Kids could be learning a LOT more
by Andrew Malette

I started school in grade 1 in the year 1987. It was boring. I was taught how to behave, how to write properly and that 1+1=2. It sucked. It got no better by grade 2. The teachers suppressed any form of independent thought. By grade 3 the teachers were nightmares and handled "kids like me" very harshly. All "negative behaviour" (not paying attention in class, not doing homework, etc.) was met with detention and notes/phone calls to mom and dad. By grade 4 my spirit was beginning to give. By grade 5 Mr. Bowden crushed any hope I had left of becoming more than what the Canadian Education System wanted me to be. After grade 5, I was a model student. By grade 8 I stopped caring about the boring work I had to do. By high school it seemed that I was destined to drop out and join the circus.

The funny thing about the experience I just described is that a startling majority experience the same and worse. The education system is geared only towards those who are willing to use their minds in a subordinate fashion. These are the kids who get college scholarships. It may sound like sour grapes or even jealousy but I know I deserved those scholarships a helluva lot more than they did.

So what? I didn't do well in school. I needn't blame the system for it. I blame myself for letting myself limp through this rut for so long. While I was at it I thought of a way for kids to get more out of the education system. It requires a totally new start, a little faith and a LOT of patience.

The mind of a child is truly amazing; it absorbs everything. My friend's 3 year old son 'taught' me (I'm a woodworker by trade) how to use a jig to cut a piece of wood. He learned that from the Discovery channel. He also told me about truck body modification. This coming from a 3 year old kid! Kids can learn a lot more than adults give them credit for.

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Kids can learn a lot more than adults give them credit for.

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Children are actually better equipped to handle things than most adults are because there is no prejudice within young children. Prejudice is there because adults put it there.

Here is how I propose we educate our kids

The public education system needs to only teach three things to our kids: reading, writing and arithmetic. These three skills are the foundation of modern discovery. Here is how to teach each of these elements.

READING:
Teach the kids the alphabet as soon as they can speak (this will be the parents' responsibility). Once the alphabet is mastered teach them to sound out words based on the letters of the alphabet. Try to get the child to read a book (actually this gives me an idea: there is a huge gap between childrens books and adolescent fiction. i think this gap needs to be filled). Then teach the child how to use a dictionary in case he comes across a word that he doesn't know. I believe this level of reading can be learned in as little as 1-2 years.

WRITING:
Hand-writing is an evolutionary skill. Teach the basics of writing and let them go on their way. On different writing styles reading is the answer. Reading and mimicking what has been read is the best way to learn. Also teach kids how to use a thesaurus if they want to enrich their vocabulary.

MATH:
Teach them multiplication and long division in kindergarten. How can you teach a kindergarten student multiplication and long division? By explaining it to them. By grade 2 the kids will be ready for algebra. By grade 5, precalculus. Kids with this kind of mathematic instruction would be ready for physics by grade 7.

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How can you teach a kindergarten student multiplication and long division? By explaining it to them.

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Other than reading, writing and arithmetic kids don't really *need* anything else. So what to do with the other classes? Make them electives. Give the kids a chance to explore the world on their own. If a kid likes science he'll go for science. If a kid likes history he'll go for history. If a kid likes music he'll go for music. Et cetera.

By starting as early as kindergarten we give kids the chance to grow up to be something we could never dream of. It also makes more efficient use of tax payers dollars. Thoughtful query: What do kids learn from 'nap time'?

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What do kids learn from 'nap time'?

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I think that all that I have outlined needs is a chance. Education is something that people should receive from everyone (parents, government, etc.). Parental assistance would help greatly not only the child but also the schools because there will be base knowledge and skill to work from. It needs to be done! Are we so lazy and so dependant on our current civilization setup that what I'm talking about can't be done? Logically analyze what I have written in this document; I am right!

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Are we so lazy ... that what I'm talking about can't be done?

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...home

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this document copyright 2004 Andrew Malette (license)
email: andrewmalette@hotmail.com