It’s now not enough for a child to find their coat cubby and sit still for circle time. By the end of kindergarten they need basic literacy and math skills…

When they finish kindergarten, students have to be able to write a short piece of text such as a greeting card or grocery list — even if they haven’t spelled the words correctly… They have to be able to retell a story, with an accurate sequence of events. They must be able to estimate quantities, understand the concept of volume and decipher simple math problems using words instead of numerals…

Increasingly, teachers are facing pressure from parents, boards and principals to make their programs less about play and more about academics.

Source: The Toronto Star
http://tinyurl.com/yqgewc