Posts
August 24, 2009.
It’s been several weeks since I first wrote this list down and tacked it up over my work desk. To say we’ve been busy is an understatement. It seems like whenever there is a break in the daily grind my wife and I find someway of filling the void. Whether we are taking the kids somewhere, visiting family, or starting or finishing a new project for others, or ourselves we are always busy, it seems. Regardless, as of August 24, 2009, the day I stopped tracking Simon’s word usage, he speaks (spoke) 50 words. Just for comparison purposes, according to the What to Expect book, Simon should be able to use one to three words and may be able to use up to six words. Doing the math, Simon’s vocabulary usage is 8.3 times that of the average 17 month-old.
His Words:
Mom, Dad, flower, fish, book, geese, bird, cat, dog, pig, horse, elephant, duck, seeds, bug, bottle, cup, baby, bear, water, beach, no, up, boo boo, bubble, bumble bee, wave, boat, chip, yes, done, bye-bye, hi, shoes, ball, balloon, truck, car, Stitchy (our cat), pee pee, moon, rock, tractor, cow, bunny, belly, powder, rain, Mary, park, Simon, Taylor, hot, swing, and slide.
What is interesting to me is not the number of words he knows, but how he is learning new words every week. Unlike Taylor, Simon’s working vocabulary at 12 months old was almost non-existent. If I remember correctly, he could speak … maybe … four to six words: mom, dad, Stitchy (our cat), and puppy. Taylor, on the other hand, had an impressive vocabulary– one I was certainly proud of and told everyone I knew. Memory fails me with how many words she could use, but I do remember how her vocabulary usage steadily decreased from when she was 12 months to 18 months old. The number of words she could use dwindled so much and so fast that I worried about it and researched why this was happening. The answer was quite simple: During this time period, as toddlers explore the world around them their word usage may subside and even ease until their gross and fine motor skills catch up to their cognitive skills. Looking back, that’s exactly what happened with Taylor. She never crawled; she could walk by her ninth month and run with ease by her first birthday. And for the six months after her first birthday she was engrossed by anything and everything that forced her to figure out and manipulate items with her hands. She loved puzzles, building blocks, and other creative type toys.
Simon, on the other hand, was a crawling champ. That boy could creep around the apartment like a mouse hiding from a hungry cat one second and then take off like his pants were on fire the next. He spent more time trying to bawl-over his sister’s building blocks, to her frustrations and dismay, than attempt to put the pieces together. The boy was a brick. Everything, and I mean everything– the cat, Taylor, Mom or Dad– was pushed or bullied out of his way. He was a tank, unstoppable.
It wasn’t until after his first birthday that he started, I mean really started, using his words. And during the same time period that Taylor was losing words Simon is gaining words. I can’t wait to see what happens when he turns 18 months old– the same age Taylor was when her word usage flourished. Will his word usage bloom like Taylor’s or will it diminish? I just don’t know. Like everything else, we’ll see what happens in a couple of months.
Sunday, October 25, 2009
Sunday, October 18, 2009
Materials. Part II.
Last week I wrote that Adrianne and I recently purchased a pre-K and a Kindergarten workbook. I mentioned the pre-K book was designed for children ages 3-5, while the Kindergarten book was for children between the ages of 5-6. I also mentioned that for those who do not have kids or are not around little kids enough to see a glaring problem staring them right in the face– there is one heck of a lot of difference between a three-year-old and a five-year-old!– that the book’s recommending starting age differed significantly. What I would like to add is that there is little difference between the pre-K book and the Kindergarten book. According to Scholastic, some three-year-olds are just as academically prepared to start Kindergarten as some five-year-olds. In addition, by age four, Scholastic believes, an able child could be prepared to complete the same instructional material as a first grader. This is mind-blowing to me!
According to iVillage, a web site that posts developmental stages of infants, toddlers, and youths, by four-years-old a child should be able to run, jump, walk and climb like the skills are second nature to them. Yet, standing on tiptoes or balancing on one foot probably still requires a child's full concentration. In contrast, by 5 ½ years old a child should be able to have the coordination and balance similar to that of an adult's. The child should be able to stand on his or her tiptoes, hop on one foot, do somersaults and maybe even skip. Tasks such as brushing his or her teeth and tying his or her shoe should be accomplished with little or no help from Mom or Dad. Do you see the problem? If not, let me spell it out for you. Scholastic, and every other homeschooling publication, secular and religious, believes the same toddler who has a difficult time standing on his or her tiptoes without fully concentrating on the task can still have the same cognitive ability as the youngster who can do somersaults! What am I missing? How can this disparity in abilities, physical verses cognitive, exist when what is being asked of our Kindergartener’s is so little?
