Every once in a while I
have to vent. Sorry! You might want to “delete” today. Not THAT long ago I was a little girl
starting first grade. (60 years to
those of you in your twenties seems like the dark ages, but in the history of
mankind it was the blink of an eye.)
I was lucky because I attended kindergarten when it was a “kinder
garden” full of blocks, housekeeping, stories, music, finger plays, painting,
Kool aid (can you believe they actually served us that?), and cookies. We played outside, had rest time, and
did all that in two hours!!!
I didn’t learn how to read
or write until I was in first grade.
“Look! Look! Look! Oh, look, look, look!”
I could READ! And, you know
what? I’m in my sixties now and
I’m pretty good at reading and writing.
I figured it out! When I
look at the Common Core, I realize that I would have been an utter and complete
failure by today’s standards.
But here’s some food for
thought! Are five and six year
olds really that different now than they were sixty years ago? Are their brains more developed? How about their physical development? What about social skills? Independence? Self-control?
And just because they may
learn to read and write a little earlier, how will that stand them in the
future? The world is moving so
fast and technology is a wonder and a worry. But do children really have to run the race at the age of
five to keep up?
My husband and I have
saddled up and are ready for our trip to Mt. Rushmore! Yeehaw! I can’t wait for the chuck wagon dinner (yep, partner,
we signed up for that), the zip line, and a view of George, Thomas, Teddy, and
Abe. And we will definitely check
out the carving of Crazy Horse.
John flies home Monday and I get to share with teachers in Rapid City,
Pierre, and Sioux Falls the rest of the week. I can’t wait!
When I was 4 my
parents took us to Rapid City and we visited Dinosaur Park. I thought it was the most amazing and
incredible place in the world! I
was talking to my older brother about revisiting the park and I commented that
today’s child wouldn’t be too impressed with a bunch of cement dinosaurs. They expect animation, sound, blinking
lights, thunder, music… It makes
me a little sad. LESS really was
MORE!
I’ve got some good
blogs ready for you while I’m gone, and I promise to bring you some special
souvenirs when I come home!