Homework#3: Six Going on Sixteen

My article choice:Six Going on Sixteen

• I teach Kindergarten.  
• I just rounded up a year where I witnessed 5 and 6 year old girls enter the class with shoes with heels, and shirts with the shoulders cut out, fake nails, and hoop earrings.  
• 5 & 6 year old students sharing news about viewing movies like "Deadpool" with their family over the weekend, watching programs like "The Walking Dead,"  and knowing about (and playing?) games like Fortnite (with a 13+ rating).  
• The songs and the dance moves are current and top 40 with and without swear words, sexual language, and violence.  

 In the classroom 95% of the students actions were suppressing conversations and activities surrounding these extra curricular activities they partake in (while I was looking and listening); 

Recess time was a difficult time to control and the pushing and the swearing and the mimicking of these age inappropriate programs and video games they were watching and playing were being re-enacted on the playground, to include the profane language.

• We constantly were holding Meeting Circles to talk about appropriate games and language and actions.  
• I directly taught them that they are not old enough to watch these programs and repeat the words they hear because they are 5 and 6 years old.  
• I point out the ratings of 13 and older and the privileges that adults have to use any language they want.  
• I also pointed out how I and my colleagues and the Principal of our school talk to each other and children. 
• Do we act this way?  
• Do we use swear words when talking to students and children?  
• You get the picture.   

This is why the title "Six going on Sixteen" captured my attention.  I found I was not the only Kindergarten teacher who found a class with students acting much older than their age.  This chapter consumes pages 37 - 45 in "Rethinking Popular Culture and Media" edited by E. Marshall and O. Sensoy.

My biggest take aways from the chapter:

The cause of this phenomenon:

• "The corporate world deliberately targets vulnerable children." p 39
• "...the toy market has dramatically changed since children't television was deregulated in 1984." p 39
• Another possible contributing factor:  with the high demand of standardized tests in the schools including early childhood:  Kindergarten is more like first grade yet our students are not developmentally prepared for this kind of learning.

The name of this phenomenon:

• Age Compression:  "term used by media professionals and marketers to describe how children at ever younger ages are doing what older children used to do." p 39
• ...additionally boundaries have been blurred between children and adults
• this is demonstrated in the fashion industry with similar clothing being marketed for children and adults
• "...especially disturbing when it involves sexual behavior.  Children become involved in and learn about sexual issues and behavior they do not yet have the intellectual or emotional ability to understand and that can confuse them." p 39

What actions can we take?

• Keep Parents informed/educate parents
• Bring Play back into the classroom: 
• dramatic play
• blocks
• art center
• Power down from media and technology and play age appropriate games
• Older children and adults model appropriate play and problem solving in play

Useful Resources for educators and parents:

www.allianceforchildhood.org 

http://www.allianceforchildhood.org

www.commercialfreechildhood.org

http://www.commercialfreechildhood.org

www.truceteachers.org (Teachers Resisting Unhealthy Children's Entertainment)

http://www.truceteachers.org