How Important Was Kindergarten, After All?

Many years ago, Robert Fulghum's essay "All I Ever Really Needed to Know, I Learned in Kindergarten" swept through the public's mind. It contained gems such as "share everything", "learn some and think some and draw and paint and sing and dance and play and work some every day. " and, "be aware of wonder". I agree with all of this.

A few days ago, a friend announced on facebook that her child was going to start "Kindergarten readiness camp" in two weeks. This, apparently, is a time when rising Kindergarten students come together in a two week extension of the school year. Shocking, I thought. Because in my mind, summer is way too short and school is way too long as it is. Why would anyone want to extend the school year for the very youngest of students?

Since Fulghum's essay was first published, I wonder how much Kindergarten has changed. The hallmarks of Kindergarten today seem to be teaching children how to read, teaching children how to count money, and teaching children how to work in sets with math. That's a pre-multiplication math activity. And while Fulghum mentions that biggest word of all "LOOK!", it's certainly not the skill being emphasized. How many times have I heard someone tell me "X is so smart. She reads!" And while reading is undeniably important, and reading is power, reading can be an entry into a million worlds, and reading is even a break for parents - reading is surely not the be all, end all skill that must be acquired in Kindergarten. By sending my children to a Waldorf school, I'm betting my children's futures on it.

I'm betting instead, that developing a child's imagination is the very best thing we can aid them in doing. I'm betting that giving kids tools in a classroom that they must learn to negotiate with others in the room is important. After all, that large log propped in the side of the classroom simply cannot be moved by my child alone. No, Connor must gather a friend, they must decide what to do with it, they must be willing to determine a leader and a follower. They must, in order for everyone to be satisfied in the end and willing to try it all again, come to agreement about the object's purpose. In many ways, I feel like I've slowed time back down to when Fulghum was writing is acclaimed essay.

In just one month, Connor will leave his Waldorf school and enter a public school classroom where he will be put in a room with peers who have spent their last year doing completely different things than him. I'm vowing to savor every last moment of summer between now and then.

Elaine

This post was inspired by the book "The Costume Trunk", written by Bob Fuller. The book is a children's story about children spending their day imagining a place called Paddywhack Lane. It's a sweet story that Helen and Connor both enjoyed. As a member of the From Left to Write book club, I received a free copy of the book. I usually pass these along to friends, but I'll be keeping this one, as Helen and Connor still think reading a book about 999,999 times is a good use of their time.