Too Much, Too Soon?: Early Learning and the Erosion of Childhood

Britain's children are amongst the unhappiest in Europe, and levels of educational attainment are relatively poor. So when England's Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) became law in 2008, the early years education community led by Open EYE mobilized a high-profile campaign to change key aspects of the compulsory 'nappy curriculum'. They argued that the EYFS could even make matters worse. The compulsory literacy targets were politically driven, imposed too young, and ignored research and children's development paths. In this respect aspects of the EYFS were like building a house from the roof downwards before laying the proper foundations. It was too much too soon, with too little genuine play and too much assessment - and it eroded childhood.

Too Much, Too Soon? argues strongly that the more we push early formal and cognitively based learning, the less effectively will young children really learn in the longer run. Challenging new research indicates no difference by Year 3 between those children taught to read early, and those taught later. Here are 24 hard-hitting chapters by authoritative educators, researchers, policy-makers, carers and parents who all propose achievable ways for improving young children's well-being and learning, including Penelope Leach, Lilian Katz, Tricia David, David Elkind and Sally Goddard Blythe on the real early learning foundations; Sue Palmer, Sebastian Suggate and Aric Sigman on research; and Richard House and Wendy Scott on achievable ways for improving children's well-being and learning.