Why only reading and math?

[nohayo]

Hi all

Here is a musing of mine; why is it that the focus in early learning is on math and reading? I am not being quizzical, just wondering

Why isn't there for example a focus on science? Because it comes through reading? What about hands-on experiments or equations (physics and chemistry) or so on? If the purpose of learning early is to make learning enjoyable, then why don't we extend that to all those other subjects out there?

What about teaching life skills or art and so on?

Or is it just reading and math as in letters and numbers, and then you can take it from there?

It just crossed my mind that there are a million other things we would want our kids to learn, so
1. I am wondering why the focus is on only two aspects
2. At the same time I am also wondering if there are other focuses out there
3. Also, I thought we could share together, what other parents think is worthy to teach their kids?

Would love to hear your feedback
Noha

[KL]

Excellent question, Noha.

I guess it does indeed seem like the focus is on reading and math.

Well, to a CERTAIN extent, I think it IS true that there is more focus on reading and math than other subjects, and that's for good reason.  The reason, I believe, is that reading (especially) and math are the fundamental building blocks for so many other things in life.  Reading is a TOOL for further learning.  It's like learning how to learn.  That's why there is such a big focus by governments on literacy.  And reading is also the basis for writing, and now we're getting into COMMUNICATION skills, at least one form of it.  And we all know the importance of communication!

As for Math, I think the same concept applies, but to a lesser extent. Math is the foundation for most sciences, so you could say that it's the basis for science.  I'm not sure on this, but I also believe that neurologists would also tell you that improving your math abilities also improves your brain in very fundamental ways too.  Perhaps someone knowledgeable about this can comment further.

Having said all that, of course reading and math are not the only important things children need to learn.  For example, I personally believe music and art are also highly important, not just because it allows the expression of artistic creativity but also because of certain effects it has on brain development.  Likewise, learning physical stuff is also very important, not just from a physical point of view (obviously), but also from a MENTAL point of view because of how it also affects brain development (which is why crawling, according to Glenn Doman, is so important and affects other abilities such as language).  And last but not least, and some would say most importantly, there's the "EQ" (as opposed to IQ) development.

One other reason those things aren't emphasized as much, I think, is because some are harder to teach, at least in books and certainly for companies like us doing software products.  We will have a 'Little Musician' coming up, but we're still having difficulty coming up with a compelling and attractive concept for 'Little Artist' using today's technology, and 'Little Athlete' as a software product is, um... I think you get my point.  Hmm... maybe one day we'll do it on the Wii ! (excuse me while I call up our patent lawyer...)

KL

[lawrencelb]

Nice points/response, KL.
 I would definitely agree with you that reading is what gives an individual a strong foundation with which to learn new information.  This is why it is so vital that children have a solid ability to read (and comprehend what they've read) during the early school years (so that they can rely on their reading skills when they are needed to acquire new information and concepts).  That said, it obviously stands to reason that children will have more time available to them to learn new information through reading if they are not having to spend energy and time during the early school years learning to read. 

I also appreciate your comments about how the acquisition of certain skills is limited by and/or harder to teach using books or software programs.  The social aspects of language/communication obviously fall into that category.  I would be remiss if I didn't encourage the users of Little Reader (in addition to running the programs) to also spend time lots of time interacting one-on-one with their precious children.  Children who are typically developing implicitly pick up so much information from their environments and parents are certainly the most central piece of their surroundings! 

Thanks for great discussions - I am really looking forward to seeing how integrating Little Reader into our routines shapes my children's learning experiences!

[nohayo]

Dear KL and Lawrence,

Thanks so much for your replies! You guys listed so many other aspects to learn that I think maybe that's all there is

I agree to the importance of reading and math as building blocks to learning later on. But, I also still think that there are areas that are still untapped. I think maybe art is one of those fundementals that you would want to teach your child at an early age too! It teaches them to appreciate beuaty, to be creative, to be an individual and so on. These are all fundementals too, don't you think? And that's just an example !

I am so excited about this early learning concept and just want to apply it to different levels, not just the traditional "school subjects". Do you get my drift?

Noha

[nc_wahm]

I try to focus mainly on reading and math because that's all I have time for honestly.  My son is also enrolled in classes at the Little Gym which focuses on gross motor and fine motor skills but besides that ....I just focus on good old fashioned love and attention.

[nhockaday]

Love and attention is certainly the best thing we can give our children! Everything else should build from that.

[lawrencelb]

Very well said, nhockaday.  I couldn't agree more.  Our children learn, grow, and blossom (in all areas) when we (as their parents) shower them with love, time, and quality interactions!

[KL]

DEFINITELY!! Everything else counts for NOTHING if you don't give your child(ren) enough love and attention!

