/i/ before /e/ except after...

SEE HERE!

I have a bone to pick with the current educational system because it seems that Kindergarten is the new First grade!

Let me just say before I delve into a rant that as a certified teacher of the Deaf and a trained Reading Recovery teacher I do understand a few things.

• I get that our over all nationwide scores - sucked. I do. And - that something needs to be done.


• I understand that teachers are pressured to "teach to the test" - as it were.


• I even comprehend that pre-schools are trying to fill the gap and become the "new" Kindergarten. (For the record, I acknowledge...but don't like it one bit! Pre-school should be a play-based exploration of the world and how to socially interact with other children who also want that toy just because Johnny picked it up one whole second ago - but that is another rant entirely)
  

But, humor me the sarcasm when I ask you, have our children mentally developed any faster? Have all the preservatives, hormones, and stimulants in the food that is so readily available to us created six year old brains in five year old bodies?

No?

Then why - pray tell - are we asking them to do this kind of work at younger and younger ages. Why are they doing, *ack - I can barely type the word as a daughter of two life long whole-language teachers* phonics workbooks and ...(brace yourself) SPELLING TESTS before the Easter holiday? Feast your eyes on exhibit a - b- and c, but you'll have to squint because I REALLY need a new camera.

I'm sorry, but I just can't get behind it. For a child that struggles with perfection and the need to be first, at all times, this finish-this-book-and-I'll-throw-another-at-you approach is just not effective. It doesn't encourage her to slow down and check her work. It doesn't allow her to *woah* make mistakes by listening to sound and, say, spelling 'sky' - 'sci'. And, seriously if I have to read one more variation of "Is the cat in the pan? No! - Is the pig in the wig? Yes!" with a fake sense of enthusiasm, I think I'll commit myself.

Don't get me wrong, Bear L.O.V.E.S it. In fact, the cloze exercises affirm her so much that she is the only child in her class to have moved into a blue book. Great. Fab. Wonderful. WHAT THE HECK DOES THAT MEAN????

I know I can only fight one world awareness battle at a time, and I am also well aware that changing the educational system so that each child gets instruction playing to their learning strenths and not their weaknesses is a pipe dream of the grandest proportion, but a girl can dream, can't she?

This one obviously does. In fact, last night I dreamt of a pin sitting on a fin. - aaaarrrrrggghhhh

(Blogger is being a major pain in the you-know-what and won't do my spacing right - sorry for the tough read!)