It looks to me as if they only studied whether the children had immediate academic gains. Sure, I don't doubt that preschoolers CAN learn academic skills faster if it is taught intensively. The question is, do the gains last over the long-term. Most research shows that play is necessary for children's cognitive development. I worry that these short-term "academic gains" will come at the cost of other developmental skills (i.e playing with legos increases fine motor skills, outdoor play increases gross motor skills), etc.)
11
Odd to me that last 1/4 if the article was a pitch for Montessori. Lots of interesting research to explore on early childhood education but that was left out for personal anecdotes from one family on their Montessori experience. Would like to read more on conflicting studies and Scandinavian model. Please do better on this important topic.
5
Finland greatly exceeds our kid's results by letting their kids learn by playing, limiting homework and limiting school days to a maximum of four hours?
Aren't there studies that suggest all the early gains that added education provide disappears by the fourth grade? And we're putting credence on a report that tracks kids to the end of kindergarten? Hardly seems newsworthy.
Aren't there studies that suggest all the early gains that added education provide disappears by the fourth grade? And we're putting credence on a report that tracks kids to the end of kindergarten? Hardly seems newsworthy.
14
Whenever articles are published touting the benefits of rushing our children ahead in their education I always wonder, to what end? We push them through kindergarten in pre-school, so we can have them doing middle school math and reading in grammar school, so they can skip a year of middle school and take advanced college level classes in high school... why? So they finish college at 21 instead of 22? So we can brag to our friends that our high school freshman is taking calculus? Is this really worth robbing our children of their childhood?
12
Really first rate article.
However, I have the following observations:
1. Sweden, which has one of the best educational systems in Europe, emphasizes play and personality development rather than academics in its pre-school programs.
2. What is the point of pushing academics at the pre-school level? If the kids learn basic math and reading concepts a little later (kindergarten or even first grade) they will catch up fast unless coming from seriously dysfunctional home environments. The race for the Ivy League really does not begin at ages thee or four.
3. Mohammed did not answer the geometry question correctly, as he failed to specify that all four angles also had to be equal. A figure with four equal sides is a rhombus. A square is a special case of a rhombus, which in term is a special case of a parallelogram. Do we really need to burden pre-school kids with this stuff? They should have fun and develop self-confidence and interpersonal skills.
However, I have the following observations:
1. Sweden, which has one of the best educational systems in Europe, emphasizes play and personality development rather than academics in its pre-school programs.
2. What is the point of pushing academics at the pre-school level? If the kids learn basic math and reading concepts a little later (kindergarten or even first grade) they will catch up fast unless coming from seriously dysfunctional home environments. The race for the Ivy League really does not begin at ages thee or four.
3. Mohammed did not answer the geometry question correctly, as he failed to specify that all four angles also had to be equal. A figure with four equal sides is a rhombus. A square is a special case of a rhombus, which in term is a special case of a parallelogram. Do we really need to burden pre-school kids with this stuff? They should have fun and develop self-confidence and interpersonal skills.
9
Ugh, ugh. Even the outcomes they measured for this reported study are merely measuring how well kindergarteners do math and know their letters or begin to read. So what? That is not surprising, as it is the equivalent to "teaching to the tests" in this study. The study lacks longer-term outcomes, of course, but also more subtle outcomes such as kindness, ability to share, quality of interpersonal interactions, mental health vs. anxiety, sleep quality, physical fitness, etc. There are many ways to design a study and many outcomes of interest. This one would not convince me to have my preschooler in a more academic environment, when SO. MANY. STUDIES. suggest the opposite - kids are developmentally primed to learn basic interpersonal skills from being in group classrooms at this age, and to use their minds and bodies to play more than sit still. The other skills will follow at more appropriate ages. What is the big hurry for everyone? Colleges are filled with kids needing mental health services. My son was pushed to do neat printing in kindergarten before he had the fine motor skills and felt anxious and "dumb" even though he was very smart. I saw a real downside to the emphasis on academics before first grade.
8
Playing with blocks is a great way to learn these things. And if you want competent adults you need to teach children what they need as soon as they can learn it.
1
In several parts of New York State, children don't even have access to full-day kindergarten. In light of the more rigorous learning standards, and the research cited here, this is really problematic. In New York we actually have a two-tiered early education system where some kids (in NYC for example) have access to free full-day pre-kindergarten while others (in other parts of the state) don't even have access to a full-day of teaching for their first level of primary school. State legislators need to correct his disparity by properly funding schools aiming to convert their programs, or---even better---by mandating full-day kindergarten and providing appropriate resources.
3
Ironically, children are naturally very curious and learn from doing. They learn fractions by cooking with whomever it is who cooks or bakes in their homes. They learn about animals and the science of all of us both human and animal by going to museums and actually exploring their own bodies, those of their friends and actually seeing their parents, in everyday life. Yes, at age three their social world ought to be expanding, not merely waiting to be developed. If you don't believe me, then just observe an infant sitting on its care giver's lap, while the care giver speaks to another individual. The infant will pivot towards who is speaking and attempt to interject his/her opinion.
If you ask this 67 year old with an adult former child, teach children advanced math, real science, etc., by augmenting what their exploration has taught them thus far and then use everyday life to increase and cement that knowledge. Teach them fractions using cooking or anatomy by explaining what is seen in museums. Teach them history by talking about the natural progression of equipment or technology and why it became necessary. Kids love stories and their knowledge base enhanced if those stories are true.
If you ask this 67 year old with an adult former child, teach children advanced math, real science, etc., by augmenting what their exploration has taught them thus far and then use everyday life to increase and cement that knowledge. Teach them fractions using cooking or anatomy by explaining what is seen in museums. Teach them history by talking about the natural progression of equipment or technology and why it became necessary. Kids love stories and their knowledge base enhanced if those stories are true.
3
"Academic" does not preclude fun and games. Puzzles, building blocks and Lincoln Logs are examples of learning to think and reason. Numbers can be learned in hopscotch or other physical games. It all goes together. There is too much emphasis on books, computers and pencil with paper. When I was in college studying education back in the dark ages (60s), we tried to find physically engaging and game formatted ways to learn concepts and "real world" adventures to use these concepts.
2
"Nevertheless, the study has limitations.... Previous research has demonstrated a disappointing 'fade-out' effect, in which early academic gains are lost over time."
Why wasn't that the headline? The 'gains' fade out because preschoolers are skilled at parroting all types of information and skills. The fact is they don't know what any of it *means*. Meaning is made through meaningful play at this age.
Play is an act of creating meaning through symbols and oral language. It is an act of interactive problem-solving. Evidence shows pre-literate children develop an understanding of symbolic meaning in play, and this is a crucial foundation for literacy. Young children are inherently active learners, not empty vessels to be filled with skills and knowledge. This is not opinion, but known through years of observation and research. Play is not a break for preschool children, it is the way they learn to make sense of the world and their place in it. The headline is misleading, Editors. Allowing children of all backgrounds to play is a service and ought to be preserved. (I have been a kindergarten teacher, preschool director, with a MSEd in Early Childhood and Elementary Education.)
Why wasn't that the headline? The 'gains' fade out because preschoolers are skilled at parroting all types of information and skills. The fact is they don't know what any of it *means*. Meaning is made through meaningful play at this age.
Play is an act of creating meaning through symbols and oral language. It is an act of interactive problem-solving. Evidence shows pre-literate children develop an understanding of symbolic meaning in play, and this is a crucial foundation for literacy. Young children are inherently active learners, not empty vessels to be filled with skills and knowledge. This is not opinion, but known through years of observation and research. Play is not a break for preschool children, it is the way they learn to make sense of the world and their place in it. The headline is misleading, Editors. Allowing children of all backgrounds to play is a service and ought to be preserved. (I have been a kindergarten teacher, preschool director, with a MSEd in Early Childhood and Elementary Education.)
13
Most people, especially young children, learn and retain concepts better if they have context. Play is how little children create a frame work for contextual learning. Once the frame work is in place and they have had experiences that give the world around them context THEN you can introduce concepts. They need the real world experiences provided by play and the relationships with the people in their lives to build a frame within which they can puzzle out how things relate and how the world works etc. Being able to retain a concept and parrot it back does not mean they understand the concept. That takes time, experience and maturity - I suggest we give them the developmental time to do it.
5
The one thing not mentioned that is highly important no matter the learning emphasis is CLASS SIZE.
5
Play is important, movement is important. Caring about your child's education is also important. One doesn't replace another. In pre-school children should play. My daughters are adults now and exposure to ideas and experiences are equally important. One is a ph.d biomedical scientist and the other has a successful career with a start up. Exposure. I took them to a women in science fair for girls and although they were young, it was great to see role models and that there a many choices in life. Talk to them, read to them, answer their questions and be present for them. We can't really tell in kindergarten. One was a late talker dd not want to talk and engaged in play in her room. The other was the opposite and started talking at 9 months. One is great at math the other not so great but they are happy and doing fine They still work and play. They do both.very well. One went to Montessori school the other did not because we moved and started working. The reason children like to play is because it teaches them how to share, how to imagine they are someone else how to as we used to call Make believe the kids would say maka believe.
3
I believe that at this point in time it is fairly well established that gains from early childhood programs are pretty much dissipated by the end of elementary school, if not sooner. If those gains are to be sustained, the efforts applied early, must be continued. In addition, children must see that their efforts will be rewarded. That is to say they must see the same opportunities as those available to children with better socioeconomic means. Otherwise their efforts will either be directed elsewhere or shut down altogether.
It also fairly well established that children do better when they feel connected to their education. This applies equally to elementary and secondary experiences. This connection makes learning and teaching more easier and more effective.
We must stop looking for the latest “quick fix”. Some decades ago we thought the Japanese had the ideal system. Later it was the Finns. Now maybe the Koreans. Who will be next. It is not the program that works. This is a people business. We must find and train the people who will educate our youth.
Finally, we should listen to the work of John Elkind in The Hurried Child and other works. Let children be children. Each is different and special. Each learns in a different way. The educational system needs to adjust to the child. Not the child to the system. At least not if we wish to close the achievement gag.
Larry Tietz
www.connectionsplus.org
It also fairly well established that children do better when they feel connected to their education. This applies equally to elementary and secondary experiences. This connection makes learning and teaching more easier and more effective.
We must stop looking for the latest “quick fix”. Some decades ago we thought the Japanese had the ideal system. Later it was the Finns. Now maybe the Koreans. Who will be next. It is not the program that works. This is a people business. We must find and train the people who will educate our youth.