I’ve been involved in education long enough to know that some 8th graders read at the 3rd grade reading level; and some high school students may never be able to read the simplest 8th grade books. What never occurred to me is how and when this ability gap first reared its ugly head. Sure, like everyone else I blamed “the earlier grades” and, especially, “parenting” as the primary causes of a schoolchild’s shortcoming, but … my God! How can parents allow their child to start pre-K or Kindergarten two or more years behind a fellow classmate? Aren’t colors, colors; shapes, shapes; numbers, numbers; and straight lines the same for everyone, everywhere? One does not need to have a degree to count aloud when walking down stairs with their child or ask what color the cat is, do they?
***
So what do I write now? Do I brag that Taylor knows her colors, can count to ten, and is working on her ABC’s? Do I boast that Simon has the vocabulary of some five-year-olds we’ve met at the park? Do I put other parents down for wasting so much time on themselves while ignoring their greatest responsibility– being a parent to their child? Do I blame the economy or our government for forcing would-be stay-at-home moms and dads into work instead of allowing them the gift of raising their own children, teaching them the skills every parent can impart onto their kids with a little concentration and time? God knows … I’m not perfect. But I guess that’s where this blog is going, or went. We know where our kids should be– physically and cognitively– or where we think they should be, and we are working on getting them to that quintessential point where they can start making decisions for themselves. We’ve chosen, although struggling severely for it now and probably for the rest of our lives, not to leave the responsibility for teaching our children basic educational skills to someone else or society at large. That’s what parenting is all about, right? Raising one’s children to the best of his or her abilities and utilizing all of one’s skills, knowledge, and resources to do the best job they can.
No one has ever said parenting is easy. There’s a reason for that– it isn’t!
According to iVillage, a web site that posts developmental stages of infants, toddlers, and youths, by four-years-old a child should be able to run, jump, walk and climb like the skills are second nature to them. Yet, standing on tiptoes or balancing on one foot probably still requires a child's full concentration. In contrast, by 5 ½ years old a child should be able to have the coordination and balance similar to that of an adult's. The child should be able to stand on his or her tiptoes, hop on one foot, do somersaults and maybe even skip. Tasks such as brushing his or her teeth and tying his or her shoe should be accomplished with little or no help from Mom or Dad. Do you see the problem? If not, let me spell it out for you. Scholastic, and every other homeschooling publication, secular and religious, believes the same toddler who has a difficult time standing on his or her tiptoes without fully concentrating on the task can still have the same cognitive ability as the youngster who can do somersaults! What am I missing? How can this disparity in abilities, physical verses cognitive, exist when what is being asked of our Kindergartener’s is so little?
I’ve been involved in education long enough to know that some 8th graders read at the 3rd grade reading level; and some high school students may never be able to read the simplest 8th grade books. What never occurred to me is how and when this ability gap first reared its ugly head. Sure, like everyone else I blamed “the earlier grades” and, especially, “parenting” as the primary causes of a schoolchild’s shortcoming, but … my God! How can parents allow their child to start pre-K or Kindergarten two or more years behind a fellow classmate? Aren’t colors, colors; shapes, shapes; numbers, numbers; and straight lines the same for everyone, everywhere? One does not need to have a degree to count aloud when walking down stairs with their child or ask what color the cat is, do they?
