I worked with pre-K teachers and kids, and sadly they felt that getting the kids to test well on certain skills was necessary if they were to fulfill the standards and criteria they were held to as teachers and as an institution.
I think we are institutionalizing a mistaken assumption that there is a strong correlation between standardized test results and competencies; learning and teaching; and education and schooling.
And as a society and indivduals, we behave in ways that equate being Normal , or according to the statistical Type or most typical - means Most Right; instead of, as is more accurate, behaving more predictably.
From: Forum with Michael Krasney, KQED
Common core standards require that kindergartners acquire a range of basic reading skills, including letter and word recognition and phonics.
Supporters of the standards say they are necessary to create a language-rich environment for all children, something often missing in low-income homes. But critics say most children are not developmentally ready to read in kindergarten, and point to research that shows kids benefit more from play-based programs. We'll look at the complex issue of teaching young readers.