Finally, we should listen to the work of John Elkind in The Hurried Child and other works. Let children be children. Each is different and special. Each learns in a different way. The educational system needs to adjust to the child. Not the child to the system. At least not if we wish to close the achievement gag.
Larry Tietz
www.connectionsplus.org
5
I retired mid-year last fall, taking a vastly reduced pension because of the stress and strain on me and my students in the New York City public school Kindergartens. The stress that the early academics place on parents and teachers cannot be, and never is, properly described. Children in my class, many refugees from war torn countries, needed nurturing, not phonics drills from 2 different programs, which took up 2 hours of the day. The Teachers College expectations that Kindergarteners are writing 3 pages per day at age 5 are just not age appropriate. Asking parents about their child's behavior is not a good way to conduct a study about children's behavior, and my experience in Park Slope and Kensington in Brooklyn for 20 years was gradually involved with needy, unhappy, aggressive children. Look to Finland, and you will find appropriate, successful early childhood education.
I find all of the studies in this article to be weak and inappropriately designed. Check out Renee Dinnerstein's Investigating Choice Time if you are looking for appropriate early childhood academics. Lucy Calkins and her ilk have done so much damage to children and teachers in the last 2 decades, while laughing all the way to the bank, at 30K a pop per school to be a "TC school". Teaching Pre-K and Kindergarten used to be a joy. It is no longer that in New York City. I feel the financial pinch, I taught well and deeply. I don't regret leaving. I decided that the most ethical thing to do was leave.
I find all of the studies in this article to be weak and inappropriately designed. Check out Renee Dinnerstein's Investigating Choice Time if you are looking for appropriate early childhood academics. Lucy Calkins and her ilk have done so much damage to children and teachers in the last 2 decades, while laughing all the way to the bank, at 30K a pop per school to be a "TC school". Teaching Pre-K and Kindergarten used to be a joy. It is no longer that in New York City. I feel the financial pinch, I taught well and deeply. I don't regret leaving. I decided that the most ethical thing to do was leave.
16
The theft of childhood from these little ones is profoundly depressing. Many of the children in our grandson's academically oriented pre-school suffered anxiety and frustration on a daily basis. One day when I dropped him off late, I entered to find one of the girls in tears because she didn't understand the phonics lesson of the day while the teacher kept badgering her for the right answer. She was three. My grandson didn't get this concept either, but luckily, he didn't care. He just sat not participating until it was time to go outside and run around. My husband did not read until he was seven. He has two master's degrees and has had two very successful careers. Yes, offer enrichment to youngsters by reading to them a lot and allowing them to explore in new environments, but hold the heavy duty academic material until much later.
7
As an early childhood teacher for over 20 years, I worry about this. The kindergarten curriculum is now what first grade was when I went to school. This trend may allow play now, but eventually it will become more and more academic. Teach your ABCs at home. Preschool is for playing. Reading aloud is superior to trying to teach a young child how to read. EQ is as important as IQ.
5
There are numerous studies that demonstrate that short term gains from academic prepping in preK, as described in this article, disappear within a year or two. In contrast, other studies that have followed children who have experienced high quality play-based early childhood environments into adulthood have indicated that these individuals have experienced more academic success and life fulfillment than those who attended preKs that focused on teacher directed instruction of academic skills. Research from a range of disciplines - from neuro-biology to psychology to economics to cultural and linguistic studies - point to the critical importance of active learning and social interaction for the optimal development of young children.
There are numerous accessible videos from the Center on the Developing Child at Harvard University ( http://developingchild.harvard.edu/ ) that help to explain this.
Also - my video collection of High Quality Early Learning ( https://highqualityearlylearning.org )
offers images of how active learning and rich relational experiences support the development of social and emotional development as well skill development and critical thinking in young children from diverse backgrounds in NYC public early childhood classrooms.
There are numerous accessible videos from the Center on the Developing Child at Harvard University ( http://developingchild.harvard.edu/ ) that help to explain this.
Also - my video collection of High Quality Early Learning ( https://highqualityearlylearning.org )
offers images of how active learning and rich relational experiences support the development of social and emotional development as well skill development and critical thinking in young children from diverse backgrounds in NYC public early childhood classrooms.
13
"It followed children for a relatively short time, and it remained unclear if the benefits of academic prekindergarten would extend beyond the end of kindergarten."
Well, that's not the kind of information I'm looking for.
I don't think all of us millions of parents are wrong. Long-term skills needed for life are social skills, creative problem solving, spatial awareness gained by playing sports and learning to "fly" on swings, building things, and self-control that you learn pushing your limits outside.
Of course vocabulary and drills will yield short-term gains in vocabulary and math fact knowledge. Duh. Teach them girls wear pink and boys wear blue, and they will learn that too.
But that's not what we need. We need people who can work with others to solve difficult problems independently, to use spatial, social, and logical skills on novel engineering, scientific and programming problems. We need people who have hope in their own future because they know that college is financially attainable for those who get good grades. Not people who knew what a square was a year early.
Well, that's not the kind of information I'm looking for.
I don't think all of us millions of parents are wrong. Long-term skills needed for life are social skills, creative problem solving, spatial awareness gained by playing sports and learning to "fly" on swings, building things, and self-control that you learn pushing your limits outside.
Of course vocabulary and drills will yield short-term gains in vocabulary and math fact knowledge. Duh. Teach them girls wear pink and boys wear blue, and they will learn that too.
But that's not what we need. We need people who can work with others to solve difficult problems independently, to use spatial, social, and logical skills on novel engineering, scientific and programming problems. We need people who have hope in their own future because they know that college is financially attainable for those who get good grades. Not people who knew what a square was a year early.
8
"Free play" throughout early childhood with highly trained, well-paid teachers is the key to academic success. The problem here is that nobody understand that effective, content-rich play is hard, but it's worth the effort for an educated citizenry. Go ask Finland...
3
Yes, why not enroll our little ones at birth and be done with the whole messy affair of parenting. After all the American education system, the paragon of the world, is sure to deliver a superior product. One can only say good riddance to the moribund American family in the world of Trump family values.
2
There's no reason why concepts such as sounds of letters and their names, shapes can't be augmented with nursery rhymes. YouTube and TV programs have all kinds of activities. These can also be used with infants as it lets them hear the sequencing of sounds. Free play and building blocks are also good activities.
Urban public schhols should be year-round, and have nursery school as well as preschool and K-12. Charter schools are a waste of time and money.
Urban public schhols should be year-round, and have nursery school as well as preschool and K-12. Charter schools are a waste of time and money.
2
We in education have known for decades that children from disadvantaged familes are likely to hear only a small percentage of words that children from highly educated families hear. If the use of the word "attributes" in this article helps the children to learn a new, interesting word, rather than just "things" to describe a square, hurray! Now, as a docent in an art museum, I do several kindergarten tours a year in which we teach color, line, shape, and texture - one topic per tour. Besides helping the children to look at the art and their world in a way they can recognize, we teach them vocabulary that they can use forever. Besides the socialization and creative play that are so important to preschool - and kindergarten, I have always believed that teaching words, correctly pronounced, in meaningful and fun ways can help the children catch up with their peers in every way. Plus, we finish the tour with a fun art project!
10
• New Study Nods to More Rigorous Preschools
“Education should not be intended to make people feel comfortable. It is meant to make them think.” ~ PRESIDENT OBAMA
“Education should not be intended to make people feel comfortable. It is meant to make them think.” ~ PRESIDENT OBAMA
4
My son entered pre-school at 3 in Nairobi, Kenya, where I was working. The use of standardized exams to track academic success dictated the introduction of formal skills at the earliest ages, and affected all levels of education. I noticed a problem when he was unable to hold a pencil correctly for his writing lessons, and was becoming frustrated at his lack of control. We changed schools to a more laissez-faire environment where the reading teacher (focused again on pre-school pupils) queried why a child with a huge vocabulary like his could not learn to read or write at 5.
When he was 7, still barely able to write, he was diagnosed with dyslexia. In a private elementary school, one of only two in the country with a special ed program, he was allowed extra outdoor free play and had special ed coaching after regular classes. The traditional classroom setup encouraged focus. After completing high school, college and an MBA in the US, he has become a successful professional who reads for pleasure.
A classroom focus on early academics, if not handled carefully, with high awareness of the diagnostic signs of learning disabilities, can be devastating to a bright child with these limitations. My Kenyan colleagues reminded me that in the less forgiving environment found in a competitive public school, he would probably have been punished for failing to learn to read and write. As these debates go forward, the needs of all children must be taken into account.
When he was 7, still barely able to write, he was diagnosed with dyslexia. In a private elementary school, one of only two in the country with a special ed program, he was allowed extra outdoor free play and had special ed coaching after regular classes. The traditional classroom setup encouraged focus. After completing high school, college and an MBA in the US, he has become a successful professional who reads for pleasure.
A classroom focus on early academics, if not handled carefully, with high awareness of the diagnostic signs of learning disabilities, can be devastating to a bright child with these limitations. My Kenyan colleagues reminded me that in the less forgiving environment found in a competitive public school, he would probably have been punished for failing to learn to read and write. As these debates go forward, the needs of all children must be taken into account.
3
To frame the issue as Play versus Learning is to create a false dichotomy. Particularly in the first years of their lives, the "job" of children is learning to understand the world broadly. Children learn through play - by honing their developing senses, imagination, curiosity, logic, and motor skills. If we value lifelong learning - and ultimately achievement and personal satisfaction - we need more of the qualities found in play: focus, engagement, creativity, discovery - and, yes, fun.
29
Are we really judging children academically at the end of Kindergarten? What is wrong with us? Let's do a long term study and see who can tie their shoes in fourth grade? Kids have a lot to learn and it not all academics.
3
My three children started school in a Dutch Rudolf Steiner/Waldorf system and had no exposure to letters or numbers until first grade, although they had a rich and structured pre-school and two year kindergarten program. In first grade, I was blown away. It was like the entire class learned to read in a week. The kids were so ready. Then we moved when the kids were 4, 6 & 8. My youngest entered a British nursery and started immediately with reading and writing. She was writing in cursive by first grade. My middle son was at the end of first grade and the new school was worried about the transition. He caught up without issue. My oldest was a September birthday and was officially too young for her British class but they let her in and she thrived. I am so thankful my kids had such a childhood, they certainly did not suffer in any way from a relatively late focus on cognitive skills. Let the kids play -- there's learning in that too.
