ExchangeEveryDay Past Issues

I agree with Chris Gerzon. Having attended numerous meetings focused on assessment, measurent, and readiness, I think it is important to add a new measure of our success: a fun measurement. Since the pursuit of happiness is an accepted right in this country, I am fearful that children are losing this right. I think we should be able to ask the children at the end of the day, what was fun. We should also be able to ask that for ourselves.

I agree with Christine Gerzon. I've been in the field of Early Education for 45 years as a Kgn. teacher, an early childhood teacher and director. Children need to explore and use their imagination during the early years of their life. Parents are afraid to let them outside to play and explore the way my children and I were allowed to do. If Kindergarten doesn't let them have the freedom to build with blocks, socialize, experiment, investigate and try new things on their own then when can they?

I love the diversity in subject matter and always look forward to what I will learn in
each article.

This is just the type of article the public needs to read! I've recently read several articles about children's lack of success in school and the high dropout rate. Our children are being pushed harder and harder and burning out before they are even out of elementary school. Politicians keep trying to "fix" the system by pushing even harder and earlier. I believe that if we let our children be children, educate them using developmentally appropriate practices, and most importantly let them play (a lot), they will succeed and our country will experience a much lower dropout rate. Hence, my choice to homeschool my children - at least through the early years!

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It's encouraging to see this issue being addressed in this forum. Kindergarten became developmentally inappropriate several years ago and I have witnessed first hand the negative impacts this can have on children and families for the rest of the child's education experience.

So many misguided efforts and outside influences make up the state of current expectations of children this age. The efforts are born with good intentions but fall short in the implementation phase.

My hope is to continue to see more and more preschool programs and Kinderagarten teachers teaching creatively and using a combination of approaches and methods that are developmentally appropriate but also help the children meet the requirements that are in place. I think the key is to avoid one extreme or the other. It's not an easy task to achieve, but it is achievable.

Ofcourse, anytime that parents, preschool teachers and kindergarten teachers can work in partnership increases the chances of success for children.

I've seen a lot of success come from preschools offering a prep to Kindergarten year for 5's who would be very young 5's starting regular Kindergarten. Any decision that prevents a child from being "held back" after they begin elementary school is a decision that sets a child up for success. I see more parents willing to allow their children to spend an extra year preparing which I know takes courage and faith but I have never known of a parent who has regretted this decision.

Let's continue to think outside of the box and create solutions that will help our little ones begin with experiences of success instead of failure.

I wonder: is there a connection between challenging behaviors described in the ad section of this email and the pressure-cooker kindergarten? Early educators talk about starting where the child is now; if that starting point is challenging behavior, perhaps teachers and parents need to work back to where that particular behavior was typical and work forward. Leaders in policy and administration may complain: This take too much time? But how much is too much? Against what measure is too much time a negative?

I wonder: is there a connection between challenging behaviors described in the ad section of this email and the pressure-cooker kindergarten? Early educators talk about starting where the child is now; if that starting point is challenging behavior, perhaps teachers and parents need to work back to where that particular behavior was typical and work forward. Leaders in policy and administration may complain: This take too much time? But how much is too much? Against what measure is too much time a negative?

As early learning educators we MUST be children's advocates and continue to protest inappropriate practice that disregard's young and primary children's need for multi sensory, multimodal learning across the domains. Our quest for excellence and accountability is misguided and derailed when we neglect to help children build a strong learning foundation, misplacing emphasis on rote learning.