Every parent’s hope is that their child is successful in life. Though they have differing opinions on how they can best help their child, everyone can agree that they want their children to have a great, successful life. However, starting a child’s learning career earlier than the age of three, especially with an intense tutoring program, does not make them more successful. It does not further prepare them for school or enhance their learning abilities, and it takes away from their childhood.
Although school is extremely important for children, and it is a good idea to start sending them to school at the age of 3 for a couple of hours, children before the age of three do not need intense tutoring, or really any tutoring at all other than from daily living with their parents. To be successful in life, children need to be more focused on things like independence, social skills, and how to deal with emotions, instead of memorizing facts and learning how to do math. Sure, content knowledge is important, but small children don’t need all of that content knowledge. They will either forget it right away, or remember it and struggle with basic life skills.
Later in life, academics become more important, but at a very young age, learning essential skills is extremely important. “Social readiness, not academic readiness, should be a priority,” says Claire Haas, vice president of education at The Kiddie Academy in Abingdon, Maryland. Teachable moments come from the child's observations or from things they're interested in because children are excited and curious to learn more. Children are way more likely to be interested in ordinary objects than in learning academic subjects, especially not before the age of three, and probably not before the age of five. They can learn through fun, exciting ways in preschool.
When children start academic learning at a very early age, their childhood is being taken away. If they start working intensely on school work and not on social skills, it prevents them from having a more “normal” childhood. “Research suggests that there is little benefit from this kind of tutoring; that young children learn just as much about math, if not more, fitting mixing bowls together on the kitchen floor” (Schulten). Children are naturally good at figuring things out. They learn from past experiences and use the new knowledge in future situations.
Tutoring before preschool does not prepare them for school or enhance their learning abilities; it takes away from their childhood. The best way to teach kids is to let them figure out things for themselves and to take advantage of learning opportunities. Kids don’t need help being taught things they could easily figure out on their own. Children are naturally curious and learn that way, not from being taught.
Works Cited
"Are Adults Hurting Young Children by Pushing Them to Achieve?" The Learning Network Are
Adults Hurting Young Children by Pushing Them to Achieve Comments. 16 May 2011.
Web. 18 May 2015.
"Before Starting Preschool: What Your Kids Should Know." Parents Magazine. Web. 18 May
2015.
