There is one phrase that sends chills down the backs of parents of school age children, and that phrase is "common core." The common core standards are a set of standardized standards for math and English. "These learning goals outline what a student should know and be able to do at the end of each grade," the website explains. "The standards were created to ensure that all students graduate from high school with the skills and knowledge necessary to succeed in college, career, and life, regardless of where they live." Many schools have adopted these standards, and educators' opinions are mixed.
The main concern is that the standards encourage testing young children before it is appropriate. "The real school starting age is 7," Dr. Alvin Rosenfeld told Forbes. "It may be 8 or 6, depending on the child. This is all based on what we know about child development, starting from Piaget. Your brain isn't sufficiently wired to do it before then. And you also have to keep in mind, all kids are different, and it's very hard to predict what will happen with age. Some kids who were reading Harry Potter at 4 end up as career baristas. Others can't read till they're much older, and they turn out to be highly successful as adults."
Before choosing a school, look into their teaching philosophy and how the teachers feel about the methods.
