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Politics : Right Wing Extremist Thread -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: The Philosopher who wrote (6254)	3/13/2001 1:30:51 PM
From: Mr. Whist	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 59480

What did I say that was bunk? I thought it was generally accepted that the greatest surge in learning occurs in, say, kindergarten-first grade-second grade. These indeed are the critical years when good habits are formed, and when the basis for learning occurs. Also revisit my post #6233. Much of what you said regarding parental responsibility and books vs. TV echoes exactly what I said last night. Do try to focus on the message more than the messenger. I'm sorry if you dislike me for challenging right-wing thought.(For the record, my wife is a teacher (28 years), as is my daughter.)

To: The Philosopher who wrote (6254)	3/13/2001 6:23:36 PM
From: CVJ	Read Replies (2) \| Respond to of 59480

C.H., While I don't necessarily disagree with flap re early education, I whole-heartedly agree with your notion that parental example is the most important ingredient in forming a child's attitude towards learning. From my personal experience at between ages 4-5, I practically insisted on learning how to read. It was not some miraculous epiphany of mine; I only wanted to share in the obvious enjoyment that my dad got from reading the newspaper. The paper in question was the Milwaukee Journal which had the comics printed on green paper and was appropriately called the Green Sheet. That was the first thing he read every day, laughing obviously enjoying them, and then passing it to my mother who in turn laughed at them. She realized that what I wanted was to share in their enjoyment. She then sat me on her lap every evening and proceeded to teach me to read. By the time I entered first grade (no kindergarten in a 2-bldg, 3-room school that had all twelve grades - 4 grades and about 40 kids to one room and one teacher), I was an excellent reader from the start. A normal procedure for first graders was to complete reading circles of different books. My first book was Gulliver's Travels from my mother's collection while the other kids were reading Dick and Jane anSot stories. I know that I don't have any extraordinary genes, i was just the fortunate recipient of parenting by a couple of ordinary people who instinctively did the right thing. They paid enough attention to a child who wanted to share his parents' delight in reading the paper. At least there were not today's distractions of TV and movies to divert their attention. They both worked full-time their entire lives and I was an only child, so I'm not a believer that having two working parents automatically sentences kids to the dunce cap in school. And force-feeding them in self-esteem too early in pre-school at age 2 or 3 isn't the answer either. The most important and beneficial thing is to instill good habits and attitudes toward the joys and pleasures of learning, instead of letting a child approach school as a prison or a playground. Those attitudes are usually set in kids by the time they reach 7 or 8 years of age. It takes really inspired teaching beyond that age to re-motivate a child. Fortunately their are some great teachers out there but they are few and far between. And I'm afraid that they are becoming fewer and further apart. Chas