Preschoolers in the Age of AI: Where has all the fun gone?

Welcome, dear parents, to the exciting age of AI! A time when things once thought to be only in science fiction movies have become reality. Robots that brew coffee, Chat GPT that writes like a novelist, and... will preschoolers have to learn multiplication tables, computers, or get acquainted with programming to keep up with the times?

Preschoolers in the age of AI: Who will they become?

Pre-Primary class and recycled paper pieces from used paper.

In Vietnam and similarly ambitious countries like South Korea, China, and Singapore, the academic pressure placed on preschoolers is reaching absurd new heights. It's amusing yet oddly tragic to witness little children hauling backpacks nearly twice their size, their tiny shoulders weighed down by the enormous expectations of an "AI-driven" future. Whatever happened to the carefree schooldays filled with laughter, play, and simple discovery?

Picture this: kids barely three years old are being rushed into advanced mental math workshops, high-speed language courses, and even coding boot camps tailored specifically for toddlers! It seems many parents live in constant fear that if their child doesn’t become an instant prodigy, they'll inevitably lose future job opportunities to robots—long before finishing kindergarten. Talk about pressure right from the crib!

But does this high-speed learning truly guarantee a brighter future? According to the renowned American study "How Does Your Kindergarten Classroom Affect Your Earnings?" (2011), early childhood education does indeed have significant implications for adult earnings. However, nowhere in this groundbreaking research does it suggest that pushing children academically harder and earlier will yield superior results. Instead, it highlights essential non-cognitive skills—like perseverance, teamwork, and focus—which simply can’t be squeezed into a young mind through relentless drills and endless classes at age two!

Interestingly, the same study reveals an even more intriguing detail: children taught by exceptional kindergarten teachers earned about $1,000 more annually in adulthood than their peers. But hold on—what defines an exceptional kindergarten teacher? Certainly not the quickest at teaching the alphabet or arithmetic, but rather someone who inspires joy, nurtures curiosity, and cultivates crucial social skills. So instead of racing ahead academically, perhaps we should encourage our children to explore empathy, cooperation, creativity, and genuine curiosity,… from these early years.

"Learn through play, play through learning"

Outdoor play promotes children's physical development, stimulates their curiosity and exploration, and fosters a connection with nature.

Research from Finland—often hailed as the global gold standard in early childhood education—supports this perspective, showing that pushing children too hard, too soon actually stifles creativity and erodes their natural joy in learning (University of Helsinki, Finland, 2021). Similarly, studies from Japan underline the critical importance of free, unstructured play for balanced emotional and physical development (National Institute for Educational Policy Research, Japan, 2022). Closer to home, research by Hanoi University of Education (2023) found that intense early academic pressure significantly raises stress, disrupts sleep, and diminishes social interactions among young children.

Moreover, overly structured early education can hinder children's innate ability to explore independently and learn through trial and error. When their schedules are packed full, children lose the courage to experiment and innovate—skills that are indispensable in our ever-changing, technology-driven world. Educational experts globally agree that creativity, adaptability, and problem-solving skills are paramount to future success—and these flourish best when nurtured through free play and exploration.

Consider the childhoods of famous innovators like Albert Einstein and Steve Jobs. Both thrived on playful exploration rather than rigorous academic drilling. Einstein famously declared, "Play is the highest form of research," while Steve Jobs fondly recalled spending hours tinkering and exploring freely rather than being confined to textbooks and structured lessons. Imagine, had their parents insisted on forcing them into intensive academic programs from toddlerhood, would the world have seen their revolutionary contributions?

So, preschoolers in the age of AI, let's reclaim and protect the innocence and joy of childhood. Allow your children to cherish every playful moment—because the greatest accomplishments in life don't always come from a diploma, but from a childhood filled with joy, laughter, and genuine curiosity.