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!