Anyone Notice a Theme?

I rarely watch television, but when I do, I love it when commercials *catch my eye*!

Try this commercial for Minute Maid's new "Enhanced Juice Drink:"



(Thanks to Kelly for sharing!)

...this old Volvo commercial:



...and our favorite Aflac duck:

When Life Hands You...Pumpkins!

Who knew how wonderful foiled plans could be?

The kids and I had a day of haircuts and shopping planned on Saturday, but when day care fell through, I heeded the call of Red Barn Farm in Missouri:

Alpha+Mom shares how to make salt-dough pumpkins...

Hostess with the Mostess offers a tutorial on how to make paper pumpkin ornaments (these are some of my favorite!)...

...and Martha recycles and paints jars to make jack-o-lantern er, jar-o-lanterns...

Visit KinderKorner's Pumpkin Patch for more classroom pumpkin fun!

Lego-licious

Let me make this perfectly clear: I'm *not* a Lego-Maniac.

Seriously.

No, REALLY.

For *whatever* reason, these caught my eye:



A Lego camera (along with other Lego gadgets) over at designboom...


Mike Stimpson creates original Lego scenes and recreates famous imagery (go look, I didn't want to risk "lifting" his awesome artwork)...

A rolling cookie cutter...



...and an ice tray...



...and of course, check out what Dan documents with his camera and Legos over at a Lego a Day...

It's Been One of *THOSE* Weeks...Thank Goodness for the Wubba Wubba Wubba Weekend!

As a teacher, have you ever had one of *those* weeks?

Of course you have.

The students are *pinging*... parents are deciding to finally spill the beans and let you know that even though you've conferenced with them three times since school started regarding their child's behavior, they thought they'd just "wait and see" if YOU'D catch on that their child is ADD/ADHD, and oops, did we forget to tell you, has been prescribed meds since pre-k that "we weren't certain were necessary this year?"

Even the paper cutter was working against me this week. No blood or injuries, I'm grateful to have my digits intact, but paper for "scarecrow hair' was cut so wonky I let the Stars use it "free form" for other creative constructions. Funny how little things like that can fall into the stress-zone category when the week's vibe is off from the get-go.

Being flexible... Being creative... And the toughie: being p-a-t-i-e-n-t and not throttling parents as their social and medical experimentation with their children (sanctimoniously conducted while ignoring the fact that it's their children who suffer socially and emotionally as their peers avoid them like the plague and whisper "I don't like you, you're mean," ) come to light. I distinctly remember those professional skills never being discussed during my college days when I enrolled in Education 201.

What gets you through stressful weeks? Your students, pinging or not, awesome parent volunteers, your sympathetic colleagues, and for me, chocolate.

Lots and lots of chocolate.

*****
Teacher/Student Conversation or The Fine Art of Translation

Student J.: Mrs. Sommerville, I know you're gonna teach us how to read and write words...
Me: Um hmm...
J.: ...and I know I'm writing my Rr's better now...
Me: Yes you are...
J.: But when are you gonna teach me how to do da-dishes?
Me: The dishes?
J.: Yeah, da-dishes.
Me: Well honey, Mom or Dad or even a big brother or sister could help you learn how to wash the dishes at home, and they might even let you load the dishwasher if you have one.
J.: No, no no, not washing the dishes, DA-DISHES. You know, my mom said you would teach me math and how to do DA-DISHES.
Me (having a lightbulb moment): Oh! ADDITION?
J. (looking incredibly relieved that I'd finally caught on): Yes! Da-dishes!

*****

What's left to do? Have a Wubba Wubba Wubba Weekend of course!

Mary Travers

Mary Travers performed this song on the Mama Cass television program the year I was born, 1969:




...but one of my favorites is this John Denver song:

Arr, It's Almost "Talk Like a Pirate Day!"

Arr! It's almost that time of year again: Talk Like a Pirate Day!

September 19th is the actual day to celebrate pirates, walking the plank, and wearing eyepatches, but my Super Stars will make pirate hats, read David Shannon stories, and greet friends and teachers with **ahoy Matey** on Friday.

Here's my post from last year (yes the links still work)...

A link for a pirate hat pattern (I print this one out, copy it, and have my students cut it out and glue it to construction paper headbands)...

Michaels Craft Store has their pirate birthday themed items on clearance (I found skull shaped lollies for my husband for Halloween, but hats, eye patches, plates and napkins are also available)....

