Playtime’s over, kindergartners

[hue]

http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/playtime_over_kindergartners_ItkfEkiosY3UOa8KpXwj8K

Standards stressing kids out
Kindergarten has come a long way, baby — too far, some say.

Way beyond the ABCs, crayons and building blocks, the city Department of Education now wants 4- and 5-year-olds to write “informative/explanatory reports” and demonstrate “algebraic thinking.”

Children who barely know how to write the alphabet or add 2 and 2 are expected to write topic sentences and use diagrams to illustrate math equations.

“For the most part, it’s way over their heads,” a Brooklyn teacher said. “It’s too much for them. They’re babies!”

In a kindergarten class in Red Hook, Brooklyn, three children broke down and sobbed on separate days last week, another teacher told The Post.
When one girl cried, “I can’t do it,” classmates rubbed her back, telling her, “That’s OK.”

[hue]

1. I doubt the Repuke House members could pass these standards.

[narnian60]

2. Ridiculous!

Students are getting burned out in first grade now with such a rigorous curriculum.

[Brigid]

3. Sounds like a recipe for . . .

"How to Make Kids Hate School" to me.

[MrYikes]

4. sorry to intrude but,

it is the teacher that can not do it.
Having been involved with Head Start for many years, I have seen the abilities of 4-5 year-olds out perform any expectations given a caring teacher. I have also seen the other classes under perform because the teachers head was somewhere else.

[WHEN CRABS ROAR]

5. Bring back Dick & Jane.

[auntsue]

6. Nearly 20 years teaching

pre-school and kindergarten-allows me to speak with some authority on this subject. The brain of a small child has not developed sufficiently to comprehend advanced concepts, and learning is incremental, built up layer upon layer. If the basics are not fully understood-it is impossible to progress. I can't believe administrators think the answer to our education problem is to try to teach advanced concepts earlier. We need to get the basics established solidly then build on them, and work on motivation, and stop social promotion. These are the keys to academic success. Why is that so hard for "leaders" to grasp?

[pissedoffliblgimp]

7. so so sad

What's it going to take to fix our schools?? It's ridiculous there needs to be major protests..Parents need to pull together pull their kids out and work together to start the own schools..