Teaching reading in kindergarten could be harmful to kids who aren’t ready, argues a new report by Defending the Early Years and Alliance for Childhood. Furthermore, there’s no advantage in learning early, the writers argue.
Common Core State Standards call for children to “read emergent-reader texts with purpose and understanding” by the end of kindergarten. That pressures kindergarten (and some preschool) teachers to use “inappropriate” teaching methods instead of “the active, play-based, experiential learning that we know children need.”
In my day, kids were introduced to Dick, Jane and Sally in first grade. Parents were told not to teach their kids to read earlier, lest they “do it wrong.” (My sister taught me when I was in kindergarten and she was in first grade.)
These days, what used to be the first-grade curriculum is taught in kindergarten and first grade has turned into second grade. That’s great for some kids, not so great for others.