[email protected]

In a message dated 4/14/2002 2:35:31 PM Central Daylight Time,
Katedavislawfirm@... writes:


> <<," I am very much looking
> forward to their first official day of unkindergarten.>>
>
>

Speaking of kindergarten, there was just an article in our local paper today
about a ps near us trying a "model" four year old kindergarten, with the
hopes of starting it permanently in the district next year. And the
district superintendent (who happens to be my neighbor) was quoted as saying
that it is too hard on teachers who get these children later than 4, because
its much harder to catch the slow learners.

My dh, who has not always been a supporter of homeschooling and has been very
slow to come around to the idea of unschooling, burst out in a rage. He was
so mad because this gal practically said in quotes that the school was better
suited than the parents to help a child!

I told him I think this is the agenda...to get the kids younger and younger.
And yet when I see some of these ps high school kids my daughter's age, I am
so sad by how burned out they are. They're living that "I have to do this"
kind of existence at such a young age. And to start even younger? Egads!

I was really glad, though, to see his thoughts going along those lines! It
helps me with my arguments!

Caro


[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

[email protected]

In a message dated 4/17/02 12:01:01 AM, Burkfamily@... writes:

<< Speaking of kindergarten, there was just an article in our local paper
today
about a ps near us trying a "model" four year old kindergarten, with the
hopes of starting it permanently in the district next year. >>

For those of you who don't already know this (apologies to those who do), the
NEA and cohorts are flooding the market with master's-certified
early-childhood-education "experts" with programs for getting a master's
degree in one year. I have a friend I've known for a really long
time--since she was a teenager. She went into that program straight from an
undergrad degree in early childhood ed. She worked at a daycare for a part
of a year and quit, and the next year was made a supervisor of other
early-childhood-ed folk in the field.

But the goal is to have LOTS of people qualified and unemployed to press the
stats toward offering more government-funded accredited pre-schools.

Until just a few years ago kindergarten was an option in New Mexico. Now
it's not. I don't know how long it will be before they back it up to four or
earlier as part of "compulsory education."

Sandra

Sandra

sharon childs

Chaelene went to preschool in Nevada at age 4 and they did the exact same
things that my children did in California Kindergarten. Since preschool
has become to the point where most ps parents send their children to
preschool I don't see why they don't just start kindergarten at 4.

.·:*´¨`*:·..·:*´¨`*:·.
*.* Sharon *.*
*·. .·*
`*·-:¦:-*´
³´`*:»§«:*´`³

----- Original Message -----
From: <SandraDodd@...>
To: <[email protected]>
Sent: Wednesday, April 17, 2002 8:38 AM
Subject: Re: [Unschooling-dotcom] Kindergarten at four!


>
> In a message dated 4/17/02 12:01:01 AM, Burkfamily@... writes:
>
> << Speaking of kindergarten, there was just an article in our local paper
> today
> about a ps near us trying a "model" four year old kindergarten, with the
> hopes of starting it permanently in the district next year. >>
>
> For those of you who don't already know this (apologies to those who do),
the
> NEA and cohorts are flooding the market with master's-certified
> early-childhood-education "experts" with programs for getting a master's
> degree in one year. I have a friend I've known for a really long
> time--since she was a teenager. She went into that program straight from
an
> undergrad degree in early childhood ed. She worked at a daycare for a
part
> of a year and quit, and the next year was made a supervisor of other
> early-childhood-ed folk in the field.
>
> But the goal is to have LOTS of people qualified and unemployed to press
the
> stats toward offering more government-funded accredited pre-schools.
>
> Until just a few years ago kindergarten was an option in New Mexico. Now
> it's not. I don't know how long it will be before they back it up to four
or
> earlier as part of "compulsory education."
>
> Sandra
>
> Sandra
>
>
> ~~~ Don't forget! If you change the topic, change the subject line! ~~~
>
> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to:
> [email protected]
>
> Visit the Unschooling website:
> http://www.unschooling.com
>
>
>
> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
>
>

Lynda

NEA and Dumbya are pushing for 3! They will tie it to federal funding so
all states will have to fall into line or loose funds. They are already
pushed the mandatory K and that is why lots of states, like NM, are now
requiring it.

Lynda
----- Original Message -----
From: <SandraDodd@...>
To: <[email protected]>
Sent: Wednesday, April 17, 2002 8:38 AM
Subject: Re: [Unschooling-dotcom] Kindergarten at four!


