What's the hurry?

You know something is terribly out of whack when kindergarten children are sent from their classrooms to be remediated by a reading specialist.  This is usually in addition to the teacher recommending that the children work on sight words, etc. at home.  Mind you, these youngsters have spent an entire day in kindergarten; another travesty perpetuated against the very young.

So the remedy for not being ready to not interested in reading is to have the youngsters do more of that which they have shouted loudly and clearly is too difficult for them.  How will we ever get joyful little readers out of a situation like that?  They must just want to run,run,run!

The reading specialist's expertise would be put to much better use working with the few 9-12 year olds who inexplicably  still struggle with fluency and comprehension skills.  They need strategies to help them learn facts from social studies and science books.  Parents of these children need to have a deaf ear when their kids protest that they don't want to go for extra help.  Since when should such important decisions be left up to kids?

My theory of waiting until age seven to begin any formal instruction of kids is in no way an indictment of pre-school and kindergarten teachers.  All of the ones I've been privileged to know could not be more loving or hard working.  They're mandated to incorporate a curriculum dictated by those in power.

On a purely practical note sending babies to school seems so unjust.  The average age expectancy is already well into the 80's.  Most of these children's life spans will excede that.  How sad that they should be in the work force from age 3-75 years or beyond.  Make no mistake about it, once children enter through the school door they're joining the work force.  It seems a lot to ask of someone who has only been around for 36-48 months.

Sending children to school at the earliest allowable age raises other practical issues.  It puts them position of not being ready for certain sports in junior high school, or being the youngest kid at the prom.  Maturity goes a long way in ensuring all children's success.

Let's give youngsters a chance to play and just be kids before we subject them to form and structure.  There's so much time for that.  Let's give them time to discuss, problem solve, create, and think so we promote poets, artists, sculptors, and innovators as well as academics.  What's the hurry?

NONSENSE!

Let's talk about nonsense.  Kindergarten and first graders are now expected to read three letter nonsense words such as 'woj' to evaluate their ability to decode consonant and vowel sounds.  How ridiculous is that?  Every other time they're asked to read a word or to put it on paper they're asked, " Is that a real word?"  Does that make any sense?  Then we hit five and six year olds with a list of sounds to decipher that they can't possible relate to.  Just saying them isn't good enough either.  They have to say them quickly.  To slow down indicates not knowing 'one's sounds'.  Maybe they're slowing down because they're asking themselves, "Who came up with this nonsense!"

I believe parents have been sold an erroneous bill of goods that tells them early learning is fundamental and necessary.  They are heard to say, "But my child will be behind if I don't get them started early on their letters and on their time tables."  Then they get anxious when their children aren't very interested in learning those things.

Veteran teachers are constantly asking one another, "Why is it so much more difficult to keep children's attention now than it used to be?"  Why would children have the ability to attend to an instructor and stay on task?  They've been told to "Look at me"; "Watch this"; "Sit up tall"; "Wait your turn"; "Raise your hand"; plus a myriad of other commands well before they have any inclination to do their 'school thing'.

Children are actually being programmed for inattention and the ability to stay on task.  By the time they are old enough to attend they've been so programmed as to continue to wiggle, squirm, look away, and just drift off during instruction.  It's not their fault!

Also, let's allow children to play with their own things at certain times.  I get a negative physical reaction when I hear babies should go to school where they will learn to socialize and share.  Poor little things!  Some of them find being part of a group quite intimidating and taxing.  Others may love it, but the expectations are the same for both types of youngsters.

Let's talk about sharing.  It seems way over rated when applied to the very young.  Kids need to identify with  their own things.  It brings comfort and sense of self.  why not a container for each child having only his or her things.  Hands off to all others unless invited to share by the owner.  After all, teachers in those same rooms are heard to ask one another, "Have you seen my pen?"  Why aren't there just our pens?  Adults take ownership of things for granted.  Why not kids?

In the Beginning

Since beginning my teaching career in 1962 I've been blessed to begin many children on their academic journeys.  Some of the little ones had attended half day kindergarten, but many came directly to first grade.  All that was expected of them was that they be able to detach themselves from mommy's thigh and that they could manage themselves in the restroom.
   The little ones crossed the 1st grade threshold sporting their first backpacks and lunchboxes with expressions of apprehension, expectancy, excitement, or wonder.  It was all new.  They'd been told they would learn to read this year.  It was a big deal.
   The children were introduced to letters, some letter sounds, and a short list of sight words by becoming friends with Dick, Jane, Sally, Spot, and Puff.  The thrust was directed toward the repetition of words in short one-lined sentences- Run, run, run.  See Spot Run. No child was pressured to read a certain number of words per minute not to be able to blend short and long vowels into words.  It was an easy, slow paced, anxiety-free atmosphere.
   Then slowly and progressively things changed.  The 'powers that be', educators and legislators alike, decided that surely younger would be better.  Let's get the children ready for 1st grade.  So letters, sounds, and words were introduced to kindergartners.  May as well throw in sentence writing.  Just "write what you hear" the little ones were told.  Supposedly this teaches better sound correlation, and reinforces that print is composed of sound.  Most children find this task frustrating and continually ask to hear the word spelled for them.
   The theory that children can read what they write was put forth about 20 years ago.  My colleagues and I actually bought into this as it seemed to make sense.  In very short order however it became clear to us that most children couldn't read what they had written within three minutes of completion of their writing.

LET'S GET CHILDREN READY FOR KINDERGARTEN

  As if thrusting five year olds into the academic arena weren't enough, why not trickle down that theory?  Now we have early childhood gurus touting the benefits of children as young as three years old learning letters, sounds, words, and even being told about sentences.

How much more beneficial it would be to read young children stories and let them figure out ways to reinact them.  Kids could decide parts, make simple scenery, rearrange them room into appropriate spaces, and make simple costumes.

It’s a proven fact that children who can hear, repeat, and make up rhyming words become good readers.  I don’t understand the brain mechanism behind the phenomenon, it’s just so.  Let’s make sure small children know those old nursery rhymes and rhyming songs.

Sure, that’s a lot for teachers to do.  It’s daunting with so many eager hands and feet to deal with.  If those in charge think the very young benefit from a school setting it’s incumbent upon them to make it child friendly and age appropriate.

It would make sense to subject youngsters to mastering these skills if most of them enjoyed writing their names, shouting out letters as cards are thrust at them, and sitting in a circle singing ad nauseum about the day’s weather.   Some kids are subjected to that weather silliness for three years running.  My guess is not one of them gives a hoot about the weather!

I realize we live in an age when children as young as three “go to school”.  That will not change.  Although were I ‘czar’ of small children I would save them from that structured setting until age seven.  Experience has convinced me that most children have little ability to process print before that age.

Countless times I have witnessed “Oh, now I get it” moments in seven year olds who previously had been frustrated and confused learners.  It’s all about readiness!

I know many parents and teachers alike say, “Oh, but this child is ready for all of that.”  I do agree that there are some children who can and may even enjoy doing some academic work.  Good for them!  Their  brains are wired for it.  The point being this is a natural ability that some youngsters have.  It cannot be taught.  No amount of drill or repetition will achieve the desired results in a child whose brain is just not ready to process these skills.  We cannot hurry it along.

Continuing my fantasy as education ‘czar’ I would equip every space set aside for the very young child with many play areas.  They need to build, play house, run cars and trucks around, pour water, squish clay, draw, paint, play in sand, and so forth.  This is what their brains are wired for and readies them for processing print.  Play is child’s work.  It’s necessary.