Push for Literacy

The other day we were talking about how their is always a push for literacy and math skills. It is continually increased for children of younger and younger ages. Basically, if a child does not already know their alphabet by the time they come into gr.1 they are already behind.

There seems to be a global competition.

It is both at a political and a parental level.

Politically speaking, the curriculum changes every few years. It changes perspective depending on the group in power as well as by the complexity of the content. It is noticed that for example Chinese education has a much more difficult literacy program and so Canadians must be challenged just as much. It is noticed that French education systems increased their annual in school hours so Canadians should consider longer hours as well. Learning objectives and content delve deeper and deeper.

On the parental scope, parents are more and more concerned about what level their child is at. They realize that the neighbors kids can already use cursive writing, so their children need to step it up. Children are being put into more complex preschool programs to get them "ready" for gr.1.

Isn't it interesting thought that each child's brain develops at a different rate? That different areas mature differently by sex, genetics, and, for the sake of argument, puberty. It takes a child on average at least 18 months before they can begin to communicate using language and syntax. Some take longer, some less time. Depending on the hormones and genetic construction of a child will their pubescent changes begin to occur. Once they do, different abilities will become stronger. Girls and boys who hit puberty earlier on in life are more likely to increase their literacy skills at that time. Therefore those that hit puberty later on will have a much smaller area devoted to language in the brain. Those that hit it later, also are generally better with spatial skills. Generally it is the girls that mature earlier and the boys later. However, statistics show that that is not always the case and so there are hormonal and sex differences in learning capabilities.

There is a correlation between literacy and math skills and development or puberty.

Why when all the scientific research and evidence is there, is it not taken into account when setting up curriculum goals?