Kindergarten – Too Much Push on Formal Academics?

At a party recently,  I got talking with a woman who is a veteran kindergarten teacher.   She is the epitome of the caring,  thoughtful,  insightful, and wise teacher who has a passion for working with young children with their first experience in a school setting.  I asked her if things have changed for the better or not with regard to kindergarten teaching.  Her answer was emphatic, something to the effect of  “oh it’s unfortunate but these children are coming to school without their parents teaching them basics like saying hello and making eye contact and playing nicely with other children.”

Further,  she said that she is under far more pressure now to concentrate on teaching her kindergarteners  academic skills like math and reading.  Expectations for reading that used to be associated with 1st grade are now the expectation for kindergarten.  This expectation comes from both school administration (concerned about test scores and funding) and parents.  She says that many (not all fortunately) parents are more concerned with whether their kindergartener is reading and less concerned about their development of communication and social skills.  She thought back to her kindergarten class from eighteen years ago and told me “I remember little Joey Doe (made-up name here) and he arrived in kindergarten not knowing any of his letters or sight words  – but he did know how to look me in the eye and wish me good morning. And he did know how to listen to me and take turns playing with other children.  He did not start to read til the very end of that year.  And now, he’s going to Harvard!”

For a comprehensive look at the question of what the emphasis should be in kindergarten (academic preparation versus play), I encourage you to read this article titled ‘Pressure-Cooker Kindergarten’: http://www.boston.com/news/education/higher/articles/2009/08/30/pressure_cooker_kindergarten/