Another perspective on “prepping” from a lower income mom

[Anonymous]

Suggestions for enrichment on shoestring budget:

Library books
PBS Kids (TV and website)
Online county library resources
Youtube

Hoagies - enrichment links for all ages and subjects
https://www.hoagiesgifted.org/links.htm

Scratch - free programming language designed by MIT to teach kids how to code
https://scratch.mit.edu/parents/

Duolingo - free foreign language learning website
https://www.duolingo.com/learn

National Geographic
https://kids.nationalgeographic.com/

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Two months of prep each time, both kids in AAP, zero regrets.

Two months of playtime, zero prep, both kids in AAP, zero regrets. And happy relaxed kids, too.

Key in your sentence is that they are in AAP. If they didn’t get in, you’d feel differently.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Two months of prep each time, both kids in AAP, zero regrets.

Two months of playtime, zero prep, both kids in AAP, zero regrets. And happy relaxed kids, too.

Key in your sentence is that they are in AAP. If they didn’t get in, you’d feel differently.

She'll free differently when it comes to SAT time and the realization that Algebra I AAP is a joke and the price her kids will pay without enrichment. By then, she'll likely just blame the Asians, but those kids will be relaxed.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Suggestions for enrichment on shoestring budget:

Library books
PBS Kids (TV and website)
Online county library resources
Youtube

Hoagies - enrichment links for all ages and subjects
https://www.hoagiesgifted.org/links.htm

Scratch - free programming language designed by MIT to teach kids how to code
https://scratch.mit.edu/parents/

Duolingo - free foreign language learning website
https://www.duolingo.com/learn

National Geographic
https://kids.nationalgeographic.com/

Wow yes these are the same as traveling to Europe and having world class experiences to expose children to new concepts and to learn about culture, geography and different animals. Thank you!!!!!!!!!!!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Suggestions for enrichment on shoestring budget:

Library books
PBS Kids (TV and website)
Online county library resources
Youtube

Hoagies - enrichment links for all ages and subjects
https://www.hoagiesgifted.org/links.htm

Scratch - free programming language designed by MIT to teach kids how to code
https://scratch.mit.edu/parents/

Duolingo - free foreign language learning website
https://www.duolingo.com/learn

National Geographic
https://kids.nationalgeographic.com/

Wow yes these are the same as traveling to Europe and having world class experiences to expose children to new concepts and to learn about culture, geography and different animals. Thank you!!!!!!!!!!!

You're welcome!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Suggestions for enrichment on shoestring budget:

Library books
PBS Kids (TV and website)
Online county library resources
Youtube

Hoagies - enrichment links for all ages and subjects
https://www.hoagiesgifted.org/links.htm

Scratch - free programming language designed by MIT to teach kids how to code
https://scratch.mit.edu/parents/

Duolingo - free foreign language learning website
https://www.duolingo.com/learn

National Geographic
https://kids.nationalgeographic.com/

Wow yes these are the same as traveling to Europe and having world class experiences to expose children to new concepts and to learn about culture, geography and different animals. Thank you!!!!!!!!!!!

You're welcome!!!!!!!!!!!!

I mean this took all of four minutes to come up with? You're a genius!! Please share these resources with disadvantaged parents and children all over MCPS and bring up their test scores.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Suggestions for enrichment on shoestring budget:

Library books
PBS Kids (TV and website)
Online county library resources
Youtube

Hoagies - enrichment links for all ages and subjects
https://www.hoagiesgifted.org/links.htm

Scratch - free programming language designed by MIT to teach kids how to code
https://scratch.mit.edu/parents/

Duolingo - free foreign language learning website
https://www.duolingo.com/learn

National Geographic
https://kids.nationalgeographic.com/

OP here—thank you.

[Anonymous]

My kid aces all the tests without any prep.

In fact, I feed him junk food, allow him to vape, endlessly play video games and do minimal prep just to level the playing field for all students who compete against him.

Guess what? He is still such a naturally talented genius that he basically beats all the loser kids and come out on the top.

Yes, prepping is bad and unequitable. My genius kid does not need it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I have followed this board for a few months, and noticed quite a few comments from parents who are adamantly opposed to any sort of prep. We enrich or children, they say, but we would never prep! My DC is just naturally gifted. All we do is enroll them in Kumon, AoPS, or that Russia math program. Private piano lessons on Monday, cello on Wednesday, chess tutor on Friday. Then we take the kids to museums on the weekends, we teach them origami, read to them for hours, do logic puzzles, tutoring. We also take them to concerts. And just last month we took DC to see the Duomo in Florence so they could learn about Renaissance architecture! But a workbook? That’s cheating!

Well, my kid did prep, with a workbook, and I’ll tell you why. I work two jobs (home health aid and retail). I am also going to school part time. I work weekends, I often work nights. I am a single mom. My elderly mother, who can barely walk and doesn’t speak English, watches my kid after school. A few weeks before the test I ordered a CoGat workbook. I told my mom, before he turns on the TV, DC has to spend ten minutes going through the workbook. I wish I had the money to send my kid to math enrichment classes, or the time to take him to the Smithsonian. But I don’t. Please don’t write off all prep as cheating. Many people don’t have the resources to enrich their kids the old fashioned way. Suggestions for enrichment on shoestring budget are welcome btw.

OP, we are a family that do all the things that you mentioned above for our kids - private year round tutoring, music classes, language courses, educational vacations, etc. You’re 100% right. There’s absolutely no shame in the workbooks and I get why you’d do that. I had one kid in AAP and another in Gen Ed. Both are fine and I didn’t stress it - but I also knew that I could pay for outside educational resources .

I echo the resources that others mentioned— FFX Co library has great classes and educational events; FFX Co Rec offers very reasonably priced music courses at local ES venues; Khan Academy online is great;

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My kid aces all the tests without any prep.

In fact, I feed him junk food, allow him to vape, endlessly play video games and do minimal prep just to level the playing field for all students who compete against him.

Guess what? He is still such a naturally talented genius that he basically beats all the loser kids and come out on the top.

Yes, prepping is bad and unequitable. My genius kid does not need it.

Lol wut

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Suggestions for enrichment on shoestring budget:

Library books
PBS Kids (TV and website)
Online county library resources
Youtube

Hoagies - enrichment links for all ages and subjects
https://www.hoagiesgifted.org/links.htm

Scratch - free programming language designed by MIT to teach kids how to code
https://scratch.mit.edu/parents/

Duolingo - free foreign language learning website
https://www.duolingo.com/learn

National Geographic
https://kids.nationalgeographic.com/

And if you really want to compete you can probably get a scholarship for good resources like Beast Academy or AoPS.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My kid aces all the tests without any prep.

In fact, I feed him junk food, allow him to vape, endlessly play video games and do minimal prep just to level the playing field for all students who compete against him.

Guess what? He is still such a naturally talented genius that he basically beats all the loser kids and come out on the top.

Yes, prepping is bad and unequitable. My genius kid does not need it.

So does mine! I love that feeling of watching them crush preppers and make them cry while vaping together after a standardized test.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:What’s the difference between prepping and studying?

It’s studying if you’re white, prepping if Asian.

[Anonymous]

Since when does America have to apologize for educating its next generation, and to whom?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Since when does America have to apologize for educating its next generation, and to whom?

Cheating is rampant, across grade levels. You must be proud.

I'm not.