I don't want to supplement at home

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Shouldn't kids use their free time for self-directed "enrichment," like free reading and research? I understand the need to supplement if you feel that the school has gaps in the curriculum (although that's pretty depressing -- I think I'd switch schools if I could.) But if you say have a kid who loves math, why not just let him get into coding, etc? Or just read whatever they want to on their own? At a certain point, don't you have to ALSO develop the values of independent intellectual pursuits?

Sounds like you're working on the assumption that supplementing doesn't involve free reading and research. Not our experience with Johns Hopkins CTY - the program encourages self-directed reading and research for kids ages 8-12. To us, the DCPS elementary school curriculum, or at least its implementation at our JKLM, is just OK in almost every subject.

What we get at CTY is a taste of a top private school, with our kids learning under the tutelage of stellar teachers in small classes where all students work above grade level. It's not a rich brat scene, because few of the families involved could afford private school during the regular school year. The CTY instructors push "advanced" kids harder than they do at our DCPS in the sense that inspire them to stretch themselves. The camps are a reach for us financially, but worth every penny. If DC screened for giftedness, or provided gifted services, we probably wouldn't bother with CTY.

Just out of curiosity, doesn't your child have to apply and be accepted into the CTY program? From what I heard, it is quite selective and if your child is selected, quite a big honor.

lol ok that takes the cake

Guess what I did CTY biggest waste of time ever. What is with parents these days and their obsessions with geting their kid ahead whatever the hell that means. Some really screwed up parents on here. I feel bad for all the poor kids of these crazy helicoptoring idiiots.

Over react much? If it wasn't for you, fine. Everyone is entitled to their own opinion, but your vitriol is not only unhelpful but unconvincing of whatever argument, if any, you are trying to make.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Shouldn't kids use their free time for self-directed "enrichment," like free reading and research? I understand the need to supplement if you feel that the school has gaps in the curriculum (although that's pretty depressing -- I think I'd switch schools if I could.) But if you say have a kid who loves math, why not just let him get into coding, etc? Or just read whatever they want to on their own? At a certain point, don't you have to ALSO develop the values of independent intellectual pursuits?

It's the asian tiger mom syndrome that is now with white folks too

I was born in the 80s I went to some average school probably a 5 on great schools or something

There was no such things as enrichment or pullouts or supplementation by the school or my parents

Whats the point of making your snowflake accelerate thorugh things? What's going to happen when they have an actual job and they aren't challenged all the time? How will they cope

Are you serious, or do you really have such mediocre expectations for yourself and/or your children?!? You're also wrong about this being an "Asian tiger mom" or "white folks" thing. I'm AA and I work very hard to provide the best possible academic enrichment and travel opportunities to my children. My hope is that they will choose careers that keep them engaged, fulfilled and challenged (and I hope it's lucrative).

+1 To me the whole point of supplementation / enrichment is to ensure that your child gets every opportunity to learn/advance etc. so that they have maximum opportunities later to choose a career that is fulfilling. What parent wouldn't want this for their child?

Ugh this is a recent phenomonom or a upper class stupid thing. My parents never had me do worksheets or went on special enrichment things. I went to school did my homework went to college got a job and turned out fine without any of this learn/advance bs. lolz

Good for you. Glad it worked out for you. You seem very pleasant.

I try :-p Main point being your kid will be fine quit comparing/worrying and enjoy life

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Shouldn't kids use their free time for self-directed "enrichment," like free reading and research? I understand the need to supplement if you feel that the school has gaps in the curriculum (although that's pretty depressing -- I think I'd switch schools if I could.) But if you say have a kid who loves math, why not just let him get into coding, etc? Or just read whatever they want to on their own? At a certain point, don't you have to ALSO develop the values of independent intellectual pursuits?

It's the asian tiger mom syndrome that is now with white folks too

I was born in the 80s I went to some average school probably a 5 on great schools or something

There was no such things as enrichment or pullouts or supplementation by the school or my parents

Whats the point of making your snowflake accelerate thorugh things? What's going to happen when they have an actual job and they aren't challenged all the time? How will they cope

Are you serious, or do you really have such mediocre expectations for yourself and/or your children?!? You're also wrong about this being an "Asian tiger mom" or "white folks" thing. I'm AA and I work very hard to provide the best possible academic enrichment and travel opportunities to my children. My hope is that they will choose careers that keep them engaged, fulfilled and challenged (and I hope it's lucrative).

