Those of you who have read some of my previous postings know that I am continually amazed at the changes in child-rearing that have taken place over the past forty or so years. These changes seem focused on the belief that we live in Lake Woebegone where all the children are above average. Thus, parents have to spend inordinate amounts of time, money and effort to ensure that their child becomes a star as soon as possible. The idea of kids playing unorganized ball or having truly free time and the opportunity to make minor mistakes is just not one for 21st century America. I know that this issue is not simply a parenting issue. Many of society's supposed bulwarks have also succumbed to these fads.
For example, a study of how time is spent in a typical LA kindergarten class found that these 4/5-year-olds spent five times as much time on "literacy" as on free play. Each day they spent 21 minutes on test preparation, but only 19 on free play. Yet, whatever advantage this extra testing gives vanishes by the time the kids reach fourth grade. And, to make matters worse, the time spent in the classroom is augmented by homework assignments given to these kids, which further impinges on the time available to just play around. Maybe the current economy will increase the opportunities for free play for kids.
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