No Rich Child Left Behind

[AimeeM]

The article is addressing how the gap between the middle class and rich kids is rising faster then in the past when the differences between he middle class and rich were not as big as they are today. The gaps used to just be seen in lower class children. Middle class people cannot get scholarships to summer camps.

Sure they can! Most of them specify that if you have a special circumstance (think recent pay cut, medical bills, etc) that you should speak directly to an admin after filling out your forms.

[swellmomma]

.... or you can look into scholarships. For the life of me I have no clue why more people do not understand that this is an option. Even the elite summer enrichment camps here offer need based scholarships. All of the sports teams locally do the same. In fact, even our pricey children's museum offers "scholarship" passes for low income parents.

These things aren't hidden and are well advertised (here at least).

 

 

That's awesome your community has those options. When we lived in the city there was lots for low income familes, especially if you lived within a certain boundary (which we did). Out here in the sticks, there is nothing, you pay full price or you don't participate. We have gotten scholarships to camps before but they were 1.5-2 hours drive away, for a family who can't afford the gas, or has no safe vehicle, or can't get the time off work to drop child off and pick up at the end of the week that is still out of reach.

 

I think even in communities with lots available there is a lot overlooked because as someone living in poverty you feel trapped, you likely don't even know what is out there. I found lots for the kids to do and made opportunities where there wasn't something naturally in place (like bartering), but I think I am fairly resourceful and I was motivated to do that. Out here I have tried all my ways and it is not as easy to do, camps/clubs/groups are not as open to working with families like they were in the city. Maybe it's because there is fewer families living on so little in a community like this vs in the city. I don't know, but it is not as easy to say just ask for the scholarships because not every community is as open about them as yours.

 

As well there is a pride issue often too, many people don't want to accept a "hand out" which they perceive scholarships to be. Personally I determined long ago that if it benefitted my kids I would access all that I could but I had to come to a place to see that, because at first it was hard to do. I felt I should have been able to provide those things myself like all the other parents.

 

So many factors in the whole disparity between socioeconomic classes eh

[wapiti]

I attended elementary school in a lower-middle-class suburb and was mocked - on a daily basis - for doing well in school, both by classmates and by some of the neighborhood kids. I wasn't challenged academically. Part-way through middle school, we moved to a new district in a relatively wealthier area; let's say upper-middle-class with perhaps some "rich" thrown in. I was put into honors classes and *never* mocked for doing well. I was challenged. (As an aside, kids were somewhat more likely to say "pardon me" rather than use curse words, so the whole atmosphere was different.) Education was valued. I never really thought about this particular comparison until just now. I don't know how much affect either school really had on me except for the challenge part; my family valued education generally (we had plenty of books, etc.).

 

IQ is about 80% heritable and most of the people who are well-off today are also above average in terms of cognitive ability. MSNBC recently had an article discussing research on the overlap between the cognitive elite and the financial elite.

 

To add an observation to my anecdote above, I just realized something: not only was education more valued at my second middle school in the relatively wealthier area, but the kids were also smarter. I went from being one of the smartest kids in my grade level in middle school to a much bigger pool of at least 30-60 honors-class kids. Probably they had a better education than I did in elementary, but I feel pretty sure that most of them were naturally quite bright. Certainly, their language skills were far more developed and left me in the dust.

[MistyMountain]

Rich kids are in a more language rich environment too. I think intelligence is a combo of nature and nurture. In Asian countries they value early learning and keep it up and they test really well. It is only anecdote but once I started making sure my kids were exposed to more I definitely see the difference in them.

 

http://www.spiegel.de/international/zeitgeist/how-hereditary-can-intelligence-be-studies-show-nurture-at-least-as-important-as-nature-a-716614-2.html

[TravelingChris]

GReat White North said "The rich have always had the money to provide their offspring with the best available of everything. That hasn't changed. If the score gap is widening is must be caused by something else. "

 

That is correct. If anyone wants to read a sociological study of this phenomenon (in a readable form), read Charles Murray's Coming Apart. It doesn't have to do so much with money but does to some extent. I grew up in the 60's and 70's. In my elementary school, especially in the early grades, hardly any mothers worked. This was a middle class neighborhood. It started changing soon. HIs observation about the relative permanence of marriage in the upper classes is one I have observed. I kept wondering how come I don't know divorced people (except on here). I found out.

