Tuesday, October 25, 2011

Elementary Years Build the Foundations

The kindergarten, elementary years build the foundations that all future, sequential learning is based. Every skipped rung, every broken rule in education fractures learning. Gaps become yawning caverns that take on power.  Imagine, failure power, where lack of attention and assistance  trump intelligence.  

“Your turn to read, George,” I say to the four-year-old kindergartener sucking a thumb and stroking his shirt with the other hand. The thumb is yanked and both hands grip his reader.

“The dog, Fenway, rounded the corner to see if Gordo was hiding behind the bush. A smile came to Fenway’s face as Gordo walked up to his friend and plunked the bone at his front paws. Where have you been, Gordo? I thought you’d gone off with Mister Martin to the hard...hard...ware store.”
           
“George, that was excellent!” He grins as his fingers crab toward the pretzels in the center of the table. I edge the bowl closer to him.

A few quality teachers in excelling schools, understand the criticalness of scholarship in these early years of teaching/learning. These teachers have kindergarten reading clubs, catch-up exercises; students excel across the subject spectrum with solid grade-specific knowledge.  Attention, assistance, accountability.  No child is left behind academically. Students succeed because teachers succeed.


Next: Kindergarten fears

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