Pushing academics.

These are the kinds of things I annoy my friends and acquaintances with on Facebook, the things I am passionate about.  I feel like there are a few of us speaking out against pushing children so hard, but our voices are being overwhelmed by the compulsory schooling/testing mentality.  Individually, moms and dads, save your kids from this and let them play when they are little.

Sky candy.

Early academic training causes long term harm.

"Early academic training somewhat increases children’s immediate scores on the specific tests that the training is aimed at (no surprise), but these initial gains wash out within 1 to 3 years and, at least in some studies, are eventually reversed.  Perhaps more tragic than the lack of long-term academic advantage of early academic instruction is evidence that such instruction can produce long-term harm, especially in the realms of social and emotional development."

There's a deer in this picture, taken from inside my car on the driveway.

Educating too early
"Recent studies with four-year-olds showed that, “Direct instruction really can limit young children’s learning.” Direct instruction also limits a child’s creativity, problem solving, and openness to ideas beyond the situation at hand. This is true when the instruction comes from parents as well as teachers."