The Dayton Daily News – Staff Writer
“In the fall of 1979, I entered the world of kindergarten. The days were short and only consisted of a half day of learning. We spent most of our time at school playing and making arts and crafts. We had story time, learned a bit of our alphabet and some counting. We had quiet listening time and would eat a snack and then go home to our parents. Fast forward to the world of kindergarten in the 21st century… Today, students are preparing at an earlier age for third grade testing — by beginning first-grade reading curriculum in kindergarten. Most students attend kindergarten full day and are expected to be able to recognize and write their names, know the entire alphabet complete with the sounds the words make, and be able to count from 1 to 100. Today’s 5-year-olds aren’t seen as babies anymore, kindergarten academic standards have become more rigorous with content promoting the importance of early learning. Just a decade ago, only 15 percent of kindergartners were readers. If we go back 30 years, the number shrinks to only 5 percent.”(more)