Why are we in such a rush? In today’s kindergarten classrooms children are required master a number of sight words and read at a level once reserved for first grade. They must do this to the exclusion of recess, informal play, and in some cases, even the arts.
Standardized tests have forced our schools into teaching too much, too soon. In his book entitled, The Power of Play, Dr. David Elkind, a professor Emeritus in the Eliot-Pearson Department of Child Development at Tufts University, warns parents and educators of the dangers of developmentally inappropriate early childhood programs.
Dr. Elkind states, “Comparisons with other countries suggest that there is no benefit to starting formal instruction before the age of six. The majority of other European countries admit children to school at six or seven following a three year period of pre-school education which focuses on social and physical development.”
Are we guilty of robbing our children of their childhood? Take a look at the October 7, 2010 article by Julie Bosman published in the New York Times entitled; Picture Books No Longer a Staple for Children. We see yet another fundamental piece of early childhood being cast away, thought of as a relic of the past. Bookstores find these beautifully written and illustrated books declining in sales.
Why are we stealing this beloved part of childhood from our children? For what reason? According to the New York Times article, the push to have children reading “more text-heavy chapter books” is a by-product of our obsession with standardize tests.
In addition, the state of our economy and the price of picture books are forcing parents to avoid them. This doesn’t make much sense when electronic games, at three times the cost, are flying off the shelves of retailers.
Our technology is developing at a rapid pace, but our children are not computers. They are not sponges. They are young children, each developing at their own rate with the same emotional, social, and spiritual needs that cannot be hurried. We are depriving them of a well rounded education when we cement them in the abstract world of words, sentences and chapters before they exit their concrete world of learning through their senses.
It’s my hope that this trend is just that – a trend. That the swinging pendulum, parents and educators will remember that roots of learning need to be secure in order for a healthy child to grow.
It is akin to taking a pink rose bud and prying apart the petals to bring forth a beautiful rose. It doesn’t work. Children, like flowers, need to be given the freedom to grow at their own pace and blossom when they are ready.
Remember: A picture is worth a thousand words. A picture book in the hands of a child is worth much more.
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