With the influx of early childhood programs, preschool, and early learning classes, it is easy to get caught up in the early education whirlwind.
However, no matter how good it sounds, there are many good, well-reserached reasons why you don’t want to push school too early.
There are the 3 main reasons we have decided not to push our kids into schooling too early.
#1 – They are only young once. They have all the time in the world for formal school. Why rush it? They are learning every day, absorbing words, vocabulary, nature, people, and manners. Mastering language and developing critical thinking skills. Formal school can wait. Let them play!
#2 We want to instill a love for learning. Making them do formal schooling before they are developmentally ready and mature enough only makes them hate school, which they may or may not come out of. Why take the chance that they don’t come out of it. We want long time life-learners, not reluctant learners.
#3 We don’t need to keep up with the public school. Though there are plenty of studies showing early formal education is unnessary – that learning by play is most important, that especially in the case of bosy, early formal education can cause long term issues, the pbulic sector still wants early child care disguised as early education. I don’t need to keep up with mainstream education. So I can let my kids learn through curiosity and play. Read to them and talk with them. Let them develop their love for learning.
There are probably a dozen more reasons to not push early formal education. These are just a few that we feel are important. As homeschoolers your littles are learning alongside your big kids. You don’t HAVE to have a formal education in order for them to learn. If you are singing your alphabet with your big kids, they hear it. If you are reading aloud to your other children, they are listening.
Though there are MANY great preschool education programs available. If you feel you REALLY need one, pick one with lots of play, lots of reading, and lots of hands-on activities. And remember…you don’t have to do it all. Pick and choose and leave plenty of time for exploration and play.
Play is one of the most important parts of growing up and learning. Let them play!
What reasons do you have to not push early education?
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