Constantly we face the dilemma of juggling the importance of play, (what we instinctively believe and what research has backed) with the expectations of where we need to get children by the age of 6. Observing the thinking, creativity and social skills evident whenever our children are playing continually proves this to me, but still I have to always keep myself in check when I find myself thinking and stressing about what level of reading they should be at, how many words they should know, what they should be able to count to.
Here is a child development expert's views. Well worth revisiting to remember not to over-emphasise traditional formal learning to the detriment of all other diverse areas of learning.
http://wikieducator.org/Professional_Inquiry/Nathan_Mikaere_Wallis
https://www.radionz.co.nz/national/programmes/ninetonoon/audio/2018635221/when-should-a-child-learn-to-write
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_UWbCnv1vno