+1 To me the whole point of supplementation / enrichment is to ensure that your child gets every opportunity to learn/advance etc. so that they have maximum opportunities later to choose a career that is fulfilling. What parent wouldn't want this for their child?

Ugh this is a recent phenomonom or a upper class stupid thing. My parents never had me do worksheets or went on special enrichment things. I went to school did my homework went to college got a job and turned out fine without any of this learn/advance bs. lolz

I think you might be misinterpreting. I look at something like a 1000 in 1 electronics kit as enrichment. Coding, science, all that stuff, as long as it's of interest to my kids. So it's pretty self-directed and as independent as can be (they're young now). But I could see setting them up with an EV3 robot and letting them have a ball. Encouraging them to read what they want, etc. It's not forcing them through worksheets.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Shouldn't kids use their free time for self-directed "enrichment," like free reading and research? I understand the need to supplement if you feel that the school has gaps in the curriculum (although that's pretty depressing -- I think I'd switch schools if I could.) But if you say have a kid who loves math, why not just let him get into coding, etc? Or just read whatever they want to on their own? At a certain point, don't you have to ALSO develop the values of independent intellectual pursuits?

Sounds like you're working on the assumption that supplementing doesn't involve free reading and research. Not our experience with Johns Hopkins CTY - the program encourages self-directed reading and research for kids ages 8-12. To us, the DCPS elementary school curriculum, or at least its implementation at our JKLM, is just OK in almost every subject.

What we get at CTY is a taste of a top private school, with our kids learning under the tutelage of stellar teachers in small classes where all students work above grade level. It's not a rich brat scene, because few of the families involved could afford private school during the regular school year. The CTY instructors push "advanced" kids harder than they do at our DCPS in the sense that inspire them to stretch themselves. The camps are a reach for us financially, but worth every penny. If DC screened for giftedness, or provided gifted services, we probably wouldn't bother with CTY.

Were you impressed by it? I know three families who did CTY. Two of them are families with multiple degrees and decided not to repeat. It was essentially just an expensive camp. The third has a grandchild who got a scholarship to assist her. They're not really sure what she learned, but they're proud she got that credential.

[Anonymous]

I took it in the 90s and wasn't impressed

I grew up middle class

If I was in DCPS I think it would be worth it to let my children see what real learning can look like

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Shouldn't kids use their free time for self-directed "enrichment," like free reading and research? I understand the need to supplement if you feel that the school has gaps in the curriculum (although that's pretty depressing -- I think I'd switch schools if I could.) But if you say have a kid who loves math, why not just let him get into coding, etc? Or just read whatever they want to on their own? At a certain point, don't you have to ALSO develop the values of independent intellectual pursuits?

It's the asian tiger mom syndrome that is now with white folks too

I was born in the 80s I went to some average school probably a 5 on great schools or something

There was no such things as enrichment or pullouts or supplementation by the school or my parents

Whats the point of making your snowflake accelerate thorugh things? What's going to happen when they have an actual job and they aren't challenged all the time? How will they cope

Are you serious, or do you really have such mediocre expectations for yourself and/or your children?!? You're also wrong about this being an "Asian tiger mom" or "white folks" thing. I'm AA and I work very hard to provide the best possible academic enrichment and travel opportunities to my children. My hope is that they will choose careers that keep them engaged, fulfilled and challenged (and I hope it's lucrative).

+1 To me the whole point of supplementation / enrichment is to ensure that your child gets every opportunity to learn/advance etc. so that they have maximum opportunities later to choose a career that is fulfilling. What parent wouldn't want this for their child?

The smartest and most successful people I know weren't pushed into adult-led "enrichment" and "supplementation" (apart from music lessons). They got obsessed on their own with history, D&D, coding, jazz ...

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Shouldn't kids use their free time for self-directed "enrichment," like free reading and research? I understand the need to supplement if you feel that the school has gaps in the curriculum (although that's pretty depressing -- I think I'd switch schools if I could.) But if you say have a kid who loves math, why not just let him get into coding, etc? Or just read whatever they want to on their own? At a certain point, don't you have to ALSO develop the values of independent intellectual pursuits?

