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I am currently on vacation with my family (spring break is awesome). We are spending the week at starved rock state park in utica IL. http://www.starvedrocklodge.com/. So far, My three year old son, Marko, found a frog, which he tortured, but found very interesting. My six year old son, Milan, saw a great horned owl, and saw a few canyons, met some people, saw one piece of a raccoon tail, and saw a few cabins (his own words). My 11 year old son, Elijah, has seen an owl, a frog, a lot of canyons including a beautiful one called fox canyon. He has seen alot of water and had a lot of fun with his family, as well as a few trees he'd like to identify. (his own words). In addition, my 16 year old son, Steven, while looking cool and wearing sunglasses, climbed up the side of a sandstone formation to walk up to and feel a waterfall.
My question is, could my four sons have experienced these things if the proposed mandatory preschool and longer school days as well as school years had taken effect. I say "no". While we didn't go over phonics, sight words or basic math concepts on our trip - my children experieced and learned things they never could have learned outside of school.
A few weeks ago, in early spring, my kindergarten age son was allowed to play out side at school. However, the children had to stay on the blacktop, and were not allowed to touch the snow. I found this appaling. No wonder American citizens are so disconnected with nature.
Extended school days and school years mean that children spend more time in an institution - away from the natural world.
Granted, not all children have the same experiences that my children have. Still, I contend that children have a right to be exposed to their own families and their own families values.
The american school system is failing. So, what would be the purpose of forcing children to spend additional time in a failing system? Especially when there is so much to be learned outside of the classroom?
Today - I hiked for an hour, just so that I could stand behind a waterfall. I saw a wild turkey, a great blue heron, a great horned owl and a spring peeper. My son carried a worm in his hand for 45 minutes. My four sons climbed into a canyon to see a waterfall, hid in a cave, played in a canyon, and saw an owl in the middle of the day. What classroom can give us that? How can schools and government claim that they have more to offer?
I am currently looking out the window of my cabin. I see a fence, lights, grass, and an expanse of stars. Behind me, my two youngest sons are playing balloon volleyball. The world is at peace. I defy anyone to try and take this away from me. Schools may have some great experiences for my children - but I have something better. I would not be able to allow the schools to try my familuy, and the experiences of my family away from me.
First off I am impressed that you have your blog done so early when you are on vacation with your kids. And it sounds like you are having an amazing time.
ReplyDeleteI had a few random thoughts while reading your blog. First when children have a parent like you who is involved and engaged in their child's life, that child will learn a tremendous amount from home. On the other hand you have parents who don't put the energy they should into their children. They may get wrapped up in work, busy perfecting their own personal lives or what ever the case. Their children are the ones that are suffering because they are not exposed to nature (or other great aspects of the world outside of school).
Second when you talk about your son who is in Kindergarten not being able to touch the snow, it takes me back to my Pre-K class last year. I wanted to talk my students out to play in the snow on a sunny winter day. I made sure all my students had boots, coats, hats, gloves- trust me they were geared up, I dressed all 24 of them. My principle suddenly came in and started screaming at me in front of the class that I could not take these children outside. What was I thinking- and apparently I knew nothing because I wasn't a mother. I grew up playing outside in Buffalo NY, playing outside is the best part of winter. I was so frustrated that she wouldn't allow me to take the children outside. We could have written a story about our experience in the snow, talked about how the snow felt against our skin, and many other exploratory aspects that go along with being outside.
Don't worry in the spring my class everyday during outside play they would be digging in the wood chips to find worms. Wonder what my principal would have said if she knew that was going on. The kids were exploring- just let them go!
Enough of my ranting- enjoy the rest of your vacation.
My feeling about parents who or too busy, or who have lives that do not allow for enriching experiences for their children is that they, as families, may need some education. Or maybe, if our society as a whole were more family centered, jobs and material wealth would not be getting in the way of families. There are families who have incredible obstacles - but they should be empowered to teach their children - not removed from their children.
ReplyDeleteBy the way, I, as a mother, would appreciate a teacher who took my child out in the snow. I grew up playing for hours outside nomatter what the weather. I find it very sad that children today are kept from having those experiences.
You look like you are having so much fun! Your kids are learning a tremendous amount on your vacation! Even though you are not "going over sight words", you are developing their schema for future learning. They are building a base of experiences that will help them in reading, science, social studies... It made me start thinking that the worst trend in education is the "one size fits all" approach. For you and your family, these breaks are not only a time of family bonding and peace, but a necessary foundation for your boys as they grow and learn about the world and their places in it.
ReplyDeleteThen I thought about my own students. Most of them stayed home unsupervised for a week. They ran the neighborhood without anything productive to do. Driving to work on the Monday we came back from break, there was an unusual amount of graffiti- gang related and otherwise, all over the houses and local businesses. Is there a connection?
While some parents are great and invest positive time in their children, others do not. I don't claim to know each individual situation and what drives the decisions of others. However, there is a need in some areas for the community to step in and provide positive experiences for kids. I think as a society we have to accept that what works in some areas does not work in others. If we truly want all children to succeed, there has to be a way to provide for the differences in each school/ neighborhood/area to help level the playing field.
I hope your family had lots of fun! I most def. feel like longer school days would help eliminate some of the perks like camping with your family. My parents and I never went hiking but they did send me off to camp and I loved it! Coming in contact with nature was something that I couldn't do in the city on the scale of the country. The park preservation area versus a state or national park is no competition. It would be nice if a special park was used for students and for one week ever season students, teachers, and parents could encounter and explore nature together.
ReplyDeletekeep in mind that schools were designed to take the educational process AWAY from parents...they aren't like you, according to the proponents of mandatory schooling.
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