Too young too fast

Seems like you are as much an example of the laziness of teachers as the others who had things that were forced upon them before they were ready. I have seen teachers who were threatened or something by a kid who was able to read or otherwise was doing things above the level that they were teaching or expected the kid to be at. That is just plain arrogance on the teacher's part if it isn't laziness in the fact that they may have to do something that doesn't fit into their cookie cutter concept of lesson planning.

You also sound like you started school with the reading ability that Moonshadow (my Daughter) did. We met with a few people from the school system here one of which turned out to be her current teacher. Partly because we recognized that there was an issue that we now know is Asperger's but also to make sure that they were going to be ready to teach a kid who knew how to read & a few other things that they usually do in kindergarten. Her teacher acted sceptical. Asking us questions like who taught her how to read? Talk about insulting... Are you sure that she isn't just reciting the words that she memorized? She quit doing that when she was 3.. She has now eaten those words or more to the point confided in us that Moonshadow in fact does read & all the other things we said she could so. None of which we forced upon her all of which she learned because she wanted to & has been given the opportunity & tools to learn. I realize that this may sound like a bragging parent. I'm sorry if it comes off that way I am just saying that these things are entirely possible without any forcing involved. She forces us to listen to her read or read to her or to go over again what 60+13= or whatever else comes to her mind. She reads every safety notice that she can find & has done a study on batteries all because she enjoys it.

She had Leap Pad, Hooked on Phonics, a computer available to her, dictionaries, encyclopedia, & a plethora of kid's books. She obviously started with the kid's books. She uses the Leap Pad & Hooked on Phonics as toys & golly she is learning as she plays. The computer (this one I'm typing on) has not only been host to the Hooked on Phonics but also other games that teach as well as internet to her favorite webpages which are mostly from the kid's television programs that she watches & yes they usually have some learning within them. All of which do it in a fun way. She also uses the word processing software for writing letters to Santa & greeting cards. As she is getting older television programs are expanding. Fear Factor is one of her favorite show just now but so is Monster Garage, Robot Wars, Emeril, Junkyard Wars, Spongebob Squarepants, to name a few. She seeks out things that stimulate her mind that she can learn from. She does this because she likes to not because we are forcing her to. Sure we encourage her & after the 3rd or 4th episode of Spongebob a day we may switch over to something, anything else. Fortunately, there are a lot of other possibilities. She plays & does normal kind things just does these things too. And, Yes, we usually read at least one story a night just as we always have. Sometimes she reads, sometimes we do. I think that it's short sided to dismiss these things in as the tools that they are they just have to be given to the kid & let them use them. They will if given the opportunity in a supportive environment.

 

BRAG ON!!! kudos to you, that's the way to parent! provide a safe, nuturing, stimulating environment, and children will learn naturally. THEY LOVE IT. they thrive on it. the brain learns easiest between the ages of 0 and 5, kids are like sponges during this time.

imo, kids don't learn to hate learning until they go to school.

 

bummer..here I am learning to be a teacher and then I read this....do you really think so negatively of schools and teachers?

 

not all - i wish you all the best. i taught school for six years, my mom is a teacher of over 20 years - she's been awarded teacher of the year for her county 2 years (now i'm bragging!) the school system NEEDS good people - just seems that the good ones are so far and few between. a lot of teachers are little dictators though, you'll find out in the teachers lounge... they are in it for the power trip. and gossip!! things that are supposedly 'confidential'... what a joke. i often wonder what they say about me

good luck stephaniesomewhere! change the world one child at a time!

 

"'shoved, pushed, forced'-what negative terms being bandied about here for what really should be 'helping' a child develop a love of reading. Sounds like some of you were made to do alot of things early on that you didnt like, but don't deny your child any opportunity to succeed as revenge for your own parents poor parenting styles, or for your own bad education.
I know so many illiterate people of all ages, and they have a much harder time in life than those who learned to read early.
Reading is not a chore, books should not be seen as the enemy. reading is a neccessary tool. approach it as part of your daily life-have kids read dirctions as they cook with you, have them read road signs as you drive."

I agree, it should be "helping" instead of forcing. But there's a difference in acting like it's fun to read and actually forcing them to sit down and recite words or whatever. My son has just about all the leapfrog toys from granmommy (we're too poor lol) Whenever he grabs his leapad we read one of his "noisy books". Sometimes he'll go get a book from his special shelf and bring it to me or daddy...usually when he sees mommy reading a book or daddy reading a comic book (my husband doesn't really like reading but he does like comic books) and he's only like 10 1/2 months old! The point is you can't force...and if you act like something is fun it's likely your kid will want to see what all the hubbub is about

Oh and Stephanie, it's not a law you have to be lazy and uncreative as a teacher, it's just what a lot of them do. I had a few good teachers, and most of the stuff I can remember from school came from those teachers. I'm glad you are trying to be a teacher if you plan to really care (all the other stuff will follow, kids can feel it when you care or don't care)

 

I was always disappointed that school for me didn't move fast enough, actually. My mom had been a teacher and had to drop it when I was born, so she taught me to read when I was about 3ish (my first word was book, she took that as a sign) and shortly after, I told her I wanted to learn to do math so by kindergarten I could read, write, add, subtract, and do some simple multiplication and division (if I drew it out). While everyone else learned to read, they made me cut out circles and shapes because my "motor skills were bad and I needed to improve on them". They also wouldn't let me read during naptime, which upset me immensely.

By 5th grade, I was reading on an 11th or 12th grade reading level (I read books then that I'm reading now in my AP language course) and teachers couldn't, or wouldn't, do anything for me. The only private schools around here were Christian so my parents wouldn't send me to any of those to get a better education. In my life, schools have more focused on the slower learners than the gifted kids. I remember when they had exaushted all they could do for me, they'd just have me go to the kindergarten rooms and have me help teach them to read. By the time I entered high school, I was completely burnt out of doing busy work when I could be doing more. This is the first year that I'm actually happy because I ACTUALLY LEARN in AP classes and taking both Spanish and French.

My brother, on the other hand, was always "average" and now has been so spoonfed everything that he's the laziest person on earth. I really thing parents should supplement their children's learning as best as they can. I mean, the only way I didn't brutally attack one of my middle school teachers was because when we were learning about history and literature and stuff, my parents sat down with me and gave me more background information, watched the History and Travel Channel with me, and had long discussions about politics while we watched CNN over dinner. *shrugs* I hate public schooling... they hate anything that's not the standard, run of the mill norm.

 

"In my life, schools have more focused on the slower learners than the gifted kids."

This sort of has to do with what I was talking about. I was in gifted (advanced whatever) classes from middle school (and in middle school it was the same teachers all three years on the sixth grade hall...talk about making us feel like losers) but as soon as I wasn't "up to par" in ONE class (algebra 2) then they wanted to take me out of avdanced classes (cause I had to take a more standard paced math class) all together. So I agree they don't know what to do whenever anyone isn't a perfect textbook case of something