The Great Mom Debate: Should Your Child Be Reading Before Kindergarten?
By Charlotte Hilton Andersen,REDBOOK
Ah, reading: one of the seminal achievements of early childhood. The time when your little bean suddenly-and I mean suddenly-goes from singing the alphabet song ("A, B, C, D, elmoopee… Z!") to reading all the naughty bumper stickers on cars at the red lights. True story: My son recently asked me, out of the blue, "Mom, what does 'Girls are just boobs with legs' mean?" If my beleaguered minivan had more energy, I'd have rear-ended the stupid truck with that bumper sticker.
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Reading also happens to be the crowning achievement in the Great "Mompetition" Wars. "My little Atticus was reading by two! We tried to hold him back so he'd fit in with the other kids, but genius just can't be contained, I suppose!"
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Like most developmental milestones, when and how a child learns to read can be greatly variable, and there's a wide range of normal reading ages that say nothing about your little sweetie's IQ. Yet, any look at preschool programs, anxious parents, and expensive reading programs will tell you that this is one of those things we'd rather not wait for. Children certainly can read before kindergarten… but should they?
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Pamela High, MD, professor of pediatrics at Brown University tells WebMD, "My perspective is that whatever parents do teach children [before kindergarten], they need to make it playful and fun. You don't want children to turn off to [learning] because it's too difficult for them." She adds that "social and emotional skills are just as important [as reading prowess] for school success."
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On the other hand, mom Judy Doiron says, "The years before a child reaches kindergarten are among the most critical moments of your child's life to influence learning. Why wait until your kid is in school to learn how to read? Teaching your child to read early, even before kindergarten is hugely important for your child's education. Studies have shown that the younger your child learns how to read, the more successful your child will be in school. A child's brain has learning abilities we don't even think is possible. When a child learns how to read before kindergarten, chances are your kid will have a greater passion to read. The more they read, the more they learn."
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What do you think? Should there be an emphasis on teaching kids to read before kindergarten? Take our poll!
Should Your Child Be Reading Before Kindergarten?
- No, kids have the rest of their lives for academics.
- No, I don't know how I'd do that. His kindergarten teacher is trained to teach him.
- Sure, if she shows interest then why not encourage that? Just don't put too much pressure on her.
- Yes, we don't challenge our kids enough and it will make them more confident in school.
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Reprinted with permission of Hearst Communications, Inc.
