Comments for Learning As I Go http://bienfait.wordpress.com Sharing my thoughts as I learn and try to live my life Sun, 08 Nov 2009 22:54:11 +0000 http://wordpress.com/ hourly 1 Comment on Science Quiz by akhomeschoolfun http://bienfait.wordpress.com/2009/11/07/science-quiz/#comment-253 akhomeschoolfun Sun, 08 Nov 2009 22:54:11 +0000 http://bienfait.wordpress.com/?p=798#comment-253 I use those books. My third grade scientist really enjoys them. I don't use the tests. I found them too nit picky. Have you seen the Myth Busters episode on invisible water? It's good and we watched it when talking about density. I use those books. My third grade scientist really enjoys them. I don’t use the tests. I found them too nit picky.

Have you seen the Myth Busters episode on invisible water? It’s good and we watched it when talking about density.

]]> Comment on Kindergarten Readiness by akhomeschoolfun http://bienfait.wordpress.com/2009/10/25/kindergarten-readiness/#comment-251 akhomeschoolfun Tue, 03 Nov 2009 01:08:21 +0000 http://bienfait.wordpress.com/?p=787#comment-251 KG started because kids didn't have enough basic skills for first grade. Now we have preschools to get kids ready for kindergarten. What's next, babyschool? Kids need a chance to be kids before they learn books. Learning at the early ages should be supportive and explorative, not primarily structured and test preps. There's now studies that show learning differences usually disappear after about third grade anyway so pushing kids into school earlier and earlier just leads to burn out, not smarter teens. KG started because kids didn’t have enough basic skills for first grade. Now we have preschools to get kids ready for kindergarten. What’s next, babyschool? Kids need a chance to be kids before they learn books. Learning at the early ages should be supportive and explorative, not primarily structured and test preps. There’s now studies that show learning differences usually disappear after about third grade anyway so pushing kids into school earlier and earlier just leads to burn out, not smarter teens.

]]> Comment on Are Books A Distraction? by akhomeschoolfun http://bienfait.wordpress.com/2009/10/28/are-books-a-distraction/#comment-250 akhomeschoolfun Tue, 03 Nov 2009 01:00:35 +0000 http://bienfait.wordpress.com/?p=789#comment-250 That sounds like my house. My husband had to take away a book from my son last night because he was reading at 5am! That sounds like my house. My husband had to take away a book from my son last night because he was reading at 5am!

]]> Comment on Kindergarten Readiness by Erin http://bienfait.wordpress.com/2009/10/25/kindergarten-readiness/#comment-249 Erin Mon, 02 Nov 2009 00:45:19 +0000 http://bienfait.wordpress.com/?p=787#comment-249 I can kind of get on board here, but only for kg. Many kids have had little or no schooling activities, and quite frankly many have languished in day care since they were 6 wks old. Boys especially have a hard time adjusting from the go-everywhere-do-everything to the sit-down-and-pay attention. I always thought of kg as the transitional welcome to school, let's get used to the idea thing. That's why until recently it's been primarily a half day program that's not even mandatory. Why is it becoming all day? Because parents demand it since half-day day care is so hard to find- you usually have to pay for full-day care to keep your slot. Why is it becoming mandatory? Because kids aren't generally arriving for 1st grade with a set of social skill and attention span appropriate for a full day of class. Parents are so competitive and want to give their kids the academic edge, so they expect major achievements right off the bat- I think that's what that sentence was directed at. The cherry on top is all the extra time students spend on stuff other than the basics. Maybe we should spend less time on methods and more on content. Kids from the 40s sent men to the moon, surely they did something right. But in the end "kindergarten" is exactly what it means: garden of children, the place where our little ones take their first baby step into a larger word of learning. I can kind of get on board here, but only for kg. Many kids have had little or no schooling activities, and quite frankly many have languished in day care since they were 6 wks old. Boys especially have a hard time adjusting from the go-everywhere-do-everything to the sit-down-and-pay attention. I always thought of kg as the transitional welcome to school, let’s get used to the idea thing. That’s why until recently it’s been primarily a half day program that’s not even mandatory.
Why is it becoming all day? Because parents demand it since half-day day care is so hard to find- you usually have to pay for full-day care to keep your slot. Why is it becoming mandatory? Because kids aren’t generally arriving for 1st grade with a set of social skill and attention span appropriate for a full day of class. Parents are so competitive and want to give their kids the academic edge, so they expect major achievements right off the bat- I think that’s what that sentence was directed at. The cherry on top is all the extra time students spend on stuff other than the basics. Maybe we should spend less time on methods and more on content. Kids from the 40s sent men to the moon, surely they did something right.
But in the end “kindergarten” is exactly what it means: garden of children, the place where our little ones take their first baby step into a larger word of learning.

]]> Comment on Kindergarten Readiness by morethananelectrician http://bienfait.wordpress.com/2009/10/25/kindergarten-readiness/#comment-248 morethananelectrician Sun, 25 Oct 2009 20:55:28 +0000 http://bienfait.wordpress.com/?p=787#comment-248 I'm not touching this one. According to our public school's performance grades 1-12 are just a continuation of this same policy on readiness. Each grade is just preparing to pass you off to the next one... I’m not touching this one. According to our public school’s performance grades 1-12 are just a continuation of this same policy on readiness. Each grade is just preparing to pass you off to the next one…

]]> Comment on School Status by morethananelectrician http://bienfait.wordpress.com/2009/10/17/school-status/#comment-246 morethananelectrician Sat, 17 Oct 2009 23:29:01 +0000 http://bienfait.wordpress.com/?p=785#comment-246 Easing in is a nice way to do it. Get done WHAT you can WHEN you can. Easing in is a nice way to do it. Get done WHAT you can WHEN you can.

]]> Comment on New Arrival by akhomeschoolfun http://bienfait.wordpress.com/2009/09/23/new-arrival/#comment-242 akhomeschoolfun Sat, 26 Sep 2009 14:19:07 +0000 http://bienfait.wordpress.com/?p=781#comment-242 Congratulations! Good things come to those who wait was a favorite saying of my grandmother. I'm glad everything went fine. Congratulations! Good things come to those who wait was a favorite saying of my grandmother. I’m glad everything went fine.

]]> Comment on New Arrival by morethananelectrician http://bienfait.wordpress.com/2009/09/23/new-arrival/#comment-241 morethananelectrician Thu, 24 Sep 2009 17:46:53 +0000 http://bienfait.wordpress.com/?p=781#comment-241 Hooray!!!!!! Hooray!!!!!!

]]> Comment on New Arrival by Erin http://bienfait.wordpress.com/2009/09/23/new-arrival/#comment-240 Erin Thu, 24 Sep 2009 12:49:47 +0000 http://bienfait.wordpress.com/?p=781#comment-240 Hooray! Please send details (like his name) when you get a chance, you know, next month :o) Hooray! Please send details (like his name) when you get a chance, you know, next month :o )

]]> Comment on Status Update by morethananelectrician http://bienfait.wordpress.com/2009/09/20/status-update/#comment-238 morethananelectrician Sun, 20 Sep 2009 14:25:14 +0000 http://bienfait.wordpress.com/?p=777#comment-238 Best of luck to you...hang in there!!! Best of luck to you…hang in there!!!

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