learn in this life - it is what will determine our ability to "learn" in so many ways. And so I feel passionately that I, selfishly, want to be the one to give this gift to my kids - not someone else over the course of slow and torturous years. Teaching Alia and Lawson to read has been one of the biggest blessings of my life and I am so grateful that I did it before they started school. I don't give a crap if they are ahead of anyone else or not in school, that's not why I do it. I just feel like at that time they are absolutely ready and it opens up an entire new world for them and empowers them. Anyway - no soap box here for anyone else, it's just something I feel passionate about and I am always amazed at how many people don't even consider teaching this to their children. It's a right and priviledge that I claim as a parent.
Although I generally agree with you, I look at it in a different way. I'm not upset about people wanting their children to learn early, like you said we all do. I'm upset that people don't think the important things of childhood are learning. The blog post you talked about said she was upset they weren't learning, but then said her child was making progress socially. That IS learning. Nature walks ARE science. Heck, playing with toy cars is learning physics. I'm worried that our society thinks all learning needs to be demonstrable on a test, no matter the age. A really horrible side effect of that kind of thinking is that people start thinking they aren't smart and don't like learning because the things/way they learn isn't tested on the SAT.
When I taught 4th grade one of our morning routines was for me to call on people without warning to ask them what they learned the night before. It couldn't be related to their homework, but it could be anything else. Maybe they learned how to work the washing machine, or head a soccer ball, or maybe they watched a program on the discovery channel about sharks. I was just trying to draw attention to the fact that living well involves learning. Their end of the year project was to teach the class something they had learned that year that wasn't related to school. It was so much fun for me to see the things they had been working on. Some taught us recipes their grandma had taught them, others athletic skills they learned from a coach. Some taught us folk dances they learned when their family got together. It didn't take long for the kids to realize that the things they were doing were helping them learn new things. It did take the parents a while to believe their child actually understood the assignment and teaching us to sing a new song was fulfilling it. The good news was that when they realized what we were doing, they liked the idea. So there is hope after all that we aren't past the point no return on our culture's beliefs about learning. We do need to act quickly to remind government and school administrators of what we all know. BEFORE any more schools cancel recess for kindergarteners in order to get more time for test prep.
Deanna,
I think that you're absolutely right in teaching your children to read when they are ready for it. I'm also glad you aren't pushing a "when" on anyone else because in my experience there is a HUGE variation in when children are ready to learn this oh-so-important skill. (Like 4-5 years of variation) One of the worst things we can do as reading teachers is to force reading on a child that's not ready. In our haste to make life-long readers, we might make book-haters. Because of this risk, I think you're absolutely right that the parent should be the one to teach it, because the parent is the one who can best tell if the child is ready. I learned the hard way with potty training that if you start too early, you're in for constant headaches for a looooong time. Sometimes we need to sit back and wait for our kids to be ready and wanting too learn a new skill. Sometimes we need to encourage them to get ready, but I think more often we need to just calm down a bit and give them some time.
Thanks Deanna and Talyn. You both expressed something I tried to communicate, but didn't express, or didn't express well. I'm totally with you Talyn!!! Almost anything we do is 'learning'. I think you really said it better than I could have. I'm bothered by the push for structured, academic, presentable learning...as if the simple things we do aren't part of learning. As if singing, and dancing, and playing interactively, and cuddling, and crafts, and digging through leaves etc. isn't a valuable activity important to our children's development.
And Deanna, I totally agree with you that learning to read is probably one of the most important things to learn ever. I definitely believe that parents ought to be the main people teaching their children.
I think my real issue is the pressure of learning, and having to learn on a certain time scale. I think children are naturally curious and ready to learn, but all of them are different and ready for different things at different times. So what if your 5 years old can't read yet, and has little interest, but loves reading books/stories with you? Keep reading. Maybe he'll be curious in a year. So what if your 2-year old doesn't know his colors, but he is very creative?
I'm bothered by the pressure on our children, and the idea that they all have to be able to do certain things/know certain things at a certain time, especially when they're maybe so eager and ready to learn in other areas, or in different ways. I think that creativity as a source of useful learning is so undervalued. I think a child with healthy social skills and a vivid imagination will probably be a fantastic future academic since I think creativity/imagination equals curiosity and critical thinking...
