Pressure on From Teachers!

[Country Kids]

This article was in our local paper this weekend. I can't access the entire article--but was able to copy the first paragraph or so.

I found it extremely interesting of what they are wanting the kids to come in knowing. My kids actually knew all of this when going into kindergarten and that was before it became "Academic" but was more for learning the skills not needing to already know them.

There is an extreme push in our area for having the kids ready for kindergarten and this was never the case before. There are always tons of classes going on for parents, caregivers, preschool teachers, childcare providers, etc. about having these children ready for kindergarten.

This particular school district brought in a special orgnization even working with people for this! What happened to letting them be children and when they went to school the teachers taught them the academic portion? I think they are also not wanting children to wait anymore to enter-if your 5 you need to be there.

So it sounds like the teachers are wanting the kids to come in already knowing the academic portion, not the school districts.

Just found it interesting!

Article:

There are certain skills kindergarten teacher Kaaron Lyons wishes all children had before they started school. She ticks off a list. Students should be able to sit still, write their names, recognize letters, enjoy being read to and used to interacting with kids their age. This is what the Yoncalla Elementary School teacher looks for, but doesn’t always see. “We’re finding that a lot of kids are coming in, and they don’t even know the ‘ABC’ song,” Lyons said. “There are some times I have to spend six weeks on the introductory curriculum when it should take three …

[AnneCordelia]

I don't like this day and age. There was a time when kindergarten was for fun and an introduction to schooling. Kindy was where they learned to write their names, learn the alphabet and how to count to 20. Kindy was where they learned to line up, how to sit 'criss cross apple sauce', and play with friends.

Times have changed and I don't like it. I don't believe it helps kids.

[mom2many]

I don't like this day and age. There was a time when kindergarten was for fun and an introduction to schooling. Kindy was where they learned to write their names, learn the alphabet and how to count to 20. Kindy was where they learned to line up, how to sit 'criss cross apple sauce', and play with friends.

Times have changed and I don't like it. I don't believe it helps kids.

I totally agree with you!

[Patches]

I feel like Pre-K is the new Kindergarten and Kindergarten is now more like 1st grade.
My son has one of those "odd" birthdays where he has to start late and be older than most in his class. He turned 5 a month after starting Pre-K. At first I was a little irratated that he had to wait another year to go to school but now I am soooo glad it worked out that way. He would not have been ready. Even though it is optional, I had him go to Pre-K because I wanted him to get used to a school environment before it "counted".
If the school system has a Pre-K program in place, that's where they need to go to learn how to "do school"

[Springdaze]

I was talking to my son's second year kindy teacher the other day. (held him back because he is shy and couldnt read well enough to go to 1st grade) and she said that the curriculum that they are given for kindergarten does not allow time for teaching letters and writing names. Not sure who to blame for that, but it also seems that although more is expected of children, they dont seem as intelligent as when we were young.

[countrymom]

I agree too. Its so crazy what kids have to know now that no wonder there are so many kid problems. Children are so stressed that they don't know how to relax. My odd is 14, when she went to grade 1 she learned to read, when my ydd she's 8 now entered preschool (or we call it juniour kindy) they had to read basic words, by kindy they were reading. How crazy is that. I also found that art went out the window and gym is now taking up alot of the time (my dd has gym 3 times a week) units are now only one week long (like learning money and telling time and multiplication) figures kids just don't understand it anymore.

[Country Kids]

I agree too. Its so crazy what kids have to know now that no wonder there are so many kid problems. Children are so stressed that they don't know how to relax. My odd is 14, when she went to grade 1 she learned to read, when my ydd she's 8 now entered preschool (or we call it juniour kindy) they had to read basic words, by kindy they were reading. How crazy is that. I also found that art went out the window and gym is now taking up alot of the time (my dd has gym 3 times a week) units are now only one week long (like learning money and telling time and multiplication) figures kids just don't understand it anymore.

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We have gym once a week and I think art is squeezed in when they can. Not very often though it seems like-.

Now here's what I find funny! They have very strict rules and regs for us-certain amount of outdoor time, rest time, OPEN ENDED ART, toys labeled,certain amount of tv-computor time, I can't remember everything else but now we pretty much need to teach them everything else before entering kindy. When are we supposed to find the time? Also, why does this all go out the window when they enter school if its so important to development? Less recesses/gym/ART/free time/rest time/nutrition/etc.

It seems like we have to do all this for their development to have it thrown out the window when they get to school.

[momofboys]

I blame standardized exams, teachers are stressed and must get kids ready so they can pass these exams. That being said I don't understand why a child can't be prepared. It does not take long fir a parent to help their child by helping them learn the alphabet, etc.

[bunnyslippers]

My own DS is in kindergarten, full-day. He has told me tht they didn't have time fro recess, because they had "too much learning to do." In my town, full-day is an option that you have to pay for in kindergarten. How on earth can they say the kids in half day kindy are getting the same education, when my son is going for 6 hours a day and has to miss recess? He is already reading and writing.

I used to teach public preschool in a wealthy town. The parents (and the school district) fully expected my students to be reading BEFORE they entered kindergarten. It is a whole different world now!

[momofboys]

No recess is wrong. My own kids had all day K (we had no choice ) and we always had 30 min of recess.

[Country Kids]

With our school when the kids get off the bus they have to go either to the cafeteria to eat/read or the gym to read. No more before school recess.

Also, there is recess before lunch not after. Seems they would want the kids to run the energy off before coming back to class.

[itlw8]

I have always sent my kids off to school knowing most of the letters, writing their first name. Many can read some sight words. they know their self help skills and most important are eager to learn.

I do not do this by drilling, using flash cards, making them do worksheets etc. Those things kill the eager to learn in a preschooler.

[Country Kids]

I have always sent my kids off to school knowing most of the letters, writing their first name. Many can read some sight words. they know their self help skills and most important are eager to learn.

I do not do this by drilling, using flash cards, making them do worksheets etc. Those things kill the eager to learn in a preschooler.

Ours have to be able to write first/last names.

What I found interesting is the article says nothing about self help skills. I guess the academics are more important-

[ABCDaycareMN]

With our school when the kids get off the bus they have to go either to the cafeteria to eat/read or the gym to read. No more before school recess.

Also, there is recess before lunch not after. Seems they would want the kids to run the energy off before coming back to class.

My son in in kindergarten this year and they too have recess before lunch. They don't even get to put their outerwear away before eating. My son has lost many gloves this way already this year. And he doesn't even eat his lunch. Must be too hyped up from being outside.

My son did attend 2 years of preschool and speech classes. The school was very surprised he already knew everything on the kindergarten screening and he didn't need any work done. A lot of the other kids there had no preschool and had to go to summer school before kindergarten started to catch up with the other kids.

I remember kindergarten being fun, my son has fun but they used to take him out of the only fun time of the day to go to speech, until I mentioned it to the teacher and she changed that. School is supposed to be fun not a chore, especially in kindergarten. Come on he has 12 years left plus college.

[countrymom]

we have 1 hour for lunch. But you have 15 min. to eat. In that 15 min. you have 5 min to get your lunch and go to the bathroom, 10 min to eat and then 5 min to pack your lunch and get ready to go outside for 45 min. But the teachers get to have a one hour lunch. My kids really don't have time to eat, so this explains why when they get home they are so hungry.