Getting Rid of the “Baby Stuff” in Pre‑K

I’m the first to admit that I see absolute­ly no mer­it in “pre‑K”—or even kindergarten—for most kids. I cer­tain­ly was­n’t scarred by the lack of them, and I def­i­nite­ly was­n’t behind in any­thing when I start­ed first grade at the ten­der age of 5. I tend to think that pre‑K and kinder­garten are large­ly state-spon­sored day­care programs.

This arti­cle made me sick—demanding that 3- and 4‑year-olds han­dle a full day of “seri­ous” classes?

Time may be up for naps in pre‑K class
Edu­ca­tors under pres­sure to make school more rigorous

“Nap time needs to go away,” Prince George’s Coun­ty schools chief André J. Horns­by said dur­ing a recent meet­ing with Mary­land leg­is­la­tors. “We need to get rid of all the baby school stuff they used to do.”

Horns­by wants to con­vert his pre-kinder­garten class­es into a full-day pro­gram. If he secures the fund­ing to begin that next fall, there will be no mats or cots allowed, he said. In Anne Arun­del Coun­ty, where full-day pre-kinder­garten is in place, Super­in­ten­dent Eric J. Smith also has opt­ed not to build nap time into the schedule.
…
Seabrook Prin­ci­pal Mar­vel Smith is more sup­port­ive of Horns­by’s move to elim­i­nate naps. “They can’t be babied,” she said. “These are young minds. We have to take advan­tage of this ear­ly stage when they grasp everything.”