Recent studies reveal that kindergartners in this generation are being given more "schowork" such as quizzes, home works and cognitive tasks compared to the ones from the 2011 and below. The study also mentioned that kindergartners are given more tests compared to first grade students.
NPR noted that one study highlighted that preschoolers are given higher expectations compared to other grade levels. In a study done by the researchers from the University of Virginia, Daphna Bassok, Scott Latham and Anna Rorem it was mentioned that kindergartners are bigger tasks to accomplish.
In their study published by the American Educational Research Association, it was questioned as to whether kindergartners are the new first grade due to the workload that they are given in class. They got their data from the U.S. Department of Education Early Childhood Longitudinal Study which was represented by almost 2.500 kindergarten and first grade teachers.
The answers revealed significant data wherein it revealed that kindergartners are given heavy workloads. It was cited that 1/3 of the teachers mentioned that kindergartners should be able to know how to properly hold a pencil and know the alphabet even before they would start kindergarten.
"We went into the study seeing a lot of anecdotal evidence about the ratcheting up of expectations in kindergarten," Daphna Bassok said. "I thought part of this was a nostalgia for what we imagined kindergarten may have been. It's pretty amazing to me that, over a 12-year period, we see such drastic changes in teachers reporting what they expect and how they spend their time."
As for the lessons on the other hand, it was mentioned that circle time, art classes and music classes are being cut short. It was also mentioned that dinosaurs, space and other science activities, which children find interesting are no longer added to the lesson plan.
