HBO's series "Kindergarten"

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:HOly cow! My kid's kindergarten last year was writing (stories and poetry by the end), learning time and money (and adding coins, etc), intense reading instruction, science lab, etc. K is this area has definitely changed. I think this is why kids are turning 6...this is pretty intense for a 4-year old (anyone with a Sept bday in VA). I don't think a single kid in any of the 5 classes turned 7 (it would have been a kid that had a May/June bday) this just is not done in our public school system. Maybe it is more common and encouraged by privates.

My son's Kindergarten was pretty intense too. I loved it and I approve. My son soaked it all in and is going into first grade a strong and eager reader.

He has loved learning and i've been astonished at how much he was able to absorb last year.

If you think public school is intense, you haven't seen ANYTHING. I looked into sending my son to a very very academically strict private school. He would have been one of a handful of white kids, as all of the seats were filled with Asian and Indian children. The stuff that that those kids were doing was insane. All of the pre-K kids could read. EVERY SINGLE ONE OF THEM. They could all do basic math. By the end of K, they were working on their multiplication tables.

At the end of the day, I simply was "too American" to send my child to that school. The kids were drilled and for sure the school was pumping kids into Thomas Jefferson, but at the end of the day, I did want my son to be able to have a little more down time.

Fantastic decision. You will not regret it! Kids need down time.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There will be a backlash against this. I only wish it would have already happened. My child will probably enter kindergarten knowing how to read. But the system where a barely 5 (late Aug birthday) year old will be sat in a seat and made to stay still all year, well, we'll probably redshirt our little dude so that he has time to BE A CHILD.

Enough is enough. I like kindergarten the way it was in 2000.

And then when the little dude can't sit still for hours then you have the talk with the teacher where she recommends your kid get put on ritalin for ADD. Beautiful.

They can't recommend it legally. Instead you and your kid are pushed to feel badly about yourselves because your normal boy is not sitting abnormally still.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I know it sets a bad precedent but the poor kid got home at four and his bedtime was 7. I only had three hours to feed him, bathe him, and play with him. On days when we attempted homework it would take an hour because I was constantly after him to put his answers to paper.

No, you're not. No worries. My now high school kids simply know the difference between meaningful work and busy work and do each according to its importance. They also remember how their parents stuck up for them. You're doing a good thing here!!!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We chose private school to avoid the insanity of a pressured academic kindergarten.

Good choice. What my kid did in K last year was nothing short of amazing--though I was stunned at the sheer amount of info. I was in third grade before we were taught some of things they mastered by years end. Now he is in first grade and getting 'test preparation tips'. He came crying because he got a 98% on a math assessment instead of his usual 100%. They even give them an art test....I f*king kid you not. I just learned this from their Art teacher. This so is a late Fall bday so he is on the older end of the spectrum. I worry about his brother who will be on the younger end in K next year.

oohhh...and all the while not letting them play certain games at recess..and putting a kabash on free play.

and you wonder why there is such a boy drain later in the academic career.....

I for one would like a little return to yesteryear.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Haven't seen the show, but here's something interesting-

We discovered, when living in Switzerland, that children don't start elementary school until age 6.5/7 (you must be 6 years old by May 1st in order to start in the fall).

For ages 3/4 - 6/7, there is "Kindergarten". Kindergarten is smaller & more local (not physically located in the elementary school), and is ALL PLAY and socialization. It's also not typically full-day. No letters or numbers - nada.

By around 4th grade or so, kids have caught up academically to their American counterparts (and start to surpass them).

Yep. This is the European model.

Play-based education models are the same here in the US. Your kid may not go into K reading, but by third grade will begin to surpass other kids in academics. The mind learns through play and the creative process is a big part of expanding the brain in the early years. Rote memorization and drills at a very young age are not the way to go...We track kids way too early in this country. GT selection should not be happening at such a young age.

[Anonymous]

Yes, I use to watch it when it first was on and catch reruns often. I loved the teacher, wish they'd do a new season.

[Anonymous]

My kid watches this with his grandma. He's 3. He thinks it's cool.

