At the end of the day....

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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.

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 childhood in a special way.

As early childhood teachers, we know that this is a magical time. Children have one chance in a lifetime to be little, 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 “childhood”-– we are EARLY CHILDHOOD TEACHERS!