***
So what do I write now? Do I brag that Taylor knows her colors, can count to ten, and is working on her ABC’s? Do I boast that Simon has the vocabulary of some five-year-olds we’ve met at the park? Do I put other parents down for wasting so much time on themselves while ignoring their greatest responsibility– being a parent to their child? Do I blame the economy or our government for forcing would-be stay-at-home moms and dads into work instead of allowing them the gift of raising their own children, teaching them the skills every parent can impart onto their kids with a little concentration and time? God knows … I’m not perfect. But I guess that’s where this blog is going, or went. We know where our kids should be– physically and cognitively– or where we think they should be, and we are working on getting them to that quintessential point where they can start making decisions for themselves. We’ve chosen, although struggling severely for it now and probably for the rest of our lives, not to leave the responsibility for teaching our children basic educational skills to someone else or society at large. That’s what parenting is all about, right? Raising one’s children to the best of his or her abilities and utilizing all of one’s skills, knowledge, and resources to do the best job they can.
No one has ever said parenting is easy. There’s a reason for that– it isn’t!
Sunday, October 11, 2009
Materials. Part I.
On rainy days I like taking the kids store browsing. We’ll spend hours walking around PetSmart, Wal*Mart, Target, and Borders book store simply roaming the aisles, looking at items we’ll never buy, or amusing ourselves with animal and people watching. The other morning, however, I spent a solid portion of our trip time scanning an enormous selection of homeschool, afterschool, and remedial workbooks for students in pre-K through 12th grade at a local bookstore. I was surprised to see such an abundant selection of materials in such a relatively small store.
This got me thinking. Is the local academic rigor in this area so weak that parents feel compelled to purchase additional schooling workbooks for their kids– like my sister-in-law, an astute parent who recognizes what her children are and are not learning in school and is willing to put in the time to correct academic deficiencies in her children? Or, are teachers purchasing these workbooks to ensure they are covering testable grade-appropriate skills required by No Child Left Behind? (I have a strange feeling this could be the case, since parents I speak to often refer to how well their child did on the state testing). Or, is there a demand for these materials because there is a good deal of homeschooled kids in Eastern PA? According to the staff worker I spoke to all three questions sum up why Borders’ homeschooling section is about the same size as their magazine section: the schools in this area have a poor reputation, homeschooling is a popular alternative for the county– the highest in the state; and many teachers do purchase the workbooks to help them prepare for standardized tests.
It doesn’t surprise me that many of the parents in this area homeschool. The county we live in is littered with 4000 sq. foot family McMansions throughout the older and newer neighborhoods surrounded by a sea of worn houses and trailers in serious need of TLC; all of the social services for this county are located in the same area as the major school districts; and the average commute time is over an hour for 27% of the working population– over 60% of the population drives at least 40 minutes to work every day! All of this can mean several things: There are droves of upper middle and upper class families in the area, and, by the same token, a lot of people are barely making end’s meet; higher paying jobs do not exist close by, and just as many are commuting into NYC and the surrounding metropolitan area to find those better paying jobs. How do these statistics and general observations add up to homeschooling? Easy. First, homeschooling not only takes courage and demands parents to be willing to take risks, but it also takes a rudimentary understanding of how to educate one’s child. In other words, one needs to be just as smart as our local elementary teacher. I think it is safe to equate higher learning with a higher social status. (This by no means implies the rich are smart or those in poverty are dumb. Please do not jump to unsupported conclusions). Second, generally speaking, the more money one has the less likely they are to tolerate the social ills that plague the economically poor– that’s one reason why this area has so many gated communities. Wasn’t it Hesiod whom said, “A bad neighbor is a misfortune, as much as a good one is a great blessing”?
I had an interesting conversation with a grandfather the other day in the park about the local school system. His story is a sad story. His youngest son, a recent high school graduate and special needs child, had a child with his girlfriend six years ago. After nearly five years, the grandfather and his wife, grandma, took custody of the six-year-old from his own son. It was an agreed upon move, for the betterment of the child, but still a heart-wrenching tragedy laced with the seeds of future frustrations and sorrows. His experiences with the school systems in the area were less than praiseworthy. Having both Honors and special needs children attend the local high school, his experiences with the local school system could not have received more attention for me. By the end of our conversation, I could not help returning to the idea of homeschooling our children.
More out of curiosity than investigation we recently purchased a pre-K and a Kindergarten workbook. The pre-K book is designed for children ages 3-5. For those who do not have kids or are not around little kids enough to see the glaring problem staring one right in the face, let me just say there is one heck of a lot of difference– emotionally, socially, developmentally– between a three-year-old and a five-year-old! The skills taught in the pre-K and Kindergarten books will be set aside for another blog, but lets just say there is not much difference between the two.