[G5052]

That might be one reason, but a bigger factor is likely related to the parents' education and the children's access to books, a language-rich home environment, library programs and other informal community learning activities, etc.

 

I've been a community college professor for over a decade, and the statistics I see on incoming students and how many actually graduate very much support this. At the college I work for only about 20-22% of those who start actually graduate within 5 years. Personally valuing education and doing what it takes to make it work are the strongest factors in getting through, and of course those attitudes are mostly built at home well before college.

 

If a student asks me for special treatment multiple times in the first month, they nearly almost always fail. And my next response is usually to report them as an "at-risk" student because if they don't turn around early on, there won't be much that I can do.

 

I reported a homeschooled "at-risk" student this last semester, and got a firestorm in return. The parents complained to the administration, and the student sent me emails all semester complaining about how unfair I am and wanting special treatment. And they failed. This student didn't turn in about 3/4 of the work, and only attended 1/2 the time. And it is my fault? Clearly the motivation wasn't there.

[Mom23Boys]

Wealthier families tend to have more parental education - so often a richer language environment in the home. Wealthier families tend to have better medical care starting with prenatal care and then through a child's lilfe. Wealthier families tend to have more access and exposure to cultural activities. It's not that you can't do any of these things on a very tight budget but if parents are working to make ends meet they often don't have time. And doing things on a budget takes even more time than just handing over your credit card. So there are big disparities way before the start of kindergarten and even something like Head Start which doesn't even the gap.

 

 

This and I would add that wealthier families often live in safer areas and have transportation It takes a lot of energy just to survive in some areas of my town. And, when you have to make the choice between survival and education, survival wins. If you don't have transportation, just getting groceries eats up a lot of time. When all your time and energy goes to just making it, there isn't much left for homework.

 

I saw this in the elementary school where I student taught. All the educational policies in the world won't fix things for those kids. It is a systemic problem, starting in infancy. There are a lot of groups that are in that particular neighborhood trying to help, but it is a major problem.

 

Out of 22 kids in the kindergarten class that I was in, 11 were magnet student (8 of those were bused in), 3 were special education (one was for sure FAS, one was mute, and one was just severely behind) and the rest were just average students. Over half the class had at least one parent in jail. 8 of the kids lived with only a grandparent, there was no parent in the household. Of those 8, 7 only had a grandmother in a picture. 5 of the kids had missed way over the days allowed by the time I got in there - in January.

 

I think my numbers are all still correct, but that is the basic breakdown of the class. It was 10 years ago though. I remember so well because I was shocked. I lived 20 minutes away from the school and in a different town. That was so far from my reality. It broke my heart. I can still list all 22 students by name.

[AimeeM]

I agree that being in an atmosphere that values education matters more than money (or much of anything, really).

I grew up in an upper middle class family - but by uneducated parents (well, formally uneducated). My father was a business owner (blue collar but successful) and my stepmother came from money (inheritance on her end). Education was never stressed to me. Not really. They were loving, affectionate, and supportive, but never really cared about academics. I ended up pregnant at 16 and dropped out (eventually obtaining my GED). I went to college, but never completed it. It wasn't seen as incredibly important. My step sister (who grew up in the same home as I did), on the other hand, ran away, moved closer to her maternal grandparents - who stressed education and she did indeed go on to complete her Masters.

 

My husband, on the other hand, came from a low income Italian immigrant family. Now, as an elderly man, my FIL is well off financially - his home is long since paid off, as is his music shop, and he only supports himself (although he helps his children when necessary). He was frugal and made some very wise financial moves that allowed his success. When my husband was growing up, however, he lived in a multi generational home with his parents (until his mother passed giving birth to a sibling) and his grandparents - grandfather worked as a janitor, father worked as a private music teacher and small music shop owner. BUT, education was valued, stressed, and expected. Mom (when she was living) squirreled away money for his sports; his parents sent him to a lovely little parochial school. Because education was sacrificed for, stressed, and valued in their home, my husband excelled in school and went on to earn several degrees (as well as proficiency in almost every instrument under the sun, but for the violin, lol).

