[Harmless Teddy Bear]

I remember doing some school work in Kindergarten, learning the alphabet song, learning how to do my letters, in cursive no less, but mostly I remember doing stuff with clay and construction paper, listening to stories and taking naps. Then I went home at noon and spent the rest of the day at play.

Now it lasts all day and really seems to be a bit much for a five year old.

I am all for kids learning but they seem to pile it on in the first few years even pushing the kids into areas where abstract thought is required long before most have the ability.

[Paul R.]

I just don’t buy the business about kids being pushed too hard in school. Most Asian kids whose parents have immigrated here find school in the US easy, and generally run rings around their fellow US bred students, simply because of better work / study ethics.

As for whether the subject matter is correct for the age, in some cases you may have a good point. Then again, at age 6 I introduced my daughter to cubes (as in 3^3) and cubic space... Her toy blocks came in very handy! :-)