... and an awesome pirate compilation site (crafts, coloring pages, links) by Crystal Pearl-Hodgins...

*****

Have you ever noticed that pirates are fond of Aa words? For instance:

Aye! (I agree!)

Ahoy! (Hi!)

Avaste! (Stand and give attention)

All aboard! (Come on to my ship!)

Arr! (which can mean anything you want it to mean!)

Happy Birthday Dear Husband

Happy Birthday Dear Husband- though I couldn't get the pre-schooler to sing the "Happy Birthday Song" on camera, I did catch him singing about purple dragons and spiders as he looked through a book about animals:

Show and Share Links: I Want to See Your Desk! (and classroom organization tips)

After sharing this photo (don't worry, the dead white rat is *thankfully* made of rubber!) of my desk at school



I asked readers to post photos of their own teacher space on their blogs and link back:

Tracy at Grace Comes By Hearing shared a photo of her organized space (go look, you can see *actual* deskTOP in her photo!), and also gives us a tour of her classroom here. Thanks Tracy!

Jonelle shared her colorful before-and-after desk photos from her blog, A Place Called Kindergarten. Jonelle is a binder queen like I am (I organize all pages, posters, craft ideas, etc. in monthly three-ring binders) and also loves her SMARTBoard- she shares some terrific links that I'll be checking out this week- thanks Jonelle!

*****

Vanessa's daughter E. was one of my Super Stars last year. Their family has relocated to Hawaii where E. is now a Super Star FIRST Grader! Vanessa shares the following *student* desk organizing tip:

I don't have a picture of a desk to share, but I do have a student desk organization idea. E's teacher had the students bring a cardboard tray (the kind that bottled water, Gatorade, etc come on). Now the students just have to pull out the tray to see what is in the desk. They seem to fit perfectly.

Mahalo Vanessa!

*****

Do you have helpful desk organization tips for teacher or student spaces, or would you like me to add a link back to your blog so you can share a photo with us? Leave me a comment with your link on either my original show and share post or this one and I'll check back midweek to add your contribution.

*****

~April Sanders shares Student Desk Organization tips at eHow...

~ Classroom organization includes furniture placement, lighting, storage materials and displays. Scholastic offers ideas on arranging your classroom's physical environment...

~ While not all grades/teachers might use every tip or product suggested by Mrs. McDavid, you will certainly find inspiration in her classroom organization tips (and she has photos, photos, photos!) at Getting Organized.

O, America

Music: William Joseph
Words: Brendan Graham

Performed by Celtic Woman

O, America you’re calling,
I can hear you calling me:
You are calling me to be true to thee,
True to thee… I will be.

O, America you're weeping,
Let me heal your wounded heart:
I will keep you in my keeping,
Till there be… a new start.

And I will answer you, and I will take your hand,
And lead you to the sun:
And I will stand by you…do all that I can do,
And we will be… as one.

O, America I hear you,
From your prairies to the sea,
From your mountains grand, and all through this land,
You are beautiful to me.

And… O, America you’re calling,
I can hear you calling me:
You are calling me to be true to thee,
True to thee… I will be.

And I will answer you, and I will take your hand,
And lead you to the sun:
And I will stand by you… do all that I can do,
And we will be…as one.

O, America you’re calling…
I will ever answer thee.

Jersey Boys

I'll admit it: while waiting for Dear Daughter to return from her first "away" volleyball game of the season, I took a peek at America's Got Talent. The special guest performance was by "The Jersey Boys." Clueless, I kept watching, and ended up dancing around the living room. No, no *I* don't have dancing and singing talent, but my goodness, this crew certainly does! No pyrotechnics, no Bedazzled-barely-there-costumes... I LOVE it!

Happy Coffee Anniversary

Not only do Dear Husband and I celebrate our wedding anniversary, we celebrate our coffee anniversary.

We were one of those "uh oh" internet romances, and after months and months of gentle prodding, I finally agreed to meet, face to face.

At a coffee shop, of course.

He ordered a hazelnut latte, I had an Irish cream latte. I stayed an hour, and then left, suitably impressed and interested.

Two days later, it was September 11. THE September 11.

We've been together ever since.

Happy Anniversary Babe.

