Children should not be allowed to behave like children.

Behaving like children

Sent to the Guardian, July 17, 2013

It's wonderful to know that children in England will be tested on entry to kindergarten, to make sure they are prepared for tests they will take at age 11 ("Five year olds could face national tests," July 16; "Primary school tests: Nick Clegg denies schools will be 'exam sausage factories'," July 17).

This will ensure that preschools will take firm steps to make sure that children are ready for the rigors of kindergarten, as well as encourage parents to follow strict, sequential standards in teaching their toddlers to count and develop pre-phonics skills to prepare them for preschool. 

The unfortunate tendency of children to want to play and enjoy themselves must stop, despite the claims of mushy-minded "experts" who claim that play improves "social and emotional development," whatever that is. 

Children should not be allowed to behave like children.

Stephen Krashen

President, Kindergarten Kalculus Association

Author of "Phonemic awareness training for prelinguistic children: Do we need prenatal PA?" Reading Improvement 35: 167-171, 1998

original articles:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2013/jul/17/five-year-olds-tests-clegg

http://www.guardian.co.uk/education/2013/jul/17/primary-school-tests-nick-clegg?INTCMP=ILCNETTXT3487