Information on Early Learning

[OkiMom]

Hello everyone,
I have a very bright almost 2 year old daughter that a lot of people(family and well meaning friends) keep trying to get me to send to preschool. We don't live in the states right now and preschool over here starts at 18 months (yes, they do classes and all starting at 18 months), so when our family heard about it they thought I "needed" to send DD1 there. I don't agree and Im not to big on early education.. Even when we do start doing structured learning with her I want to homeschool. I remember reading somewhere on here about early education not being a good thing, does anyone know what Im talking about? My family deals best when given facts from someone other than me. Thanks!

[petra_william]

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/new...icle574142.ece
i know there are studies to show why it is better for children to stay at home for as long as possible. i cant find the ones im thinking of though, i hope the above article will help a little though.

ill try to find the articles im thinking of and if i do ill post them later


http://www.naturalchild.com/peter_cook/attachment.html
this is also interesting - esp th last pargraph

http://www.naturalchild.com/jan_hunt/learning_play.html and this

[tankgirl73]

Read the book "Einstein Never Used Flashcards: How Our Children Really Learn and Why They Need to Play More and Memorize Less". Gives the science behind the reasoning. It's not a pro-homeschool book, the author very incongruently states that school is still the best place for kids to learn phonics and parents should just read with kids, for instance... I say "incongruently" because the actual facts described and espoused in the book are all about natural learning. It puzzles me that the authors didn't make the logical leap from 'kids learn best in a nurturing, natural, non-academic environment' to 'young kids shouldn't go to school'... BUT it is very much anti- the strong push towards early academics in preschools.

LOL... it's much better than I make it sound in the above paragraph lol...

Oh, another one is "Hold Onto Your Kids: Why Parents need To Matter More Than Peers". It's not specifically about the dangers of early *academics*, it's about the dangers of early peer-bonding, the risks of excessive separation from caregivers breaking the adult-directed orientation that children NEED in order to be secure and learn. It's an ESSENTIAL book that ALL parents should read IMO. It's also not a specifically pro-homeschooling book, it operates on the assumption that the readers are sending their kids to school, as of course 98% of parents do... and gives advice on how to compensate for that. But it is GREAT reassurance for those parents who have decided to keep their kids at home, especially for the very early years!