And yes, developing their social and emotional aspects - what I referred to as "EQ" in my earlier post - is also crucial (and some would say most crucial), and giving them love and attention is key to developing this aspect.

Which brings us back to the cardinal rule of early learning, which is that learning should be made to be fun and enjoyable, especially as such tender ages.  Once you do that, there is no longer any distinction between "learning" and "play"!

[lawrencelb]

Yep, yep, yep, and ....  yep!

I completely agree, KL - as you touched on, children learn through "play".  That is why we cannot stress enough to new parents or parents-to-be that for children, their work is "play".  That is how they gain knowledge about and integrate information from the world around them. 
When working with young children to help them develop their speech and language skills, we (as SLPs) often use "play-based" or "child directed" therapy.  When a parent who is new to the world of therapy first observes this, we sometimes get comments like, "but you are just playing with him/her".  Time is taken to help that parent understand the research that shows how learning occurs and what approaches are being used within the "play" to help that child make sense of the world around him/her. 

Which brings us back to the cardinal rule of early learning, which is that learning should be made to be fun and enjoyable, especially as such tender ages.  Once you do that, there is no longer any distinction between "learning" and "play"!

Yes, and I would argue that learning should be fun and enjoyable...at any age!  Who wants to learn a new skill if it is not a fun process along the way?   

[nohayo]

I totally agree with the "love" and "play" factor To me it is one of the major advantages of early learning...just to associate learning with play in the mind of my child so that later on in his/her life they would never see learning quite as boring as others is to me a GREAT advantage It is so empowering!

Lawrencelb, could you maybe share with us some of those play approaches you were talking about ? I know I'd love to hear about them

Thanks!!
Noha

[leana]

Dear Noha and others,
Thanks for bringing up this question. I think it is very important one, as we are all looking forward to developing our kids versatile. I agree with everything said above about reading and math being building blocks for everything else. I would love to add that beside these teaching music and arts and physical development, as KL mentioned, are also extremely important. (By the way, I would love to hear any of your experiences in teaching music, arts and sciences to your baby and of course looking forward to trying Little Musician!). But above all these, I believe, is teaching our kids Moral qualities and virtues, such as love, kindness, justice, honesty, purity of heart and so on, the list is endless. Because no matter how smart our kids may become, if they do not have moral foundation and integrity, they may apply all their skills and abilities in a wrong way, which no one of us wants. The examples of bad geniuses are innumerous. What do you think about this, ladies? Do you have any experience in teaching moral qualities on a regular basis? Please, share.
Regards to all, leana

[nohayo]

I totally agree about the morals I think we teach our kids what we value best by acting according to it... being a role model is everything Also, I guess morals can be easily incorporated into little reader flashcards, stories, games etc... like stories about honesty etc.
I think to teach morals on a regular basis is to just focus on commenting on good morals when they occur or pass your child by and behaving well yourself and your child will always pick that up

[lionsong]

I agree with Noha in that the best way to teach your child morals is through your own example. Just act in the way that you would want your child to act. If you make a mistake and behave in a way that isn't what you'd want your child to emulate, then you admit to them that you were wrong to behave that way. That in itself will teach them that it's okay to make mistakes, but it's important to own up to your mistakes and do what's necessary to fix them.

In my experience with kids as a nanny I found that with things like morals and manners, kids learn more from what they see than they do from books or anything else. Not that they don't learn from other things, but what sticks with them more is what they see in their environment. So I think it's equally important to point out the behavior of others to them (whether good or bad) and explain the behavior to them. Obviously not right in front of the person, though. For instance, when the 4 year old I cared for witnessed her friends mom beat their dog with a spoon, she thought it was a bit funny. But after we left (which was pretty much after we witnessed that horrid event) I explained to her that what her friend's mom had done was wrong and why.

So back to my original point, I think some things are best left to real life experience. Art is one of those things too. There's so much that can be done artistically speaking just by buying some cheap craft materials from a craft store or any other place that sells things of that nature. Most of the time you can just set some glue, markers, glitter and whatever else and just let their imaginations run wild. Art is such as easy one to do without having to involve computers. But I've often thought of writing a book with age appropriate arts and crafts ideas.

Naya

[lawrencelb]

Yes Leana - I agree...
Having intelligence is simply not enough.  In fact, intelligence without compassion, integrity, and all of the other qualities you listed can be downright scary.  I fully believe that parents have to instill those virtues in their children, and I would agree with Noha and lionsong that they will learn those best through example.  I have found that as I teach my daughter about how to care for and respect others around her, that I have had to face the hard reality that I do not always act in the way that I would want her to.  Raising her has also helped me to change the parts of myself that were not good at all.  What a wonderful gift our children give us - and we can give them so much too - but we must balance knowledge about the world around us with knowledge about how to care for that world and the people in it.
 

[KL]

Amen to all that!!!! 

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