I was reading some things on preschoolers and homeschooling and kindergarten and all, and my daughter is 3, soon to be 4, and I have been wondering if now is a good time to start her on those little workbooks I see with letters and numbers and all. We intend to homeschool. And then I realized how in one generation, the expectation has sprung into being that a three-year-old needs to be prepped academically for kindergarten. Wow. Kindergarten was the concept of prepping kids to be in school, wirth no prior knowledge, originally. When I was a kid, kindergarten was a half-day, because nobody expected a child as young as 5 to be away from home and their mothers a full day. They were supposed to spend either the morning or the afternoon learning songs, fingerpainting, lining up for snack, taking a nap, etc. No spelling, no alphabet, none of that. Those things were for first grade. Now, not only are they supposed to be learning first grade in Kindergarten, there is a new pre-Kindergarten level of preparedness required. Preschool comes before Kindergarten which comes before school. And by 4, they are supposed to be in preschool, but often by three. Whereas 30 years ago, three and four-year-olds were not expected to do anything but stay home and play, go places with their mother and play with neighborhood kids, have naps and snack and so forth. It never stops amazing me how we have creeping inflation in our expectation of everything at a younger age, and yet kids in public school are by and large far less able to read than kids their grade level were 20 and 30 years ago.

I understand that the one-income family is now the exception, so half-day kindergarten is a thing of the past. But it does sadden me to see how people don't even realize that the assumption that children "need" to be in academic training by three or four would have been laughed at when I was a child, and I am not some old fogey. I am a mother in my thirties.

crunchymamamaine:

I was reading some things on preschoolers and homeschooling and kindergarten and all, and my daughter is 3, soon to be 4, and I have been wondering if now is a good time to start her on those little workbooks I see with letters and numbers and all.

You only need to do what your children are ready for. One of the things I see as an issue with public school is that children are stuck following a rigid standard. I think children develop at different rates, some are ready at younger ages and others are ready a little later. Those of us who homeschool are better able to know when they are ready and work with them on their level of progression.

crunchymamamaine:

and I am not some old fogey. I am a mother in my thirties.

I am in my thirties as well. We had all day Kindergarten with basic academics. My husand on the other hand was reading at four. He supports a less structured foundation at early ages and a classical approach with real life experience and real books later on. I tend to follow that but worry about meeting state standards as well.

Thanks!

I got her the workbook, and she loves "playing school" but her motor skills for actually writing letters are behind her zeal and enthusiasm to be able to do it. I'll stick with capital letters because they are easier for little ones to write, and let her decide how much or little interest she has in "playing school" because I think that's what it is for her at this point; a role-playing exercise where she gets to be a "big kid". Your reply really was helpful and reminded me of why I wish to homeschool in the first place.

here kindergarten is just a half day.  most switch between 1/2yr in the afternoon and 1/2yr in morning.  2hrs afternoonm 3hrs in the morning. Have to have so many hours of instruction per year.

ESL kindergarten is all day normally.  my dh school (rich private non religious) has all day kindergarten but I don't think they watch their own kids anyways.  other private schools or religious ones have 2 full days and one half day per week for kindergarten.

dd is learning reading, writing, math, calendar, art,music, gym, lots of things but in a fun way.  Like they count the days they have been in school 31, 32 etc which month, day of week etc first thing in the morning, one child is special helper each day and gets to bring something to share. they love that. lots of toys.

the preschool they/do go to twice a week does teach alphabet, printing letters with all the other fun things they do. different themes and crafts each month.  the letters is more for 4yrs old kids. they don't push if the kids are interested they write.   Its more to get used to sitting in circle time, socializing etc.  getting used to being away.

they have a popular program that is starting to come everywhere called strongstart.   one class in a school is basically a playroom with a person running it. it is a free dropin. crafts, toys, snack, circle time. parents stay with the kids and are encouraged to play with their kids.   since there is lots of asian and east indian grandparents looking after the kids they get to meet and socialize. brings people together.  the kids get out and have fun and learn to sit at circle time etc.  it is very successful.

I have been going to the first one for years. plus you can just drop in for a hr if you want. I used to bring ds there while dd was in preschool. most only open in morning.

I dont' see how people can send their kids to all day kindergarten. I am already freaking about dd going to gr 1 in sept. of course I might love it after a while!

crunchymamamaine:

a role-playing exercise where she gets to be a "big kid

That is basically what we do for preschool. I am more concerned with my children being able to learn to sit still, pay attention for short periods, follow instructions and other things needed for later academic studies.