[TravelingChris]

I am tutoring a student this year in 5th grade. He should not be in fifth grade as he is doing 1st grade work in reading and struggling with first grade math. Why? Well he spent first and second grades in CA where he was not taught phonics. Then he came to third grade here and proceeded to founder for the next few years. He was very excited to learn to read. He had no idea there was a pattern to reading and what reading he did do (very minimal) was pure memorization. His math problems are worse. He still doesn't understand numbers. They have deemed him an ESL student when that is not his problem. He is dyslexic and furthermore, I am fairly certain his has lower than average IQ. Bug difference from the other kids I tutored last year who were all either average or one was above average IQ.

[Crimson Wife]

 

I very much reject the idea that poor people are stupid compared to the rich, etc. There are a good number of famous wealthy people who make incredibly bad choices and are obviously very stupid (in every way) but who are bailed out by their parents and excused by society. A lot of celebrities are examples of this.

 

Entertainers and athletes may be well-known, but few rich people make their money in this manner. 32% of millionaires are entrepreneurs, 15% are corporate executives, 10% are lawyers, and 9% are healthcare practitioners while only 1.3% are entertainers and 0.4% pro athletes.

 

The Lindsay Lohans and other trainwrecks get a lot of publicity, but they are very non-representative of the wealthy in this country. The millionaires I know are people who are smart, hard-working, and happened to be in the right place at the right time (Malcolm Gladwell is right about that).

[Scarlett]

Meh. I'm all for kids doing nothing but riding bikes to the creek and swimming all summer. (Notice I didn't mention electronics all summer. )

 

That's what the supposed Great Generation did and they weren't any dumber for it.

 

Why is it that people today need triple the class time to get half the education of people just 1 or 2 generations past?

 

I don't think the problem is how much instruction/classes they are getting. I think it's a question of quality.

 

 

I agree. It is all we did as kids and lots of my peers are plenty smart. I often see kids loaded up with far too many activities. No time for family dinners even because everyone is off doing some activity.

[Paige]

GReat White North said "The rich have always had the money to provide their offspring with the best available of everything. That hasn't changed. If the score gap is widening is must be caused by something else. "

 

That is correct. If anyone wants to read a sociological study of this phenomenon (in a readable form), read Charles Murray's Coming Apart. It doesn't have to do so much with money but does to some extent. I grew up in the 60's and 70's. In my elementary school, especially in the early grades, hardly any mothers worked. This was a middle class neighborhood. It started changing soon. HIs observation about the relative permanence of marriage in the upper classes is one I have observed. I kept wondering how come I don't know divorced people (except on here). I found out.

 

I don't agree that it has to be something else. I think that if the wealthy see the middle class and poor children catching up to them (and the rising scores of all children suggest the other kids were improving) then the wealthy will put more energy and resources into ensuring they stay on top. It is like an arms race. As scores rise, more effort must be put into staying on top. As more effort is put into this, the gap widens because of the increased efforts and attention. It's not enough to keep ahead of the middle class and poor kids who were improving. These parents want their kids to stay ahead of other wealthy kids.

 

When I was a schoolkid in the 80s, I did not know anybody who sent their high performing children to Kumon or test prep. I was middle class, but I had friends in the upper circles. They went to fancy schmanzy summer camps and on vacations we couldn't afford but only those who struggled had tutors. Now, many of my friends with kids in public school who are already performing well are being tutored at Kumon or similar places weekly. They are being tutored so they can get into gifted programs. I find it disturbing. If solidly middle class families are doing this, will the wealthy stand idly and allow their kids to be passed up? No. They will find bigger and better tutors. With their already enriched environments, good health, safe neighborhoods, and assorted advantages, if you add in very rigorous and consistent tutoring and classes, I would be surprised if the gap didn't increase. Kids who would score well and ahead of others with no outside help are going to really fly ahead with tutors and enrichment designed to get them ahead.

 

Again- nothing against the wealthy. I'm sure they don't think in terms of keeping their kids above mine. All they want is the same thing I want- I want my kids to have scores higher than most so they can get into the colleges they want to get into.

[SKL]

Studies that show benefits from preschool are biased by the fact that they exclude people who don't think preschool is important, or won't make the effort to send their kids for whatever reason - even if it's free, busing is provided, there's a SAHP, etc. To get your 3/4yo up and out the door in the morning, you have to believe it's going to really make a difference. Not everyone believes it or, frankly, cares. On the other hand, low-income people are less likely to redshirt their kids, so they are younger on average, and more likely to be penalized for differences related to age / experience. Even more likely since the schools cater to an older average child thanks to unnecessary redshirting in some groups.

