Professor Lillian Katz, from Illinois University in the United States,delivered her warning about the perils of beginning formal instructiontoo early at a conference at Oxford University last week which looked atthe Early Years Foundation Stage from a world perspective.
She welcomed the EYFS as 'a step in the right direction' but warned thatit should focus more on children's intellectual development rather thanacademic skills, as children need to learn to think for themselves.
Professor Katz, who has lectured across the US and in 43 countries,said, 'Research suggests the benefits of formal academic instruction forfour-and-five-year-olds seem to be promising when tested early, butconsiderably less so in the long term. Indeed, there are someindications that the long-term negative effects of premature academicinstruction are more noticeable for boys than for girls.'
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