>
> In a message dated 4/17/02 12:01:01 AM, Burkfamily@... writes:
>
> << Speaking of kindergarten, there was just an article in our local paper
> today
> about a ps near us trying a "model" four year old kindergarten, with the
> hopes of starting it permanently in the district next year. >>
>
> For those of you who don't already know this (apologies to those who do),
the
> NEA and cohorts are flooding the market with master's-certified
> early-childhood-education "experts" with programs for getting a master's
> degree in one year. I have a friend I've known for a really long
> time--since she was a teenager. She went into that program straight from
an
> undergrad degree in early childhood ed. She worked at a daycare for a
part
> of a year and quit, and the next year was made a supervisor of other
> early-childhood-ed folk in the field.
>
> But the goal is to have LOTS of people qualified and unemployed to press
the
> stats toward offering more government-funded accredited pre-schools.
>
> Until just a few years ago kindergarten was an option in New Mexico. Now
> it's not. I don't know how long it will be before they back it up to four
or
> earlier as part of "compulsory education."
>
> Sandra
>
> Sandra
>
>
> ~~~ Don't forget! If you change the topic, change the subject line! ~~~
>
> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to:
> [email protected]
>
> Visit the Unschooling website:
> http://www.unschooling.com
>
>
>
> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
>
>

[email protected]

In a message dated 4/17/02 10:56:15 PM, sugarcrafter@... writes:

<< Since preschool

has become to the point where most ps parents send their children to

preschool I don't see why they don't just start kindergarten at 4. >>

Well the're planning to, eventually. Or younger. Early childhood ed is from
two on. And in some places it IS common to put kids in educational daycare
centers, which are little "academies," or whatever.

It is not at the point where "most" parents send their kids to preschool in
all parts of the country.

Is our seeming-advocation of it a suggestion that the government provide
optional 4-yr-old pre-school?

Head start programs were designed to help at-risk and underpriviliged kids
prepare for first grade. Before long, kindergarten was mandatory in LOTS of
places, and the at-risk kids had to be prepared for kindergarten.

Pretty ugly, as to parent-child bonding in already-at-risk families.

Sandra

[email protected]

In a message dated 4/18/2002 7:40:29 AM Pacific Daylight Time,
SandraDodd@... writes:


> Pretty ugly, as to parent-child bonding in already-at-risk families.
>

The family lives of many of these kids are pretty ugly, of course. And the
kids are very often not being given the kinds of enriching opportunities
we've been talking about here. They often, very very often, live in
households with NO books or magazines or newpapers or any other print
material.

--pamS



[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

Camille Bauer

Until just a few years ago kindergarten was an option in New Mexico. Now
it's not. I don't know how long it will be before they back it up to four or
earlier as part of "compulsory education.">>

In DC, they are trying to start at 2 (I thought it was 3, but was corrected by a friend IRL,LOL)!! YIKES! I just want to say to these people, HELLO, they are 2/3/4/5, etc and they are kids....

Rant over,

CamilleGet more from the Web. FREE MSN Explorer download : http://explorer.msn.com


[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

sharon childs

I don't know if I would really call it "seeming advocation". More or less
just acceptance of something that doesn't pertain to me. I PERSONALLY feel
that all children should stay in the protective realm of their families
until they are at least 8 or 10. I do not understand this rush to assembly
line them through "the system" to "push" them out into the world.

My opinion is that a four year old is still a baby. Definately a three year
old is still a baby. Many are still not even toilet trained at that age.

I hated sending my children off to Kindergarten. I worried about them all
day, missed them all day and I was the only parent with 6 kids that
volunteered at the school every single day,,,just so my kids would know I
was near-by.

No, I don't advocate it at all, I am just sort of fed up with it and it is a
"Might as well" meaning "Whatever!!"

.·:*´¨`*:·..·:*´¨`*:·.
*.* Sharon *.*
*· .·*
`*·-:¦:-*´
³´`*:»§«:*´`³

----- Original Message -----
From: <SandraDodd@...>
To: <[email protected]>
Sent: Thursday, April 18, 2002 7:01 AM
Subject: Re: [Unschooling-dotcom] Kindergarten at four!


