I entered kingergarten at 7 in 1980 here in Mont County! I think that's a 1st grader age. We just arrived to the US so they didn't think i could catch up so they put me in kindergarten. I only knew hi, hello and bye. So, I had no clue what people were saying. I did remember that we spend alot of time painting and playing and doing nothing for so long. I didn't know why we had to nap. I remember thinking, this is it? At school, it was ok but I found it boring. Most interesting was English As a second language class. At the bus stop, it was horrible cause kids would make fun of us cause we didn't speak English.

1985.

We were definitely taught to sound out words (anyone remember the Letter People?) and I remember illustrating and "writing" stories -- specifically the teacher encouraging me to write more than just the first letter of each word. There were reading groups, where we'd go around the circle and read part of a story. For math, I remember making graphs as a class and maybe some addition worksheets. There was circle time, morning and afternoon recess, a corner with lots of blocks, and maybe some housekeeping stuff. I remember some 'testing' - at one point I had to count as high as I could (and was very proud to make it to 100).

My son starts K next year and I'm curious to see how much things have changed.

I know nothing about Lafayette, you'd have to check with them, but from other parents and my own experience most schools allow you to take out whatever books you want from the library even in kindergarten. So you can take out a 300 page book if you want. The higher reading group emphasis in 1st is on basic reading comprehension and reading more complex books for fluency, however the longer books tend to run in the Nate the Great and Magic Tree House level. They will read a book like "Chrysanthemum" and discuss or even write a little about it. This is similar to my 1st grade experience reading the Francis books and discussing them in 1st. Not sure what you expect. My DC is at a high SES school in the suburbs and there are no complaints.

OP, how old are you? American girl at age 6-7? Anyway, those books are fine to read at home, but they aren't really books that a 1st grade teacher should be using in the classroom regardless of how good a student is. I'm not sure what you expect of schools today, but yesterday and today, the emphasis has always been on reading comprehension.

I'm 25. We didn't read American girls in class at age 6-7, I read them at home, or my parents read them to me (the boys wouldn't have been so into those books anyway!). We also could read whatever we wanted during silent reading time (30 min a day all the way through elementary school) so if I wanted to bring in my American girl books or babysitters club books I was allowed to. I'm just saying that I liked them, in response to the other poster's comment that Henry Huggins was inappropriate for 1st graders because the book is about a boy a few years older. The advanced first grade reading group read Beverly Cleary's Henry Huggins in first grade. You can argue about how appropriate this is, but it was maybe a third of the class that got pulled out to read Henry Huggins so that has been my benchmark for an advanced first grader, for the better or the worse. The emphasis was definitely on reading comprehension, but at Lafayette in the '90s there were a lot of advanced readers.

We had library once a week where we were encouraged to pick out our own books and shared what we had been reading, and reading above grade level was encouraged, although not required. I'm just saying that none of us ended up scarred for life for having this experience, and I know that I've always loved to read for pleasure. I am just wondering if focusing on academics early is as detrimental as parents on this board make it out to be.

In most states Kindergarten is still not mandatory. The law says they have to begin school if they are 6 by Sept 1. That is why some districts still offer half day programs.

OP, how old are you? American girl at age 6-7? Anyway, those books are fine to read at home, but they aren't really books that a 1st grade teacher should be using in the classroom regardless of how good a student is. I'm not sure what you expect of schools today, but yesterday and today, the emphasis has always been on reading comprehension.

You guys are amazing! I don't remember a thing until about 3rd grade.

1980, Alexandria City Public Schools. Half day.


I just remember working on many elaborate art projects (building wooden boats, painting etc.). I already knew the alphabet and how to write my name, before coming to school. There was no homework.

I went to MCPS kindergarten in 1978. I was an advanced reader and was put in the highest reading group and there were only a few of us that could read. I remember fingerpainting, sounding out the letter sounds everyday with the whole class A ah apple, B Bah ball, c kah castle. I remember most of these which is bizarre. I remember connect the dots for math. The only school stress that I had in kindergarten was social.

1976, private school in Boston.

I remember in PK learning about letters, and got compliments on drawing an excellent fox. I don't remember as much about K, but in First grade I desperately wanted to read these big chapter books about countries of the world, and tried to to keep up with my 2nd grade friends. So I was reading, but not easily at chapter book level.

No homework until 3rd grade.

Anonymous wrote:Henry Huggins is a book mainly about an 11 year old. The babysitters club girls are 13. Maybe kids could read them, but they wouldn't really even relate to the kids in the books because the characters are so much older. Just not that appropriate for 1st grade no matter how good a reader is. Anyway, probably a lot more deeper thinking could be had from reading and discussing Sylvester and the Magic Pebble and 10 other children's picture books in the time it would take to read and discuss those two books.

I was an early reader and always read baby sitters club etc. when I wasn't their age. I remember reading Sweet Valley High when I was in 5th/6th grade and thinking 16 years old was SOOOO old, but looking back, it's so young!

I don't think that kids absolutely have to read things that they only currently experience. How would they expand their minds? Sure I didn't understand everything I read, but that doesn't mean it didn't give me perspective about different people and different ages.

Henry Huggins is a book mainly about an 11 year old. The babysitters club girls are 13. Maybe kids could read them, but they wouldn't really even relate to the kids in the books because the characters are so much older. Just not that appropriate for 1st grade no matter how good a reader is. Anyway, probably a lot more deeper thinking could be had from reading and discussing Sylvester and the Magic Pebble and 10 other children's picture books in the time it would take to read and discuss those two books.

OP here. Well when I was 6-8 I absolutely loved babysitters club. I watched the movies, and before I could read myself I had my dad read to me. I also loved the Ramona series, Little House on the Prairie series, Secret Garden and other Francis Hogston Burnet books, the Noel Streafield "shoes" series, and Anne of Green Gables before I was old enough to "relate" to the characters as peers (and before I could read at that level, my dad read them aloud to me). I had 12 and 13 year old neighbors babysit me, older cousins, and kids from the neighborhood who were a few year older than me as playmates. I never thought that stories had to be about someone exactly like me. How weird.

I also loved the American girl series at around 6-7, which I could relate to more, but even if they are about little girls, they covered difficult topics like slavery and child labor and were about ten year olds. I got my first American girl doll at 7, and I know that my parents were reading the books to me for quite a while before that.

1977 in the UK. Half day. I had a constant fear the the teacher would figure out that I didn't know the alphabet in order. I don't think anyone could read. It was probably less
academic than my sons' K classes, but more strict in terms I behavior. The strict teacher and school and over sensitive kid is a bad combo.

Henry Huggins is a book mainly about an 11 year old. The babysitters club girls are 13. Maybe kids could read them, but they wouldn't really even relate to the kids in the books because the characters are so much older. Just not that appropriate for 1st grade no matter how good a reader is. Anyway, probably a lot more deeper thinking could be had from reading and discussing Sylvester and the Magic Pebble and 10 other children's picture books in the time it would take to read and discuss those two books.

This is PP 11:23 - there was DEFINITELY NOT homework. I don't think I had homework until closer to third grade and it wasn't all the time.