Disturbing Kindergarten Trends

"One of the most distressing characteristics of education reformers is that they are hyper-focused on how students perform, but they ignore how students learn.  Nowhere is this misplaced emphasis more apparent, and more damaging, than in kindergarten."  This is the observation of Diane Marie in her Truth about Education article, "The Disturbing Transformation of Kindergarten."  She continues:
    
"A new University of Virginia study found that kindergarten changed in disturbing ways from 1999-2006.  There was a marked decline in exposure to social studies, science, music, art, and physical education and an increased emphasis on reading instruction.  Teachers reported spending as much time on reading as all other subjects combined.  The time spent in child-selected activity dropped by more than one-third.  Direct instruction and testing increased.  Moreover, more teachers reported holding all children to the same standard.

"How can teachers hold all children to the same standards when they are not all the same?  They learn differently, mature at different stages — they just are not all the same, especially at the age of 4–6....  If we teach reading, writing, subtraction and addition before children are ready, they might memorize these skills, but they will not learn or understand them.  And it will not help their achievement later on."

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