Wednesday, September 18, 2013

Young Kids Don't Need to Be Ready for College


My son, ready for 7th grade, just turned 12 yrs. old
Could someone please explain to me why it is so important for middle school children, ages 11,12 and 13 to be ready for college? I looked at my son's textbooks and they are from the College Board, to prepare kids for AP, PSAT, SAT, etc. With so much focus on who we want kids to be in the future, we lose sight of who they are right now- they are KIDS. Let them be kids and let them enjoy their childhood. My kid has to sit for 8 periods of seat work, and he told me that by 7th period he cannot concentrate. Kids need breaks, exercise, and activities every day to be healthy. I don't even think adults could sit for 8 periods a day. The expectations are unrealistic. This is why I don't like Common Core and "rigor". 

"Common Core’s whole focus is pushing children to college. Shouldn’t it be about learning today? Shouldn’t it be about giving children the chance to enjoy the here and now?

Ask yourself, with the school push to college, what is your student missing ou
t on with their journey through life today? Will they later hate school because they missed out on the joys of childhood? Let’s let our children be children. It goes by much too fast already."  Nancy Bailey