Anyway, I just want my kids to enjoy life, and to enjoy learning as it comes to them. That, of course, doesn't mean that I'll just sit around and never try to teach them anything. I think the key is to be attuned to them enough to realize when they're ready/curious to learn about something and then seize that moment to teach them.
I'd imagine that it's similar to potty training (even though I've never potty-trained). Each child is different at a different time, and each child will probably give different cues that indicate that they're ready to learn. But, no matter what, in the end, they probably all learn to go on the potty. Some may learn it quickly and with ease, some may need a lot of help, for some it takes a long time till they're ready, but I'd bet a million bucks that once they're ready to learn they'll learn it pretty quickly, and maybe more quickly than a child who's not really ready but being taught anyway.
Dunno...I maybe totally off on all of this. I just don't get all the pressure and focus on 'academics'.
Haha, Talyn, you were kind of saying what I was. I posted mine the same time as you, so I had no idea. We must be in tune. :)
I didn't read the comments- got to get kids down for a nap, but Fran, your post is very like Steiner Waldorf Education theories. He started his first school in Germany, and German education philosophies are very influenced by research done on his theories. I love his ideas and use them at home with my kiddos. Very few, open ended (anything can be anything) made of natural materials toys, outside play as much as possible in nature not on restrictive playground structures, very little screen time, play play play, music, art (open ended), and learning to participate in household tasks the old fashioned way- washing dishes by hand, kneading bread, etc. "Academics" are not taught until the age of 7. I don't agree with all his stuff- some of it is a little out there. But so far, what we've implemented has had a wonderful impact on our kids! My favorite Waldorf book is Heaven on Earth by Sharifa Oppenheimer. The cover is odd, but the book is great!
By the way, this is Danielle Stewart/Bruening. I need to change my username!
And I read the comments now. I agree with everyone. Waldorf theory has very specific things they watch for to determine reading readiness, which is different for each child. It's probably much later than most people think. My kids are very interested in letters. I answer their questions but leave it at that. Preschoolers are great at memorizing things, but abstract/symbolic thinking doesn't happen until 6-8 years old. Kids younger than that can obviously learn to read, but Waldorf argues that they would be using energy that would better serve them at that age in creating and playing and growing. If we end up homeschooling, this is the philosophy I will use. When reading is taught, it's taught through art and creative expression. Like you said Fran, test results on these kids show them a bit ahead of kids that learned to read early on. That's not why I'm doing it, but it shows that it's effective.
Haha, I guess I can't deny my German heritage. So, I don't know much/anything really about Waldorf theories. But, I do know that Waldorf schools are the one and only alternative school form in Germany. I always thought them a bit odd, and therefore I should say I am not really necessarily prescribing to his theories or any for that matter - except my own. ;) Then again though, I guess I do like to not overcrowd Sophia's room with toys, and I'd take wooden toys over plastic any day. Ok, but really, I just don't see any harm in someone has lots of toys and they're all plastic, or not having everything open-ended or watching a movie occasionally, or...you get the idea. At this point I'm really not sure how much a lot of those things/approaches matter in the long run. I do feel strongly though about life being exciting and fun, and learning to be exciting and fun. And sometimes I think when everything becomes a chore, a competition, a meaningless endeavor - all the fun and enjoyment are drained out. And that really bothers me.
I think it just started to rub me the wrong way how kids are pushed into 'academics' when I started thinking about education more, and especially trying to analyze my own educational experience. I just don't see the need for all the pressure, and the need for this one-sided, stiff approach to learning. I think most of us learn best when we learn those things we're interested in and excited about and that have a meaningful connection to our lives somehow. So, I think I'm just ready to throw out a lot of unnecessary educational anxiety, and actually not even worry about things I'm not sure my kids NEED to learn (though I'll be happy to help them learn if they want to).
Food for thought: in Finland (which ranks highest on the PISA studies, earning Finnish kids the reputation of being the "smartest" in the world, let that be true or not, but it tells something nonetheless), kids start school at age 7.
Before that it's play (some guided, eg learning weekdays etc), crafts, music and a lot of nature. And even after they start school, there is a HUGE focus on creativity, learning by doing, art, music, learning in natural settings, etc.
