Irreconcilable Differences?

Abstract

There is a schism between early childhood educators and schoolteachers around what comprises school readiness and how it is best achieved. While early educators see the child as naturally self-educating through development and discovery, schoolteachers see explicit instruction and practice as the best way for children to master critical skills. These differing world views reflect different underlying value systems which manifest in divergent views of how, when, and what children learn. An examination of the Perry Preschool Project reveals a mostly successful real-world attempt to accommodate both world views, although there are reasons to doubt the practicality of the model as a solution. These same tensions surrounded the rise of kindergarten; tellingly, the debate has been settled by the school system assimilating kindergarten into its worldview. Ultimately, the two sides are irreconcilable, which has important implications for the future of America's early childhood efforts.