a very scary headline about k

8/12/2019 A Very Scary Headline About K

1/4


2/4

A veryscaryheadlineaboutkindergartenersTheAnswerSheet Page of5

Very few peopleare talking about the kind of education hat would be offered - otherthan declaring t shouldbe "high quality." And that phrases often nterpretedo mean*high intensity": an accelerated ersion of skills-based eaching hat most early-childhood expertsregardas errible. Poor children, asusual, tend to get the worst ofth is . . .... The top-down, est-driven egimenof Bush's 'No Child Left Behind" and Obama'sooRaceto the Top" initiatives in K-12 educations now in the procss of beingnationalizedwith thoseCommonCorestandards hampionedby the Times - anenterprise argely funded,andrelentlesslypromoted,by corporategroups.That sameversionof schoolreform,driven by an emphasison global competitiveness nd adetermination o teach utureworkersas much aspossibleas soon aspossible,wouldnow be expanded o childrenwho are barelyout of diapers.Thatdoesn't eave muchtime fburlav_.But even o the extentwe want to promotemeaningful learning in young children, the methods are likely to be oounterproductivgfeaturingan emphasison the direct instructionof skills androte rehearsal f facts.Thisis the legacyof behaviorism:Childrenare ieated aspassive lesof knowwith few find introf discovery ndexploratioq otsare to slt stl , to memofuelistsof letters, umbors,ndcolors.Theirsuccessr failure s relentlessly onitoredandquantified,and hey'{e "rei with sti ise oranswersandbeiThisdreary ersion f early-childhoodducationsn't ust disrespecful f children;decadesf researchhow t simplydoesn'twork well - andmayevenbed4maqinq.Bassok, neof the authors f theresearchapermentionedbove, oted hatwhilethereare un andengaging ays o teach oungkidsacademicmaterial, heworrresthat1omuchemphasiswill beput on earningo feqd_Qqlglherhlggs,lons, ddnIt's already eenhappeningor years, nd t appearso begettingworse.Theend esultwill be kidswhohateschoolevenearlierthanheydonowKids liketo play.Kids earn romplay.Why it doesn'tmakesensedj@t themplay r , .\{;,."d;-'--* 'r*vvv'r 're'\v"-""-"Tro"fl$ffi["if ieHere'sapositionpaperon he estingof youngchildrenby DefendingheEarly'Years,anon profitprojectof the SurvivalEducation und,a 501(c)(3)ax- exempteducational rganization asedn Watertown,Massachusetts.Findmore nformationatdeyproj ct. rg or write to [email protected].)

What is the problem?Today, he majority of classroomsor preschool,kindergartenandprimary agechildrenarerequired to addresscontentstandardsthat prescribewhat children are expected olearn.Thesestandardsare intendedto insurethat worthwhile subjectmatter is taught.Performance standsrdshavebeen developed o find out if children have learnedtheprescribedcontent.

hup://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/answer-sheetlwpl20l4l02l}6la-really-scary-headlin.. 2llzl?AV


3/4


4/4

Oy"O scaryheadline boutkindergartenersTheAnswerSheet

8. Work to ensure hat teacherswho havespecializedaini4g ineducationareplaced n classrooms or young children.

Assessmentpractices:

Page4 of 5

l. Encourageolicieshatprotect hildren rom undue ressurendstessand rom daftg ^Wjudgments that will havea negative impact on their lives in the presentand in the2. Promote he use of assessments,thatre basedon obqeryatignspfgfrildren, heirdevelopmentndearning.YUrdg,f65e$mrlP. DVf Wtef3. Work to ensurehat classroomassessmentsre used or the purposeof improvingmstruotlon.#

4. Support fforts o eliminateestingof youngchildren hat s not ntendedo improveclassroor,llnraetice. -

ood quality children'sbooks and imit screen ime,3. Resist einforcingthe school's agenda drilling for skills - and replpcp t with l^opportunitiesorm-eaningfulearnilnga*fn frlif", ffpd niqqli; l, mffi E-0 nURELATED: iu their own words* Children's$ix-word netnoirs

5.Eliminateabelingnd anking f childrenased nstandardizedests.*mn'f hh.lb6trdon qu#:'-nolBwhat familymembersandoat home dft-lf#,rl' 'f)&5nif;"drIdijql1.Provide oungohildrenwith spaoe nd ime o playathomeand n the neighborhood.fr,rtm,V;

http:l/www.washingtonpost.corn/blogs/answer-sheet/wp/2014102/061a-really-scary-headlin...112l2AV

a very scary headline about k

Documents