Seriously people, I can't believe what I read about
anymore. I am SO glad I live where I do.
Was just reading reports about people in other
cities and states who hire tutors for their pre
school child to get ready for kindergarten.
And how many are sending their child to preschool
for two or more years to better prep them for
the onslaught of requirements of kindergarten.
Hello? Would they look at themselves??? WHAT??
First off, what happened to simple parenting???
I have a slight bit of advice - stop listening to the experts!!
Now I would like to preface with my child. I am by no
means bragging - stay with me for the entire post please.
My child learned many of the letters of the alphabet, many
numbers, and the names of many animals before he could walk.
Absolutely no joke and I have proof on videotape. By the
time he was two years old he knew the alphabet, not just the
name of the letters but if you asked him which letter was a
"W" for instance he could tell you. By the time he started
kindergarten I don't remember what all he knew in the extent
of math, reading, etc.
Newsflash ~~> He never attended preschool. He never had a
tutor. He is not that far above the average child. He
watched a lot of tv *gasp* and had his first video game
system at the age of 3 *oh my gawd*. How did he learn all
of that at a young age? I never pushed him or tried to - I
just was a bit bored so applied everyday things into learning.
And he loved it and caught on fast. At the age of 12, he
is probably a bit above average in his class but nothing
really that stands out. He is not in any special classes
(I am against that anyway), he knows how to study or
research to find an answer, he is a very sociable and
well rounded person, he has a lot of common sense, he is
polite and respectful, and he speaks up if there is a
question or injustice in his world. He has been taught
by us to be independent and speak up if there is a problem.
AND he is the youngest in his class, due to different
age requirements in different states (the time when he
started kindergarten). During his kindergarten state
testing, he scored into adulthood on his vocabulary tests.
Hehe he was hanging around me too much I think! (Thankful
they didn't have a section on curse words :)
Every single spring the school starts in with the state
testing, and every year they drill the test into the students.
They love my kid as he's always in the above average
percentile and helps the scores. They make a big deal
out of the state testing and give the students strict orders
about what to do or not to do that week, what to eat, etc.
It freaks kids out!! They send home letters stating how
important the week is and what we as parents can do to help.
What I tell my child is the testing is no big deal, it is
to make the schools look good, not him, and not to worry
about it. And I mean it. I don't believe in 'teaching' the
test, I don't believe in scaring the kids or promising them
rewards for doing well. What I believe in is keeping the
kids relaxed and seeing what they know - period. It is NOT
my problem if the school cannot make the grade with the
'NCLB' testing. So the school doesn't get too happy when
they see my less than enthusiastic attitude towards it all!
I'm...just...stymied...that schools would have all these
freakin requirements just to get out of kindergarten. I'm
just so disappointed that parents are pushing kids at such
a young age. My advice? Let your kid be a kid as long
as possible, he's only a kid for a short time!! Stop
pushing these kids, stop transferring your fears and stresses
on them, stop trying to make them like you or turn them
into something they are not! Sweat the big stuff, not the
small stuff, and your child will learn to do the same....
blood pressures will go down, heart attacks will plummet!
There are 'experts' out there who will tell you how to
do everything (it's called justifying jobs people) - throw
all that information out the window or you'll be nuts and
your kid will be too!
