I think it is becoming relative. How many kids are in preschool now compared to 30 years ago? Kids are expected to do math and read in K. And I bet that curriculum will become even more demanding because of global competition.
Think about Chinese kids that spend preschool learning a second language, math and piano or violin. That is the norm for millions of these kids. I read there were 10 million Chinese kids in these types of programs. The whole thing of pushing our kids came about because the Japanese car industry took over ours and we started talking about the Japanese way of doing things and "we" started pushing our kids.
So is hothousing going to be the normal curriculum in 10 years?
We are at the ocean in NJ and it is so common to red shirt so your kid will be at the top of the class. I am not sure what the bottom level is to pass, since we haven't been there, but it seems strange that the majority of kids who have a summer birthday are not ready for K and need to wait, yet in NYC all those kids have to go to K with a cut-off 12/31 compared to 10/1 in NJ. So you have even younger kids going to K in NYC because they have to (unless you decide to private school). If you show up a year later for public, they put your kid in grade 1.
I think hothousing is here to stay and I do not have a problem with it, because every parent gets to help their kid any way they want, abuse aside. I am glad my kid is who she is and I don't have to worry about what it takes to pass, just how far she can go to challenge herself and have good habits of discipline and application.
Ren
