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The New First Grade: Too Much??
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/14638573/site/newsweek/ ^

Posted on 09/03/2006 10:52:22 AM PDT by roostercogburn

The New First Grade: Too Much Too Soon? Kids as young as 6 are tested, and tested again, to ensure they're making sufficient progress. Then there's homework, more workbooks and tutoring.

(Excerpt) Read more at msnbc.msn.com ...


TOPICS: Culture/Society; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: backtoschool; education
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To: montag813
No students of any age should. The school is the zone for learning. Outside of school is the zone for life.

Life is learning.

41 posted on 09/03/2006 12:46:55 PM PDT by FreedomCalls (It's the "Statue of Liberty," not the "Statue of Security.")
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To: roostercogburn

School has become too much reading/writing/math. We just switched my twin girls out of the public school, and put them into a private school.

One of my daughters is gifted, and she was bored to tears. My other daughter has brain damage, and even though the school worked on reading a lot, she still is not where she could be.

In the private school, they have reading/writing/math/history/science/bible every day. Twice a week, they have PE and music. Once a week, they have art and Spanish.

In addition, my daughter with brain damage is pulled from reading to go to a multi-sensory reading program with two other kids.

Both girls so far love the new school. My gifted daughter just loves the variety. I'll have to wait until the end of the year to see how the reading program is helping my daughter, but I'm sure it will.

I don't know why the public schools are not focusing on history and science, especially in 3rd, 4th and 5th grade. My son is in middle school in a public school, and he is still only getting 1/2 year of science. In 8th grade, he will finally get a whole year of science.


42 posted on 09/03/2006 1:00:04 PM PDT by luckystarmom
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To: roostercogburn
Image hosted by Photobucket.com when i was a youngen, you were taught your alphabet, numbers and colors BEFORE you started school... AT HOME!!!
43 posted on 09/03/2006 1:00:18 PM PDT by Chode (American Hedonist ©®)
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To: roostercogburn

Why should 6, 7, and 8 year olds go to school for 6 or 7 hours a day, and then come home to spend and hour or two on homework? We have an obesity problem in this country, and one reason is because kids are not outside playing around. Kids need to go outside and play more. It helps the brain and their bodies develop.


44 posted on 09/03/2006 1:01:41 PM PDT by luckystarmom
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To: mysterio
My kids did - over 30 years ago. It didn't hurt them, and it helped me - seeing/hearing what they were learning.

I can remember their dad, coming out of my son's room, saying he could not do 1st grade math. <> was not taught when we were in school.

45 posted on 09/03/2006 1:03:27 PM PDT by mathluv (Never Forget!)
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To: Clara Lou

I am one of those complaining about too much homework!!!

I have been an active parent in my kids school. My daughter with brain damage is extremely tired after school, and she needs time to decompress.

My gifted daughter has been bored to tears in school, and hated doing homework. She'd rather be on the computer doing research or reading an above grade level book.


46 posted on 09/03/2006 1:04:12 PM PDT by luckystarmom
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To: DoughtyOne

Last year, my third graders had more homework than my middle school son. He could handle more homework, but they were exhausted.


47 posted on 09/03/2006 1:05:34 PM PDT by luckystarmom
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To: riri

I didn't until college, and I have a degree in Computer Science.


48 posted on 09/03/2006 1:06:34 PM PDT by luckystarmom
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To: luckystarmom
In Texas, we have an emphasis on reading and math, but cover science, social studies, music, and PE as well.

I can't imagine having only 1/2 year of science. We have a state test at grade 5. (I personally think too much emphasis is placed on the test - when it should be on teaching - but this does force some teachers to actually do the job they are hired to do.)

In high school, they are going to 4 years of required math, science, and social studies.

49 posted on 09/03/2006 1:07:50 PM PDT by mathluv (Never Forget!)
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To: montag813

You learn by doing. Homework should ALWAYS be required.


50 posted on 09/03/2006 1:09:39 PM PDT by mathluv (Never Forget!)
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To: roostercogburn
Good afternoon.

Why is it that I'm always on the losing side in MSNBC polls?

Michael Frazier
51 posted on 09/03/2006 1:10:41 PM PDT by brazzaville (no surrender no retreat, well, maybe retreat's ok)
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To: RightWhale
First graders should have homework in Latin and arithmetic.

And advanced genetics. Just like RAH said they should.

52 posted on 09/03/2006 1:12:23 PM PDT by freedumb2003 (the war on poverty should include health club memberships for the morbidly poor)
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To: mathluv

I grew up in Texas, and still have lots of friends in Texas. I think the schools are much better there. I wish I could get my husband to move there.

As it is, we have put my daughters in private, and my goal is to put my son in a private high school.

I have a degree in engineering from Texas A&M, so you know I value both math and science. All of my kids are extremely talented in those areas as well. Even my daughter with brain damage is in the high 90th percentiles on math.


53 posted on 09/03/2006 1:12:29 PM PDT by luckystarmom
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To: mysterio

If nothing else, homework teaches children discipline. And for that alone all grades should always have homework.


54 posted on 09/03/2006 1:13:18 PM PDT by Hildy
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To: luckystarmom
I didn't until college, and I have a degree in Computer Science.

I started as a programmer 30 years ago and today am a consulting manager responsible for global ERP implementations. I took exactly one computer course in college, and I already had a part time job as a programmer by then.

55 posted on 09/03/2006 1:14:59 PM PDT by freedumb2003 (the war on poverty should include health club memberships for the morbidly poor)
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To: luckystarmom
Gig 'em, Ags!

You have to be selective in which schools are good. I have always preferred the smaller districts - not the urban ones.

College Station had some good public schools. That is about as big as I want to get.

(I worked on my PhD at A&M - beautiful campus, great town!)

56 posted on 09/03/2006 1:16:54 PM PDT by mathluv (Never Forget!)
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To: Jim Noble

I didn't even have homework in high school.

Guess that is why I only hit 1400 on the old SAT...

But I was still able to make it thru my advanced physics & calculus, and CLEP out of 46 credits.

Homework in elementary school is silly. My daughter has it - we have fights every night trying to get her to do it.

And why? By the finish of the third grade, she tested in reading at 12+. She'll do just fine without needing to write sentences with her spelling words.


57 posted on 09/03/2006 1:17:39 PM PDT by Mr Rogers (I'm agnostic on evolution, but sit ups are from Hell!)
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To: RightWhale

By that time in life, I qualified in Latin and Greek, but calculus remains a mystery.


58 posted on 09/03/2006 1:18:00 PM PDT by linda_22003
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To: freedumb2003
That long ago, there weren't very many computer courses.

No, I am thinking of nearly 40 years ago. My one computer class had NO computers. One night we went to a bank in Amarillo to see one.

59 posted on 09/03/2006 1:18:31 PM PDT by mathluv (Never Forget!)
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To: mysterio
Basically, I think the most important thing you can do for your child is make sure they know how to read by the age of four or so. That's what my parents did for me, and it put me years ahead of other children in that area. My parents are both teachers, and pretty good ones.

I used to think this way too. Especially since my oldest read at 4. But different children learn at different levels. My daughter had such a hard time and only started to really read this year at 8 years. I was ready to get her tested for dyslexia. Don't know why, but she started reading well all at once. A few months later and she now reads better than he older brother at her age.

60 posted on 09/03/2006 1:19:11 PM PDT by HungarianGypsy (Like food and fun? Join the Freeper Kitchen ping list.)
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