Kindergarten Boot Camp: A help or a hindrance?

Josephine Geraci, a Long Island, NY mother of three, gets emotional when she recalls her 6-year-old son’s struggles in kindergarten. “His self-esteem suffered. Other kids in his class who had gone through a boot camp experience were better prepared.” Determined to protect her 4-year-old daughter from a similar fate, Geraci enrolled her in a preschool with a rigorous academic focus.

Kindergarten boot camps — pre-kindergarten programs with an emphasis on recognizing letters, numbers and shapes, among other skills — are a topic of debate among early childhood experts. Kindergarten readiness is a First 5 LA strategic goal, but parents should research various options to determine whether a boot camp program is suitable for their child’s individual needs.

“It’s important to know numbers and letters before kindergarten, but I think society is pushing kids too early to achieve academically,” said Lesli Johnson, a Los Angeles-based psychotherapist. Johnson notes studies showing that unstructured play facilitates the learning process. She feels some pre-kindergarten programs are too structured, hindering imagination and creativity.

But some experts believe kindergarten boot camp can be beneficial. “Many kids may not have the opportunity to go to preschool and interact with other kids, so they aren’t socially ready for kindergarten,” says Sacramento therapist Lyla Tyler. Tyler believes the focused nature of boot camp programs can help kids master concepts like compromise and sharing, things they may not have learned earlier.

For games and activities parents and young children can play at home to foster early learning, visit The Early Childhood Learning and Knowledge Center or our Ready. Set. Grow! websites.

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