September Sunflowers

Inspired by these books, the Super Stars used blue, yellow and brown construction paper to make our September sunflowers:



The brown circles were die-cut, but the sunflowers' petals were cut from 2 inch by 4 inch rectangles that the Stars then cut the corners off of:



Centering the brown circle, the Stars tucked the petals behind while arranging them:





The Stars then colored black "seeds" onto the brown circle, and dotted the seeds with white paint (a wand of White Out works well; and remember you can always glue real sunflower seeds to the brown circle). Then I cut stems and leaves and arranged the sunny art on our hallway bulletin boards:



("Ss is for the Super Stars' September Sunflowers")



*****

Show and Share Time: I Want to See Your Desk!

Calling all teachers: public, private,and homeschoolers:

Fess up- I want to see your desk!

That's right, if you've got a blog, I invite you to show and share a picture of your desk, linking back to this post. Leave me a comment to let me know that you've blogged about your desk and I'll compile a list of classroom hoppers (in a single blog post) to share this weekend. We can "visit" each other's classrooms and take a sneaky peek by clicking on the links!

Now, without further ado (drumroll please), I give you...my desk:



Why yes, that is my favorite desktop organizer (purchased from Michael's craft store) keeping company with some laminated stars, my ever-trusty Diet Coke and sticky note pad. But wait! What is that white, seemingly dead thing sharing space with our kindergarten Nextel phone and my sunglasses?

Why it's a confiscated white rubber rat, of course! See that tail? It s-t--r---e----t-----c------h-------e--------s out to almost two feet long, which is how a colleague first noticed it during recess. One of my Super Stars brought it for Show and Share, but thought he'd keep it safe inside his shorts pocket. Safe, that is, until the tail just became *too tempting*.

Stretch...

S-t-r-e-t-c-h...

S-T-R-E-T-C-H...

S-T--R---E----T-----C------H...

Once confiscated, Mr. Rat spent the rest of the day right there, in front of the desk organizer, next to the laminated stars.

Until Show and Share that is...

*****

Now it's *your* turn! Snap a photo, share it on your blog, link back to this post, and leave me a comment letting me know you're participating in Show and Share.

*****

Carefully Changing Course...Trying Not to Veer...

I promise I'll be returning to the photos, links, and awesome kindergarten tips and ideas soon (and thank you to my regular readers who have contacted me via Facebook, email or left comments voicing their support for kindergarten advocacy):

Schools Matter posted "Holding Politicians Accountable for Kindergarten Child Abuse." Blunt, to the point...

Quality pre-school programs are valuable to young children, and Lisa Guernsey shares how and why over at Inside Pre-K...

Make and Takes shares Fun Ways to Practice Writing the Alphabet...

*****

I just can't stop reading, smiling, laughing, nodding, and breathing a sigh of relief- isn't that what school psychologists are for? I can't tell you how glad I am to read that there were no dead rodents nor swarms of ants waiting for Dr. Rebecca in her office upon her return to school (and wow, what a story!). Head over to Notes from the School Psychologist for additional humor, insight (and even some sarcasm!) if you haven't gotten your fill from me.

What This Teacher Thinks About Early Starts to Kindergarten

Reminders before you read: 1) I've been a kindergarten teacher for fourteen years. 2) I'm a mommy and have been there.

And a tip: You'll probably want to bookmark this one and read it in sections, taking a breather between each one. It's not quite a rant, but there are a few "Hello, McFlyyyyyy" moments that might raise the blood pressure a bit.

*****

It's been my experience that parents rarely thoroughly weigh the *many* pros and cons behind sending their child to kindergarten early (ages four or young-ish five). At most, they'll pick their own top three of each, several of which may not be the most applicable to their child as he or she attempts to motor through our kindergarten experience. No matter the cons, parents will usually push for an early start.

"Well, he is immature, but it's kindergarten."

"She doesn't separate easily from me at all, but you and I can force her into doing it."

"I'm not worried about how he'll be in high school. I know people say boys take longer to mature, but I don't think it'll be a problem. This is just kindergarten, right?"

"How will she learn to be at school if I don't get her into kindergarten now?"

"How will he pass all the state standardized tests if he's not used to school? Kids need to start sooner now in order to have more practice with sitting in desks, taking tests, etc."

"Well, we thought we'd just start him in kindergarten and see, you know, if you think he should be here, but we're pretty sure he's ready."

"He did great with his babysitter last year and the two other kids she had, so he's going to be just fine in a classroom setting."

"He's only having problems because you're not challenging him enough- when he's bored he rolls all over the floor, hits other kids, and screams at the top of his voice. You obviously don't have good classroom management skills."

