Preschool as we know it is disappearing as more and more schools are adopting direct-instruction programs while leaving little to no room for playtime. As a result children as young as 5 year-old learn cold facts such as the geographic location of Vietnam on a map and which they can regurgitate on command to the delight of their parents. Nevertheless, under those circumstances children do not make the connections between that piece of knowledge and their environment that are necessary to make it permanent. In other words, learning becomes dry and empty.
The assumption is that educating children earlier will increase their chances of being accepted in good schools where the competition is so fierce that quantity is now emphasized over quality during the admissions process. What they seem ignorant about is that play lays the foundation for subsequent learning; it allows the child to interact physically with the world and to manipulate it. That in turn titillates their imagination and expand their minds.
To make matters worse, recent research has linked early academic experiences with subsequent emotional and behavioral problems. More distrubing is the fact that since this type of instruction literally feeds children information instead of letting them discover it on their own, their brain may not develop to withstand life stresses and other frustrations thus making them more susceptible to anxiety disorders and depression later in life.
Our society is already slowly killing childhood, but now it is even attacking early childhood with the "baby einstein" trend. What is next, will we take away a baby's cooing and babbling?
Jazzie
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