April 21st - National Kindergarten Day
At the end of the day, will it really matter if they learned to read when they were five or when they were six?
At the end of the day, will it really matter if they wrote a paragraph when they were in kindergarten or second grade?
At the end of the day, will it really matter what score they got on a standardized test?
At the end of the day, will “rigor” in kindergarten be more important than play?
At the end of the day, it will matter if children feel good about themselves, know how to get along with others, find joy in learning, and have happy memories.
On NATIONAL KINDERGARTEN DAY, I question why we are pushing and rushing and shoving our children. Are the actually going to be smarter, brighter, and better at the end of the day…
They’ve Taken Away Our Song
By Jean Feldman
We used to sing and play outside.
We’d hold hands and we’d dance.
Now we have to sit still and take tests.
They’ve taken away our song.
We used to build with blocks.
We’d finger paint and do puzzles.
Now we do worksheets.
They’ve taken away our song.
We used to dig in the sand,
Play circle games and play pretend.
Now we sit in front of a big screen.
They’ve taken away our song.
We used to cook and go on field trips.
We had show and tell and rest time.
Now we have to stay on task.
They’ve taken away our song.
Our teacher used to have time
To sing us rhymes and tell us stories.
Now our teacher has to collect data.
They’ve taken away our song.
Give children back their song,
Laugh, and love, and play,
So when they’re all grown up
They’ll remember kindergarten in a special way.
As kindergarten teachers, we know that five is a magical time. Children have one chance in a lifetime to be five, and we will continue to hold hands, and sing, and dance, and tell stories, and do finger plays, and play pretend, and give children happy memories because we still believe in “kinder garden”-– we are KINDERGARTEN TEACHERS!
Sweet memories of my kindergarten. One of the best years of my life.
I've forgotten many years in school, but I'll never forget kindergarten.
Maybe that's why I became a kindergarten teacher so I could pass on
the joy and give other children happy memories. Do you feel the same way?