When I read “Kindergarten Cram,” a New York Times op-ed by Peggy Orenstein, I completely empathized with the author’s plight. Orenstein laments how hard it was for her to find a kindergarten class for her child that allowed creative play and didn’t emphasize daily homework.
When I lived in London and was visiting prospective schools for my then-four-year-old son, I was a bit shocked by the options. In England, children are pushed into full-time school a year earlier than they are in the States—at age four. To make matters worse, kindergarten in London, which is called “reception year,” is quite bleak. Four-year-olds turning five that school year are often expecting to wear a coat and tie and sit at desks all day, with little time free for play.
I remember touring one of the “best” boys’ schools in England and seeing little boys donning beanies and wool suits with ties. One of the mums, who was upset about the “toughness” of reception year, told me later on the playground that her son was sent home if he couldn’t retie his tie when he was getting dressed after PE. And, sadly, PE happened only once a week. Nor was there daily recess—just loads of daily homework. Well, that just wouldn’t do for my ants-in-his-pants little boy, who loved his preschool in Atlanta, which revolved around creative play and choices. So I chose to pay an ungodly sum of money to enroll him in an international school that emphasized creative play–based learning and had three recesses a day, art and music twice a week, and very little homework.
Why would I do that? Because four- and five-year-old children should not be pushed that hard. I recall my kindergarten days with fondness. I wasn’t expected to be a proficient reader or to know my addition and subtraction well. I learned to read and write and do basic math in first grade, at the age of six. Kindergarten was all about making mud pies, running a storefront, playing dress-up, and painting with my best friend. And while all of that is still fun, experts have now determined that play is actually crucial for young minds that are still developing emotionally, psychologically, and socially.
