By choosing to send our children to school on the day they turn five, we are potentially giving them two years of frustration with learning that a child starting school in Finland will not experience. Does this explain why many of our children, especially boys, struggle with writing? Have they developed a 'I can't do it' mentality by seven? Is the Finnish system more in line with human development theory?
Early Childhood Education centres feel the pressure to prepare children for school while their curriculum focus is on developing the child's creativity.
In his interview below Nathan Mikaere-Wallis emphasises the development of social and emotional skills for our 3-7 year olds. In the drive to meet imposed standards, are our junior classes ignoring the need to explore? to play? to be creative?
Listen to this very interesting interview and consider what is happening in our education system for young children.
radionz.co.nz/audio/what-3-to-7-year-olds-need-to-learn-nathan-mikaere-wallis
Nathan Mikaere Wallis is part of the Brain Wave Trust, and X Factor Education, Christchurch. He has been a lecturer at the Christchurch College of Education, lecturing in human development, brain development, language and communication and risk and resilience. Nathan has a background of working with children in counselling settings relating to domestic violence, sexual abuse and childhood trauma.
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