[Rosie_0801]

I mostly agree with what you wrote. The part I bolded is the part I disagree with. I come from a middle-class suburban background and education was *highly* regarded in my family and often mentioned as an incredible opportunity to better ourselves.

 

 

Same here, but the concept of education my parents were valuing was a very lower middle class one. As far as they knew, the only difference between what they provided and what undefined rich people provide their children was music lessons and private school, with private school meaning more expensive uniforms and fewer bad teachers. They really believed if we went to uni, we would be on an equal footing. I must say, Ester Maria's posts expanded my imagination a great deal. What she considered a barely respectable education was the greatest I could even imagine. If I'd spelled it all out to my father, he wouldn't have been able to see the huge divide between them.

 

I think it is lack of ability to imagine that prevents many low income people seeking out scholarships for summer camps and such.

[SKL]

When I commented on the aimless bike riding, I wasn't saying these kids were off having adventures down at the river with friends. I meant that they were riding in circles in the alley behind the rodeo grounds with no visible adults around. And that was my point--that there do not seem to be adults in their lives who might engage them in interesting activities. And that's sad to me. The city DOES offer things, free things, useful, fun things such as swim lessons, t-ball, Partners, library programs, etc. Our summer reading program isn't just--read so many books and get a junky prize, but weekly meetings with speakers, games, contests, field trips. There's Art in the Park here--with music groups all day, Sundays at Seven--free concerts at the gazebo, everything from bluegrass to classical, the car show with free admission to the auto barn at the Pioneer Museum, Whitewater Festival. You name it! There is SO much for kids to do in this town. But the kids ride their bikes, in circles, behind the rodeo grounds.

 

Do the kids have to have a parent present, or transportation, or special gear to participate in these? This is another difference from when I was a kid. My parents both worked and we free-ranged all summer. There was plenty to do, and parental involvement was not required. Another question - how do people find out about this "free stuff"? Do they hear about it in the public schools? Or does it come from a parent's internet search or a flyer at the dance studio?

[dontknow]

This will continue to go down this path because what's broke can not be fixed by the Government (Fed or State level). It can't be fixed by School Admin's or teachers. It's the culture in which kids grow up in. The 'system' continues to support the broken family structure which represent the largest population of decline in education. Coming from a family with several teachers at elelmentary and secondary levels across different districts, the story remains the same.

 

12 year olds having babies, people having more kids because it equates to more checks, not spending any of the assistance money on anything of relevance but garbage. Is there a corellation between the money and the educated? Yes. Does it always? No.

 

We can't flunk kids. We must pass them along knowing full well they can't do anything at their appropriate level.

 

There's no accountabiltiy so now we're going to push it all on the teacher's results in test scores. Guess what - it's a losing deal and soon that path will close too.

[butterflymommy]

I have always said that no child left behind should have been called "no wealthy white child left behind".

 

 

If you notice, this article carefully leaves out mention of asians (who outscore whites on standardized testing). Anyway the piece specifically states that income is a better predictor of student performance, not race. This trend will likely increase as 50% of whites already live in poverty.

 

Personally I don't buy the notion that exposing a kid to the right vocabulary/ culturally rich environment will somehow lift them into being an astute 5 year old ready to start school at the top of the kindergarten pack. And the author is being disingenuous when he says that investment in early childhood education pays very high societal dividends. This has never been proven to be true in at-risk groups, where benefits are barely marginal, all at a huge pricetag.

 

I've said this before but this line of thinking troubles me, and is dangerously close to a lost generation type scenario where the institution must rescue the child from his vocabulary-poor, culturally inept parents (or parent singular, as single mothers will be targeted as the worst culprits). Perhaps instead of trying to change the child to meet the school's needs, we should change our concept of education to meet the child's needs.

[Murphy101]

Maybe they are engaged in an interesting activity riding around in circles. Kids do all kinds of stuff that seems stupid or pointless to adults. I remember spending hours walking about 15 feet, then coming back, and repeating until new kittens were trained to follow me wherever I went. My dad thought it was stupid and pointless. But I didn't think so. I thought it was fascinating that with encouragement and repetition I could train kittens as young as 4-6 weeks to come when called and follow at my heels. Not to mention, it showed a tremendous ability to patiently focus on a goal until it is reached, which isn't easy to teach in a classroom.

