Kindergarten Standards Too Tough?

Kindergarten standards are increasing. But is that good or bad?

Recently, a new study revealed some interesting information on new kindergarten standards, and it's been making its rounds on social media. I watch social media closely and it's my job to share some of the hot topics on Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, and other outlets that teachers, principals, students, and parents are contributing.

A recent study carried out by the University of Virginia compared kindergarten in 1998 to 2010. They asked kindergarten teachers what they exposed their students to on a weekly basis. Between 1998 and 2010, there was a huge increase in the number of teachers who taught spelling, writing sentences and stories, probability, and writing math equations. National Education Association Today shared an image of the graph on their Twitter account. They theorized that the No Child Left Behind Act and constant testing were the main reasons behind these increases.

On the surface, this looks like an overall positive change. Not everyone is so sure though. While math and reading have increased, the arts, physical education, and general play have all seen alarmingly high decreases between the two years compared in the report. Others also argue that the average kindergartner's brain isn't wired to handle those topics properly yet. People have also claimed this will discourage students because they cannot keep up with the continually rising standards and no longer get as much time using creativity and honing their social skills. You can read more about that report here.

Where do you stand? Do you think these are good changes or bad? What do you think we could do to change this?

Tori Pakizer is the Social Media Editor at SimpleK12.com. She writes regularly about the use of educational technology in K-12 classrooms, and specializes in how teachers use Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, and other social media. You can follow Tori and SimpleK12 on Twitter @SimpleK12. If you have ideas for using social media in schools, please send your information or tip to editor@simplek12.com.