You’re totally on board with, or at least intrigued by, all this talk about prioritizing free play and minimizing screen-time in the early years… but you can’t seem to find a clear answer to one very important question: When and how will they learn? And won’t they fall behind?

To fully understand the answer to this question, we first need to understand what learning actually means in early childhood. Unlike older children and adults, children under age 7 acquire information using all seven senses. The young child’s brain is hard at work building the highways of the brain and strengthening neural connections in response to sensory input.

As a result of lots and lots of unstructured play and free movement (and minimal screen-time) through age 7, the young brain organizes sensory input, builds a healthy sensory processing system, and integrates or forms smooth connections between the different parts of the brain - which is absolutely essential for future academic success as well as living a happy and healthy life.

Not so fast. Research finds that children who have direct academic instruction before age 7 (including adult-led activities, workbooks, and educational technology — even if it’s “fun”) score significantly worse than their peers later on in both academics and overall life success.

Early academics including reading, writing, and arithmetic require left brain processes which a child doesn’t have access to until about age 7. In order to meet too-early academic expectations, the immature brain must rely on right brain strategies — which is not only less efficient, but can actually interrupt natural child development.

A 2008 study found what they called “robust and significant positive effects on educational outcomes” when children begin formal schooling at age 7 compared to age 6, finding that the children who entered school at age 7 were 12% more likely to continue on to the highest level of secondary school compared to those who entered at age 6.

Puhani, Patrick & Weber, Andrea. (2008). Does the early bird catch the worm?. 10.1007/978-3-7908-2022-5_6.

A 2002 study found that by the end of their 6th school year, children whose preschool experiences had been academically directed earned significantly lower grades compared to children who had attended play-based preschool. They summarized that children’s later school success was enhanced by more active, child-initiated early learning experiences while direct instruction slowed academic progress.

Marcon, Rebecca. (2002). Moving up the Grades: Relationship between Preschool Model and Later School Success. Early Childhood Research & Practice. 4.

A 2018 study found that by age 8, children who attended an academic preschool performed worse academically and otherwise than their low-income peers who stayed home during their preschool years. Those who attended the academic pre-K program were 46% more likely to be diagnosed with a learning disorder and 43% less likely to be labeled as intellectually gifted.

Lipsey, M., Farran, D., & Durkin, K. (2018). Effects of the Tennessee prekindergarten program on children’s achievement and behavior through third grade. Early Childhood Research Quarterly, 45, 155-176.

A 2009 study found that early reading was associated with early academic success, but less lifelong educational attainment and worse midlife adjustment. Early school entry was associated with less educational attainment, worse midlife adjustment, and earlier death, even after controlling for a host of personality and developmental variables.

Kern, M. L., & Friedman, H. S. (2009). Early educational milestones as predictors of lifelong academic achievement, midlife adjustment, and longevity. Journal of Applied Developmental Psychology, 30(4), 419–430.doi:10.1016/j.appdev.2008.12.025

• Young children need 5+ hours of daily unstructured free play.

• Academic scores generally even out around age 8, regardless of early academic instruction.

• Direct instruction before age 7 may actually hinder future academic success.

• Early reading and schooling may place children at a disadvantage socially & emotionally later in life.

• Educational screen-time is ineffective and harmful to cognitive development.

Childcare programs and education systems around the globe (including the US, the UK, Canada, and Australia) are failing children, and society, by pushing early academics, introducing EdTech, and limiting free play as early as infancy.

Young children need to see, hear, touch, smell, MOVE, and experience — not draw lines on a worksheet, not play “educational” tablet games, not attend “preschool” via YouTube, not participate in “fun” adult-led learning activities.

We’re seeing a worldwide trend towards early childhood pedagogies, including Waldorf, Reggio-inspired, and forest preschools, that successfully protect play while delaying academics and screen-time. However, many of these wonderful programs end at age 5, leaving 5-7 year olds without developmentally appropriate early care and education.

And, even if you do happen to have a high-quality, play-based school in your area that accepts school-aged children, these schools are often unattainable for most families.

Unfortunately, it doesn’t seem likely that an an education revolution will happen anytime soon, which leaves us with only two options: Take early childhood education into our own hands and/or advocate for our children in our local school systems.

As parents and educators of young children, we need to equip ourselves with research-backed information about early brain and whole child development so that we can begin to make empowered decisions for our children.

Although US Common Core State Standards push academic instruction far too early, the learning milestones a young child is expected to achieve by Grade 3 (or age 8) actually aren’t unreasonable.

The problem lies in our approach to teaching young children and the rate at which we expect children to simultaneously progress.

The key to successful early academics is allowing young children to meet most learning milestones through unstructured play —naturally and at their own pace — and then offering materials, experiences, and conversations as questions and interests arise.

Nurture Wildflowers will teach you what your child needs to learn by the end of 3rd grade or age 10 and how to support their learning in way that’s both effective and developmentally appropriate.