 

I have a son who rides his bike in circles around the neighborhood. He isn't racing. He is trying to build some stamina. I think. Currently he is at 70 laps and his goal is 100. I have no idea why. But he likes it and says it clears his head. So who cares?

 

Why the blazes must we engage all the cotton picking time? Why must their activities be of more interests to us than them for it to not be considered aimless and pointless? I posit that bordom is the result of lack of imagination or initiative. And I tend to think adult constantly micromanaging their time and constantly insisting that all endeavors have an academic or sports aim is what has led to a nation of children that when finally left to their own devices, the kids literally don't know what to do with themselves other than get in trouble.

[Julie Smith]

I must say, Ester Maria's posts expanded my imagination a great deal.

 

 

I admit, I am not closely following this thread. but i cant find which post you are referring to.

[Parrothead]

Do the kids have to have a parent present, or transportation, or special gear to participate in these? This is another difference from when I was a kid. My parents both worked and we free-ranged all summer. There was plenty to do, and parental involvement was not required. Another question - how do people find out about this "free stuff"? Do they hear about it in the public schools? Or does it come from a parent's internet search or a flyer at the dance studio?

 

 

I found out about it via word-of-mouth. My friend was sending her dd to camp for a week. She asked me if dd wanted to go and there were scholarships available. Well, I felt bad about accepting a scholarship so I told my friend no, dd couldn't go. (We couldn't afford it, but we are not poor.)

 

Well, lo and behold, the last day for sign ups came around and my friend told me she spoke to whoever was in charge and the scholarships were going to go to waste if someone didn't claim one. So dd went to Baptist Bible camp for a week.

 

At the time I wondered if parents were spread so thin that they couldn't take advantage of these opportunities. They can't get off work to take the kids. They would lose their spot for child care, etc.

[Parrothead]

 

I admit, I am not closely following this thread. but i cant find which post you are referring to.

 

 

I don't believe Rosie was referring to a specific post. Ester Maria used to post quite a bit about education. I do miss her.

[MistyMountain]

The program I talked about did reach the majority of kids in the town in a quality program and it did make a difference. Research across the board show the same.

 

http://www.aft.org/pdfs/americaneducator/spring2010/BarnettFrede.pdf

[Rosie_0801]

 

I admit, I am not closely following this thread. but i cant find which post you are referring to.

 

 

Ester Maria's old posts.

[catz]

Why the blazes must we engage all the cotton picking time? Why must their activities be of more interests to us than them for it to not be considered aimless and pointless? I posit that bordom is the result of lack of imagination or initiative. And I tend to think adult constantly micromanaging their time and constantly insisting that all endeavors have an academic or sports aim is what has led to a nation of children that when finally left to their own devices, the kids literally don't know what to do with themselves other than get in trouble.

 

 

I absolutely do not think we do need to engage all the time. That is really a HUGE benefit of homeschooling in my opinion. You can engage your child academically where they are and they can still be done hours and hours ahead of schooled peers, pursue some extras, ride your bike, stare at the ceiling. But I also had a very bright child in the system for 2 years, and the only things he learned those 2 years were things he got during school off hours reading independently, piano lessons, science camps, etc. I think for many average to bright kids, school (PS or private) just ends up being a holding pen. Particularly during elementary school years.

 

I talked to a mom not long ago who had a child at a 20K a year private school. And was still griping about the level of the academics and said she was also paying for a private math tutor. Seriously? How about just dropping the 20K school!? Think about what you could do homeschooling with 20K a year as a budget.

[mom31257]

Dh taught 6 years in a high school with a large percentage of poor, non-white kids. Their worlds are more against education than for it. He said there is a mentality among poor parents that you never see among those of higher income. Many of the poor parents didn't want their kids to do better than they had done.

 

He said the poor kids had terrible vocabularies, so even if they could "read" what was put in front of them, they couldn't comprehend it. Those poor vocabularies came from so little emphasis on reading in the home. The schools weren't really doing much to help that because they have done away with a lot of the textbooks, so they aren't even taking home textbooks to have to read. Reading that took place for his history classes was only done in class. He had a classroom set of textbooks that they would sometimes pull out and review, but dh was expected to do a lot of power point type stuff and cooperative group projects. That really builds reading comprehension, huh?

