skipping KG

[Anonymous]

Oh boo hoo! And what exactly is the "problem?" Sounds very First World to me. I'm guessing even a bright child has something to learn in Kindergarten. Perhaps something about what life is like outside a hothoused environment where everything is designed to move a long at the speed he/she finds just right. I was reading well by kindergarten and tested off the charts, but still managed to make some life long friends in KG who might not have been as advanced academically but sure knew a heckuva lot more about getting along with people and having fun than I did.

This skipping kindergarten rant is just another veiled brag or an ill-advised attempt to push rote learning further down into early childhood. Just stop it now and let your kids be kids, and horrors, even waste a little time in their youth.

+1000

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Oh boo hoo! And what exactly is the "problem?" Sounds very First World to me. I'm guessing even a bright child has something to learn in Kindergarten. Perhaps something about what life is like outside a hothoused environment where everything is designed to move a long at the speed he/she finds just right. I was reading well by kindergarten and tested off the charts, but still managed to make some life long friends in KG who might not have been as advanced academically but sure knew a heckuva lot more about getting along with people and having fun than I did.

This skipping kindergarten rant is just another veiled brag or an ill-advised attempt to push rote learning further down into early childhood. Just stop it now and let your kids be kids, and horrors, even waste a little time in their youth.

I'm curious-- as a child, was your kindergarten full day or half day? Im going to guess it was half day since full day is relatively new (correct me if I'm wrong). That being said, can you imagine spending 6-6.5 hours in college classes that you've already mastered just to make friends? What is the point, from an academic stand point, to send a child to school all day when they've already mastered what's going to be taught that year?

[Anonymous]

I'm curious-- as a child, was your kindergarten full day or half day? Im going to guess it was half day since full day is relatively new (correct me if I'm wrong). That being said, can you imagine spending 6-6.5 hours in college classes that you've already mastered just to make friends? What is the point, from an academic stand point, to send a child to school all day when they've already mastered what's going to be taught that year?

Kindergarten is far more than "classes" that bore you. Teachers don't stand up in front of the room and lecture.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

I'm curious-- as a child, was your kindergarten full day or half day? Im going to guess it was half day since full day is relatively new (correct me if I'm wrong). That being said, can you imagine spending 6-6.5 hours in college classes that you've already mastered just to make friends? What is the point, from an academic stand point, to send a child to school all day when they've already mastered what's going to be taught that year?

Kindergarten is far more than "classes" that bore you. Teachers don't stand up in front of the room and lecture.

You don't need to preach to me. I'm a Public school teacher myself and well aware of my duties as a teacher. My daughter did go to kindergarten without issues. The fact is this is a problem for many kids, not just kindergarteners. If a child is capable of moving at an accelerated pace, it should be available to him or her. If this is the case in VA, I can assure you it's not the case nationwide. Most school districts spend their time and money on those who can't and the ones who can are the ones who are left behind.

[Anonymous]

You don't need to preach to me. I'm a Public school teacher myself and well aware of my duties as a teacher. My daughter did go to kindergarten without issues. The fact is this is a problem for many kids, not just kindergarteners. If a child is capable of moving at an accelerated pace, it should be available to him or her. If this is the case in VA, I can assure you it's not the case nationwide. Most school districts spend their time and money on those who can't and the ones who can are the ones who are left behind.

Wow! I strongly disagree with you. Are you an elementary school teacher? Doesn't sound like it.

[Anonymous]

You don't need to preach to me. I'm a Public school teacher myself and well aware of my duties as a teacher. My daughter did go to kindergarten without issues. The fact is this is a problem for many kids, not just kindergarteners. If a child is capable of moving at an accelerated pace, it should be available to him or her. If this is the case in VA, I can assure you it's not the case nationwide. Most school districts spend their time and money on those who can't and the ones who can are the ones who are left behind.

Sounds like you think education is a race. Contrary to Arne Duncan--it is not.

[Anonymous]

Skipping K is a bad idea. Do you want your child to be the only 11 yo in middle school?

[Anonymous]

Thank you 21:34 for your voice of reason based on experience!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Thank you 21:34 for your voice of reason based on experience!

21:34 may be right on the need to offer challenging content, but the need for children to acclimate and learn/test their social connections is needed beginning in kindergarten. If not then at that age then when?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

You don't need to preach to me. I'm a Public school teacher myself and well aware of my duties as a teacher. My daughter did go to kindergarten without issues. The fact is this is a problem for many kids, not just kindergarteners. If a child is capable of moving at an accelerated pace, it should be available to him or her. If this is the case in VA, I can assure you it's not the case nationwide. Most school districts spend their time and money on those who can't and the ones who can are the ones who are left behind.

Sounds like you think education is a race. Contrary to Arne Duncan--it is not.

I'm not the one who coined the phrase 'race to the top.'

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

You don't need to preach to me. I'm a Public school teacher myself and well aware of my duties as a teacher. My daughter did go to kindergarten without issues. The fact is this is a problem for many kids, not just kindergarteners. If a child is capable of moving at an accelerated pace, it should be available to him or her. If this is the case in VA, I can assure you it's not the case nationwide. Most school districts spend their time and money on those who can't and the ones who can are the ones who are left behind.

Wow! I strongly disagree with you. Are you an elementary school teacher? Doesn't sound like it.

Yes, of course I'm a teacher. Why would anyone lie about that ? It's not exactly considered a well respected profession anymore.
I'm not quite sure what part you disagree with--kind of curious to know.... You probably haven't had any experience with the schools such as the ones where I teach. This is a school where the focus was on test scores and getting all of the kids to pass the standards. We are critiqued many times a month by administrators, hired consultants, or so called master teachers ( I saw 'so called' bc often times they are not) who come into our classes unannounced to observe us teach. Then we meet with them and they tell us how we could
Be teaching better and which strategies to use, etc because the trends in education are always changing. 'This year we'll teach math this way and the following year that trend it out and we have to relearn a whole new program or best practice method. Doesn't matter if you're a first year teacher or have tenure. And some schools even Have grants where teachers are awarded a certain amount of money if their students perform well on the standardized tests. So you tell me-- if you have a check dangling in front of your nose like a carrot , which students are you going to focus on to ensure you get that money?

Anyway, I probably don't sound like a teacher because I'm simply stating the truth, based on my experiences, and not saying how wonderful and amazing all the students are and how everyone will succeed and pass the standards(!!!!)--which is how most teachers have to talk nowadays to keep the parents happy.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Thank you 21:34 for your voice of reason based on experience!

21:34 may be right on the need to offer challenging content, but the need for children to acclimate and learn/test their social connections is needed beginning in kindergarten. If not then at that age then when?

Around here, many have been doing those things in preschool for years!

[Anonymous]

Yes, of course I'm a teacher

I asked if you were an ELEMENTARY school teacher.

[Anonymous]

I knew a kid who was extremely smart and put ahead. However, he was still the smartest kid in the room. He was not treated as a peer--but as a mascot for his class. Terrible situation.