I don't know if that's why the kids here consistently score highest in the world on standardized tests, but I do think it's a lesson other countries could well emulate.
No need to push the ABCs on your 12 months olds, if you ask me. You wanna teach a LOVE OF LEARNING, not STUFF. The stuff they'll learn by themselves if they have learned to love learning.
My opinion.
:)
Oh, and I'm a big fan of Waldorf/Steiner education for preschool.
Thanks Isa! I had the PISA studies in mind when I mentioned how 'kids in other parts of the world' do just as well or better in education as the US, even though a lot of them start official education at a later age - like probably most European countries. I did read a recent article on the recent PISA results and Finland, and how indeed, Finland's education ranks highest in the world (with, I think, South Korea). Interesting indeed.
I'm with you. Apparently I'm also with Waldorf/Steiner. I think I just don't like the weird 'dancing your letters stuff' or whatever it is they do at the Waldorf schools. I always thought that was really funky. And I also don't want to subscribe to a theory, because then I feel people often quickly lose balance and go to some crazy extreme. But yeah, I'm all for fun, play, creativity, arts, music, nature, and fun again.
In researching many different homeschooling methods/philosophies, I found the common thread of waiting for the child to show readiness. Like Waldorf doesn't encourage teaching reading until 7 years old (but learning letters in a very natural way...like telling a story about a snake, drawing a picture of a snake, making the hisssssing sound of a snake, then finally introducing the letter S...so the letters are firmly planted in the child's mind by this time).
Charlotte Mason also encourages nature walks, routine, discipline, and reading good books, like classics.
Thomas Jefferson Leadership Education encourages a Core phase through age 8 which is mainly focused on teaching & learning right/wrong, good/bad, and play and work...based on life experiences and classic children's books (all TJed "curriculum" is classics based). Then a children goes through a Love of Learning phase from generally 8-11/12 where they will spend hours reading, studying, or creating...like crafts, building forts, making plays, making movies...and all this is considered learning. Then, the child naturally desires a rigorous pursuit of academics...the Scholar Phase.
It's amazing to see how Elice's kids are morphing through these phases. Brayden is loving the education he's getting through his intense HS program. Jared is in a transitional phase...between Love of Learning and Scholar...but his creativity is amazing (he composes music, plays the piano by ear, and he and Trevor showed me a video they made of a bunch of still shots of Legos acting a story). Cami is in Love of Learning and she enjoys learning about all kinds of things...from doing new crafts to making a body poster as she learns about the body.
And the coolest thing about all this is that the kids are in charge of their education. Elice researches and prays for ways to inspire the kids, provides them tools for their learning, then they mainly take off with it and take on the responsibility of learning for themselves.
Whenever I start thinking my kids are "behind" their peers in certain academic areas, I'm sure glad for the example of the Smiths because it helps me remember that kids learn best when they learn at their own pace and they aren't forced into it.
PS--I agree with your thoughts on pushing Pre school too early. Conversely, I've read many magazine articles that promote pure and simple play time...that we are over-scheduling our kids and too much homework makes them miss out on something they'll never get back...childhood.
Well, that was a nice little promotional op-ed for Elice and her family, Angie. :)
Yeah, I had actually never heard of Waldorf or anything like it. I was teaching a home preschool last year when Olivia was 3. I couldn't quite believe in preschool enough to pay for one and send her, but still wasn't confident enough about why I felt that way to leave it out. I researched different methods during the year and evolved from imitating American Academic preschools to more of a Waldorf approach by the end of the year. A friend of mine gave me Heaven on Earth without either one of us ever realizing it was "Waldorf." I was so excited to read it b/c it validated so much of how we were already trying to raise our kids, and my reservation about traditional preschool. I have all but decided to homeschool, so I've been reading all I can about different theories. My kids have plastic toys and there's no way that I personally could parent 3 kids under the age of 4 without some minimal use of media. From taking an online Waldorf course this fall and getting my first exposure to those who "live" Waldorf, I can say I don't want to embrace any single method whole-heartedly. The classes have been over the phone on the internet and the 6 different teachers all have the same sing-songy voices with the same vocal influxions and intonations. It freaks me out a little bit. So do some of their spiritual underpinnings. But overall, a lot of their ideas validate my instincts and have given me the confidence to stop worrying so much about raising my kids like everyone else. Angie, I've heard a lot about Mason and TJ education. I want to learn more!
