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Expert Q&A
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| By Harriet S. Worobey, M.A. Early Childhood Educator Director, the Nutritional Sciences Preschool | ||
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Why are so many parents holding their kids back from entering kindergarten?
So many parents are waiting on kindergarten entry for their preschoolers for several reasons. The first is that they want to make sure that their children have the readiness skills required by the elementary school to ensure academic success. The second is that academic pressure has "pushed down" many first grade curricula into kindergarten and has made it difficult for many normally active 5-year-olds to sit and do the work.
Whether these are valid reasons or not, each parent has to judge for him/herself. My opinion is that if the kindergarten did have a developmentally appropriate curriculum, it would be appropriate for almost all 5 year-olds. However, if they have an overload of worksheets and very little active playtime, many children, especially those with summer and early fall birthdays, can be at a great disadvantage.
In reference to your comment about the alphabet, most preschools and daycares expose the children in their care to a wide variety of literacy activities. Most of our preschoolers know their numbers and letters when they leave us, and several each year are already reading."
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