So what does all this mean? It means that after 866 words I’ve got some more thinking to do and a heck of a lot more to write about.
To be continued….
This got me thinking. Is the local academic rigor in this area so weak that parents feel compelled to purchase additional schooling workbooks for their kids– like my sister-in-law, an astute parent who recognizes what her children are and are not learning in school and is willing to put in the time to correct academic deficiencies in her children? Or, are teachers purchasing these workbooks to ensure they are covering testable grade-appropriate skills required by No Child Left Behind? (I have a strange feeling this could be the case, since parents I speak to often refer to how well their child did on the state testing). Or, is there a demand for these materials because there is a good deal of homeschooled kids in Eastern PA? According to the staff worker I spoke to all three questions sum up why Borders’ homeschooling section is about the same size as their magazine section: the schools in this area have a poor reputation, homeschooling is a popular alternative for the county– the highest in the state; and many teachers do purchase the workbooks to help them prepare for standardized tests.
It doesn’t surprise me that many of the parents in this area homeschool. The county we live in is littered with 4000 sq. foot family McMansions throughout the older and newer neighborhoods surrounded by a sea of worn houses and trailers in serious need of TLC; all of the social services for this county are located in the same area as the major school districts; and the average commute time is over an hour for 27% of the working population– over 60% of the population drives at least 40 minutes to work every day! All of this can mean several things: There are droves of upper middle and upper class families in the area, and, by the same token, a lot of people are barely making end’s meet; higher paying jobs do not exist close by, and just as many are commuting into NYC and the surrounding metropolitan area to find those better paying jobs. How do these statistics and general observations add up to homeschooling? Easy. First, homeschooling not only takes courage and demands parents to be willing to take risks, but it also takes a rudimentary understanding of how to educate one’s child. In other words, one needs to be just as smart as our local elementary teacher. I think it is safe to equate higher learning with a higher social status. (This by no means implies the rich are smart or those in poverty are dumb. Please do not jump to unsupported conclusions). Second, generally speaking, the more money one has the less likely they are to tolerate the social ills that plague the economically poor– that’s one reason why this area has so many gated communities. Wasn’t it Hesiod whom said, “A bad neighbor is a misfortune, as much as a good one is a great blessing”?
I had an interesting conversation with a grandfather the other day in the park about the local school system. His story is a sad story. His youngest son, a recent high school graduate and special needs child, had a child with his girlfriend six years ago. After nearly five years, the grandfather and his wife, grandma, took custody of the six-year-old from his own son. It was an agreed upon move, for the betterment of the child, but still a heart-wrenching tragedy laced with the seeds of future frustrations and sorrows. His experiences with the school systems in the area were less than praiseworthy. Having both Honors and special needs children attend the local high school, his experiences with the local school system could not have received more attention for me. By the end of our conversation, I could not help returning to the idea of homeschooling our children.
More out of curiosity than investigation we recently purchased a pre-K and a Kindergarten workbook. The pre-K book is designed for children ages 3-5. For those who do not have kids or are not around little kids enough to see the glaring problem staring one right in the face, let me just say there is one heck of a lot of difference– emotionally, socially, developmentally– between a three-year-old and a five-year-old! The skills taught in the pre-K and Kindergarten books will be set aside for another blog, but lets just say there is not much difference between the two.
So what does all this mean? It means that after 866 words I’ve got some more thinking to do and a heck of a lot more to write about.
To be continued….
Sunday, October 4, 2009
Taylor’s Quotes.
For the last few days, Taylor has come up with some clever comments. While I was only able to write down a few at the house– some were said in the park, at the store, or enroute somewhere– her command of the English language is improving, daily. For me, the most impressive remarks are the abstract ones that take a little imagination on her part. For example, her first comment about putting the top on the wagon to shed the rain is not only funny but it shows the maturation of her reasoning skills. Taylor is quite the character!
September 27, 2009
T: Go outside?
Dad: It’s raining out.
T: Put top on wagon. It works.
(Our Radio Flyer wagon comes with a detachable sunshade).
Taylor to the Cat: No go outside Stitchy. Raining out.
T: Okay. Go hunt mice and birds.
T: Taylor has mouse in mouth. Can’t get out. Aaaarrggghhhh!
