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| Hobby Forum Index » Arts - Books - Childrens » Scary "Annie's Mailbox" column about semi-literate... |
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| Lenona... |
 Posted: Sat Sep 05, 2009 7:45 am |
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Why do I anticipate a tsunami of criticism regarding this response?
*I* anticipate the girl is going to spiral downward, socially, at
best.
Lenona.
http://www.creators.com/advice/annies-mailbox/annie-s-mailbox-r-2009-09-05.html
Dear Annie: My 11-year-old niece, "Molly," just spent a week with my
kids and me. My sister and brother-in-law home school her. Both of
them hold master's degrees, but I was floored by Molly's poor academic
skills.
When the kids played hide-and-seek, she could not count to 100. She
couldn't figure out how many hours it was until dinnertime (it was
1:00 and we eat at 5:00). She could not count money. She could not
read simple phrases. When the kids made postcards to send to
relatives, Molly could spell "Mom and Dad," but not her last name or
Ohio, the state where she lives. Of course, she was embarrassed by her
lack of skills and avoided other situations where she would be asked
to read, count or write, including baking cookies, since it requires
measuring.
Molly is a bright girl. She has a great vocabulary and a wonderful
memory. My sister told me they follow a child-centered curriculum
where my niece's interests drive what she learns. When she was
interested in underwater life, they spent a week at the beach and
learned about waves and marine mammals. Molly can tell us details
about these things, but she couldn't read a book about fish if her
life depended on it. I'm guessing they never saw 100 dolphins or she'd
be able to count that high.
Every year, state law requires my sister to submit a portfolio of
Molly's work to a certified teacher who evaluates it and determines
whether she is making adequate progress. The teacher has never found
any problems, but I later found out she is another mom in their home
school group who follows the same curriculum.
My sister said I worry too much, and my brother-in-law told me to
"butt out." I am concerned that Molly is illiterate and may not
develop the basic skills to function in daily life. What do I do? —
Molly's Aunt
Dear Aunt: We understand your concerns, but this is truly not your
business.
There is nothing wrong with a child-centered curriculum, although it
behooves parents to encourage basic reading and math skills at the
same time. This can include bedtime stories and baking cakes, which
would not be part of the daily curriculum, but rather normal parent-
child interaction. Since Molly is a bright child, she will eventually
want to read and, we hope, make the necessary effort to do so. Please
try to be a loving aunt and not a judge of her education. |
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| Cori... |
| Posted: Sun Sep 06, 2009 9:59 pm |
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A school would be looking for learning disabilities in a child of this
age displaying the lack of learning skills Molly does.
Cori |
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| Lenona... |
| Posted: Sat Oct 24, 2009 8:04 am |
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