"Is my 18-month old already behind for schooling?" That was the subject line of a recent post on the D.C. Urban Moms and Dads online discussion forum. The anonymous author was reacting to an article written by a mom who had hired an education consultant to help her navigate the preschool enrollment process for her 6-month-old daughter. "Is this normal?" the listserv poster queried.
It's easy to dismiss this question as an example of the neurotic, competitive parenting of elite urban dwellers. But it's actually one that education and child development experts want more parents asking. Because the answer can depend on who is doing the asking and, more importantly, what economic stratum they live in.
I live in a "reviving" neighborhood in Washington called East Capitol Hill. Cab drivers once refused to take passengers here, but now the area is peppered with educated and relatively affluent newcomers, as well as lower-income families who weathered the darker years. About a year ago, I met a single mother from this latter category, roughly 20 years old, and her bright-eyed, 4-year-old daughter. She overheard a conversation between me and my son and was impressed by his vocabulary—or, as she put it, "the way he talks."
"Did you read to him?" she asked me. "Should I read to her?"
To read more of this story by Fawn Johnson, go to: http://www.theatlantic.com/edu...-isnt-enough/383665/
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