early education -

[freetibet]

I just came across this interesting bit of information. What do you think?
Should our five year olds be doing academic work or playing?


. . . a major study undertaken in Germany comparing 100 public schools classes for five year olds. 50 of them had only play in their program and the other 50 had academics and play together. The children entered first grade when they were six, and the study surveyed their progress until they were ten. The first year there was little difference to be seen. By the time the children were ten, however, those who had been allowed to just play when they were five surpassed their schoolmates in every area measured. One can imagine how startling these results were to the state educators. They considered the results so conclusive that within months they had converted all of the academic programs back to play programs.

Joan Almon, "What Are the Needs of the Five-Year Olds?"
Leading Forth, Journal of the Waldorf School of Baltimore, Spring 1988, No.4, pp.5-6
Quoted in Rahima Baldwin Dancy’s You Are Your Child’s First Teacher

[mckenziecat]

recognition but seriously doubt the type A parents around me will listen.
I think my kids were pushed way too much in k and 1st and it's one of the reasons I held them back in pre-k so they started at 6. I believe this is true for most children - they learn out of the sheer joy of learning, but we make it such a chore for them that they lose interest. Right now I'm dealing with 1st graders cheating on the accelerated reader program at our school - which is OPTIONAL and does not affect grades. But we have made what should be their natural joy for reading into something that must be rewarded and are reaping the effects of that.
Interesting study, thanks for sharing.
beth

[jknyc]

I think five year olds should still be playing, and that's one of the reasons I love our school district. Kids start K if they turn 5 by the end of the calendar year. Very few people hold their age-eligible kids back and wait until they are 6 to start. But our kindergarten is what kindergarten should be. It is not academic.

There is no pressure to start reading in kindergarten, though many children do. I hate hearing from parents in other school districts that their first graders have spelling tests every week or math drills. I think it's a good way to burn out kids at a young age.

I think the type A parents who push their kids to very early academic pressures are only showing their own lack of self-confidence and lack of confidence in their kids. This is the soapbox, so I can share that, right?

[jenm]

I believe 5 year old children should be playing, and I further believe that the emphasis on early academic work is detrimental for many children, particularly boys.

[Katie2]

Add me to the list of people who think 5-year-olds should be playing.

[sfpierce]

I think it is OK for 5 yo's to read (some of the German programs won't teach or encourage until they have permanent teeth). BUT, academics should not be pushed on them at all and the focus should be play and socializing. The one piece of homework my ds has NEVER done consistently (and we don't make him and the teachers don't care) is his reading log (where he has to write down every day what he read and how many pages, etc.). Ds LOVES to read and we aren't going to turn it into a chore/homework by making him record it all -- and the teachers know he is reading as much (more) than he is required to.

[LL2]

Originally Posted by sfpierce

The one piece of homework my ds has NEVER done consistently (and we don't make him and the teachers don't care) is his reading log (where he has to write down every day what he read and how many pages, etc.). Ds LOVES to read and we aren't going to turn it into a chore/homework by making him record it all -- and the teachers know he is reading as much (more) than he is required to.

Anecdote for you - my SO is a reading teacher and this year is the first year DS has had a required reading log. She also requires a reading log in her classes, but she has totally simplified and downplayed it for her students this year because until she had to do one as a parent, she never realized what a complete annoyance and PITA the things were!

[jenm]

Originally Posted by LL2

Anecdote for you - my SO is a reading teacher and this year is the first year DS has had a required reading log. She also requires a reading log in her classes, but she has totally simplified and downplayed it for her students this year because until she had to do one as a parent, she never realized what a complete annoyance and PITA the things were!

Elementary school teachers improve after they have their own child in elementary school imo!

[sfpierce]

they really are a pain! and I'm not going to have a child AVOID reading bc he doesn't want to log!

[June2]

Ugh, we have a reading log too. We always have books and magazines around and read things all the time. Last month I totally neglected to write anything on the reading log and I got it back with a note circled and in red saying "This is homework! Please try to meet the reading goal next month." I felt like such a bad girl for not doing my homework. LOL. The funny thing is that my son got Excellent in every subject on his report card and almost met the year end reading goal at the beginning of the year, so she knows we must read with him.