It's very disheartening to hear how hard school's are pushing young children. Early years of education should foster a lifelong love of learning, not take it away. Other things like social skills, movement and music are critical parts of a child's development, I hate to think how this will affect these children as they grow up, not to mention a nation.
When looking for a school for our 4 & 6 year olds we faced similar issues and did not want testing and heavy homework pushed on them too early. We decided on a Waldorf school which focuses on teaching the whole child and does so in an extremely positive and caring way. Our children get to explore nature, play games to learn and look forward to going to school. As CEO of American Express put it (he's a Waldorf grad): "Waldorf education taught me how to think for myself, to be responsible for my decisions. Second it made me a good listener, sensitive to the needs of others. And third, it helped establish meaningful beliefs." - Kenneth Chenault
Those are the things I want for my children, and if they choose to be CEO's too, then all the better!
The New First Grade: Too Much Too Soon
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Tiffany Aske says she wishes she could have found a school like CSAS in Oakland. Instead, they're pulling up stakes and moving to a suburban community in Washington where the school system seems more stable and has more outdoor space, and where the kids have more choices during the school day. In some ways, they feel as if they're swimming against the current. Most of their friends are scrambling, paying top dollar for houses in high-performing school districts. The Askes say they're looking for something more important than high test scores. "We want flexibility," says Tiffany. Ashlyn is a bright girl, says her mom, "but she's only a child." And childhood takes time.
with Matthew Philips, Julie Scelfo, Catharine Skipp, Nadine Joseph, Paul Tolme and Hilary Shenfeld
© 2006
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