I am glad I could be helpful.

MarthaMFI:

I dont' see how people can send their kids to all day kindergarten

It's not really a choice where I am unless one chooses to homeschool or sends the children to a private school that only has a half a day.

In the summer at the playground which served our neighborhood allotment (there's a phrase that is age-telling or, I often say from when dinosaurs roamed the earth) there was a teacher or student teacher who would come to this playground with all sorts of coloring books, dot-to-dots, crayons, paper on which the kiddoes could draw.  She was there for at least a couple of hours each day or maybe just several times per week.  It gave the harried moms in the neighborhood time to get the house cleaned and be social with each other.  We kids thought it was the greatest to go to "playschool" as it was dubbed.  Now one wouldn't think of doing that for fear predators would be lurking.  We had adult supervision and I know of noone who ever came to harm by it.

When I was in kindergarten (I'm 26), it was a half-day. Mostly playing, but we had to learn the alphabet, how to write our names and count to 10.  Some of us also did a "special activity" class that was essentially addition and subtraction for those of us that could already.  By the time mom enrolled me in kindergarten I could already read and write. I started kindergarten when I was 4 due to my b-day (I also graduated when I was 17 because of the winter birthday), but I started reading on my own when I was 3-1/2. 

My brother had full-day kindergarten and had to repeat because he wasn't "socially ready." 

Now in the state of MD any child enrolling in kindergarten must already be able to recite and write the alphabet, count to 10 and write their name, otherwise they have to enroll in preschool, even if their 5 years old.

I think it really just depends on the child. For instance, our neighbor's son just turned 3 on the 12th of this month.  He can write his name and the capital letters in the alphabet, knows his colors, can read preschool aged books and can count to 20 in english, spanish & dutch. But the 4 year old on the other side can barely write his name and he's not a "slow developer" it really just depends on the child. The 3 year old didn't have any tutors or anything like that, he just likes to "play school" and is one of those big "why" kids.  I think we've gotten away from what kindergarden was originally supposed to be--a transition from home to going to school.  Now its like kindergarten is "Grade 0" and preschool is the transition.  I think part of the reason my brother was held back to repeat kindergarten is because he never went to daycare or preschool (mom was newly divorced with me, so I went to daycare & preschool; but was a SAHM when my brother was old enough), so kindergarten was the big adjustment of being away from home.  Now kindergarten is meant to be an actual learning grade, and they test at the end of the year to pass into first grade, or repeat kindergarten.

<<But it does sadden me to see how people don't even realize that the assumption that children "need" to be in academic training by three or four would have been laughed at when I was a child, and I am not some old fogey. I am a mother in my thirties. >>

I'm with you.  I'm 28 and although kindergarten was full-time when I was in school, there was a lot of learning to color within the lines and use glue, glitter and scissors responsibly.  You needed to be able to read you name, but I don't remember learning to read anything else (I was considered advanced because I could read before I got in there).  You also learned your alphabet IN kindergarten.  And numbers at least up to 20 (100 in first grade, I remember), and you started writing letters and tying a shoelace, and you learned colors and shapes and I think whole-hours on the clock.  But you weren't expected to know anything going into kindergarten except how to use the bathroom!  And even then, some kids still needed help with buttons and zippers.   

OP, you might want to research the Waldorf method of teaching since your kids are young.  It emphasizes learning through play.  You don't learn money from a workbook; you learn it by playing store.  They're really big into educational toys and letting kids figure some stuff out for themselves.  There doesn't seem to be any academic difference between the average Waldorf-educated child and a child educated in the standard public school model, but many parents that are pro-Waldorf say that their kids are more mature for their age.  A lot of that may have to do with the emphasis on group activities, but it may also come from kids learning to figure things out for themselves instead of just repeating what they are told.  Waldorf children also seem to be, on average, academically above other children when they are young, but they balance out by high school (although I'm not sure if there is a Waldorf high school system; I only know elementary schools, so they may balance out because they intergrate into the regular school system and eventually lose their advantage).   

In any event, a method of leaning you may feel more comfortable with while your children are still young.  Nothing says you can't switch over to a different method (like the traditional one) later on. 

"That is basically what we do for preschool. I am more concerned with my children being able to learn to sit still, pay attention for short periods, follow instructions and other things needed for later academic studies. "

thats right Brandy!  that is what the goal of most of the preschools and strongstarts are here.   

They are talking about full day kindergarten and all day preschool starting at 3.  I think a lot of people paying for daycare would jump on that for the reduced daycare.