I have seen a trend of starting school earlier and earlier. At first I thought it was everywhere, but slowly began to realize that it was not everywhere, it was mainly among homeschoolers. I hear pretty much everyday about someone buying workbooks for their 2.5 year old. Some mothers fretting because their 4 year old does not know how to write his name, cannot recite all the alphabet and does not color in the lines yet.
<p> I was a early reader, I started first grade at 5, but not everyone is ready for that. I watch these little children being forced into a mold of overachieving, mostly because their parents feel it is fun, it is a good reflection on them as parents and if they do it, why not try? Then we see the struggles with reading, the people who are suddenly not normal because they are starting first grade at age 6. I was 5 in first grade, but I was 10 in 4th grade. I was not behind at all, but some people would probably say I was now.
<p> I am just wondering if we are really doing what is best for our children when we push them too fast, and too soon. Do we cause more problems? <p> I love the first stages of school when they are are just starting and love it. But there are children who cannot handle 8 subjects in one day of school at age 5 or 6! Does this put them in a spot where they are abnormal and not as smart as other children?
I think not, but I may be a minority! <p> I want my children to be smart, it may mean though that I will have to re-adjust my expectations and allow them to work at a slower pace at times than some children.
I have to admit I am relieved to finally hear this from someone else. I have 7 yr old twins. One was ready to start 1st grade at 5 and the other wasn't. We held them both back in Kinder and let them start 1st together at 6. Now, they are much happier. The more advanced is happy because she is working on materials that are advanced and the other is happy because he is doing the same work as his friends are and is doing well. To me, the fact that they are learning the content they should be in a much more comfortable time frame is far more important than whether they repeated my overachiever past.
Thanks for being brave enough to post about this!!
I believe that we do kids a disservice by not allowing them to just be kids. Over protected, over scheduled, pushed to perform and not given enough time to be little and just play and discover God's creation. On the other side of the coin, kids are often not allowed to become adults, because parents never let them fail, never trust them, and simple don't give them responsibilities to become young men and women. It is a funny direction that our culture is taking.
Shari