My personal favorite: "Kindergarten is free after you buy school supplies. Day care costs hundreds of dollars every month."

The comments and rationale make me cringe because though I acknowledge parents as being experts on their children at home and in preschool/social situations, I'm the expert on what happens in our kindergarten classroom. Regardless of the warm fuzzy feelings toward their own childhood kindergarten memories about which parents wax nostalgic or the hopes and dreams for their singular child's start to school, our classroom is a shared space, not merely the background scenery for one student's future memories.

I'm paid to encourage multiple children to think, explore, and take chances, and I'm paid to meet their very individualized learning needs as they pertain to their public school experience. I'm paid to deliver age-appropriate content and curriculum using best teaching practices while meeting state standards. I'm paid to enrich, supplement, guide, intervene, and advocate on my students' behalf during their allotted time with me in our classroom setting.

I'm not a Sunday School teacher, so I'm not responsible for accurately quoting scripture, leading choral renditions of hymns or producing the annual Christmas manger play. I'm not my students' one-on-one weekend babysitter, entertaining each child's every whim, changing their diapers, and putting them to bed before I raid their parents' fridge looking for cold pizza. I'm not the parent who has to "go all-Walmart" on my Super Stars in botched attempts to modify their public behavior despite the fact that several students each year start kindergarten expecting that they ONLY have to follow directions, respect others and follow rules if adults yell. I'm not a sixth grade teacher, nor an eighth grade teacher, nor a high school drama coach, all very specialized grades and content areas. Early childhood education is my expertise and I know when a child is ready, and when s/he is not.

*****

Parenting is a rewarding, emotional, and stressful job. So is teaching. Emotionality can unfortunately create tension between a child's biggest advocates. Parents and teachers have to work hard on both sides to efficiently, accurately and politely communicate to interpret the intentions behind decisions that are made regarding children and their education. Reflecting on my own teaching experience, parents have regularly made assumptions about what I think, many of them incorrect:

~If I suggest a child isn't ready for kindergarten, most parents immediately go on the defense: I either don't like their child, can't do my job (and therefore why would a parent want ME as their child's teacher) or I'm criticizing the parents' choice to start their child early. I'm just a big ol' meanie and think parents are stupid. It couldn't possibly be that I want the best kindergarten experience for EVERY child, even the one who isn't ready yet, could it?

I'm happy to be a kindergarten teacher, I'm happy to be your child's kindergarten teacher, but I will be his/her best teacher and s/he will have the most beneficial kindergarten experience when it's the right time and/or the correct amount of time. "Your child isn't ready for kindergarten" can mean your child isn't ready *this year* or a full-day program isn't the most appropriate for your child at this time. Please bring him or her back next year (or enroll in a half-day or extended-day program if offered), because we'll be waiting!

~Some parents think I'm playing the superiority card when I'm "just" a kindergarten teacher. Whatever grade I teach, I'm employed. My employment means I can put food on my own children's plates, clothes on their backs, and keep a roof over their heads. My husband and I both work outside of the home to provide for our family. Job security and my professional reputation matter to me, so there is no reason for me to purposely jerk parents around or disrespect their children's right to a free and public QUALITY education.

~Parents expect that, while it is my job to meet individual needs, when push comes to shove (sometimes literally in our class!) I must only advocate for their child's interests as they have been able to do for four or five years prior to the start of school. It's not possible- I advocate for at LEAST sixteen students' multiple needs each and every year, and like it or not, the safety and educational requirements of the students who are ready for kindergarten outweigh the behavioral issues demonstrated by a child who has been inappropriately placed in school too early.

~No, I don't think parents are clever or smarter than the system when they leave the state to enroll their underaged and markedly immature child in kindergarten somewhere else with more lenient (and in my opinion, developmentally inappropriate) kindergarten age requirements, returning to our district after a month knowing that we offer reciprocity and therefore "have" to admit him/her as a student. Parents that have gone out of their way to "win" more social and academic difficulties for their child along with affecting the kindergarten experience of his/her of-age peers for not only kindergarten, but every grade and social situation that follows, have made a decision that I personally and professionally do not find admirable.

