"Tutors for Toddlers"

"Call it kindercramming," says Pamela Paul in her article "Tutors for Toddlers" in the November 21, 2007 edition of TIME Magazine. She goes on to discuss the increasing desire among parents to educate their children . . . even from ages 3 and 4 . . . to get them a head-start on their education. These parents hope to encourage their children to become "life-long learners" through this process, and believe that they are setting them up for leading jobs in their fields, whether that be business, law, medicine, technology, etc. Consequently, some are paying $125 a month for their children to have a half hour meeting with a tutor each week, memorizing flash cards, learning to read, etc.

I struggle with this idea. Though as an educator myself, I strongly believe in education, I also believe in the institution of the family. I believe that children must have a strong foundation in their home life in order to become healthy and well-functioning adults. I also believe that at a young age, a parent is the most influential adult on a child's life and development. Therefore, a parent reading to his/her child each evening before bed will probably be just as (if not more) effective than spending money on a tutor. I find that our society is often so focused on jetting children forward into adulthood for financial and career success that they lose sight of the importance of CHILDHOOD.

Another critical avenue of learning (perhaps most critical) is simply life-experience. In order to establish children as well-rounded, balanced individuals who are able to learn not only academically, but socially, relationally, and emotionally as well, it is critical to allow them their early years to develop outside of the classroom. I hope that this is only a passing trend, and that the US quickly moves back to foundational faith in the power of family to develop intelligent and amazing adults.