Re: Test scores, not naps

[Skotansky@aol.com]

This story just makes my blood boil. 3,4, and 5 year olds(as well as students 
and adults of any age) are not production machines, preparing to spew forth 
ingested material that can be graded for general consumption.   Young children 
are living, growing, precious beings that need to be nurtured and tended to. 
Imagine if one tried to force a new tomato plant to yield big, ripe juicy 
tomatoes as quickly as possible.   What happens to strong, flexible roots that can 
survive storms and will have a good yield for many seasons to come?(the word 
"kindergarten" as you all know means child's garden)
Young children are not just developing academic skills, in fact they first 
must develop their physical bodies.   What nonsense to believe that spending the 
entire day on academic preparation at the tender ages of 3 and 4 or even 5   
and 6 (so they won't be socially promoted)   will yield bright, interested, 
creative individuals in the long haul.   As a prekindergarten teacher I can tell 
you that nap time is a crucial part of the daily rhythm in the same way as 
breakfast and lunch, playtime, circle time, story time etc. Activities alternate 
the day through between energetic, expansive ones and those that bring quiet 
and   stillness. Young children learn through play (please will someone out 
there read the research?)Play is their work and their work is their play- and 
they get real TIRED! Even if they don't fall asleep, which most of my students 
do, they have the opportunity to daydream, fantasize, rest their limbs and DO 
NOTHING! (externally that is)   
All the research I have read indicates that early academic programs only show 
better results (test-wise that is) in the short term. In the long term it all 
evens out or falls short in non-testable areas such as creativity and 
interest. Young children are NOT just little adults. They should not be treated as 6 
or 7 or 8 year olds. They simply do not learn in the same way. If we don't 
want our kids to burn out even before they fail the third-grade reading test 
let's give them the loving, nurturing environments that they need to thrive and 
TAKE NAPS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Susan Kotansky