(Taylor playing with the cat’s toy mouse).
T: T tired of picking up toys.
T: Mouse (toy) drink all water. You freakin’ mouse!
T: Mouse all drink water, again. You freakin’ mouse!
(Ouch! I own this language problem).
T: Almost there, Simon. Reach.
(Simon was reaching for a toy under the kitchen table).
T: Excuse me, Dadda.
T: Taylor want water.
Dad: Please?
T: Taylor want water, please.
T: Simon standing on chair– eating green crayon in mouth.
(Always ready to let Dad know what her brother is doing wrong).
T: T wearing Mommies running shoes.
T: Watch out Simon. Taylor coming soon.
T: T walk Simon? Simon wear monkey backpack?
(We own a backpack, shaped like a monkey that has a leash-like tail. It’s a great tool for keeping track of Simon).
T: You have some gum? Make some bubbles.
Dad: Please?
T: Make bubbles, pleeeeeaaasssee!
T: Dadda cut self with knife?
Dad: Yes, Taylor. Dadda cut himself with a knife.
T: Hurt?
Dad: Yes it hurt, Taylor.
T: Why do that?
T: T in there!
Dad: What are you doing in there?
T: Playing Mom’s bra.
(Taylor playing in the laundry basket).
Taylor to Simon: Simon no touch that. They Taylor’s friends.
(Simon going after four of Taylor’s stuffed animals).
T: Taylor make mess under table.
Dad: Are you going to clean it up?
T: Simon clean up.
Dad: Is Simon cleaning or eating the food you dropped?
T: Cleaning. Eating.
T: Simon no eat!
T: Hold tight puppies. We’re (at the) park! Go on big swings; ride.
(Taylor talking to her “big puppy” and her “walking puppy” as we park the van).
Mom: Goodnight, Taylor. I love you.
T: Goodnight, Mommy. I love you, too.
Mom: Sweet dreams.
T: Swinging trees.
September 27, 2009
T: Go outside?
Dad: It’s raining out.
T: Put top on wagon. It works.
(Our Radio Flyer wagon comes with a detachable sunshade).
Taylor to the Cat: No go outside Stitchy. Raining out.
T: Okay. Go hunt mice and birds.
T: Taylor has mouse in mouth. Can’t get out. Aaaarrggghhhh!
(Taylor playing with the cat’s toy mouse).
T: T tired of picking up toys.
T: Mouse (toy) drink all water. You freakin’ mouse!
T: Mouse all drink water, again. You freakin’ mouse!
(Ouch! I own this language problem).
T: Almost there, Simon. Reach.
(Simon was reaching for a toy under the kitchen table).
T: Excuse me, Dadda.
T: Taylor want water.
Dad: Please?
T: Taylor want water, please.
T: Simon standing on chair– eating green crayon in mouth.
(Always ready to let Dad know what her brother is doing wrong).
T: T wearing Mommies running shoes.
T: Watch out Simon. Taylor coming soon.
T: T walk Simon? Simon wear monkey backpack?
(We own a backpack, shaped like a monkey that has a leash-like tail. It’s a great tool for keeping track of Simon).
T: You have some gum? Make some bubbles.
Dad: Please?
T: Make bubbles, pleeeeeaaasssee!
T: Dadda cut self with knife?
Dad: Yes, Taylor. Dadda cut himself with a knife.
T: Hurt?
Dad: Yes it hurt, Taylor.
T: Why do that?
T: T in there!
Dad: What are you doing in there?
T: Playing Mom’s bra.
(Taylor playing in the laundry basket).
Taylor to Simon: Simon no touch that. They Taylor’s friends.
(Simon going after four of Taylor’s stuffed animals).
T: Taylor make mess under table.
Dad: Are you going to clean it up?
T: Simon clean up.
Dad: Is Simon cleaning or eating the food you dropped?
T: Cleaning. Eating.
T: Simon no eat!
T: Hold tight puppies. We’re (at the) park! Go on big swings; ride.
(Taylor talking to her “big puppy” and her “walking puppy” as we park the van).
Mom: Goodnight, Taylor. I love you.
T: Goodnight, Mommy. I love you, too.
Mom: Sweet dreams.
T: Swinging trees.
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