[butterflymommy]

I don't agree that it has to be something else. I think that if the wealthy see the middle class and poor children catching up to them (and the rising scores of all children suggest the other kids were improving) then the wealthy will put more energy and resources into ensuring they stay on top. It is like an arms race. As scores rise, more effort must be put into staying on top. As more effort is put into this, the gap widens because of the increased efforts and attention. It's not enough to keep ahead of the middle class and poor kids who were improving. These parents want their kids to stay ahead of other wealthy kids.

 

 

It is in the best interest of the elites (that upper 10% mentioned in the article) to keep the performance gap as wide and ever-widening as possible, because it is the middle class that is their competition for future generations. In that respect it is also in their best interest to minimize the middle class as much as possible, as a lower class offers much less competition and threat. This is why you see failing school and education agendas pushed and financed decade after decade. It is to the benefit of the intellectual and monied elites to weaken their competition in every respect.

 

I don't know how much of this is conscious or just instinctive. Human beings are naturally clannish, aggressive, and territorial no matter how much we pretend otherwise.

[In The Great White North]

When I was a schoolkid in the 80s, I did not know anybody who sent their high performing children to Kumon or test prep.

 

The first Kumon in the US opened in Larchmont, NY (a wealthy, NYC bedroom community) in 1974.

[Murphy101]

Literacy and IQ have a fairly high positive correlation, however. Not perfect (everyone knows about dyslexic geniuses) but in general, brighter kids tend to be stronger readers.

 

 

I don't know about that. It's a chicken egg issue. If most of what we grade IQ on is reading based knowledge, then literacy is going to go hand in hand with IQ.

 

Yet I wager necessity being the mother of ingenuity, that if we could remove the literacy factor in how an IQ is evaluated, we would be surprised at the result.

 

Amen. I have observed behavior that is seen as perfectly respectable when rich people do it, is a sign of laziness when poor people do it. For example, "free range parenting." Or being a stay-at-home mom.

I very much reject the idea that poor people are stupid compared to the rich, etc. There are a good number of famous wealthy people who make incredibly bad choices and are obviously very stupid (in every way).

 

 

Indeed. If money could make people smarter, given the amount America spends on students, we should be a nation of geniuses. Alas, we are not.

 

I also would not equate good grades and schools with intelligence. Anyone else know plenty of straight A idiots? I have.

 

To ME intelligence is far far more than grades and isn't even an academic issue.

 

I also take exception to parents or kids that don't value education. Frankly, what we call education is getting less and less wor my respect. Thousands of dollars in debt, half the classes don't pertain to the degree being sought, and many a college seems to cover material that should have been covered in high school but wasn't, so now the students are forced to endure it on their own dimes?

 

Yeahhhh. Remind me again why we want that for our kids? Remind me again why a student who just spent 13 years in the school system shouldn't be extremely POd to have to pay for an American history class in college to get a degree in mechanics? I think many students and parents would value education more if they felt they were actually getting one.

 

But for many? They are completely justified in their discouragement and disillusionment and I don't blame them for deciding to stop sinking money in a failing system and try to find another path that pays the bills.

 

(note: My kids are being pushed hard to get a degree AND a trade bc I value education and bc I also value not throwing $ down the toilet in case a degree isn't enough. ;p )

 

I don't believe Rosie was referring to a specific post. Ester Maria used to post quite a bit about education. I do miss her.

 

 

Me too. :(

[MomtoCandJ]

A link to the study on no gain from Head Start:

 

 

I really think this depends on how much outside money the program gets. I'm on policy council for dd's Headstart area. Her specific program doesn't receive as much outside funding as another program the next town over. Also parent involvement is stressed but not many parents cooperate. Dd's program for instance, I have been the only parent to show up for meeting out of 36 parents.

http://www.onwardvoice.com/head-start-gains-found-to-wash-out-by-3rd-grade/

 

[Murphy101]

Dh taught 6 years in a high school with a large percentage of poor, non-white kids. Their worlds are more against education than for it. He said there is a mentality among poor parents that you never see among those of higher income. Many of the poor parents didn't want their kids to do better than they had done.