[Anonymous]

Just started watching this show based on DCUM's recommendation. Only saw a few episodes so far, but I love it. Poor Benjamin! I guess he is the reason parents want to redshirt! (No idea if he is young for his class.)

Would love to see an update on the teacher and the kids.

[Anonymous]

Is there anywhere I could watch this online? We don't have cable, but I didn't see it streamed anywhere.

[Anonymous]

We went to a wonderful preschool where they made a nod to all this academics, but instead they let the boys run around in circles and the girls play together. They taught them how to eat together at the table, do art projects, get along with each other, have great sharing skills and do a couple of ABCs. Great school.

[Anonymous]

wow being a parent these days suck,s glad I'm not having any kids anytime soon, its not worth the time or money, plus this stupid country and their laws when it comes to kids

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:HOly cow! My kid's kindergarten last year was writing (stories and poetry by the end), learning time and money (and adding coins, etc), intense reading instruction, science lab, etc. K is this area has definitely changed. I think this is why kids are turning 6...this is pretty intense for a 4-year old (anyone with a Sept bday in VA). I don't think a single kid in any of the 5 classes turned 7 (it would have been a kid that had a May/June bday) this just is not done in our public school system. Maybe it is more common and encouraged by privates.

My son's Kindergarten was pretty intense too. I loved it and I approve. My son soaked it all in and is going into first grade a strong and eager reader.

He has loved learning and i've been astonished at how much he was able to absorb last year.

If you think public school is intense, you haven't seen ANYTHING. I looked into sending my son to a very very academically strict private school. He would have been one of a handful of white kids, as all of the seats were filled with Asian and Indian children. The stuff that that those kids were doing was insane. All of the pre-K kids could read. EVERY SINGLE ONE OF THEM. They could all do basic math. By the end of K, they were working on their multiplication tables.

At the end of the day, I simply was "too American" to send my child to that school. The kids were drilled and for sure the school was pumping kids into Thomas Jefferson, but at the end of the day, I did want my son to be able to have a little more down time.

Woa, what school is this?

[Anonymous]

I turned 6 in kindergarten - 30+ years ago. January birthday. My son, February birthday, turned 6 in kindergarten. I wasn't the oldest in my class either. I think the cutoff was Oct.
My September birthday 4 year old may go to k next year, but we are on the fence. He's small for his age (5%) and not emotionally ready, but we have a few more months to make the decision.
I'm a firm believer that reading early does not equate future success BUT .... The brain is a sponge in early childhood, so the more a child is exposed to, the easier it will be for them to learn and understand. I do a lot of science with my kids. They are learning about making observations and hypothesizing why things happen (like working with levers). There are ways to be academic at a young age without rote memorization.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Omg stop stamping out your two year old's creative thoughts by forcing academic stuff on them you weirdos. Creative thinking is what leads to success, not learning to please adults by acting like a trained monkey. Help the child out by encouraging creativity and problem solving, not rote memorization. No one is impressed that your two year old is good at counting.

But we need worker bees to carry out the ideas and decisions of the outliers. You can't be a worker bee without trained monkey characteristics and skills. Sheesh!

+1 my child will need lots of loyal worker bee employees once she takes over.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Does anyone else watch this? DD is really into it and I watch it with her on demand.

It is a documentary-style show about a real kindergarten class, filmed in 2000. You get to know the children in the classs throughout the series. This is before "No Child Left Behind" and it is really interesting to see the changes in kindergarten that have taken place since then.

Most of the children turn 5 during school year, not 6 or 7 as they would now. And while the kids do a bit of academic type stuff, like learning the alphabet, they mostly do crafts, work on little plays, learn about firemen, make valentines, get read to, eat snacks, socialize a lot, play, build blocks -- what kindergarten used to be. They are there for half a day, not 9 to 3.

It's really striking what kindergarten used to be, only ten years ago. And this is Upper Nyack, Long Island.

The kindergarten cut off in NY is in December, so it is not uncommon for kids to start kindergarten at age 4.