Addressing the Cognitive Clamor

"Each year parents come to our school to see if it is the kind of program they want for their child," writes Carol Hillman in her book, Teaching Four-Year-Olds: A Personal Journey. "Some ask me how much reading readiness we do. If this is the only question they ask, it gives me pause…At our school the main thrust is helping children to grow and understand themselves, their peers, and the adults around them. Our method of helping children understand the world around them is to involve them in all kinds of hand-on experiences. Cognitive skills are definitely a part of those experiences. But we have no workbooks. No worksheets...The presence of too many letters, too many words, too many numbers, or too much technology can dull the imagination and put unnecessary pressure on this precious time of life.

"The most important thing to remember about the cognitive clamor is to keep it in perspective. Young children can and do learn all kinds of cognitive skills in a natural and unpressured classroom environment.

Some important questions to ask:

• How will you respond to the parent who asks what you are doing about reading readiness?
• Do you believe that showing your enthusiasm for a book you read during story time might be more important than teaching the alphabet?
• Do you play rhyming games with children? Do you praise them for being good poets?
• Do you let the children choose a favorite picture and dictate a story to you about it?"

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