A Problem with Common Core
Written By Savvy Auntie Staff Writers
By Jaime Herndon
Much has been made about the Common Core, a U.S. educational initiative that delineates what children should know at the end of each grade, from K-12, in the subjects of English language arts and math. New findings suggest that not all the recommendations of the Common Core are beneficial to kids.
A new report from Defending the Early Years and Alliance for Childhood states that requiring kindergartners to master reading, as the Common Core requires, puts undue pressure on the children and isn’t necessarily the best way to develop readers. The pressure for children to read too early can cause stress and anxiety, in turn, causing children to dislike reading. Many children aren’t ready to read while in kindergarten, and this is normal. A play-based curriculum in which language is learned orally can help them read books later.
Furthermore, the authors of the report, Nancy Carlsson-Paige, Geralyn Bywater McLaughlin, and Joan Wolfsheimer Almon, found that no evidence exists that shows long-term benefits in those who read in kindergarten. When kids are placed in environments that they aren’t ready for developmentally or that don’t fit with their learning needs, it may create an atmosphere of anxiety and unhappiness, and can lead to dislike for academics.
Read with nieces and nephews and help them with their homework, but don’t forget to play, too. Even engaging them in conversation helps build their language skills, and play helps develop problem solving and social skills. Why not tie in play with reading or listening, like playing with Thomas the Tank Engine®, and then reading a Thomas picture book together? Playing make-believe, or building with LEGO®, encourages kids’ imaginations and lets them create stories, all of which are positive aspects of development.
If children associate forced mastering of reading before they are developmentally prepared with feelings of failure or unhappiness, chances are, they won’t want to read voluntarily. And play – maybe especially play – can enrich their development!
Published January 19, 2015
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