*****

Closing thoughts:

~ Though it may appear that I'm promoting a once-size (one age) fits-all kindergarten mandate, I'm not. The diverse social and economic backgrounds of parents, children, families, neighborhoods and schools scream out for customized yet developmentally appropriate guidelines to structure pre-school and kindergarten programs throughout our nation. I've taught half-day, extended-day, and full-day programs. Unfortunately, not all are offered to meet the varying needs and readiness of kindergarten aged students thanks to the standardized NCLB model. Until options are made available, schools are going to have to commit to either 1) their testing data and funding or 2) the actual needs of their students, and modify their enrollment-age-requirements accordingly. It's important that parents advocate for whichever choice they believe is most beneficial.

~The push for testing and "school accountability" has caused kindergarten to resemble the "new first grade," when in fact, kindergarten should be kindergarten. If we *must* test kindergarten students and they *must* show measurable growth in reading and math, then only allow children experienced enough, socialized enough and skilled enough to perform those tasks on the required assessments into school OR develop and utilize developmentally appropriate assessments that accurately provide data to guide best teaching. My latest pet peeve is an example of what doesn't work:

Watching five year olds single-clicking both buttons on a PC mouse and bombing their computerized assessments because they have had a single-click MAC at home (or no computer access at all) their entire life prior to kindergarten. What does that assessment really measure, a student's ability to read and recognize numbers, problem solve and comprehend, or the ability to maneuver a piece of equipment with his/her hand while simultaneously attempting to visually track graphics on the computer screen?

Dumping performance anxiety on top of children who have the tendency to still wet their pants and cry isn't the best way to make those kids eager, willing or able to jump through future hoops of school requirements.

~ If you agree that five year olds are in fact, NOT seven year olds, then back out of our classrooms, and let us get on with lacing shapes, tracing letters in pudding, playing house, listening to fantastic stories, sharing, cutting, gluing, building towers, playing letter and number "games," swinging from monkey bars, eating snack, singing "Shake My Sillies Out" and napping. We'll color, paint, pretend, negotiate, take turns, interpret, and share too. Give us time and an emotionally and physically safe place to grow and become accustomed to the shared experience that is school.

~ Stop encouraging parents to hurry their children through their childhood. It's criminal.

*****

You know my mind. If you're interested in an opposing viewpoint, check out The Downside of Redshirting.

Follow Up to "Off Day"

Here's a follow up blog post responding to comments:

Anon, ChiTown and Lori, you'll be glad to know I got a good night's sleep wearing those plaid flannel jammies last night! :) Thanks for your comments and commiseration. Anon, this is the second year ever that I've been teaching in a non-Title 1 school (twelve years teaching in Title 1 schools prior to that) and I have to say I was a bit relieved (yet still disappointed) when I realized that parents sitting in the middle to upper middle socioeconomic strata also had difficulties when it came to deciding when to send their children to kindergarten.

I've seen some awesome preschool programs, daycare centers, and Head Start instruction in the Title 1 districts in which I've taught prior, their existence necessitated by very specific needs: affordable child care, immersion into an English or bi-lingual environment for non-English speaking children, exposure to developmentally appropriate materials, literature, and socialization, and of course, school preparation. Unfortunately, not all preschool programs provide what children need, and to put it bluntly, neither do their parents. Most kindergarten teachers acknowledge this.

State legislators do not. School district officers rarely are able to be strong and accurate early childhood education advocates. Board policies and "best teaching practices" are aligned with state standards, they're NOT aligned with what four and five year olds can and should be faced with, which I believe is why even in my non-Title 1 teaching school, more and more remediation and "interventions" are having to be utilized with first, second, and third graders.

What would happen if those young, and especially TOO YOUNG kindergartners were kept out of kindergarten (and provided a quality preschool experience) for that extra year? If the boys were able to run off their energy, kick, jump and tackle for a bit longer, and girls were allowed to play princess, draw beautiful pictures, and sing karaoke in the bathroom to their heart's content? I acknowledge it's my ideal "dream kindergarten" scenario that isn't happening in many or most states and won't as long as our nation continues to buy the hype and sales pitch hook, line, and sinker: Your children only learn in school, and guess what, there are lots of nations out there who are creating superhumans to steal your child's future job! Quick, enroll now! Test now! Push, push, push, and make sure to hold those SCHOOLS accountable for everything!

*****

I hope you have a wonderful Labor Day weekend!

An Off Day

As teachers, we all occasionally have *that* kind of day: the students are a bit off, the schedule is a bit off, our teaching is a bit off, and our resulting mood is, not surprisingly, *off* as well.

