This is a story from my life #9
I went to kindergarten before it was part of the grammar school tradition. My mother signed me up with the YMCA kinder program. It was such a wonderful experience that I often think fondly of it even today. There was a building center, a kitchen center, a baby doll center, an art center, and a gross motor center. It was an all day kinder, but we were free all morning to explore any or all the centers we wanted to. After lunch and nap time, we had either trampoline and tumbling, or swim and diving lessons. I already knew how to swim because I had been in lessons since I was two years old. But, I was taught how to do different strokes and how to use the diving board.
I truly enjoyed the tumbling and trampoline lessons. There was an enormous tumbling mat where we practiced forward and backward rolls, cartwheels, and the like. We played a game on that mat similar to duck, duck, goose. It was called Tisket Tasket. We all sat in a circle while one person skipped around the circle. Everyone sang:
A tisket, a tasket
A green and yellow basket
I wrote a letter to my love
But on the way, I lost it
I lost it, I lost it
Yes, on the way, I lost it
We want the last line really slowly, anticipating what would happen next. The person skipping would then tap one they were near and would have to hop, skip, jump, or tumble around the circle back to the empty space before the one they tapped caught them. Sometimes the tumbling would be forward rolls and by the time they got to the empty space, they were so dizzy. So much fun! So much giggling. A lovely memory.
One very special memory I have from my kinder year was Christmas. I was chosen, along with a very cute little boy to represent our program in the newspaper. I was five years old. Looking back, I know that I couldn't read at that time, I couldn't write my abc's, I could add and subtract, but not on paper. I could write my name and I could spell my families names, but not write them. I knew my address and phone number. I could ride a horse, I could swim, and do a cartwheel and a front and back flip on the trampoline. I didn't learn to read until I was in the 6th grade (a story for another time.) I turned out pretty well. I have a Master of Science degree. I have a Reading Specialist Credential, I have an Administrative Credential, and of course my Teaching Credential. Is it really necessary for children to begin learning to read and write in kindergarten? Are we pushing them to do things for which they are simply not cognitively ready?
For our kindergarten promotion we all had caps and gowns. The caps were made from cardboard and construction paper and the gowns were made from crepe paper and made so much noise when we walked. Needless to say, those graduation costumes did not last long. Parents toured our constructive play areas and for our finale, we all got our turn on the trampoline to show off what we knew. Then we all went to the pool where we first had to do a dive off the board and we all jumped off the highest platform. Just thrilling. I can still feel the butterflies and the pride. I really had no fear.
This having been my first experience in a "school" or education setting, I was spoiled and would have so much troubling conforming to a more structured school environment~a.k.a ~Catholic School and then Public School.
I don't even know if Catholic schools have kinder programs because it isn't a mandatory grade. But, I can speak to the subject of kindergarten in the public school system, because I had three sons who went through public school, two went to kindergarten and I was an assistant principal, and principal in the public school system for many years.
Now public school kindergarten (some are full day) doesn't offer a nap time. It's where children go to have their creativity stifled. No more creative play, but lots of sit still and listen, learn our letters, sounds, and even how to write. It's my opinion that kindergarten, for the most part, is a sad place where students begin to learn to dislike school. Now they have "Pre-K" programs, where they offer a bit more of the old school kinder, but they still have "Handwriting Without Tears," which says a lot right there. THEY AREN'T READY; That's why they're crying.
As a school principal, it would kill me to go into kinder, first, and second grade classes and see student writing on the wall and they all were the same except one word. For example: "I like _____." Then, "I like _____ because _______." Then, "Let me tell you why ________ is the best (whatever- food, animal, place to live, yada yada yada) __________. I kept asking as a principal and also, as a teacher when students were going to step out of that frame and truly be able to express themselves. But expressing yourself as a unique individual is not part of the curriculum.
School should and could be a place where each year students learn more about themselves and their talents and interests. Where they learn to accept and appreciate their own and others' differences, rather than learning to conform. A place where they learn to hone their talents and express what they've learned in unique ways and see others doing the same, but in their own unique way, because that's how we work as a team in the real world.
To me, this would be REAL school reform, but don't get me started because I'm just an old retired school teacher now and hind-sight it 20/20.
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