It's the asian tiger mom syndrome that is now with white folks too

I was born in the 80s I went to some average school probably a 5 on great schools or something

There was no such things as enrichment or pullouts or supplementation by the school or my parents

Whats the point of making your snowflake accelerate thorugh things? What's going to happen when they have an actual job and they aren't challenged all the time? How will they cope

Are you serious, or do you really have such mediocre expectations for yourself and/or your children?!? You're also wrong about this being an "Asian tiger mom" or "white folks" thing. I'm AA and I work very hard to provide the best possible academic enrichment and travel opportunities to my children. My hope is that they will choose careers that keep them engaged, fulfilled and challenged (and I hope it's lucrative).

+1 To me the whole point of supplementation / enrichment is to ensure that your child gets every opportunity to learn/advance etc. so that they have maximum opportunities later to choose a career that is fulfilling. What parent wouldn't want this for their child?

The smartest and most successful people I know weren't pushed into adult-led "enrichment" and "supplementation" (apart from music lessons). They got obsessed on their own with history, D&D, coding, jazz ...

Good for the few "smartest and most successful" people you know.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Shouldn't kids use their free time for self-directed "enrichment," like free reading and research? I understand the need to supplement if you feel that the school has gaps in the curriculum (although that's pretty depressing -- I think I'd switch schools if I could.) But if you say have a kid who loves math, why not just let him get into coding, etc? Or just read whatever they want to on their own? At a certain point, don't you have to ALSO develop the values of independent intellectual pursuits?

It's the asian tiger mom syndrome that is now with white folks too

I was born in the 80s I went to some average school probably a 5 on great schools or something

There was no such things as enrichment or pullouts or supplementation by the school or my parents

Whats the point of making your snowflake accelerate thorugh things? What's going to happen when they have an actual job and they aren't challenged all the time? How will they cope

Are you serious, or do you really have such mediocre expectations for yourself and/or your children?!? You're also wrong about this being an "Asian tiger mom" or "white folks" thing. I'm AA and I work very hard to provide the best possible academic enrichment and travel opportunities to my children. My hope is that they will choose careers that keep them engaged, fulfilled and challenged (and I hope it's lucrative).

+1 To me the whole point of supplementation / enrichment is to ensure that your child gets every opportunity to learn/advance etc. so that they have maximum opportunities later to choose a career that is fulfilling. What parent wouldn't want this for their child?

The smartest and most successful people I know weren't pushed into adult-led "enrichment" and "supplementation" (apart from music lessons). They got obsessed on their own with history, D&D, coding, jazz ...

Good for the few "smartest and most successful" people you know.

No need to be so snippy!

These children have probably also introduced a new 37-sided die to D&D AND a self-composting playground.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Shouldn't kids use their free time for self-directed "enrichment," like free reading and research? I understand the need to supplement if you feel that the school has gaps in the curriculum (although that's pretty depressing -- I think I'd switch schools if I could.) But if you say have a kid who loves math, why not just let him get into coding, etc? Or just read whatever they want to on their own? At a certain point, don't you have to ALSO develop the values of independent intellectual pursuits?

It's the asian tiger mom syndrome that is now with white folks too

I was born in the 80s I went to some average school probably a 5 on great schools or something

There was no such things as enrichment or pullouts or supplementation by the school or my parents

Whats the point of making your snowflake accelerate thorugh things? What's going to happen when they have an actual job and they aren't challenged all the time? How will they cope

Are you serious, or do you really have such mediocre expectations for yourself and/or your children?!? You're also wrong about this being an "Asian tiger mom" or "white folks" thing. I'm AA and I work very hard to provide the best possible academic enrichment and travel opportunities to my children. My hope is that they will choose careers that keep them engaged, fulfilled and challenged (and I hope it's lucrative).

+1 To me the whole point of supplementation / enrichment is to ensure that your child gets every opportunity to learn/advance etc. so that they have maximum opportunities later to choose a career that is fulfilling. What parent wouldn't want this for their child?

The smartest and most successful people I know weren't pushed into adult-led "enrichment" and "supplementation" (apart from music lessons). They got obsessed on their own with history, D&D, coding, jazz ...

Good for the few "smartest and most successful" people you know.