4
What many people don't seem to understand is that it is not either have fun or learn. Learning is fun. Children are naturally curious and their curiosity should be encouraged. The implication in the article that benefits of early learning might not last is because many elementary schools don't follow up. I remember our experiences with my daughter who entered Kindergarten knowing how to read. When we suggested to her teacher that students who already knew how to read be given extra attention (there were a few in her class), the teacher replied that she had seen many students like our daughter who came into Kindergarten with advanced skills, but in her experience, by the time they got to sixth grade, "they were just like everyone else." Chilling words. My daughter left that school in one year. She is now a math professor.
5
Something to keep in mind: Preschool suspension and expulsion is much higher than at any other age. This is a national trend. That's right folks, young children are being asked to leave preschool at alarmingly high rates due to behavior problems. And there's data to support this removal from preschool negatively affects graduation rates.
Is the push to have a 2 month gain in academic skills (that doesn't have data to prove these gains are sustained over time) going to overshadow the well documented need for preschoolers to develop the social & emotional skills needed to be available to learn?
Of course, it's not either/or. We need curriculum based education for preschoolers that include skill development opportunities in all areas of development, not just cognitive (literacy and math).
Let's be careful with our youngest learners. They need play and you can teach concepts within the context of play.
Is the push to have a 2 month gain in academic skills (that doesn't have data to prove these gains are sustained over time) going to overshadow the well documented need for preschoolers to develop the social & emotional skills needed to be available to learn?
Of course, it's not either/or. We need curriculum based education for preschoolers that include skill development opportunities in all areas of development, not just cognitive (literacy and math).
Let's be careful with our youngest learners. They need play and you can teach concepts within the context of play.
8
We are getting caught in a false binary debate here. I can assure you that virtually all pre-k's weave play and academics together.
For example, my kids just completed the free state-funded pre-k here in Georgia - it's considered an "academic" program in that it has basic math/literacy goals. It also has three recesses/day, a small-group/centers-based classroom approach, and lots of free expression built in (dancing, art, dramatic play, sensory play). Basic math is taught by counting real-life objects like beads. Letter recognition and writing is done in small group instruction that meets each kid where they are. There are no worksheets. In other words, it's totally age appropriate and I observed happy, thriving kids.
Honestly, if you have not observed or experienced these programs firsthand, you are projecting your own (probably biased) preconceptions based on limited or misleading information.
For example, my kids just completed the free state-funded pre-k here in Georgia - it's considered an "academic" program in that it has basic math/literacy goals. It also has three recesses/day, a small-group/centers-based classroom approach, and lots of free expression built in (dancing, art, dramatic play, sensory play). Basic math is taught by counting real-life objects like beads. Letter recognition and writing is done in small group instruction that meets each kid where they are. There are no worksheets. In other words, it's totally age appropriate and I observed happy, thriving kids.
Honestly, if you have not observed or experienced these programs firsthand, you are projecting your own (probably biased) preconceptions based on limited or misleading information.
"Previous research has demonstrated a disappointing 'fade-out' effect, in which early academic gains are lost over time" (although I suspect that some students have benefitted). The research cited in the article ignores this important point. So are we willing to fund programs that have only meager success rates? Should the proposed programs be better evaluated? I say leave the kids alone unless you have some real data to back these proposals up. In my 30 years of experience as an educator I have seen way too many "new and improved" programs for Reading, Math, etc., forced upon schools with empty promises based on, at best, flimsy research.
3
Children are incredible little beings, and I had the privilege of teaching them in pre-school for over 16 years. I was continually astounded by their capacity and desire to learn and understand as well as their need to play. There is a way to combine both. Children should never feel like learning is a lecture or a rote exercise but rather an exciting adventure that they go on day after day. Allowing them to find their path at their own pace is the key. But each year I would introduce more and more science, math, and reading through play. I found that my children thrived on the challenges and absorbed concepts that I would never have thought possible such as simple division using manipulatives and multiplication. A good teacher learns from her students and follows their lead and meets their needs wherever it takes them. The most important thing a teacher can do is to give a child a love of learning that will carry them through the years. So it is important to be responsive to the individual child in whatever manner we are teaching and make sure that love of learning is never stifled.
9
I notice that you once again fail to mention the dependent variable used to measure success.
5
Nah! Let 'em play.
6
My colleague planned and taught a seed curriculum with our three-year olds. With four children gathered around a table, she placed a papaya, a mango, a peach, a plum, an apple and strawberries on the table. "Which one is round?" she asked the children. "Which one is ovoid like an egg?" "Which is heart shaped?" "How many fruits are on the table?" (Mathematical concepts) She cut open the fruit and encouraged each child to touch the soft flesh as well as the seeds. "Which fruits have one seed?" "Which have many seeds?" "Which fruits have seeds on the inside?" "Do you see a fruit that has seeds on the outside?" (Relative number and comparison, also Mathematical concepts) Finally, she cut the fruit into bite-size pieces, so the children who wanted to could taste each one. "Tell us how the peach (plum, mango, etc.) tastes." (Language) Three's take in information with all their senses and, usually, while in motion. A good nursery school teacher knows where her students are developmentally and meets them in that place. With imagination my colleague was able to plan a lesson rich in language and mathematics that engaged the children. Young children have years ahead of them when they must (and will be ready to) keep their bodies still while being told information by a teacher. But at age 3, let them discover with their eyes, hands, tongues. Perhaps this technique will help to instill a lifelong joy in learning.
As a preschool teacher I am quite worried about the narrow scope of academic gains this article celebrates. The world we need to prepare our children for is not a PISA test. Beyond literacy and math gains, how do children in more teacher-directed and traditionally academic classrooms develop vital habits of mind? In my classroom, rich discussion is celebrated as are the skills of listening to others, thinking flexibly, and sharing ideas and questions. We value knowledge seeking behavior and nurture children as they pursue answers and solutions to their own individual and group inquiries. When we think about the 21st century skills we need as adults, what are they? Our world needs thinkers, doers, empathizes, creators, innovators, advocates, and caretakers. That is much more than literacy and math. I hope a letter responding to this article from another research institute is forthcoming.
6
This type of article always misses the key points that kids spouting/regurgitating facts does not mean they learned anything and measuring kids success by tests does not prove that one method is more successful than another. We have known for a long time that young kids learn best and most deeply through play.
There are crucial developmental steps that do not change as society's expectations change. Large motor, small motor, visual recognition and social development and orientation are all needed for success in life. And life is what we are talking about. It isn't just can you read a book or do a math problem. But can you relate to the characters in the story and how do you fairly share the cookies on the table. I contend that empathy and compassion are more basic and important. Those are lessons more often learned in playing a game or climbing a jungle gym or sharing a easel or dancing in a circle. And given the world we seem to live in, those are qualities that seem to be in short supply and sorely needed. I want a generation that wants to do something about climate change, famine and war, not one that can read about it with dispassion.
6
Just what preschoolers need... standardized entry and exit tests that can generate results that are distributed on bell curves that be then used to identify "successful schools". I can envision a whole new business opportunity: pre-school test-prep consultants who can help parents get their children assigned to the "best" preschools.
2
I do wonder about the longer term results. I'm 'old,' i.e., 68 this year, but wonder why or if it is necessary to keep pushing the beginning of formal learning earlier and earlier (soon the newborn nursery will have letters on the ceiling for baby to get a start).
Is there really, really so much more to learn that all cannot be gotten in by allowing kids a slower start? I don't much remember kindergarten (my first schooling), but have seen papers I did - awkward attempts to print my name or label a picture I had colored with a single printed word (one had "angle" printed on the skirt of a picture of an "angel"). Apparently I did my best (with mixed success) to color within the lines.
If we are compensating for a less-than-rich home environment, then it seems to me that the focus should be on reading to the children and talking with them - lots of each, for that is what instills both a good vocabulary and a love of reading. I got lots of both at home, but my stay-at-home-mom and her friends did only that, i.e., we were not taught our letters or to read; we could count (maybe), but not write or read numbers. That was what kindergarten and beyond were for.
While pushing formal learning earlier may make better students out of 5, 6, & 7 year olds, does it truly matter in the long run?
Is there really, really so much more to learn that all cannot be gotten in by allowing kids a slower start? I don't much remember kindergarten (my first schooling), but have seen papers I did - awkward attempts to print my name or label a picture I had colored with a single printed word (one had "angle" printed on the skirt of a picture of an "angel"). Apparently I did my best (with mixed success) to color within the lines.
If we are compensating for a less-than-rich home environment, then it seems to me that the focus should be on reading to the children and talking with them - lots of each, for that is what instills both a good vocabulary and a love of reading. I got lots of both at home, but my stay-at-home-mom and her friends did only that, i.e., we were not taught our letters or to read; we could count (maybe), but not write or read numbers. That was what kindergarten and beyond were for.
While pushing formal learning earlier may make better students out of 5, 6, & 7 year olds, does it truly matter in the long run?
8
It's interesting to peruse the comments section and see the extremes in opinions. We should all take a step back. What is the goal? On a societal level, the goal is a healthier, more productive cohort. It's pretty clear that some amount of environmental enrichment (preschool, engaged parents) is helpful in improving outcomes. Competence, in both social and cognitive skills is borne out of health and opportunities to practice and learn. Little incremental steps shape behavior and learning more than big steps. And yet, we simultaneously over and underestimate very young children's ability to learn. One of the best examples is language acquisition: it takes a long time for children to master expressive language reasonably well (they don't typically speak well until 36 months) but they can learn 2 or more languages perfectly at the same time. All these things take effort, persistence and build incrementally. The true question is not play versus formal academics but how do you successfully incorporate lots of play AND exposure to academics AND lots of exposure to language AND emotional and physical health, etc. It's amazing how adaptable the human animal can be. Children in different societies learn different skills. How we educate our children should take into consideration what skills they will need in this society.
6
I can't speak for the study, but I think this article misses the point. The question should not be whether or not preschools should have academic goals, but how those academics should be implemented.
I work as a music specialist for three different clients spanning nine preschools. While I lack the classroom teacher's deep understanding of individual children, my weekly classes afford me snapshots of the children (ages 0-6) at each school, and over time I gain an understanding of the children at each school -- and how they compare across schools.
From my experience, there can be no doubt that having academic goals is preferable to having none. I find that the children I teach in schools with academic goals are noticeably advanced in practically all areas of their early development, as well as their early academic skills.
