[RevSmoke]

OK, I'm a parent and a former teacher.

Let kids be kids till they have to go to school. Kids learn all the time, you'd be surprised what they pick up - they're sponges - but it happens spontaneously in whatever you're doing with them. Let them just enjoy being children.

When it comes to reading, kids need to learn phonics. Children who have no phonetic skills, have real struggles. If they cannot sound out words, reading words they are unfamiliar with becomes a chore. I teach 7th & 8th graders in Catechesis and also at Wolf River Lutheran High (religion) and it is plainly evident which children have never learned phonetic skills - and it is sad.

If anything, get hooked on phonic as they get a little older (kindergarten, first grade).

Here's another one you'll hear, "Kids need to get into a daycare/preschool program so they can learn socialization skills." Really? Which little kids have been taught proper social etiquette so they can teach their peers? Kids learn socialization skills from watching adults - and if they have poor examples, they'll have poor skills. Going shopping with mom, sitting together at the supper table, etc... are the places they learn these things. At the daycare/preschool program they have pooled ignorance in terms of learning socialization. Do they make some friends? Yeah. And that's a good thing, but that isn't the place to learn socialization things.

I can tell you which kids were with a stay-at-home parent and which ones were at daycare early on - their behavior and social skills are world apart.

Just my $0.02.

Peace of the Lord be with you.