I don't think the averagely successful people I know were drilled after school either. The only people I know who were drilled now have horrible relationships with their parents. One is a school teacher and under-achieved; the other didn't go past a BA, despite being the most brilliant person I know -- he was just done with formal expectations after duly graduating from an Ivy like Mom demanded; the other is a successful academic physician. So that's 1:3 success stories.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Shouldn't kids use their free time for self-directed "enrichment," like free reading and research? I understand the need to supplement if you feel that the school has gaps in the curriculum (although that's pretty depressing -- I think I'd switch schools if I could.) But if you say have a kid who loves math, why not just let him get into coding, etc? Or just read whatever they want to on their own? At a certain point, don't you have to ALSO develop the values of independent intellectual pursuits?

It's the asian tiger mom syndrome that is now with white folks too

I was born in the 80s I went to some average school probably a 5 on great schools or something

There was no such things as enrichment or pullouts or supplementation by the school or my parents

Whats the point of making your snowflake accelerate thorugh things? What's going to happen when they have an actual job and they aren't challenged all the time? How will they cope

Are you serious, or do you really have such mediocre expectations for yourself and/or your children?!? You're also wrong about this being an "Asian tiger mom" or "white folks" thing. I'm AA and I work very hard to provide the best possible academic enrichment and travel opportunities to my children. My hope is that they will choose careers that keep them engaged, fulfilled and challenged (and I hope it's lucrative).

+1 To me the whole point of supplementation / enrichment is to ensure that your child gets every opportunity to learn/advance etc. so that they have maximum opportunities later to choose a career that is fulfilling. What parent wouldn't want this for their child?

The smartest and most successful people I know weren't pushed into adult-led "enrichment" and "supplementation" (apart from music lessons). They got obsessed on their own with history, D&D, coding, jazz ...

Good for the few "smartest and most successful" people you know.

I don't think the averagely successful people I know were drilled after school either. The only people I know who were drilled now have horrible relationships with their parents. One is a school teacher and under-achieved; the other didn't go past a BA, despite being the most brilliant person I know -- he was just done with formal expectations after duly graduating from an Ivy like Mom demanded; the other is a successful academic physician. So that's 1:3 success stories.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Shouldn't kids use their free time for self-directed "enrichment," like free reading and research? I understand the need to supplement if you feel that the school has gaps in the curriculum (although that's pretty depressing -- I think I'd switch schools if I could.) But if you say have a kid who loves math, why not just let him get into coding, etc? Or just read whatever they want to on their own? At a certain point, don't you have to ALSO develop the values of independent intellectual pursuits?

It's the asian tiger mom syndrome that is now with white folks too

I was born in the 80s I went to some average school probably a 5 on great schools or something

There was no such things as enrichment or pullouts or supplementation by the school or my parents

Whats the point of making your snowflake accelerate thorugh things? What's going to happen when they have an actual job and they aren't challenged all the time? How will they cope

Are you serious, or do you really have such mediocre expectations for yourself and/or your children?!? You're also wrong about this being an "Asian tiger mom" or "white folks" thing. I'm AA and I work very hard to provide the best possible academic enrichment and travel opportunities to my children. My hope is that they will choose careers that keep them engaged, fulfilled and challenged (and I hope it's lucrative).

+1 To me the whole point of supplementation / enrichment is to ensure that your child gets every opportunity to learn/advance etc. so that they have maximum opportunities later to choose a career that is fulfilling. What parent wouldn't want this for their child?

The smartest and most successful people I know weren't pushed into adult-led "enrichment" and "supplementation" (apart from music lessons). They got obsessed on their own with history, D&D, coding, jazz ...

Good for the few "smartest and most successful" people you know.

I don't think the averagely successful people I know were drilled after school either. The only people I know who were drilled now have horrible relationships with their parents. One is a school teacher and under-achieved; the other didn't go past a BA, despite being the most brilliant person I know -- he was just done with formal expectations after duly graduating from an Ivy like Mom demanded; the other is a successful academic physician. So that's 1:3 success stories.

Good for you too! I know entire families, including my own, where the children were "drilled" before/after school and on weekends. Almost all of us have achieved a very high level of academic and professional success. You raise your children the way you want; and let others with different styles do the same.

[Anonymous]

+1. I could have done with more drilling, as long as it wasn't punitive. I've come to understand why some of the families who supplement consistently and strategically (e.g. via Kumon and CTY camps) keep this to themselves. Education is a loaded topic in DC under the best of circumstances, with no shortage of hyper competitive and judgmental parents eager to take pot shots at any target they can find.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:+1. I could have done with more drilling, as long as it wasn't punitive. I've come to understand why some of the families who supplement consistently and strategically (e.g. via Kumon and CTY camps) keep this to themselves. Education is a loaded topic in DC under the best of circumstances, with no shortage of hyper competitive and judgmental parents eager to take pot shots at any target they can find.