Well, if you're interested in home-schooling TJ-style, that's what my sis-in-law Elice is doing. She loves it. I'm not sure I'm as much into it. Again, I think it's my inclination to not want to subscribe to any one single theory or approach. I think I tend to just have a mix of different things I combine - I definitely like the few toys, lots of creativity and nature approach. I also love using classics for education like TJ is all about, but I don't feel that it needs to be the only source of learning nor that it's always the best. Plus, what constitutes a classic is so subjective anyway. Also, while a lot of theories suggest to wait for the child's readiness to learn something, which I basically believe in, I think at times you need to help them get ready and prepare. I don't see a need for Sophia to read now, or to learn how to read in the next 2-4 years if she doesn't care about it, but in 5-6 years, I think it's time. And if she didn't show any 'readiness' or interest, I think I would want to see what I can do to maybe help her become curious and excited about it.
I think I just don't want to not settle down on anything because then I always feel limited, and guilty if I don't do things 'by the book'. I just don't want to think that just because my child occasionally watches a movie, or plays with stupid plastic toys, or we're not reading classics all the time, or she went to a academically focused pre-school, that things are going down the drain. Actually, I'm not sure that those pre-schools necessarily harm. I just don't believe how much good they really do, and that it's a worthwhile financial or educational investment.
Hmm, I think I may have happened upon that blog you reference in your post Fran - in any case, I've read a blog post that was very much along those lines...Anyway your post has made me think about how the academic pressure I felt as a kid has affected my feelings about the experience my kids will have. I was upset that my twins have their birthday so early in the school year (and will be older than most of their classmates), because with a birthday 2 weeks after the deadline I was always one of the oldest in my class and felt like I must be stupid if I was so much older than all these other kids doing the same things as me. Then I married a German, who didn't start school until he was seven, and is appalled at the idea of sending children to school at 5, and suddenly I'm less upset at the idea of our boys being almost 6, like I was. Now that I think about it, it was probably silly for me to feel dumb. I always did well in school and the only kid I can think of in my grade when I started school who read better than I did was actually older
(his parents didn't want him to be the smallest in his class, so they didn't put him in school until he was going on 7).
I get upset though at educational programs that don't allow for or provide for the individual variations and needs of the students among the mass in a classroom. One thing that I really appreciate about educational opportunities in America is the variety, parents can seek out the school environment that will best suit their child's needs. My mom had 5 elementary school children in 3 schools because it was important to her to find the program that best fit the needs of her individual children. Now that I have kids, I begin to understand what a busy woman my mom was. I want my kids to be wonderful, smart, talented kids - but I also want them to enjoy being these things - guess the next 15 to 20 years will tell how good a job I do at helping my kids have a great educational experience...
Slightly off topic, but sort of related...does anybody know, now that Germany is phasing out grade 13 so that those going onto university will do so after grade 12 like the Americans (ok it's really more like their fellow EU-ers such as the Brits) will they also start sending their Kinder to school at 4 or 5 like the Amis and the Brits do? I'm just curious.
I haven't heard a single thing about sending kids to school at 4-5, and I'd be surprised if that happened. Right now there is the option for Vorschule (an optional year before first grade) that you can do, I think. And then there is Kindergarten (pre-school) that you can do and that leads right up to 1st grade. Since Kindergarten spots are usually hard to get by because they're government funded, and a lot better quality than the child cares here, I'd be surprised if they push to make that mandatory right now. It would be a huge additional expenditure that I can't see the government being willing to take on in the near future.
Also, while grade 13 is being phased out, I'm not sure it'll die off though. From all the bits and pieces I've heard/read there seems quite a bit resistance to the whole thing, and some states try to hang on to it. But then again, I'm really quite out of the loop on a lot of those things. I know we don't have the 'Orientierungsstufe' any longer.
Oh, and I'm sure you read what I read Aliza...'nuff said. :)
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