All three of my clients value play-based learning. Two of them have academic components, but could hardly be more different. One set of schools presents lessons in a "traditional classroom" format, i.e. lectures, sit and listen quietly, rote memorization, etc. The other set of schools credits the Montessori and Reggio Emilia philosophies among their prominent influences, and targets a more creative approach to learning. A tricycle, for example, might be a lesson in geometry (circular wheels), engineering, physics, color, and more.
"Just let the kids play" is too simple. We must have learning goals; how to achieve those goals is the real puzzle.
I work as a music specialist for three different clients spanning nine preschools. While I lack the classroom teacher's deep understanding of individual children, my weekly classes afford me snapshots of the children (ages 0-6) at each school, and over time I gain an understanding of the children at each school -- and how they compare across schools.
From my experience, there can be no doubt that having academic goals is preferable to having none. I find that the children I teach in schools with academic goals are noticeably advanced in practically all areas of their early development, as well as their early academic skills.
All three of my clients value play-based learning. Two of them have academic components, but could hardly be more different. One set of schools presents lessons in a "traditional classroom" format, i.e. lectures, sit and listen quietly, rote memorization, etc. The other set of schools credits the Montessori and Reggio Emilia philosophies among their prominent influences, and targets a more creative approach to learning. A tricycle, for example, might be a lesson in geometry (circular wheels), engineering, physics, color, and more.
"Just let the kids play" is too simple. We must have learning goals; how to achieve those goals is the real puzzle.
9
In families where parents (or a lone parent, or a grandparent, or some other family friend/relative/caregiver) spend their days (or nights and/or evenings and/or weekends) trying to make ends meet while dealing with the type of medical (or mental health or housing or food or financial) crises that can multiply with lightning speed when a person with few resources is trying to raise a child (or a few), it may be out of reach to "combine creative play with rich language, formal conversations and math concepts." We know that the language/literacy/numeracy/social gaps between incoming Kindergarten children from disadvantaged backgrounds and ones coming from stable and secure backgrounds are enormous and near impossible to narrow, much less to close as the kids move along in school. That's why developmentally appropriate, play-based child care or preschool programs, that intentionally build children's knowledge, vocabulary, health and social/emotional skills are a smart investment for this country. Unfortunately, it's easy to see the need and to envision the solutions, but much more complex to make the vision a large scale reality.
5
Two of my children went to a preschool that used the Reggio Emilia approach. It was wonderful. The kids would identify a topic that interested them and then the teachers would brainstorm a dozen different activities around that topic to reinforced= academic and developmental targets. (Counting, measurement, comparison, fine motor skills, art, etc). My son's preschool spent three months on rocks. They read books on rocks, counted and sorted rocks by size, shape and color, painted rocks, painted with rocks, made rock people, made rock candy. When the kids got sick of rocks, they moved on to something else.
By the time my son finished preschool, he knew how to count to 30, he knew the alphabet, basic shapes, and was beginning to read. But he also knew the difference between igneous, sedimentary, metamorphic rocks - not because someone force fed him this with flash cards and quizzes, but because it was part of an engaging, age-appropriate program, that, ironically, led to far deeper academic achievement.
Preschool children learn through play. A good preschool curriculum doesn't treat a preschool kid as if he was a high school senior - it engages him with hands-on activities that integrates academic material in age appropriate ways.
By the time my son finished preschool, he knew how to count to 30, he knew the alphabet, basic shapes, and was beginning to read. But he also knew the difference between igneous, sedimentary, metamorphic rocks - not because someone force fed him this with flash cards and quizzes, but because it was part of an engaging, age-appropriate program, that, ironically, led to far deeper academic achievement.
Preschool children learn through play. A good preschool curriculum doesn't treat a preschool kid as if he was a high school senior - it engages him with hands-on activities that integrates academic material in age appropriate ways.
26
These studies (and articles) don't begin to look at the richness of play based education for this age group. Before informational academics are applied learning should begin gently with exploration, physical and imaginative freedom and social interaction. In nurturing but well curated play programs young minds learn how to learn and in time seek learning themselves. A well tended play based setting can set the stage for life long dimensional learning capacity, not just rote informational intake. Young children, allowed to learn in this manner with limited exposure to screens/media/ corporate marketing can be marvels of creativity, invention and resource. Its unthinkably limiting to mind, body and spirit for a 4 year old to just sit and be told things. Don't we intuitively know this...?
10
I, too, have an intuitive feeling that children at that age just need to play. Do you know if there's any data out there that supports our intuition?
3
David Whitebread in Cambridge has published a mountain of research on play and the importance it plays in early childhood learning. When developing early childhood metacognitive skills and giving those skills a strong foundation later learning will be easier and more efficient. Metacognitive skills are the foundation to the many things we are seeking for our students now like self regulation, grit and growth mindset. Why not just help people build metacognitive skills early in schooling and be off to a stronger start?
Plenty of studies show that any so-called academic gains that appear in kindergarten (because a narrow band of academic skills are tested) will even out by grade 3 and the kids who enjoyed a lot of play in preschool are just as academically proficient as the kids who suffered the early push into academics.
15
I'm a Pre-K teacher and in my district advances in given to low/middle income children tend to be gone by 2nd-3rd grade. I have taught for 15+ years at the Kindergarten and Pre-K levels and have decided to train in the Montessori Method as it seems to have the best of both worlds. Children in Montessori get a very strong understanding of academic concepts by virtue of the materials available, yet they also develop the social/emotional skills at the very same time they are developing their academic concepts. In my current public school (traditional pre-K model), children are either developing their academic concepts in a teacher driven activity OR they are focusing on developing social skills during our allotted hour of play time, but they are not focusing on doing both in synchrony . By allowing children to choose their own academic activities to complete at their pace, the Montessori Method does not make learning academic and social/emotional skills isolated tasks, but elegantly combines the two.
32
Still a lot of misinformation about preschools going around. I don't know why Montessori and Waldorf are the only two alternative methods that consistantly get mentioned. Both have a lot to offer, but are in some ways outdated or limited. It would be nice to see articles like this discuss education philosophies, research and the philosophers and research a little bit more.
One of the interesting things I see here is that the schools that include more detailed math and literacy, also allow for playtime. The question is if flashcards and lessons are enough, or if integrated projects like building a garden or measuring ingredients for a receipe can also teach the same skills.
The other big question I have is this: What is the benefit of being ahead in kindergarten? Does that lead to success in school?
I think that a lot more research needs to be done. I have a suspicion that the schools that offer the instruction benefit from having good funding, decent payed staff, and probably a good variety of play opportunities offerec, but I don't know.
The "Free play or flash cards" stated in the headline is false, and it is a shame that a lot of readers will still base their thinking on the article based on that.
One of the interesting things I see here is that the schools that include more detailed math and literacy, also allow for playtime. The question is if flashcards and lessons are enough, or if integrated projects like building a garden or measuring ingredients for a receipe can also teach the same skills.
The other big question I have is this: What is the benefit of being ahead in kindergarten? Does that lead to success in school?
I think that a lot more research needs to be done. I have a suspicion that the schools that offer the instruction benefit from having good funding, decent payed staff, and probably a good variety of play opportunities offerec, but I don't know.
The "Free play or flash cards" stated in the headline is false, and it is a shame that a lot of readers will still base their thinking on the article based on that.
9
My 23 month old likes to use my iPhone, so I installed some flash card apps. She gets free play on the iPhone (about 1/2 hour/day on some days) using flash cards. She can count to 15 on her own and knows some letters, and knows a ton of animals and their sounds! Play time and learning do not have to be mutually exclusive.
Organizations like the Alliance for Childhood, which try to make the case that children need not be rigorous in learning to read in Kindergarten, are seriously misguided in their quest for ever higher child self-esteem and stress-free play.
Children as young as two like to learn and find it empowering. Children raised in a loving, reading household, exposed both playfully and most importantly - often - to books and reading, will not stress over the learning. They are, in important ways, already programmed for language.
Fear of rigor in education is a ridiculous, harmful position for adults to take. We already have a deeply mediocre education system; why wouldn't we want improvement?
Parents must take more responsibility for setting a warm, positive and patient learning environment at home. Electronic gadgets ate largely pernicious and ineffective.
Creative teachers understand better than most how to treat students; we should be supporting them, not lecturing them.
Pre-school -- even pre-kindergarten -- learning is vital, not harmful. Montessori methods of encouraging autonomy in youngsters work wonders. Call and response has its place as well. Stop debating outcomes and focus on process.
Children as young as two like to learn and find it empowering. Children raised in a loving, reading household, exposed both playfully and most importantly - often - to books and reading, will not stress over the learning. They are, in important ways, already programmed for language.
Fear of rigor in education is a ridiculous, harmful position for adults to take. We already have a deeply mediocre education system; why wouldn't we want improvement?
Parents must take more responsibility for setting a warm, positive and patient learning environment at home. Electronic gadgets ate largely pernicious and ineffective.
Creative teachers understand better than most how to treat students; we should be supporting them, not lecturing them.
Pre-school -- even pre-kindergarten -- learning is vital, not harmful. Montessori methods of encouraging autonomy in youngsters work wonders. Call and response has its place as well. Stop debating outcomes and focus on process.
4
All this effort to get kids into school earlier has lots of cracks not being covered. UPK has forced several good schools to close. Why? Because they had small class sizes, an ideal for education, but below the minimum for city funding.
The Gifted & Talented program gets thousands of applicants, about 900 kids who all get a top score, with only 5 citywide schools (most in Manhattan, NONE IN STATEN ISLAND) with a total of 300 seats, about 100 of which are reserved for siblings and poor students with lower scores, leaving 900 kids to compete for 200 available seats. These are seats which are paid for by the city school system regardless if they are G&T or not, yet the City still does not seem to care about the best and brightest.
All these cute anecdotes about slow learners pulling through are nice but entirely miss the point. What about the kids who start off smart? The kids who teach themselves to read before they even turn 2? The ones who can count into the hundreds before PreK? If you ignore their education for years, they get bored with schooling and never recover that joy of learning. Kids are natural scientists and should be encouraged in every way at every level, not get ignored for a backdoor daycare program.
If a kid enters UPK counting to 100, then spends 2 years learning to count to 10 like a remedial program, that is a punishment specifically for being smart. The "good enough for me argument" is also used for beating kids, and is just as much abusive.
