“I have to disagree. Preschool is harmful to children. It makes them peer dependent at a much earlier age. The best place for young children is at home with mom. If that makes me an old-fashioned old fogey, so be it.
I recommend the books by Raymond Moore - Better Late Than Early and School Can Wait.
I am also in favor of homeschooling, although I realize that is not possible for everyone. One thing all parents should do is keep their kids out of government run institutions.”
Peer-dependent? Socialization with other children is a GOOD thing. Another benefit of pre-k is that they learn structure... in other words they learn how to learn :)
I would absolutely love to homeschool but you’re right. Not everyone can do it. Of course I live in Georgia so I don’t have to worry about union teachers. Blech!
It’s not black or white. There are good teachers out there. That said, I think the states should run pre-k, not the federal govt.
No wonder this country is so screwed up. You think children need structure to “learn to learn?” My ignorant observations are that children begin learning from birth.
It is amazing that even the illegal alien parents I know teach their children from birth. (Anchor babies) I sat at a high school basketball game one night, and an anchor baby toddler was sitting near me. He had blocks with the abcs on them. He named the letters for me as I asked. His mother spoke almost no English. His older siblings read to him in English and taught him letters and numbers. No structure. Just normal life. He will be ready for kindergarten. As for mom and her legal status, that is a problem he will eventually understand.
And I still disagree. :-) Socialization does not happen in herds. In fact, children learn social skills from adults, not other children. Children should be in the company of people who show what it means to be polite and mature.
Government has no business in education whatsoever. Government can’t even run a 2-car funeral, much less run schools. What kids learn in pre-K is to sit down, shut up, and do what they are told. The smarter ones are probably bored to tears. Young children need adult guidance in manners and behavior and freedom to explore, create, and run around.