ABSTRACT

David Elkind contended in his 1986 essay that parents and educators held the misguided belief that pre-school children could benefit from formal instruction in reading and other academic skills. He argued that there was no evidence that such efforts accelerated intellectual development and much evidence to suggest that early education was harmful to children's emotional development. Early childhood education is at present a subject of intense controversy. Some contend that the education of younger children should be assigned to the public school system. Elkind identifies himself with the latter position and he does so admirably. He is a gifted writer, but more significantly, he has the skill to detect the impact of innumerable intertwining forces that may affect any generalization about the teaching and learning of the young. Elkind cited Myrtle McGraw's research in early motor development to defend his assertion by suggesting that Johnny's early motor training failed to confer any advantage in learning.