>
> In a message dated 4/17/02 10:56:15 PM, sugarcrafter@... writes:
>
> << Since preschool
>
> has become to the point where most ps parents send their children to
>
> preschool I don't see why they don't just start kindergarten at 4. >>
>
> Well the're planning to, eventually. Or younger. Early childhood ed is
from
> two on. And in some places it IS common to put kids in educational
daycare
> centers, which are little "academies," or whatever.
>
> It is not at the point where "most" parents send their kids to preschool
in
> all parts of the country.
>
> Is our seeming-advocation of it a suggestion that the government provide
> optional 4-yr-old pre-school?
>
> Head start programs were designed to help at-risk and underpriviliged kids
> prepare for first grade. Before long, kindergarten was mandatory in LOTS
of
> places, and the at-risk kids had to be prepared for kindergarten.
>
> Pretty ugly, as to parent-child bonding in already-at-risk families.
>
> Sandra
>
>
> ~~~ Don't forget! If you change the topic, change the subject line! ~~~
>
> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to:
> [email protected]
>
> Visit the Unschooling website:
> http://www.unschooling.com
>
>
>
> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
>
>

Jennifer Deets

Sharon wrote:
....I do not understand this rush to assembly
line them through "the system" to "push" them out into the world....

When a dear friend learned that we were homeschooling (nevermind unschooling), she aksed lots of questions. One of them was the typical socialization question. I told her that Wilton and I would rather our children not have to deal with the ugliness of much school-based socialization.

She said, "Well, the world isn't fair and they've got to learn it sometime."

I said, "A five-year-old needs to learn that the world is not fair?! I'd rather she believe that it is and learn how to be fair before she has to face that some people and situations won't be."

In the Army, we had a saying: You don't need to practice to be miserable.

Jennifer





[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

[email protected]

In a message dated 4/18/02 3:15:22 PM, PSoroosh@... writes:

<< They often, very very often, live in
households with NO books or magazines or newpapers or any other print
material. >>

I found that true of many families when I was teaching. Not a word. Not
even a Bible (they were Catholic, and Bible-owning was a little suspect among
the older folks).

It seemed true more of the families in Cordova and Truchas, two little
mountain towns in which Spanish was the primary language, but few people read
Spanish, and there's not much readily available for them to buy in Spanish
even if they do read it. So the kids would go home to houses without a
newspaper, without anything.

One project we did every year involved comic strips, and I figured out really
quickly that instead of asking each kid to bring one, I'd just get those who
were newspaper-rich to bring several pages, and we'd pool the extras and let
people choose from those.

But when I was little, our house had very little printed matter. Comic books
my mom would bring from the grocery store sometimes, Happy Hollisters or
Weekly Reader Book Club kid-novels I had already read twice, Mad Magazine (I
subscribed with my own money). We did have the Santa Fe New Mexican and the
Rio Grande Sun, though. But my parents didn't own books, and they didn't
subscribe to magazines.

Sandra

Heather Woodward

When my daughter was kindergarten age in Rhode Island - I remember checking out the law and finding they weren't required to be in school by 7 - I thought it was so wonderful to have the opportunity to have extra time with her - I wouldn't have sent her into school at 3 or 4. Although I know people that do - but it seems too young to me - they are so small ....

And seeing as I am here on this list, she never did go :) and even as she is 7 - I still think she's "too little" :) I enjoy so much the opportunity to watch her grow and learn - I would miss out if she was in school. I can only imagine how much the parent of the 4 year old kindergartner misses.

Heather
----- Original Message -----
From: SandraDodd@...
To: [email protected]
Sent: Thursday, April 18, 2002 10:01 AM
Subject: Re: [Unschooling-dotcom] Kindergarten at four!



In a message dated 4/17/02 10:56:15 PM, sugarcrafter@... writes:

<< Since preschool

has become to the point where most ps parents send their children to

preschool I don't see why they don't just start kindergarten at 4. >>

Well the're planning to, eventually. Or younger. Early childhood ed is from
two on. And in some places it IS common to put kids in educational daycare
centers, which are little "academies," or whatever.

It is not at the point where "most" parents send their kids to preschool in
all parts of the country.

Is our seeming-advocation of it a suggestion that the government provide
optional 4-yr-old pre-school?

Head start programs were designed to help at-risk and underpriviliged kids
prepare for first grade. Before long, kindergarten was mandatory in LOTS of
places, and the at-risk kids had to be prepared for kindergarten.

Pretty ugly, as to parent-child bonding in already-at-risk families.

Sandra

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