Kindergarten Cram

[SpeakLoud]

I would love to have a forum around the issues this article raises. What do any of you think about this article? And what can we do to see that this does not fall on deaf ears? Lets talk.

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[pam]

When school funding is based, in part, on test scores the prepping for tests starts early. As early as kindergarten when children are working with papers that have ‘bubbles’ to fill out, which look an awful lot like the answer sheet to a WASL test.

This is my opinion only and I don’t want to get flamed….. but I think parents have always used their children as a measure of their own success to some degree. I don’t think you can change the world but you can relax in your own home – let your child be 1, 2 or 5 or 10 years old. Raise them to be socially responsible but allow them to be children. We have a choice not to sign them up for each dance class, karate class, language class, tumbling class, soccer team, scouts, little league. Support them at school with the challenges they face, help them with their homework, emphasis the importance of their ‘job’ as students, that it’s as important as your job is where you earn your wage. When they are home give them a chance to relax, to be at home and act their age.

“don’t worry, be happy” – it’s not easy for adults, shouldn’t be so hard for children.

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[SpeakLoud]

Yes, there are lots of things we can do as parents-but we send our children to school for 6 or more hours a day. I know this is an overarching issue and there are so many factors-but I would really like to talk about how as parents and community members we can bring this message into the public schools-the teachers know it but can not change it within the system themselves so how do we as the ‘paying consumer’-wether you have children or not you are paying-how do ‘we’ stand up for what we believe is right for young children?

I think when most people read this article they get it-they nod their head and say ‘yes, wouldn’t that be wonderful’ But how and when is it going t happen?

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[pam]

Not to be a naysayer but it’s a pretty tough to make any changes. As a parent (whose children have now graduated) who attended PTA meetings and was a pta president and went to meetings when the superintendents of schools were speaking – and who worked for the SSD also – I know you can give your opinions and express your concerns but I don’t know how to change the system. We’ve all tried to make changes that we feel best benefit our children in the classroom but it does take the entire village… and when those in charge (dept of education, superintendents of schools, etc) nod their head but don’t make changes it’s very frustrating and not to be defeatist but it’s a relief when your kids graduate and you’ve made it through the system with a well adjusted kid who has a positive outlook on life that is well motivated to take on the world themselves! I wish all you newbies the best, may the fight continue!

(I know it sounds like I gave up – I just know the frustration you are feeling and I feel for you!)

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[SpeakLoud]

It sounds like you really did your part to be a part of the system and participated and paid attention to what was going on for your children-truely admirable and gives hope that yes indeed children can get through the system intack and lets face it comparably Seattle is not ‘that bad’ but this same article was written 20 years ago-same premis anyway-what has happenend to Kindergarten and why have we let it happen and what are we going to do about it? Do we have to read it again in 20 years?

Just because your kids are out of school dosn’t mean this no longer includes you! Stay IN.

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[pam]

I’m tired – it’s your ups! ha-ha!! I’ll be curious to see what others have to say.

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[Bikefor1]

30 countries tested a group of 15 year olds in science and math. The average scores for American students were lower than the average scores for the group as a whole.

I don’t know if giving homework to kindergarteners is the answer but is not giving homework until the 4th grade going to improve this statistic or keep us behind other countries?

Should we study how other countries run their schools and imitate? Discuss.

(BTW, there are these things called adverbs, Speak LoudLY.)

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[alki_2008]

Interesting article in the original post…and interesting ending. I concur that there are some kids that actually WANT homework, so I wouldn’t say that homework should be eliminated for young kids across the board. Almost anything “across the board” isn’t ideal in my book. Instead, maybe homework should be more of an optional thing. If kids want to do it, then great – if they don’t want to do it, then that’s great also. Ideally, teachers would have the flexibility to support both groups of kids.

Maybe let the parents decide whether their kid should DO homework. Teachers could ‘record’ how many homework assignments kids did and include that in the ‘report card’ (or whatever they’re doing nowadays). Parents need to be more involved, and not leave the raising of their kids entirely to the school system.

On the issue of “play”…wow, playing nowadays is so much different than it was when I was a kid. Having kids run around the neighborhood and get home “before dark” isn’t such a safe option anymore…and playing at home probably doesn’t evoke as much creativity nowadays with all the video games available.

Tough issue. Insight into how other countries manage such issues would be interesting.

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[SpeakLoud]

From Wikkipedia: ‘The Finnish education system is an egalitarian Nordic system, with no tuition fees for full-time students. Attendance is compulsory for nine years starting at age seven, and free meals are served to pupils at primary and secondary levels, where the pupils go to their local school’

It would seem that the best education system in the world dosn’t even start school until age 7. Developmentally this is when a childs brain is READY for the demanding skill it takes to aquire the ability to read and write. Before the age of 7 and 8 children are developing all the NECESSARY skills of PRE-reading and writing such as eye hand coordination, small muscle control,left or right hand prefference, social skills, problem solving and context. Shockingly all of these skills are provided in preschool and they used to be the purpose of Kindergarten.

If we really wanted to emulate a system that works it would seem that making Kindergarten what it used to be would be a great place to start and really-not that hard.

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[OlMom]

Kindergarten in the old days (when I went) was usually a child’s first experience in a group learning session. Now kids are usually in daycare and/or preschool for years before they enter the kindergarten doors. I think it is just the natural progression. Playing and learning are not mutually exclusive. Most of the learning they do has an element of play. If it is a concern then half day kindergarten is an option.

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[SpeakLoud]

But does that mean that children should be pushed into doing things that are not developmentally appropriate for them? not to mention not enjoyable or very interesting to 5 year olds? What is happening in too many childcare programs now is under-educated, extreamly poorly paid but lovely and caring people are trying to ‘teach’ reading and writing that they are not qualified to teach because now the pressure is on them to get kids ‘ready’ for Kindergarten (which ironically is NOT being able to read and write). It is such a vicious cycle.

Learning is in ALL play. Sadly it is not the other way around. When children play in an educational environment-like a kindergarten class-they are not just wandering around being left alone to ‘just play’-they are being engaged and invited to participate in activities that are engaging, informative, fun and of interest to the group they are being provided. The teacher plays the most important role in this classroom by paying attention and listening to what children are interested in and curious about and then providing materials for them to pursue their interests. Children get to answer the tough questions and discover the ups and downs of this experience. The misconception is that when you start formal schooling this way it continues this way. It does NOT. It grows and changes with the child,that’s why it looks different at 7 and why many of the best systems start formal education at 7. It’s a totally different experience because they are in a different place developmentally. Ready to sit still. Ready to write letters. Ready to listen to someone elses ideas. Ready to be challenged. Ready for academia.

I’m not looking for Kindergarten. I have 2 children. 8 and 12 years old.

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[Author]

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