IQ tests remain a common standard. Another is achievement, such as when a 1st grader is reading at a 6th-grade level. Anxious parents Problems can arise when parents and educators disagree about a child's abilities. That's the consequence of being in a program that is too challenging. Peer pressure is part of it, says Mogel.
Parents talk to other parents and compare notes.
But anxiety also plays a role. The parents that people such as Dr. Deborah Stipek, dean of the school of education at Stanford University in California, see every day are worried about their children's futures. We live in a society that is anxious about achievement, so parents, understandably, want to maximize their children's opportunities. A decline in the quality of public education can also be a factor. Instead of working on phonics at home, focus on enrichment.