Nursery World - Right priorities

Right priorities I don't disagree at all with Helen Marshall's conclusion that pre-school child development is a mixture of learning and play (Letters, 28 November). But recently my son's nursery tried to get him to complete a simple number worksheet. My boy thought this a nonsensical waste of his valuable time, especially when the plastic volcano in the corner was erupting and there were trapped people to rescue. He subverted the whole exercise to such an extent that the nursery was moved to write, 'He showed no understanding at all of what he was supposed to do.'

But recently my son's nursery tried to get him to complete a simple number worksheet. My boy thought this a nonsensical waste of his valuable time, especially when the plastic volcano in the corner was erupting and there were trapped people to rescue. He subverted the whole exercise to such an extent that the nursery was moved to write, 'He showed no understanding at all of what he was supposed to do.'

Three cheers for him, I say. I don't care tuppence whether he can write numbers at his age (he was two months shy of his third birthday at the time). I might start worrying if he can't do this at the age of seven.

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