When you think back to your childhood, what comes to mind? How about the endless days of fun, riding your bike until sunset, playing with peers during school recess? Many of our childhoods would be incomplete without these memories; they were what made our childhoods grand. Imagining you were married to your crush in your class, exploring the playground and pretending it was a different world; socializing with friends and playing with them, and learning how to share with each other provided a great foundation for our lives and how we grew up. These are the skills kindergarteners should be taught and made to practice, as these are crucial techniques in their development stage as a person. In recent years, kindergarten has evolved from these practices of fun into structuralized lessons in reading, writing, and arithmetic. Many years ago, playing and socializing were used as tools to further the developmental stage in a child's life. Recently, teachers have been incorporating mathematics and reading into lesson plans which typically were not taught until first or second grade. According to the Gesell Institute of Human Development, children should not be rushed into learning such skills so early. .
"A child should not be pushed to develop more quickly.development is a fluid process that cannot be rushed. Experiences can enhance development, but cannot speed up a child's rate of growth. Regardless, you can and should engage your child in a large variety of enriching and meaningful experiences that enable him or her to grow more.
fully in skill and confidence, at his or her own developmental stage. Positive early experiences are critical for brain development, helping to prepare a child for better learning at early stages." (Questions).
Children are individuals who grow through developmental stages in their own unique way and at their own pace. They can only learn so many skills in their developmental stage.