The Gifted & Talented program gets thousands of applicants, about 900 kids who all get a top score, with only 5 citywide schools (most in Manhattan, NONE IN STATEN ISLAND) with a total of 300 seats, about 100 of which are reserved for siblings and poor students with lower scores, leaving 900 kids to compete for 200 available seats. These are seats which are paid for by the city school system regardless if they are G&T or not, yet the City still does not seem to care about the best and brightest.
All these cute anecdotes about slow learners pulling through are nice but entirely miss the point. What about the kids who start off smart? The kids who teach themselves to read before they even turn 2? The ones who can count into the hundreds before PreK? If you ignore their education for years, they get bored with schooling and never recover that joy of learning. Kids are natural scientists and should be encouraged in every way at every level, not get ignored for a backdoor daycare program.
If a kid enters UPK counting to 100, then spends 2 years learning to count to 10 like a remedial program, that is a punishment specifically for being smart. The "good enough for me argument" is also used for beating kids, and is just as much abusive.
6
Rigor should not be said in the same sentence as preschool. Preschool is about learning through play. Children should learn to love learning and be free from "rigor" at that age. Preschool is time for a child to develop a sense of self, problem solve, and communicate. How sad to learn the "attributes" of square on a overhead projector. The teacher should be using sensory items such as sand or fingerpaint to teach that concept. Preschoolers are naturally curious and will learn in academics in due time.
11
I didn't know how to print my own name when I entered Kindergarten. I recall coloring in shapes with crayons and being required to put my name at the top right of a piece of paper, so I did what any enterprising young student would do. I cheated. Everything worked as planned until I heard the girl next to me (loudly) exclaim, "Hey! That's my name!" The next rest period while all the other kids were on their blankets my teacher took me aside and taught me how to print my name. Thank you, Mrs. Altameri, wherever you are.
39
As the authors of this study acknowledge, only kindergarteners were measured in terms of math and verbal skills. In other words, how the children performed in school (first grade on) was not evaluated. There is no way to make inferences for later scholastic achievement beyond kindergarten. I'm surprised the Times even published this article, in that it makes a mountain out of a molehill.
If you want your kids to read earlier and better, read to them. They will want to mimic you and will want to learn how to read. Also, don't go wasting money on a scam.
If you want your kids to read earlier and better, read to them. They will want to mimic you and will want to learn how to read. Also, don't go wasting money on a scam.
12
Children can learn in a fun and creative environment. My daughter started ballet classes when she was 4 yo. She learned more than just coordination and movement. She learned to work better with teammates, discipline, self-control and others skills that has benefited her in all areas of life. She is now a 20 yo medical student and still a ballet girl.
13
my favourite tiny girl at childcare is a poster child for emotional intelligence - resilient, doesn't cry when a boy grabs her toy, keeps smiling, yet asserts herself as necessary to get what she needs and wants.
She displays the five components - Self-awareness, Self-regulation, Motivation, Empathy, Social skills - and I think will have a happy successful life - compared to selfish stressful pushy bully types who grab, steal, cajole and cry to take what they want from other people unfairly - who are more likely to end up wondering why they are left alone without any meaningful loving relationships.
She displays the five components - Self-awareness, Self-regulation, Motivation, Empathy, Social skills - and I think will have a happy successful life - compared to selfish stressful pushy bully types who grab, steal, cajole and cry to take what they want from other people unfairly - who are more likely to end up wondering why they are left alone without any meaningful loving relationships.
What a future portends for these fortunate children! Numerate and literate but socially catatonic, replaced by robots, and rightfully resentful.
10
I am a professor of literature, with a ph.d from one of the ivies. I didn't learn to read till second grade. Even in the 1970s this was late. Then I read every book in our school and village library. My point: it is not when you learn to read; it is how you progress once you learn. Read to your kids. Tell them stories. Play them folk ballads. Teach them to sing them. Get them away from screens! They will become avid readers--I promise.
34
As a mother of two young boys with a learning disability (dyslexia), I can't help thinking that an academic preschool setting would have been more likely to identify their learning issues. We were lucky to get a diagnosis in Kindergarten, but I worry about that others may not have the same chance in a play-based learning environment. Research on dyslexia is very clear that the earlier the diagnosis, the better the long-term remediation outcomes are. Children's learning readiness is key, but it needs to be associated with good teacher training on early identification of learning disabilities.
2
Somehow I was able to thrive in public schools and eventually get a PHD in Electrical Engineering. I did not go to preschool nor kindergarten. Admittedly, I had teachers that had solid middle-class income at the time (60-70's). They actually had training in the courses they were teaching vs. boning up of the subject a week before classes. They also had the freedom to be creative, and not teach to continual "Performance Assesment " tests.
11
Fifteen years ago when my daughter was in preschool she played dress up, worked on holding a pencil, and using scissors. She sang songs and had a grand time finger painting with chocolate pudding and shave cream. She moved on to Kindergarten where there was still a half day option and nap time. I was told by her 1st grade teacher that 1st grade was when they learned to read. This is considered behind by today's standards. Just so you know, this same child scored in the 98th percentile on the ACT and is attending a top 10 university in Boston. What's being done to education in this country is a travesty.
18
I went to public schools and did not learn how to read until age 6 when I was in first grade. I continued through to high school, where no AP classes were offered.
I was accepted by an Ivy League university with a full scholarship and ultimately got my Ph.D. and became a professor.
I am so happy that I was not told about "success" until I was at least in my double digits and my teachers never had to meet any "metrics" or results-driven quotas.
I was accepted by an Ivy League university with a full scholarship and ultimately got my Ph.D. and became a professor.
I am so happy that I was not told about "success" until I was at least in my double digits and my teachers never had to meet any "metrics" or results-driven quotas.
34
While I tend to believe that overly academic preschools are misguided, this type of evidence might still be good to pressure policy makers to put money toward quality preschool for all. There are places where poor parents pay hundreds a month for their child to watch tv all day, were no one is reading or singing or counting to the children all day long. Those parents, who work long hours and random shifts, don't consistently have the time most middle class parents have to read, sing, etc. So if there is any evidence that could persuade policy makers that preschool matters, then I welcome this study and articles about it.
12
Not so long ago, when my kids were turning 3, 4, 5, everyone hounded me about how necessary it was to put my three year old in a rigorous preschool program. I resisted because I thought it was so depressing to do that to a child so young, and because I knew the kids were getting plenty of stimulation at home. When they got to kindergarten, they were literally the only kids who hadn't gone to preschool. Guess what? They did fine. More than fine. And now, in middle school, they are still getting straight As. This hysteria about starting kids' formal education at younger and younger ages is absurd. Of course, preschool will greatly benefit children who come from disadvantaged backgrounds. And if you send your kids to one of those "from here to Harvard" preschools, you'll get your money's worth, but for the rest of the middle class kids with attentive, college-educated parents, I think this whole idea is overblown.
28
The findings suggest that the children learn academics faster, by less than 3 months. Hmm... I doubt that tells us much. Why must we think that faster in the early years is better? Education and learning is a long term picture. Are we helping children to become curious, thinking, problem solvers who can handle life? Or are we hoping they read faster, count higher faster, know their shapes faster? I vote for the first proposition as part of raising competent, compassionate, curious children.
65
While I wasn't mentioning angles or grading, I was pointing out shapes, colors, numbers, etc., to my 3- and 4-year old children. This may be formalizing what engaged parents are already doing.
9
As someone who has taught young children for decades, I find the idea of inserting "academics" into the early, pre-school years disheartening. These little ones can spend the rest of their lives pursuing academic study, but they have one opportunity to enjoy free play in a structured, cooperative setting led by experts in early childhood development. It's troubling enough that kindergarten has become the new first grade. Let's not defile what should be a joyous, fun-filed introduction to group learning for little childen.
34
I think pre-schoolers need to learn emotional and social skills primarily. My grandson wanted to learn to read at 4, but that's the exception. If we try to force all children to read and do math in pre-school, we will end up with automatons, not creative, self-managing students with high self-esteem.
10
'Though Aster is a private school, costing $17,500 for the full-day program...
And there it is.
Spare me the rest.
And there it is.
Spare me the rest.
16
Dr. Seuss WHERE ARE YOU ?!?
I have more degrees than I know what to do with.
Taught at the Graduate Level down to 1st Grade.
What subject did I enjoy the most ?
Finger Painting.
Freedom of Expression
Instant results from such Creative Expressions.
No Grades.
Just Clean-Up.
There was a Willow Tree that we could climb up on during recess.
Limbs low enough and wide enough for all of us to enjoy.
They are only 3, 4 and 5 years old for one time in the lives.
Let them naturally explore the world
and run and play
to their heart's delight.
I have more degrees than I know what to do with.
Taught at the Graduate Level down to 1st Grade.
What subject did I enjoy the most ?
Finger Painting.
Freedom of Expression
Instant results from such Creative Expressions.
No Grades.
Just Clean-Up.
There was a Willow Tree that we could climb up on during recess.
Limbs low enough and wide enough for all of us to enjoy.
They are only 3, 4 and 5 years old for one time in the lives.
Let them naturally explore the world
and run and play
to their heart's delight.
45
Anyone for the "Montessori Method" ?
My kids went to Montessori for pre-K, and I wouldn't trade that experience for any "academic rigor"
Case in point: The Montessori Mafia:
https://blogs.wsj.com/ideas-market/2011/04/05/the-montessori-mafia/
My kids went to Montessori for pre-K, and I wouldn't trade that experience for any "academic rigor"
Case in point: The Montessori Mafia:
https://blogs.wsj.com/ideas-market/2011/04/05/the-montessori-mafia/
5
Just look at the photo of the students sitting on the rug. Do they look tired, stressed, and overwhelmed? Maybe 4 year olds should play and learn the way humans learned since the dawn of time.
10
The German school in the forest is more attractive.
43
We all need to be very concerned about the monetization of our children's education. Especially at the pre-K levels.
13
Education has many problems. However, having children learn, even at a very young age, should be considered an asset, not a liability. Too many schools (preschool through 12th grade) are more worried about the children's self-esteem and not worried enough about academic achievement. There's no shame in a child excelling in academics.
7
Why am I unsurprised your nickname is "marathon runner"?
6
I had an opportunity to review a report card coming from a local universal pre-k program. The report car covered all academic areas, and there were actual grades. The fact that a four-year-old is being graded in math, science, and English at all boggles the mind. However it was the effect it had on the parents that interested me. Their stress level rose considerably because they were convinced their child was not excelling. This then began to negatively affect the attitude of the child. In the end, they returned their child to the more socially oriented private program (which nevertheless address some of the "academic" issues), and the entire family was much happier. While anecdotal, I wonder how many others live with this increased (and unhealthy) stress.
