Why I Don't Believe in Early Childhood Education

Tristi Pinkston (10839) 07 Sep 2006 12:10 PM

I have found that by the time my children are ready for the preschool workbooks, they already know everything in them. Some of it comes from watching Sesame Street, some comes from older brothers and sisters, and some just gets picked up as they listen to what's going on around them. A lot of that early education you mention is happening subconciously every day without a formal structure.

Valorie Delp (49340) 07 Sep 2006 01:31 PM

There was a study done that showed that delaying reading instruction actually improved overall reading comprehension because an older child would bring more experience to what they were reading. In NYS that's not really an option--but it makes for an interesting read. Thanks for your comment Tristi!

Brandie (1720) 07 Sep 2006 10:29 PM

I think early education should be play! Kids learn so much from just playing it's amazing. I would be fairly comfortable even delaying education to age 10 myself - I haven't with my oldest, she was ready. But I thinking it's teh way to go with my middle child. Anyway, back to point - I think it's interesting that as we start education earlier and earlier, test scores internationally are only getting worse. I don't think preschool is the answer. I think if we delayed a bit and let kids play and have fun, they'd be more ready for school, instead of stressed and worried about what they are supposed to learn at the age of 5.

mcmama (51978) 11 Sep 2006 09:26 AM

You make some really good points - not to disparage preschools, but I found that when kids from my family child care went to "real school" they had learned so much from our play based method to the madness structured kid friendly informality - and what preschool or center based care prepared them for was adapting to formal school environments.

Good preschools support parents in raising children, keeping their curriculum age and developmentally appropriate, and enable parents and children to be part of a community. Sometimes, preschools are part of a larger private school, and admission to the preschool give your child a better advantage for admission later on. That's why the competition for this is insane in NYC!

Valorie Delp (49340) 11 Sep 2006 06:33 PM

My husband works at several preschools in NYC and insane is an understatement! And you're right, they do prepare kids for a formal environment. If I were thinking of sending my kids to school, I would likely consider sending them to PK once a week or so. What drives me bonkers is parents running around talking about their 3yo having a reading disability! HUH? Let the kid play and run and have fun for goodness sake!

Brandie (1720) 14 Sep 2006 12:22 PM

I just read about a mom who has to help her 4 year old with her preschool homework. Mom also mentioned that the daughter does seem a little stressed about it, so they take breaks. I just don't think 4 year old should be stressed about homework ... not even just a little bit!

Valorie Delp (49340) 14 Sep 2006 01:26 PM

Who says a 4yo should even get homework? The private school that would be our alternative if for some reason we were unable to homeschool, gives homework to preschoolers. It was a pretty huge deterent for us to send our kids there. Then if they don't have their homework done they don't get the afternoon snack. I just think that's awful.

Valerie Nelson (1149) 14 Sep 2006 03:53 PM

Great article Valorie.

I agree with your viewpoint, but I wonder if there are any studies that might show how kids who attend preschool do iacademically n later years compared to those who do not attend pre-k. I remember when I was considering preschool for my children, one of my thoughts was making sure that my children could keep up with other kids in early elementary that had attended pre-k.

Valorie Delp (49340) 15 Sep 2006 04:57 AM

I don't think there are sufficient studies personally. Kaye sites several in her article that I've heard of before. My problem is that the studies I've seen don't take into account other factors (largely because they're pushing for pk or against it--they're too biased.) So for example, in our neighborhood that is very low income, with lots of inner city type problems--they say--"Oh yes, preschool will improve your child's academic success substantially over those who don't go to PK." Well duh--these kids would otherwise be at home watching t.v. I know I'm generalizing too--but really, would MY kids benefit from PK that much? My kids get the academic stuff at home anyways, they're not allowed to watch t.v., they get 3 meals a day (that is not a given here), etc., etc. I have yet to see a study that takes into account kids from all various backgrounds and still says that the benefits of going to preschool are that big over someone else who didn't. Does that make sense? Anyhow, I think that the stress put on some of these kids is just plain nonsense!

Brandie (1720) 15 Sep 2006 09:16 AM

Most of the studied I have read have said that kids who do pre-k are ahead of their peers until about 2nd grade. At 2nd grade the jump stops and by 4th grade kids are pretty much back on even ground.

Brandie (1720) 15 Sep 2006 09:18 AM

Valorie, I don't think a 4 year old should have homework, aside from, bring something for show-n-tell or a picture of yourself tomorrow to hang on the board either. And it breaks me heart to have a mom tell me her child is not only getting actual worksheets but then started to show that she's getting slightly stressed over it.

Valorie Delp (49340) 15 Sep 2006 04:34 PM

Brandie-- There have been numerous studies in the inner city where we live showing the benefits of ECE. My problem is that they only study kids who already have significant risk factors for not doing well to begin with. Then they say, "These poor inner-city kids. . .if ECE can help them. . .it can help anyone. Not saying there aren't good studies out there--just that there are not a lot that are unbiased enough to really say how any kid would benefit. And I totally agree--homework in PK is ridiculous. It would break my heart too.

Kara (21330) 09 Dec 2007 08:33 PM

I think how the child does only as good as the parent allows, no matter how much schooling they do or don't get or whatever form they get it. Of course I understand some do have learning problems (I did) For me it just took more work and it was frustrating and stressful but I got through it. I would have been way better off if I had been home schooled but....my mom wouldn't do that. My niece didn't go to preschool and was told she couldn't go to kidergarten when she was old enough because she didn't know enough. She couldn't recognize any letter except X, she could sing it but not say the abc's. She didn't know the difference between her first and last name and thought it was all just one thing. She could only count to 10. So they had to send her to PK instead. I think alll of her problems were due to lack of attention from her parents.

