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Early Reading May Be Harmful
April 30, 2014
The ultimate test for a leader is not whether he or she makes smart decisions and takes decisive action, but whether he or she teaches others to make smart decisions and take decisive action.
-Noel M. Tichy
-Noel M. Tichy
Speaking at an early learning conference at Oxford University Lilian Katz warned that pressuring children into learning to read before the age of five could hamper their long-term development. Katz observed...
"The evidence we have so far is that if you start formal teaching of reading very early, the children do well in tests; but when you follow them up to the age of 11 or 12, they don't do better than those who have had a more informal approach. The evidence also suggests starting formal instruction early is more damaging for boys than girls. Boys are expected to be active and assertive, but during formal instruction they are being passive not active. In most cultures, girls learn to put up with passivity earlier and better than boys."
Professor Katz's comments follow the [UK] Government's announcement to spend £600 million on improving play areas in nurseries.
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Comments (5)
Displaying All 5 CommentsHouse of Neuville Jewels
Dallas, TX, United States
Early reading lessons are damaging to young children. Their eyes have not been fully formed and developed by 4 yrs of age, even 5yrs. old. Finland, which has the highest literacy rate in the world, does not begin formal reading instruction until 6 or 7 years of age. Reading stories to children, reciting rhymes, singing songs, creating classroom stories, and most importantly "play" is how children naturally develop in a healthy and balanced way. Their interest in numbers and letters and words naturally grows, in a richly stimulating classroom with lots of opportunities to exore & discover.
CAPE
Princeton, IN, United States
Dr. Katz's message was from a conference on November 22, 2007. I am a bit disappointed that the message is taken out of context ( it was a two day, international conference) and readers are lead to believe the article is recent. I do not dispute the information, just the way it was presented in the article.
Read about the conference here
http://www.ox.ac.uk/media/news_releases_for_journalists/071123.html
California Baptist University
Riverside, California, United States
Please correct the mistakes in this article. I fear people will be very confused. Also please clarify the word "formal."
United States
My daughter was forced to learn simple sight words in Kindergarten. Yet she stumbled over those words until age 10 or 11. She could read other words fluently and with comprehension.
Denver, CO, United States
Dr Katz's message was given in the wrong place! It needs to be broadcast throughout the US, especially here in Colorado, where early reading in the the mantra of the State Department of Education and the State Department Early Childhood Education!
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