+1 I too feel like I could have benefited from more guided enrichment and wish my parents had done more, especially with math. And supplementation has given my child a much higher level of confidence that she/he would have otherwise not have had. I don't have a child who was born a self-directed genius.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Does anyone know if they supplement at YY or LAMB outside of language supplementation?

YY family here. We only supplement for things like religious instruction, another language (not Mandarin) and sports and hobbies. The other families we know do the same. I don't know anyone who supplements for academics, math, reading, but we are in an upper grade with a child who is 2-3 grade levels ahead without outside help. Yu Ying does a good job with differentiation in their classrooms.

Yes, you do, you just don't know it. At the 3-week long Johns Hopkins CTY camp our kid attended in Alexandria (for rising 3rd to 5th graders, $2,500), we realized that some of the DCPS and DCPC families participating were keeping the arrangement private. A few parents we know from our DC neighborhood asked us not to tell others that they'd enrolled a child. Even friends in MoCo whose children take "compacted" GT math in the upper elementary grades quietly supplement with tutors, on-line programs, and math camps. They just don't talk about it.

Interesting. Do you mind sharing which DC neighborhood? I find it so bizarre that people outwardly put down supplementation only to do so in private. It is as if your child is less intelligent if he/she requires supplementation. Also, even though the OP says she/he does not want to supplement, she/he does so in the broader sense. Personally, I think it is fine to do so and no parent should feel that they need to hide from it or be ashamed of it.

Education tends to be very "trendy." That is, whatever method was used when we were younger, is now dated and looked down upon. Some new trend from Findland or Sweden comes through and is suddenly all the rage. Like restaurants, these trends come and go (fusion-Cajun anyone?) and yet good will always be good and smart will always be smart. Let's ignore the trend-seekers and stuck with 1. Love your kid. 2. Spend a lot of time with them. 3. Demonstate a love of learning. And you will get what you get.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Shouldn't kids use their free time for self-directed "enrichment," like free reading and research? I understand the need to supplement if you feel that the school has gaps in the curriculum (although that's pretty depressing -- I think I'd switch schools if I could.) But if you say have a kid who loves math, why not just let him get into coding, etc? Or just read whatever they want to on their own? At a certain point, don't you have to ALSO develop the values of independent intellectual pursuits?

It's the asian tiger mom syndrome that is now with white folks too

I was born in the 80s I went to some average school probably a 5 on great schools or something

There was no such things as enrichment or pullouts or supplementation by the school or my parents

Whats the point of making your snowflake accelerate thorugh things? What's going to happen when they have an actual job and they aren't challenged all the time? How will they cope

Are you serious, or do you really have such mediocre expectations for yourself and/or your children?!? You're also wrong about this being an "Asian tiger mom" or "white folks" thing. I'm AA and I work very hard to provide the best possible academic enrichment and travel opportunities to my children. My hope is that they will choose careers that keep them engaged, fulfilled and challenged (and I hope it's lucrative).

+1 To me the whole point of supplementation / enrichment is to ensure that your child gets every opportunity to learn/advance etc. so that they have maximum opportunities later to choose a career that is fulfilling. What parent wouldn't want this for their child?

The smartest and most successful people I know weren't pushed into adult-led "enrichment" and "supplementation" (apart from music lessons). They got obsessed on their own with history, D&D, coding, jazz ...

Good for the few "smartest and most successful" people you know.

I don't think the averagely successful people I know were drilled after school either. The only people I know who were drilled now have horrible relationships with their parents. One is a school teacher and under-achieved; the other didn't go past a BA, despite being the most brilliant person I know -- he was just done with formal expectations after duly graduating from an Ivy like Mom demanded; the other is a successful academic physician. So that's 1:3 success stories.

Good for you too! I know entire families, including my own, where the children were "drilled" before/after school and on weekends. Almost all of us have achieved a very high level of academic and professional success. You raise your children the way you want; and let others with different styles do the same.

sounds so boring and repressive, and likely not to result in a fully developed person. if you have the innate capacity to say, go to medical school, you don't need to start drilling your child at 7 years old!