Originally Posted by Unregistered:
Hi! When you ask (Daycare) what do we do because they need to learn these things- the answer is they do not. I thought you were in CA- maybe I remember incorrectly? I am in CA and our entering kindergarteners do not have to know those things. There have been many studies showing that teaching academics at this age to be detrimental to the children. I posted many links on a previous post. Everything in those links is the answer to your questions.
I had my son in a play based, child led preschool (coop) and we did not have any academics. There were zero worksheets, zero telling children letters and numbers, zero asking them to do activities. There was a 20 minute circle time everyday which included singing or hearing 2 books. Children would share ideas and stories. Other than that, they wandered in and out all day playing in sand, building with blocks, using art materials, playing dramatic play, riding bikes, hammering real nails & sawing real wood! He entered k and did fine. He came to be at a third grade reading level in 1st grade. He isn't some amazing special genius (as much as I would love that), he is normal, and he did fine not having academics until 6 years old. He did all the social, emotional, creative, physical and cognitive development he needed to reach his potential when the time was right. When the time was right, he learned numbers and letters just fine.
YES!! a million times!!
Teaching the child to read and write will come naturally if the foundational skills are taught first and taught well.
Reading and writing is much like potty training....if the child is developmentally ready, it literally takes no "training" or teaching at all.
ALL of my DCK's know how to read and write before they enter Kindy but NOT because I offered any type of structured or canned curriculum but because I provided a developmentally appropriate environment that encouraged and supported individual growth. The reading, writing and other academic skills they mastered were not focused on, but simply allowed to grow at their own pace.