“The same educational policies that are pushing academic goals down to ever earlier levels seem to be contributing to — while at the same time obscuring — the fact that young children are gaining fewer skills, not more.” Is there a chance that pushing kids harder in preschool can backfire? Erika Christakis makes the case that the new preschool is crushing kids. (I don’t want to give parenting advice. But during my kids’ preschool years, I really urged their private SAT tutor to incorporate a few minutes of fun and free play each afternoon.)