Should children be taught to read early?

In primary school, children have 5 years to gradually get used to studying. During these 5 years, the main educational goal is to get them used to it. Thus, studying before entering grade 1 is not only redundant but also has many other consequences.

This is the opinion of Dr. Vu Thu Huong, lecturer of the Primary School Department, University of Education, regarding the story of many parents letting their children learn to read before entering first grade.

Illustration!

Raising children looking at the neighbor's house

Although the school year has not yet officially begun, many parents with children entering first grade have already found a place to practice writing for their children.

At a military housing complex in Cong Vi (Ba Dinh, Hanoi), where a primary school teacher famous for her beautiful handwriting and discipline of her children lives, students are coming and going these days. Children go to school, parents and grandparents are outside waiting for their children. The yard of the housing complex is more crowded than usual.

Having a child studying here, Ms. Duyen said that although many people told her not to study early, she also read somewhere that experts recommended not to let her child study early, but she still felt uneasy.

“My neighbor’s child is the same age as my child but he can read, write, and even add and subtract within 10. I asked and found out that he has been taught by his grandparents since he was 5 years old. I was afraid that my child would not be able to keep up with his friends, so I had to send him to school,” Ms. Duyen lamented.

It is known that the children study just as “stressfully” as their older siblings preparing for university entrance exams. Because each session the children study for 3 hours (practicing reading, writing and learning numbers). Depending on the study time, some teachers teach 2 sessions/class/week, but some teachers teach 3 sessions/class/week.

Just leaving the classroom, seeing Chau Anh's mother, Tuyet's daughter (Dich Vong Hau, Cau Giay, Hanoi) burst into tears. The little girl sobbed and told her mother that she didn't like going to school. After much coaxing, the child finally stopped. Tuyet said, "Maybe we should find another teacher for my child. At home, she is used to being gentle, but now that she is at school, the teacher forces her to follow the rules. If I make a mistake, she speaks loudly, so she is afraid. Every day after school, she cries, and before leaving, she absolutely refuses to go. And if she doesn't learn in advance, how can she keep up with her friends? All of her friends in preschool can read and write."

Should I teach in advance?

Dr. Vu Thu Huong, lecturer at the Faculty of Primary Education, University of Education, said that in addition to the psychology of showing off their children (the psychology of being obsessed with achievements) of many parents, parents also have the mentality of being overly worried about their children.

Answering the question of whether pre-learning is really meaningful for children, Dr. Huong frankly affirmed, “It has no effect. Because in primary school, children have 5 years to gradually get used to studying. During these 5 years, if we read the education law carefully, we will see that the main goal of education is to help children get used to it.

Thus, studying before entering grade 1 is not only redundant but also has many other consequences such as making children afraid of studying, hating studying, bored and destructive. I have not yet considered other consequences that children will face regarding their health when having to study too early.

Dr. Huong also analyzed that children are completely unaware of what is high and low scores, what is good and bad because in grade 1 they just start learning older and younger. Therefore, all the self-confidence or self-doubt depends on the parents.

“A child brings home a bad grade and shows it to his mother. When the mother sees this, she yells at him or scolds him. The child will immediately realize that he has just received a bad grade and will feel very ashamed. If the mother says: it's okay, tomorrow you will try harder and you will do better, then the child will feel normal and happily go to class tomorrow. Thus, whether a child is confident or not depends on the attitude of the parents, not on the score he gets in class. Children have just started school so they don't understand much, parents really need to know this,” said Dr. Huong.

According to Infonet