Author: alinamigirov
Superkids: The Rise in Parental Expectations
Since the mid-twentieth century, expectations from parents on student performance have increased. Especially in the New York City area, parents begin putting pressure on their children’s academic performance at a very young age. Competitive elementary school programs have emerged, and we hear stories of four and five year olds preparing for entry exams for specialized elementary programs. Perhaps this stems out of the immigrant work-ethic culture. Or perhaps it is because parents are anticipating the demands of the competitive college admissions process years down the line.
I will suggest that the increase in parental pressure on children’s academic performance at a young age is reflected in the way that elementary school curricula are designed today.
I will be interviewing parents about what they expect from their children’s elementary schools. What kinds of skills do they expect their children to learn in the classroom? How much should the teachers push their students? How much homework should be assigned? Is there a proven correlation between the rigor of elementary school and the college admissions success rates?
My analysis of school curricula today will be contrasted with an earlier era, the 1950s, when parental demands for high achieving students were not as intense. I plan to research the New York City Department of Records for the Board of Education archives as well as the archives of specific public elementary schools in Manhattan and Brooklyn. With this research, I hope to discover a correlation between rising parental expectations and the design of the elementary school curriculum.
Abstract Draft
From the mid 20th century and on, elementary school curriculums have been undergoing a process of standardization and expectations from students are increasing. Theories on the most optimum education models are continually developing. Psychological research is advancing. With this in mind, it is interesting to look at exactly how elementary school curriculums have evolved. In this project, a close comparison is made between elementary school curriculums between two time eras- the 1950’s and the present decade. A focus will be placed on early elementary, particularly first and second grades. Why the 1950’s? It was during this post-war time that psychology as a science was beginning to flourish. The way education looks today is different then the mid 20th century largely because of our understanding of developmental psychology. This will be a historical-document based project, drawing research largely from examining official documents from the 50’s and today. The goal is to extract differences between then and now and to suggest possible reasons for those differences from a psychological standpoint.
Course Description
The purpose of our class is to examine changes and developments in the way our public school elementary systems curriculums are designed. Our end goal will be to take a close at elementary school curriculums from a few different decades and to make hypotheses as to why certain aspects of elementary school education have changed (or have not changed).
Alina’s 4-Week Syllabus: Demands on Elementary School Children
Course Description
The purpose of this class is to examine changes and developments in the way our public school elementary systems curriculums are designed. Our end goal will be to take a close at elementary school curriculums from a few different decades and to make hypotheses as to why certain aspects of elementary school education have changed (or have not changed). Perhaps any changes in curriculum have been the result of new scientific developments. Or perhaps they reflect current events in the era. Regardless, to get to that goal, we must first take a look at foundational concepts in childhood development, education models, and the influence of parenting styles. Continue reading Alina’s 4-Week Syllabus: Demands on Elementary School Children
High Demands in Elementary School Classrooms
I hope to explore sensory development milestones and the extent of their inconsistencies with current standard education models. More and more, we hear about children being pushed in their classrooms to achieve what is beyond capability. Parents and teachers have high expectations, which results in demands that can have hindering effects on a child’s development. This seems to be a more recent trend, one that is a popular subject of research, as various education models are being implemented in classrooms today.
I recently spoke with an occupational therapist friend of mine who provided some insight into this. From her experience, children are being pushed in schools to develop higher cognitive functions at a pace faster than their basic sensory systems have a chance to fully develop. I want to explore this further and see exactly what this means. Which higher cognitive functions? Which sensory development is delayed? I’d like to answer these questions and continue to narrow the scope of the project. As per the suggestions of my groupmates, I will likely choose an age group to focus on (most likely, preschool or early elementary school age), as well as be specific with definitions and terminology to make this project understandable for those are outside of the developmental psychology field.