14
De-stress yourselves, parents. Only in Lake Wobegon are all the children above average.
4
As a teacher I wanted my twin boys to play and goof around for as long as possible: it lasted until the end of January in Kindergarten. One had only 10% sight word recognition - the other 30%. After 3 months of flashcards and writing contextual sentences, one of them is reading well, the other is getting there. They only attended 6 months of preschool because their immune systems were not strong enough. I'm lucky to get off at 3 p.m. to be there tutoring wise but what about the parents who come home after 6 p.m. nightly? Their kids are tired , so are the parents, and Kindergarteners are supposed to be reading every night on top of their homework. Parents have to spend academic time with their kids - no amount of extra schooling will suffice. I'm all for early preschool but it doesn't make up for parents whose work schedules that are not conducive with homework and reading after school.
21
To Joseph,
Also, it does not take into account parents who do not have English as a first language, and/or may not be able to read themselves.
I'm not an educator, so I can't comment on whether memorizing that a square has four equal lengthed sides and four right angles is truly "learning". But, common sense tells us that reading comprehension as early as possible lays a good foundation for learning just about everything else.
Also, it does not take into account parents who do not have English as a first language, and/or may not be able to read themselves.
I'm not an educator, so I can't comment on whether memorizing that a square has four equal lengthed sides and four right angles is truly "learning". But, common sense tells us that reading comprehension as early as possible lays a good foundation for learning just about everything else.
1
Those without the capability of being proper parents need to not have children. My children could read way before pre school. Reading to them very early made that happen.
Kids are in school 9 months a year from kindergarten to 12th grade. So being 2.5 months more advanced at the end of kindergarten is equal to a 2.3% head start on the road to graduating high school. I wouldn't call that an insurmountable advantage.
12
As long as the focus remains on results in kindergarten, we will continually lag behind in nurturing the complete, well-rounded, and confident high school graduates. I'm so glad Waldorf and Montessori educations are becoming more popular and understood so articles like this won't influence parents.
11
Wasn't there a story here in the Times just last week (or so) about German preschools where the children run wild and free around the forest doing as they please. I paraphrase but it was something to that effect. Now we have this concept which seems to be its exact opposite.
14
LOL, by the end of kindergarten. They looked at kids over the course of 12 months. That is not reflective of childhood education. Typically, you won't see dramatic differences that last until 4-5th grade year.
9
What is the point of having four year olds know the attributes of a square or know how to read? I learned to read at 7 in Europe, and I am doing great.
17
It seems that these recommendations are not based on any significant or long-lasting intellectual benefits provided to the children, but rather on their effects on the ever-more-circular metrics used to justify the current school system. This appears to be a quintessential race-to-the bottom competition where childhood play is sacrificed to status competition - a two-earner trap for the toddler set.
12
I feel that a lot is missing from this article and maybe the study as well.
Lev Vygotsky learning theory was that children play an active role in their learning and the teacher is there to help guide them. It takes the approach that children are competent and capable and with support from those around them children can investigate and learn through play without having a large group sit and listen to instruction.
What is the benefit to the children that can engage in small groups but are lost in larger ones? Why do we have to decide the basic things children should learn at that age when they are so curious and if given the opportunity they would dive deeper into researching questions they have. Would a study of bridges not introduce concepts of angles and shapes, playing with ramps be the basic start to physic inquiries or studying butterflies be the beginning of learning about entomology and botany? Why are only 3 approaches to early childhood education mentioned when there are so many more out there?
Lev Vygotsky learning theory was that children play an active role in their learning and the teacher is there to help guide them. It takes the approach that children are competent and capable and with support from those around them children can investigate and learn through play without having a large group sit and listen to instruction.
What is the benefit to the children that can engage in small groups but are lost in larger ones? Why do we have to decide the basic things children should learn at that age when they are so curious and if given the opportunity they would dive deeper into researching questions they have. Would a study of bridges not introduce concepts of angles and shapes, playing with ramps be the basic start to physic inquiries or studying butterflies be the beginning of learning about entomology and botany? Why are only 3 approaches to early childhood education mentioned when there are so many more out there?
11
Rigor and play are not mutually exclusive. A curriculum with a lot of play and fun can still be a rigorous learning environment.
Regarding play, however: many preschoolers today do not know how. I'm serious. All of their favorite games are electronic--their imaginations are severely underdeveloped as a result (in my opinion) of being kept compliant with screens. Constant screen usage has severely debilitated the attention spans and inner lives of many preschoolers.
A preschool that wants to use play as a learning tool these days must actually teach young children how to imagine, as they haven't been given the environmental preconditions to develop one on their owns..
Regarding play, however: many preschoolers today do not know how. I'm serious. All of their favorite games are electronic--their imaginations are severely underdeveloped as a result (in my opinion) of being kept compliant with screens. Constant screen usage has severely debilitated the attention spans and inner lives of many preschoolers.
A preschool that wants to use play as a learning tool these days must actually teach young children how to imagine, as they haven't been given the environmental preconditions to develop one on their owns..
18
The kid got it wrong. A square must have four EQUAL ANGLES, 90 degrees each, as well as four equal sides to be a square. You can have a figure with four equal sides, but it would not be a square if the angles are not equal.
This makes me wonder if the kid actually understands what he's saying, and if the teacher knows what she's doing. That's the problem with putting preschoolers in an academic cram school.
Absent some kind of learning disability, there is one, foolproof way to help your children learn: READ to them, and encourage them to read on their own. Take them to the library so that they can see all the books, get them a library card, show them that there are children's sections, history, science, culture, etc. Make them borrow books that they find interesting and make sure they read it.
There's simply no way a computer screen can match that experience, nor a cram preschool.
This makes me wonder if the kid actually understands what he's saying, and if the teacher knows what she's doing. That's the problem with putting preschoolers in an academic cram school.
Absent some kind of learning disability, there is one, foolproof way to help your children learn: READ to them, and encourage them to read on their own. Take them to the library so that they can see all the books, get them a library card, show them that there are children's sections, history, science, culture, etc. Make them borrow books that they find interesting and make sure they read it.
There's simply no way a computer screen can match that experience, nor a cram preschool.
49
I've taught architecture at the university level for almost 2 decades. In that time I've seen unbelievable the changes in student ability to undertake creative problem solving. These are the best undergrad design students in the country and where I used to have to tell them to stop making models or get some sleep, I now have students showing up to studio with no work done asking, what should I do, what do want me to do. And, most importantly, they cannot handle critical feedback, they take it personally and draft angry emails (or their parents do) instead of defending their work in a pre-professional way. Their test scores are amazing, their grades are perfect, just like the first groups I taught, what is different? A middle class American culture that emphasis academics over everything else. Let me tell you that basic concepts of architecture are learned in the block space at my child's play-based preschool along with the creative and social skills needed to be a resilient and satisfied human. Reading and math can wait, play is the work of childhood and it is the basis for all productive life.
215
Parents these days are too over-protective even staying at a college for the orientation week and attending orientation! They end up with children that think everything that they do is great so they don't learn from failure because the parents praise everything they do. You learn both from failure and success but most importantly you have to do the work to achieve. It's the parents worrying that they are working too hard in high school. Parents either have guilt or too much time on their hands.
My kids are in a program that I think combines the best of both worlds. The morning period is a classical Montessori preschool, which operates as described in the article, and which includes 30-45 minutes of play, usually outside. The afternoon is naptime and freeplay, with ~60 minutes outside if the weather is good. Both kids are thriving in this environment.
My oldest is reading and writing before kindergarten, and without formal instruction. She is highly motivated and was encouraged by her Montessori teacher to figure it out by learning sounds over time. Now she tries to sound out everything she sees. By the same token, if her younger sibling shows no interest in 2 years, then he won't learn until he's in formal school, and that's fine, too.
Research does suggest that the gains from "academic preschool" are ephemeral. It could just be a function of kids learning differently over time and all reaching more or less the same place. Or it could be that public schools are not succeeding in capitalizing on those gains. These are important questions, and we need more research.
My oldest is reading and writing before kindergarten, and without formal instruction. She is highly motivated and was encouraged by her Montessori teacher to figure it out by learning sounds over time. Now she tries to sound out everything she sees. By the same token, if her younger sibling shows no interest in 2 years, then he won't learn until he's in formal school, and that's fine, too.
Research does suggest that the gains from "academic preschool" are ephemeral. It could just be a function of kids learning differently over time and all reaching more or less the same place. Or it could be that public schools are not succeeding in capitalizing on those gains. These are important questions, and we need more research.
3
The best early childhood education combines the linguistic and mathematical depth of Ms. Rzonca's question regarding the square while engaging children in active, imaginative, and social play.
Rich is a child's time in play. Speaking to oneself or a playmate about shapes, for example, and how they may be used in the work of construction or imaginative play, combines intellectual, social, emotional, and physical domains of development in sophisticated ways. Didactic call-and-response may satisfy a standard of knowledge, but surely not the standard of learning we hope children, especially those who come from disadvantage, will develop. Learning, at this age, we know is experiential and not rote.
Fuller's study advocates combining academics and rich use of language and experience to foster shared lessons between children and teachers.
If departments of Education and policy makers take something from Fuller's study, may it be just that - that we, as educators, can do more to craft lessons, imparting academics while engaging children in their naturally-curious ways of learning. The two are not mutually exclusive. We need to think beyond flashcards and core standards to see each interaction and experience as valuable to learning, not merely the ones with children seated around a colorful rug.
Cynthia Arraya Wiltshire
MS, Neuroscience and Education
Doctoral Candidate, Early Childhood Education
Graduate Research Assistant, The NEED Lab
Teachers College, Columbia University
Rich is a child's time in play. Speaking to oneself or a playmate about shapes, for example, and how they may be used in the work of construction or imaginative play, combines intellectual, social, emotional, and physical domains of development in sophisticated ways. Didactic call-and-response may satisfy a standard of knowledge, but surely not the standard of learning we hope children, especially those who come from disadvantage, will develop. Learning, at this age, we know is experiential and not rote.
Fuller's study advocates combining academics and rich use of language and experience to foster shared lessons between children and teachers.
If departments of Education and policy makers take something from Fuller's study, may it be just that - that we, as educators, can do more to craft lessons, imparting academics while engaging children in their naturally-curious ways of learning. The two are not mutually exclusive. We need to think beyond flashcards and core standards to see each interaction and experience as valuable to learning, not merely the ones with children seated around a colorful rug.
