Race to success starts in kindergarten

Take a look at this story about how early children are getting a head start to learning these days. Apparently, age 3 is the up-and-coming time for kids to get a move on, to avoid getting left behind in kindergarten. Junior Kumon, a Japanese learning company, is opening offices in New York City where parents shell out $200 to $300 a month so that their toddler can get two hours of weekly tutoring in reading and math. The little ones get twenty minutes of homework each night, and instructors often rely on worksheets to teach the kids basic reading, writing, and math skills. Kumon's reach is anticipated to spread to the west coast some time from now, as this "accelerated learning" for toddlers trend is catching on fast.

Is this the continuation of the never-ending push for prestige, which affluent suburban parents inflict on their children from the time they're in diapers? Or is it simply a nice way for kids to learn their multiplication tables by age 6, thereby giving them a boost upon entering school? According to the article, many parents come to rely on programs such as Kumon to help develop their children academically. When the neighbor's kid is adding by age 4, you want yours to do the same. Then again, the spread of these programs tears kids away from blocks, toys, and from exploring the outdoors, all of which are equally powerful learning tools for their future. We all have at least twelve, if not sixteen or eighteen, years of education ahead of us; why cut childhood short by three more years?