Reply to Mann or Stoddert for K?

Forum Index » DC Public and Public Charter Schools

Reply to "Mann or Stoddert for K?"

Subject:

Emoticons





More smilies

Text Color: Font: Close Marks

[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]Can anyone speak to whether kids develop solid independent problem-solving skills at Mann, Stoddert, or both? Or if they seem to adjust well socially and academically to public middle school?

Currently enrolled at Stoddert for PK4 with a low waitlist number at Mann. I really liked the smaller community, the focus on cultivating a love of learning, and the more student-focused approach at Mann. That said, two of the childcare providers I've spoken with mentioned that the Mann kids they nannied seemed to struggle a bit with Independent problem solving and adjustment to public middle school (small sample size, obviously). I figured it was worth following up here to see what other parents'/caregivers' experiences had been.[/quote]

What you are asking about is on you, not the school.[/quote]

Parenting certainly plays a big part in helping kids develop problem-solving skills, as well as taking steps to ensure they develop the skills and have the support necessary to tackle middle school. I believe that's obvious enough that no reasonable person would argue otherwise.

That said, it seems silly to dismiss the influence of the school environment on these skills. Kids spend half of their waking hours at school. They learn about social and cultural norms, their place in the social hierarchy, their social identity, and what to expect/what's expected of them to accomplish tasks successfully. If kids have their hands held through problem-solving activities at school, they learn that that's normal and that they can succeed without further developing those skills. Even if parents work effectively on those things at home, a poor-fitting school environment is still reinforcing maladaptive habits half of each day.

Skills development has to be reinforced across the board, at home and school, bearing in mind that every kid's needs, strengths, and weaknesses differ. I imagine that's part of why so many posters here emphasize the importance of choosing a school that's a good fit for kids' specific needs (and not just academic achievement). So yes, parents are obviously responsible for helping their kids grow into well-adjusted, independent problem solvers. Part of that responsibility is choosing a school that does a good job of reinforcing these skills while maintaining an environment that allows students' needs to be met.

In which case, the better question might be: What kind of kid comes out of Mann/Stoddert as a prepared, well-adjusted problem solver? And do these schools differ in the breadth and depth of student needs they can meet? I'd be interested in hearing from recent parents about how/whether these schools worked for their kids, and why the school met or didn't meet their needs. [/quote]

Options

	Disable HTML in this message
	Disable BB Code in this message
	Disable smilies in this message

Review message

Search Recent Topics Hottest Topics