Cynthia Arraya Wiltshire
MS, Neuroscience and Education
Doctoral Candidate, Early Childhood Education
Graduate Research Assistant, The NEED Lab
Teachers College, Columbia University
7
German school doesn't start until 7, for ours, at least no academic preschool - and academic progress went well. It is somehow like learning to ride a bicycle - at 3 or 4 the kid needs training wheels and a long learning curve - later, when physically and mentally capable of balancing and dealing with traffic, only a few days are needed. As adults, they both still can ride a bike. Why put all that effort into pushing something way early?
18
My oldest started half-day preschool at 3, 2 days a week and then 3 days at age 4, because I felt he was ready for greater stimulation than in the home-based daycare he attended. I'll admit our child care was carefully selected, but still - it had limits. His brothers followed suit, and it helped with all of their socialization, vocabulary skills, etc. This is not to say they would have failed without it; we used to read every night and had toys (some of them not bought, just pulled together from random materials... milk bottle cap manipulatives for numbers games, anyone? Bathtub toys? The marvels of soap bubbles?) that cultivated familiarity with shapes, gears, colors, quantities, numbers, and other things I can't even recall. There is no silver bullet but paying attention to children, even in limited after-work hours, pays huge dividends. Beyond anything else, I think that's the takeaway most parents need to absorb. You do have to make an effort yourself. Successful children seldom emerge from a vacuum.
4
My wife and I put our eldest son into a school that had a regular curriculum starting in JP (kindergarten) teaching a language and other basics, the (3) Rs, etc. The headmaster explained that these children had the capacity to learn easily in more complicated subjects if we just let them. So, Luke graduates with 9 years of Spanish and the (3) Rs + after (8) years of elementary and (1) Junior Primary schooling. I would consider that education to be an advantage.
3
My daughter's preschool was named 2017 best preschool
in CT. They offer a nice mix of play and academics. And the kids seem to have responded positively. As a group, they are well behaved and inquisitive.
Given my daughter, during welcome to kindergarten day, asked the principal of the public elementary school if they offer engineering courses is encouraging. The USA can still produce well needed young scientists and problem solvers.
Bring on the flash cards!
in CT. They offer a nice mix of play and academics. And the kids seem to have responded positively. As a group, they are well behaved and inquisitive.
Given my daughter, during welcome to kindergarten day, asked the principal of the public elementary school if they offer engineering courses is encouraging. The USA can still produce well needed young scientists and problem solvers.
Bring on the flash cards!
2
Awful. This is precisely the issue. How in the world can a state have a best preschool. That I'm sorry to say is a marketing gimmick that uptight, affluent parents fall for.
9
I'll wager good money that the proliferation of all varieties of neuroses we see in our youth today has something to with the fact that we just can't let our kids be kids! Chill out people!
120
And if the child "fails" what happens to their self-esteem? Some children are late-bloomers. Seems to me this idea will just create a generation of neurotic kids.
Given the current fiscal situation belonging to the federal government and most states, massive debt both on and off the books and massive deficit spending, how are we supposed to pay for this? It seems all the more reason to get our fiscal house(s) in order so we can address critical immediate needs and investments. Of course, Dems want to increase taxes and increase spending while Repubs want to cut both taxes and spending. Neither party is offering any realistic solutions to our current fiscal crisis, so little can be done to address investment like this.
4
It's trivial to fund more valuable targeted pre school programs. You could pay for it by simply taxing hedge funds at income rather than capital gains levels. In fact, the entire problem of deficits is caused by the ability of special interest groups and greedy Americans to insist of subsidies for their preferred behavior.
5
Dems are tax and spend;repubs are borrow and spend. Notice the common feature.
1
What is all this extra rigor making? Better people or machines?
13
This 'study' can be contradicted by many others - Finland kids don't go to school until 7 and they outperform ours by middle school. As a dad, I say let them be babies as long as they can. Fiber? I support fiber...that's why my kids eat Cheerios!
64
Ironically the leader in education, Finland, is moving in the exact opposite direction.
75
90% of pre-school is socialization. Whatever else they do is the other 10%.
Art and music are just as important too. Free play is essential to learning.
Art and music are just as important too. Free play is essential to learning.
33
Yes but would say 50% be just as effective?
This study seems worthless. Surely its not surprising that pre-K means better knowledge in Kindergarten. The only question should be if pre-K helps achievement all the way through to adulthood.
Studies on that are more interesting and like the article says, not conclusive at best.
Given the cost of pre-K with smaller classes I'd prefer the toddlers to play and save resources for when they're teenagers.
Studies on that are more interesting and like the article says, not conclusive at best.
Given the cost of pre-K with smaller classes I'd prefer the toddlers to play and save resources for when they're teenagers.
19
Maybe schools should benchmark the 20 or so countries that are ahead of the United States. In those countries that lead America, almost all believe a proper pre-K curriculum is playing with other kids. These kids from Japan, Finland, Canada and others don't get left behind. On the contrary, by the time they test in high school, students from those other schools get better scores on almost every metric. I'm so thankful I wasn't forced to do math at age three. Please.
128
I am 54. I had flashcards to learn some basic words and they must've helped a bit. The first word that I ever remember learning to read was "who" in the first grade and I remember turning to my left and saying to Billy DeVito "How do you say this?"
Anyway, flashcards and various rote memorization does help. It is the equivalent of read-only memory in a computer or postulates in mathematics; the fundamentals from which all else develops.
That said, free play is critical too because it is the self-inspired homework for kids. I could go on about this for hours, but free play is vital for developing curiosity. It is "Necessity is the mother of invention (and learning)" incarnate because, in the act of play, children will be exposed to so much and develop their own questions and subsequent learning skills to answer those questions by themselves.
Even in automatic control systems, we have something like this; in a robust adaptive control system, we give the system a model of what it needs to control, but we also deliberately give it some noise - essentially giving it free play time - to learn about reality and how that differs from the model (which is like the "flashcards" so to speak).
Anyway, flashcards and various rote memorization does help. It is the equivalent of read-only memory in a computer or postulates in mathematics; the fundamentals from which all else develops.
That said, free play is critical too because it is the self-inspired homework for kids. I could go on about this for hours, but free play is vital for developing curiosity. It is "Necessity is the mother of invention (and learning)" incarnate because, in the act of play, children will be exposed to so much and develop their own questions and subsequent learning skills to answer those questions by themselves.
Even in automatic control systems, we have something like this; in a robust adaptive control system, we give the system a model of what it needs to control, but we also deliberately give it some noise - essentially giving it free play time - to learn about reality and how that differs from the model (which is like the "flashcards" so to speak).
17
Parents reading to their children makes these flash cards not required. Surely three year olds should know how to read.
I'm strongly in the "let children play" camp with regards to the curriculum for early childhood programs. My recollection of past studies that indicated children who attended more academically oriented preschools seemed to have a head start over their peers who attended play based programs with regards to mastery of academic subjects also found that those differences tended to disappear within a year. The other students "caught up" and by the end of 1st grade there was no difference in academic performance between those that attended a play based preschool or a more academically oriented one. So, why waste all that time - just let the kids enjoy being kids!
"What attributes would tell me this is a square?" Attribute? In preschool? All Academic is the way to go. That is the Classic Traditional School style. Academics, when taught as they should be taught, should create inspiration, enthusiasm, creativity and originality. Ideas, Ideas, Ideas! These wonderful Academic ideas lead to Great Products, for the World Marketplace. And Top Jobs too, with Highly Competitive Resumes. It seems like people need to have a different kind of exposure to the word: Academic.
It's hard to say that one way works for everyone. My older child attended a Montessori school and flourished. My younger child attended a very old-school preschool with great teachers, and a rich music and reading program. But the main focus was play. Both kids did well in school K-12 and in college. (Both preschools were private).
2
I do not think this is a "new" finding, though it sounds like a well-designed study with better controls than most.
We've known for a while that teaching preschoolers academic skills helps them to be better prepared academically when "real" school begins. (News flash! Teaching numbers leads to more numbers knowledge than playing with blocks!) But we've also known something else. The few studies that have tracked the same kids forward a few years show that this "boost" disappears by the end of second grade or thereabouts. High-quality play-based preschool (which includes a focus on language development, social pretend play, and constructive play - with an underlying emphasis on narrative and social skills) leads to equally good academic outcomes down the road. (Yes, blocks teach us about spatial cognition, which is essential for mathematics.)
Oh, and the kids who are playing are also having a better time.
We've known for a while that teaching preschoolers academic skills helps them to be better prepared academically when "real" school begins. (News flash! Teaching numbers leads to more numbers knowledge than playing with blocks!) But we've also known something else. The few studies that have tracked the same kids forward a few years show that this "boost" disappears by the end of second grade or thereabouts. High-quality play-based preschool (which includes a focus on language development, social pretend play, and constructive play - with an underlying emphasis on narrative and social skills) leads to equally good academic outcomes down the road. (Yes, blocks teach us about spatial cognition, which is essential for mathematics.)
Oh, and the kids who are playing are also having a better time.
43
Perhaps someone else reading the actual study could clarify this for me.
But what it appears to me is that the findings were that any type of preschool results in gains. The gains were somewhat larger for the academically-oriented ones, but I could see no statistical tests of the difference in gains between the types of preschool. The statistical comparisons all seemed to be with the "no preschool" control group.
If the difference in gains among the types of preschools were within the margin of statistical error, then the study does not show what this article states that it shows.
Did I read the study incorrectly? Are any authors of the study reading these comments and can clarify?
But what it appears to me is that the findings were that any type of preschool results in gains. The gains were somewhat larger for the academically-oriented ones, but I could see no statistical tests of the difference in gains between the types of preschool. The statistical comparisons all seemed to be with the "no preschool" control group.
If the difference in gains among the types of preschools were within the margin of statistical error, then the study does not show what this article states that it shows.
Did I read the study incorrectly? Are any authors of the study reading these comments and can clarify?
6
The study has limitations; it follows kids only to the end of Kindergarten. My middle kid did a play-oriented pre-school and by the end of Grade 1 fully caught up with and exceeded her peers. I compare her to my eldest who went to Montessori at 2 and read at 3 and a half and I am so sad that I did not allow my eldest to enjoy her childhood, learn socializing and creativity. Studies of Finnish children who leave formal schooling until 7 are particularly interesting. I say, let the children play!!
