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I know mine are smart, happy, confident kids. By child number two at school, I am a little less ruffled. ![]() The thing is that two years ago – with his older brother I might have been more bothered. Gosh what is she doing wrong?Īnd then the fleeting thought vanishes and I think I don’t actually give a damn what they think. Part of me has the fleeting thought that by revealing this, parents from his school might judge him. My five-year old son has been studying his kindergarten sight words for three weeks now and he is still on his golden words. Its damaging and distracting so how about we stop? She says, “As a parent, it is important not to show your child your interest in the number, colour or letter but focus on the reading skills that your child is developing.” Not for all the obvious reasons but rather to observe the way parents use reading levels as a way of competing against each other.” In a blog post called What K-2 teachers want parents to know, Education educator Kelly Pisani wrote, “It is interesting to teach Kindergarten in the first term. It’s a terrific way for the kids to know the top 100 most high rotation words – and a not-so-terrific way for parents to compete. In many schools they are given colour-coded words, and once they know those words at first glance they are moved up to the next level, or colour. Sight words are a way that schools help children learn high frequency words. And the fact is that the reason they have it is totally different to the reason your next-door neighbour’s child has it and you can’t compare the two.įocus on the reading skills that your child is developing. Your child has that book level for a reason – and they have those particular words or spelling list or homework sheet for a reason. The teacher does what teachers do for a reason – and that is, teach. I’m here to tell you mums, the teacher knows. I am just not sure she understands what level she is at. I just have to go and talk to Clara’s teacher. They’ve given Jake a reader with all his sight words in it so he just memorizes it and repeats it back to me. ![]() Where I have seen it starting is kindergarten, with five-year olds and it is something fierce. It isn’t just over selective school entrance exams or NAPLAN scores. The craziest thing about this is it isn’t starting in high school. Have you felt it? Are you in the midst of it? Or are you a perpetrator? It’s a sure fire way to undermine a mother’s confidence – not to mention what it is doing to our kids. ![]() It’s a continuous game of comparisons, and one-upmanship, of gloating parents, and others feeling like failures. This is where it starts and when it will stop is anyone’s guess. Of course, to the preschooler, a grownup is any one who is six or older.It’s one of those questions that when you get asked you bristle. The preschooler was confused by the pictures, and identified some of the children as "grownups" because of their appearance. Who are these miniature adults, dressed in highly gendered styles more appropriate for the 1950's than any time since? The illustrator carefully included one token POC child, whose shirt and tie (?!?) clearly shows that they are non-threatening and of the appropriate social status. This book shows a middle to upper-middle class expectation of education that was out of reach for many, and is now out of reach for most. Kindergarten wasn't available or accessible to my rural upbringing in a poor state. My disclaimer is that I have no personal experience with mid-century kindergartens in the United States, but maybe that's the point. There are so many things wrong with this book, from the Hallmark Card cover and illustrations, to how dated and anachronistic it is - and was, even at its 1965 publication date. ![]() Now that I've read it, I can't believe it is still in print. I've always wondered about this books, which seems to be a perennial in the Little Golden Books Series.
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