Buckets of tears are shed during the first two weeks of preschool and / or kindergarten by children leaving home for the first time.
Contrary to our national custom, many experts argue that early education is harmful to children.
And according to the evidence, the experts are right..
“Why, then, are we locking kids up in an involuntary network with strangers for twelve years? ”
Harvard’s most recent study shows that children who are on the young side of the cut-off date when they enter school have a 30% greater chance of being diagnosed with ADHD.
Anyone who knows the basics of child development should not be surprised by this finding.
“Early ripe, early rot,” as the saying goes.
“85 of 10,000 students born in August were either diagnosed with or treated for ADHD, compared with 64 students of 10,000 born in September.”
The federal government even funded research on this topic. The research was conducted by educator Raymond Moore who concluded that we should not put our kids into school until they were at least ten-years-old!
Yet for almost 50 years our government has ignored the very research that it funded, and it has ignored the warnings of child development experts. Instead, we’ve been led to believe that our children need a “head-start” to get ahead.
Now 50 years later, institutions like Harvard are saying the same thing: schools are not the best place for young children.
Will it be another 50 years before the government and the corporate world acknowledge the glaring truth that young children are better off at home?
Fortunately, we parents can take the matter of raising and educating our children into our own hands, especially in the face of government incompetencies and corporate greed.
We must take matters into our own hands!
We have to consider the damage that’s incurred by forcing academic learning on children before they’re developmentally ready.
What about the overprescribing of ADHD drugs, the increasing problem of mental and physical health problems, and the loss of literacy that is damaging to our families and a threat to democracy.
In addition to these ills, one of the most striking changes I’ve witnessed in my lifetime is the breakdown of the family unit–the family being the basis for a sound society.
Here’s what John Taylor Gatto had to say about it:
It appears to me as a schoolteacher that schools are already a major cause of weak families and weak communities. They separate parents and children from vital interaction with each other and from true curiosity about each other’s lives.
Schools stifle family originality by appropriating the critical time needed for any sound idea of family to develop — then they blame the family for its failure to be a family.
He didn’t need studies or experts to tell him this. He worked within the heart of the system, and he saw it first-hand, and he had the courage to speak out.
In John’s absence, allow me to do the same.
Our young children need US; they don’t need school.
Don’t miss our free download, Ten Books Every Well-Educated Child Should Read.
For parents of children under age seven who would like to prepare their child for social and academic success, please begin with Elizabeth’s original online course, Raise Your Child to Thrive in Life and Excel in Learning.
When you join the Smart Homeschooler Smart Homeschooler Academy online course for parents, Elizabeth will make homeschooling easy for you. She’ll guide you in helping your kids reach their intellectual potential and developing good character.
As a homeschooler, you will feel confident, calm, and motivated knowing you have the tools and support you need to homeschool successfully.
Would you like to teach your child to read? Learn more about Elizabeth's unique course, How to Teach Your Child to Read and Raise a Child Who Loves to Read.
Elizabeth Y. Hanson is a homeschooling thought-leader and the founder of Smart Homeschooler.
As an Educator, Homeschool Emerita, Writer, and Love and Leadership Certified Parenting Coach, Elizabeth has 21+ years of experience working in education.
She has developed a comprehensive understanding of how to raise and educate a child, and she devotes her time to helping parents to get it right.
Elizabeth is available for one-on-one consultations as needed.