I'll be the first to admit that on my "off" days, I indulge in regular sessions of therapeutic cookie-baking, or eat far too many peanut M-n-M's and drink unnecessarily large servings of foo-foo coffee, thankfully affordable crutches er, "treats." Mrs. Stouffer or Ronald McDonald cooks dinner on those days while the Julia Child in me is down for the count. I ignore the phone, make sure the "No Solicitors, Please" sign is still firmly posted to my front door, draw the curtains, and climb into jammies early.

It's the plaid flannel set today folks.

*****

The thought struck me as colleagues and I discussed how young so many of our students seem to be this year, that so many classroom management difficulties would be solved by states and school districts implementing a no-loopholes policy regarding the minimum age of entry for students. Admittedly, I've had students who are academically ready for kindergarten as older four year olds or very young five year olds, but very few have been socially and behaviorally ready when their parents have chosen to push their enrollment.

It's week four of school, and we haven't gotten into a smooth rhythm or predictable routine because I'm still having to intervene and halt instruction due to less-mature students' lack of restraint, follow through, and social problem solving abilities. Granted, kindergarten is the perfect place to develop and fine tune those skills, but with students who start kindergarten at a more developmentally appropriate age, that tweaking and fine tuning is more manageable. Why? Because older students are better able to focus for longer periods of time, are more tuned in to the fact that they share their environment with people other than their family, and have had more practice (hopefully) solving problems with words, self management, and calmly seeking out the help of others.

Younger children, especially boys, resort to highly efficient communication styles when interacting with others: it's faster to push, yell, or grab toys away. Why "use your words" or "take turns" when punching a playmate sends the message loud and clear that you're the boss, you want that toy, and you want it now? With state standards, national assessments and the expected/required mastery of skills on the forefront, why are states and districts purposely setting themselves (and their students) up to fail by hurrying younger and younger children through the system, forcing developmentally inappropriate disciplinary practices and tones to be established and used, and creating resentment of teachers and schools by the very children (and their parents) into whom we are supposed to be inspiring a lifelong love of learning? If little Johnny or Jane has toileting problems, can't keep his/her hands off of other students, yells "I gotta PEE" at every inopportune moment, can't or won't transition between activities, actively interrupts the learning of others, sleeps through instruction, or demands an inordinate amount of the teacher's attention (successfully taking time away from a majority of the other students and lowering the teaching time that is supposed to be alloted to actual instruction of the curriculum), then guess what? Little Johnny or Jane isn't ready for kindergarten and shouldn't be there.

I know kindergarten is cheaper than day care. I know a child's social inexperience can get on a parent's or babysitter's last nerve. I know some states enjoy promoting the Keeping-Up-With-the-Joneses game amongst the middle and upper-middle classes. And I know that parents' egos, insecurities, fear for future opportunity, and even sincere desire to do what is "best" for their child can cause them to mistakenly push their children instead of holding them close and nurturing them for a bit longer. Parental guidance is effective and essential, and in my opinion shouldn't be so easily abdicated by mothers and fathers, eagerly supported by districts all-too-eager to help them cut the apron strings long before they should be severed.

Kindergarten will still be there next year. Your child will be better prepared to handle the mandated rigors of today's kindergarten curriculum and subsequent school expectations when s/he can wait for a turn, is willing to regulate voice volume, feels comfortable attempting new tasks without needing or wanting constant adult approval (teachers have to be shared, after all), and feels more inclined to behave safely and with a sympathetic/empathetic demeanor.

Simply put, it's not my job to teach your child to not throw tantrums when he doesn't get what he wants: that's your job. It's not my job to spend most of my day acting as a human shield between your child, who likes to throw scissors, and all of her seatmates who are trying to cut, color, and glue their "Ss" page. It's not okay for your child to yell and hoot every day during Brain Break while other students sleep for four weeks straight, and there is no appropriate consequence, bribe, or threat that I should have to use for a year to help your child "learn" how to be considerate of others: that's YOUR job.

Test-lovers and school-data-gurus, catch a clue and and do it quickly: not much essential growth and mastery can take place when a majority of the year is spent trying to reign in children from their natural dispositions, forcing their developmentally appropriate round bodies through the square holes better suited for older students. We don't let children drive until a certain age, we don't let them vote or drink until a certain age. What's so wrong with allowing them to BE exactly their age in the most appropriate location possible? Kindergarten isn't that place for four year olds, and like it or not, it's not that place for some five year olds either.