87
I agree to let children play, but to let them learn when they want to. I have never seen anything as wonderful as a child with its constant barrage of "Why?" questions. They are learning then, but they need competent people who know how to present the knowledge to pre-schoolers. If teaching and learning are like a game, are fun, then I'm all for it. I still remember how frustrated I was because I wanted to read, I wanted to do maths, but my mother was told to avoid teaching me these elements as I would have been too far ahead for 1st grade.
Creativity, enjoying childhood, socializing - they learn that anyway. For some reason there's a very mawkish attitude about childhood that sees learning as destructive to a child's well-being. It is not. Early learning develops a child's mind and does not crush the curiosity it has about the world and about how things work.
My own close friend indulged my godchild, who skipped first grade and studied medical virology as of 18. That girl had a very happy childhood, for your information.
Creativity, enjoying childhood, socializing - they learn that anyway. For some reason there's a very mawkish attitude about childhood that sees learning as destructive to a child's well-being. It is not. Early learning develops a child's mind and does not crush the curiosity it has about the world and about how things work.
My own close friend indulged my godchild, who skipped first grade and studied medical virology as of 18. That girl had a very happy childhood, for your information.
Play is learning too. Free play allows children to develop complex social and emotional skills that are essential to their ability to thrive later on in childhood and beyond. What happens when play is pushed aside in favor of ever more intensive instruction? I teach at an Ivy League institution where my students seem to be floundering more and more when it comes to managing their own lives. Being academically well-prepared doesn't do you a whole lot of good if you are so depressed you can't get out of bed and go to class in the morning. Let's look at a longer time horizon before we decide that cutting out play is a good idea.
69
I couldn't agree more! My children have almost NO opportunity to just play/interact with kids without adult supervision. It's so detrimental to their development. I just dropped my kid off at a birthday party this weekend. The mom clearly stated in the invitation that we were welcome to drop our children off and pick them up afterwards. Imagine my (nonexistent) surprise when I learned I was the only parent to have done so. The rest of the parents OF TEN YEAR OLDS descended on this backyard to micromanage everything and be there to intervene at the slightest sign of "trouble." Play dates - the most horrible invention since white bread - invariable include the host parent having to set up food and drink for the visiting parent who refuses to just drop off their kid for an hour or two of fun. When did this happen? How will these kids deal with life? With adversity? I thought it might be just where I live, but my friends all around the NYC/NJ area assure me it's the same everywhere. So glad to have grown up before the madness began.
17
As a child neurologist, one of my best tools to ease an anxious family who is worried about their child not being "kindergarten ready" is to remind them that many foreign education systems, including Finland's, which has a Yankee like mystique in the world of education, do not emphasize literacy until age 7. Instead they teach semi-structured creative play. Of course, Finnish students regularly outperform American students on academic testing in later grades. Now this doesn't mean that quality pre-schools don't matter. Kids need attention and they need to explore their curiosity, but the modern focus on academic achievement before 1st grade could be a massive waste of time and money. This study does not disprove that. It shows that kindergarten academic skills are enhanced in kids who are exposed to that material in pre-school, which is kind of common sense. There is value however in following this cohort over time, and I hope the researchers accomplish that.
The question we have to answer before investing massive time and resources into preschool is how long do the advantages of pre-school structured academics last? My skeptic take is that by 3rd grade all these kids are doing about the same, no matter what type of pre-school they attend.
Unless of course they are just plopped in front of a Dora the Explorer DVD for 6 hours a day!
The question we have to answer before investing massive time and resources into preschool is how long do the advantages of pre-school structured academics last? My skeptic take is that by 3rd grade all these kids are doing about the same, no matter what type of pre-school they attend.
Unless of course they are just plopped in front of a Dora the Explorer DVD for 6 hours a day!
35
The only way this means anything is if you follow those children through high school. So a kindergartener is able say a square has four sides? I think we all figure that out sooner or later. Which high school graduate is more motivated and higher achieving? The one who had a 3 hour geometry lesson at age 4 or the one who was allowed to figure it out by stacking blocks. I would bet there is little difference.
9
Taking a quick look at Fuller's paper, it obviously emphasizes certain skills:
"We ask whether pre-k impacts range higher when teachers spend more time on activities emphasizing language, preliteracy, and math concepts."
But later in the paper and a bit in this NYT article, these measures seem to become lumped into some sort of catch-all called "child's cognitive proficiencies," perhaps to the expense of other "proficiencies", like "building exquisite Lego edifices" or painting pictures.
I have to sympathize, in part, with the Brooklyn Heights parents noted here. A lot of us have found that early reading, 'riting, 'rithmetic wasn't that hard with our 3 & 4yo... and that these things can (and should) be balanced with plenty of play. Getting quality art and music time remains the biggest challenge.
"We ask whether pre-k impacts range higher when teachers spend more time on activities emphasizing language, preliteracy, and math concepts."
But later in the paper and a bit in this NYT article, these measures seem to become lumped into some sort of catch-all called "child's cognitive proficiencies," perhaps to the expense of other "proficiencies", like "building exquisite Lego edifices" or painting pictures.
I have to sympathize, in part, with the Brooklyn Heights parents noted here. A lot of us have found that early reading, 'riting, 'rithmetic wasn't that hard with our 3 & 4yo... and that these things can (and should) be balanced with plenty of play. Getting quality art and music time remains the biggest challenge.
8
Finland consistently tops the OECD rankings in science, math and beyond - and they do not start formal education until children are 7 (and they do not track children in elementary school either). What they do do is invest in high quality, highly skilled teachers, well fed students and high quality early childcare centers. The US always looking for a gimmick and a quick fix is now moving toward "academic" preschools - what a joke! All a child needs to learn prior to five are curiosity, social skills and kindness. But these things require time and resources and are "family values" GOP aren't willing to invest either in children.
112
And not just Finland. Germany, France, Japan, and even Singapore and many other countries don't start reading until the age of six.
The Tiger Mom curriculum works for children who are highly parented, drilled and where excellence is expected. For children of the 99% the Play Curriculum developed by the Bank Street College Education is the best. Block building with an emphasis on measurement and number, Fantasy corners where imagination is explored . We've had drill and skill pre school and elementary school for a number of years , and honestly , the kids are turning out dumber. Try Barbara Biber's Play Curriculum.
9
I taught for almost 25 years--four of those at the preschool level. Even just hearing the words "academic-oriented prekindergarten" raises my hackles. Children of 2,3, and 4 years of age need to learn how to use their bodies and how to be a human who can be with other humans without causing pain and upset all the time. These are the main jobs at those young ages.
It is fine to throw in pre-reading games and activities, rhyming words, fun problem solving, pre-numeracy activities, and other activities that will allow these kids to start learning the more academic skills when they get to first grade.
Before that time, kids need to run and jump and climb and wrestle and swing and hide and seek and hold crayons and scissors and glue and learn how to use their large muscles and how to develop their fine motor skills.
Also, they need to learn about feelings and emotions and the cause and effect that happens when their words and actions butt up against other people, and vice versa.
Parents who want their preschoolers to learn the alphabet and reading and writing and addition and subtraction in an organized way should take that on themselves or start their own academic preschool. Publicly funded preschools should NOT be "academically oriented."
It is fine to throw in pre-reading games and activities, rhyming words, fun problem solving, pre-numeracy activities, and other activities that will allow these kids to start learning the more academic skills when they get to first grade.
Before that time, kids need to run and jump and climb and wrestle and swing and hide and seek and hold crayons and scissors and glue and learn how to use their large muscles and how to develop their fine motor skills.
Also, they need to learn about feelings and emotions and the cause and effect that happens when their words and actions butt up against other people, and vice versa.
Parents who want their preschoolers to learn the alphabet and reading and writing and addition and subtraction in an organized way should take that on themselves or start their own academic preschool. Publicly funded preschools should NOT be "academically oriented."
135
Play is how children make sense of the world and their place in it. It is how they express their ideas and learn how to negotiate - qualities they can use at any age. And guess what? A child who builds with blocks will have an inherent understanding of a square's attributes instead of a memorized fact.
58
If a child is building with blocks (cubes, rectangular prism, cylinders, triangular prisms, etc.), he or she is much more likely to develop an “inherent understanding” of the attributes of three-dimensional objects than of squares—which are two-dimensional objects.
3
Considering what I see today with parents and children a bit of academic preparation may go a long way. Parents don't seem to interact with their young children as much as they used to. They'll be with their children and on the cellphone, holding their hands and talking on the cellphone, in the grocery store and on the cellphone. I understand that parents cannot spend every minute of every day interacting with their children but I think that those cellphones are a real problem when it comes to human interactions.
Children are curious creatures. It's why they make such excellent students. As long as they get plenty of time to run around, play, and be children, some learning in preschool ought not to be a problem. But if they start giving children grades in preschool it will be an issue. There is a place and a time to do an academic evaluation of a child and preschool is not it. We have to remember that children mature at different rates: some will learn to read before they start kindergarten while others will be the way I was and not learn until they are six.
Keep the learning fun and the children will do it with joy.
Children are curious creatures. It's why they make such excellent students. As long as they get plenty of time to run around, play, and be children, some learning in preschool ought not to be a problem. But if they start giving children grades in preschool it will be an issue. There is a place and a time to do an academic evaluation of a child and preschool is not it. We have to remember that children mature at different rates: some will learn to read before they start kindergarten while others will be the way I was and not learn until they are six.
Keep the learning fun and the children will do it with joy.
53
As an overachiever, I would have flourished in such an atmosphere.
Why do parents now fear any sort of challenging atmosphere for their children?
So glad I spent the money to put my children into private school with other kids whose parents were looking for a more forward thinking teaching curriculum.
These young minds soak up all knowledge! Teach them as much as you can in a supportive environment. Our future depends on it.
Why do parents now fear any sort of challenging atmosphere for their children?
So glad I spent the money to put my children into private school with other kids whose parents were looking for a more forward thinking teaching curriculum.
These young minds soak up all knowledge! Teach them as much as you can in a supportive environment. Our future depends on it.
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Even among American kids that go to private schools, students publicly educated in Finland will test better on almost every metric. Their pre-K curriculum is playing with other kids and having fun.
RB, so I guess parents who can't afford such programs are parents who aren't looking for forward thinking teaching for their children? Good thing such parents all happen to be able to afford your kids private pre-school.
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My kids thrived in our local NYC public schools and went on to become Ivy League-educated scholars of distinction. I hope you supported (and continue to support) your local public schools, especially since you did not think they were good enough for your children.
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