Valorie Delp (49340) 09 Dec 2007 09:05 PM

I'm not sure my 4yo would recognize letters though either. I know that the trend in education is to push kids into knowing things earlier and earlier. But the more preschoolers I educate, the more I see that really providing them with rich experiences is an excellent education. So while my 4yo doesn't know her letters (at least I don't think. . .you never know!), she could tell you all about the ocean or zoo and the animals in it, label the biomes from which they came, and possibly even find the correct continent on a map. It's not that she does nothing. . .just not that. ;-)

Kara (21330) 10 Dec 2007 09:10 AM

When I went to preschool I didn't know letters or numbers I knew how to say them but not read them and I had 3 older sisters. I remember learning all those things in kindergarten--shapes colors letters numbers. Preschool was all just play and art.

Valorie Delp (49340) 10 Dec 2007 09:14 AM

Yep. . .for me too.

kidsread (15) 22 Aug 2008 09:08 AM

You are so right Valorie. I am yet to see the benefits of preschool socialization. To tell you the truth my child was better behaved before he went to preschool. He ate his veggies and did not have 17 other kids around to copy moody behavior from. Not to say that he was not moody enough on his own. Aside from that, children learn when they are developmentally ready, and they all develop in stages. Pushing them to perform beyond their age only damages their self-esteem and stresses them out. I wish that schools would relax and teach through fun instead of this pressure of tests and getting ready for the next year. What about this year? How about we let our kids enjoy the moment and their childhood? Perhaps we need to step back and realize that this stressed out approach can only lead to early burn-out and drop-out. Good Bless, KidsReads http://kidsread.wordpress.com/

Samual (11722) 22 Aug 2008 09:42 AM

In the UK those who start school later, achieve less at school, education wise and tend to be quiter than the ones who started school younger. Here every child starts school at four unless they only turned four a few days before school starts, then they can start when they are five. We don't have pre-school here, just day care for children who aren't at home with mum or dad. If starting school at 4 was so bad, why does the UK have a 99% pass rate at GCSE? Last years figures showed 78% of those students attained all A*-C grades in all ten subjects.

Mikey has been at school since January, he turned four in the december, I know for a fact since he has been there hasn't had to sit at a desk at all. He can read and write, not masterpieces obviously, but they learn everything from playing. Now at the end of every school day at story time they have a really big book with big writing and pictures and everyone reads certain parts together, so if someone doesn't know what it says, they can eventually learn as they are hearing what everyone is saying. Some children know nothing when they go to school, some can write their name, but it does really matter, as everything is play, it's like when you realise you have learnt something and know how to do it, but you havn't had it forced or drilled into you. He wont have homework until he is in year 6, when he is 10 and then it is just so he can practice new things at home for about 30 minutes.

Unless someone has bad parents, everyone learns before school, alot of people tend to ignore being able to name animals is learning and being able to name colours.

When I was in reception, the first year of school we could all read and write, but I can never remember being sat down to learn, we learnt to count by splattering paint all over the wall in the classroom. If you couldn't do it, it didn't matter, you catch up when the penny drops.

I don't personally don't know of any primary schools with formal sit down and learn education for the first few years.

mcmama (51978) 23 Aug 2008 09:26 AM

You raise some good points, samual. A lot of why parents here don't want to send kids to preschool is because some of them are so developmentally inappropriate. There is a lot of sit down and open your books and color, and do the prefab project so you can take it home to mommy and daddy and they will have "results".

A good preschool experience allows for learning in a developmentally appropriate structure. Drove me nuts that when I was doing Family child care, I was "teaching" science to mixed age groups with the youngest participants being 2 and the oldest 7 - and I taught other daycare providers how to do this - but in preschool "science" was just too much to do in a day that was very structured, other than planting flowers for mothers day or having a butterfly tent or class pet as a project. Too "messy". But there was always time to scribble, and careful attention given to critical evaluation of whether or not a 4 year old was showing "readiness" for kindergarten - ie cuts with scissors, writes own name, and knows the most important "letterscolorsnumbersshapes".

Most of my family daycare kids went to full day prek programs at daycare centers at age 4, or Montessori kindergarten already knowing how to write, and some were doing reading and basic calculations based on real life experience and reasoning. But they didn't always show it off too well on worksheets. So there was some question by the public schools if they were "ready".

They are all in college now, and most have excelled at selective schools.

Samual (11722) 24 Aug 2008 06:38 AM

In the UK the first few years aren't structured at all, from the age of 7 there is more sit down and write, but not for very long per day most of the education is still making things and learning about different cultures and playing. By this time they do do the main aspects of maths, plus, minus, divide, multiply, english in answering questions from comprehension and reading school books, science is still growing plants and how many planets there are, things like that. You learn lots of history too, by doing things like dressing up as egyptians, making victorian houses out of cereal boxes and learning how they live, normally using gruesome stories. You do get some homework, but it is to practice your reading, or if you are struggling to spell a word, practice that. It's more what you should be doing at home with your parents anyway, than sit down for an hour and work your backside off.

Here schooling doesn't become serious until secondary school when you are 12, but then it is serious as in, your not a child anymore, you do as your told. But the educational part doesn't become major until you are 13.