Which is more important -- academics or social/emotional development?

[Anonymous]

Perhaps the emotionally and socially lacking parents of children should return to elementary school for social and emotional support and training!

[Anonymous]

It would have been better if they'd gotten it themselves when they were in elementary school.

[Anonymous]

You're absolutely right. The social and emotional derangements of our society are a prime result of a poor elementary school experience. I wonder what our deranged society did before elementary schools? Think of the preponderance of deranged kids not in elementary school but homeschooled or in poor societies without any opportunity for formal elementary school education? Too bad we can't import all these children to our private elementary schools for the elixir of social and emotional remediation. If I were in charge of running an area private elementary school I would immediately double the admission fees for what they provide our society in social and emotional well being!

[Anonymous]

It would have been better if they'd gotten it themselves when they were in elementary school.

Absolutely, brilliant. Where would you get this if there were no elementary school? It's quite clear your home is simply inadequate.

[Anonymous]

Ideally, both go hand in hand. Can a school develop an attitude in children that working hard, doing well in school, mastering a subject matter, writing well, engaging in intellectual conversation, asking critical questions, etc. are joyful? That learning and studying are satisfying and worthwhile endeavors (though not always "fun")? The approach taken in the lower school is, of course, going to be different in high school, but the prevailing attitude towards school and learning should not just be expected, but nurtured.

[Anonymous]

Yes. But the school had better get the academics right. That's their prime function and objective, not social and emotional development. The latter is your responsibility as a parent. You should know and understand your child (children) better than any revolving door of K through 5 elementary school teachers and guides.

[Anonymous]

Your home, extended family and friends, travels, clubs, parties and the "role model" the parent exhibits are by far the key ingredients to social and emotional development not elementary school.

If you read extensively (e.g., autobiographies and biographies) it's easy to understand why (century after century) successful individuals (by society's metric) point inward to those people in their lives that had the most influence on them and their development ... usually a close family member and rarely an elementary school teacher (perhaps for orphans).

Looking into a child's home, not the elementary school will more often than not provide all the clues and insights about a child's social and emotional development.

The primary objective of elementary school is therefore teaching our children to read, write, speak persuasively and understand numbers thereby providing a foundation for critical thinking and problem solving. The primary objective of our elementary schools is not psychosocial analytic therapy. Much like hiring a tutor, or counselor to get into private school, one can hire a pediatric shrink if one's home environment is lacking.

[Anonymous]

13:45, Will you promise to always post on these 'Which Private School?' threads and keep using the words 'simply' and 'perhaps'?

[Anonymous]

Only if you promise to post your software.

[Anonymous]

13:45, Will you promise to always post on these 'Which Private School?' threads and keep using the words 'simply' and 'perhaps'?

This poster is notorious for posting on "Which Private School?" threads for her non sequitors and topic changes when stripped naked and bereft of argument.

[Anonymous]

Hate to burst your bubble, but that poster did not post the earlier comments. I don't know where s/he came from. And I suppose we'll just have to agree to disagree. I'm glad that there are schools out there that can accommodate both of our views. I'll take the schools that do consider social and emotional development, and you can have the ones that do not.

[Anonymous]

Yes! Let's all keep using formal English / British dialect in our posts. Simply, perhaps, naturally, mathematics, preponderance, silly, 'quite (anything)', prosper ...

working together on this, we can totally remake this forum. Now I'm off to take the temperature of my child's feelings and self-esteem. Cheerio!

[Anonymous]

No wonder most American kids can't write English and compute (Math). Even many of those attending D.C. privates and NE Ivies.

[Anonymous]

Yes! Let's all keep using formal English / British dialect in our posts. Simply, perhaps, naturally, mathematics, preponderance, silly, 'quite (anything)', prosper ...

working together on this, we can totally remake this forum. Now I'm off to take the temperature of my child's feelings and self-esteem. Cheerio!

What do you prefer? English, Spanish, Ebonics or American slang. For someone on this forum with private school (Big 3) ambitions you are awfully sensitive. Is English your third language?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I think your view is short-sighted. Encouraging a love of learning throughout school is more important than anything. Of course, that encouragement needs to be thoughtful and directed. The "touchy-feely" schools -- at least the good ones (and the ones I know are good) -- have thought very carefully about how to take what children are interested in and moves them forward. The best schools allow those students who are motivated to move ahead very quickly. My DC, at one of these schools, was able to write much longer, more detailed and researched papers on topics of her choice in classes where teachers were happy to accommodate her interests. There was no busy work in any of the classes.

What school? They should be happy to have you say!