He said the poor kids had terrible vocabularies, so even if they could "read" what was put in front of them, they couldn't comprehend it. Those poor vocabularies came from so little emphasis on reading in the home. The schools weren't really doing much to help that because they have done away with a lot of the textbooks, so they aren't even taking home textbooks to have to read. Reading that took place for his history classes was only done in class. He had a classroom set of textbooks that they would sometimes pull out and review, but dh was expected to do a lot of power point type stuff and cooperative group projects. That really builds reading comprehension, huh?

 

 

I will say I do completely understand this concept.

 

Basicly, if they try to "better" themselves, they are outcast. Viewed as thinking they are too good for the slums or accused of thinking those around them are stupid, which even if it is true, no one likes to face it.

[SKL]

No, the children do not have to have a parent present to do Partners, nor the free swim lessons, nor t-ball, etc. Every child can pick one rec program per session (winter, spring, summer) and it's free. Totally free. No transpo needed here--you can walk across our town in ten minutes. :laugh: No, dance isn't available, nor competitive gymnastics, nor hockey, nor competitive swim team, but basic rec stuff IS. The parents of those other programs haven't wanted to offer those programs free as it would mean the paying parents would have to pony up the money. I fought the suggestion of free swim team as, yes, the kid could practice, but then how would he get to meets, pay for team suits, meet fees, etc. Since every meet requires 3 hours of driving, that would just set the child up for frustration--practice for meets and then not be able to participate? I don't know HOW parents can afford hockey... :lol:

 

How do they find out about it? Well, there's a flyer that goes home in Friday packets every season, plus the flyers are at the county health department, plus the food bank and the laundromat. Every "at risk" kid is told about Partners. Every ESL kid gets notified. The summer mentor program that was axed offered FREE every morning activities--park stuff, games, reading, etc. Only two families were interested, so the program is kaput.

 

The stuff is out there (in my town) but the families have to put a BIT of oomph into their kids!

 

When I spoke of aimless, I was thinking of the kids pedaling up and down the alley, dumping trash cans, getting into fights, flinging rocks at passing cars, etc. I make a point of NOT driving down several alleys during the summer to get to the rodeo grounds. It's frightening to dodge the toddlers in the road and hard on my car to have rocks pelted at it.

Can the kid just show up or does the parent have to register / fill out forms / qualify / etc.? If this is something where the kid can just show up and participate, and nobody's doing it, maybe it's not well-designed for the target audience. ... When I was a kid each school playground had adults known as "teach" and "coach" who would provide stuff for kids to do, e.g., making kid-friendly crafts, playing checkers and chess, baseball / basketball, etc. We loved going there. Some years they offered free hot lunch to everyone. Periodically there would be a trailer from the "traveling zoo" or other special event. There was also the public library within walking distance, and you never had to have a parent accompany you. We could go to the pools (outdoor or indoors) at age 8 without any supervision, or younger if we were accompanied by "anyone" over 15. There were vacation Bible schools on a staggered schedule all around the neighborhood. Sometimes there were community gardens and, again, all you had to do was show up (parents had nothing to do with it) and they even issued each kid a set of gardening tools as well as seeds etc. The zoo was also free on two days per week - and again - no parental accompaniment necessary. You'd just walk in and do your thing. In between all these activities, you met all kinds of kids, and I honestly can't remember ever being bored. Unfortunately, nowadays people are so afraid of liability that there's a lot more red tape involved in kid stuff. Libraries, for example, expect a parent to be present with the kid until he's 12. :/ It doesn't help kids like me.

[SKL]

I admit to putting $$ into my kids, and it's not so they can be better than your kids. It's so they can be healthy (Little Gym etc.) and learn successfully (therapy, practice workbooks, etc.). It's because we are only home together for a very short time each day, so we can't often take advantage of free stuff such as a walk to the park or traditional heavy chores or hands-on practical math/science activities. I would like my kids to be employable at a living wage. There is almost no help for my kid because we do not "qualify" and even insurance covers nothing. So I spend money. I don't know why others with $$ do what they do, but consider the fact that if their kids have troubles in school, they have no taxpayer-funded resources. So naturally they are going to pay.

[Jenny in Florida]

 

That might be one reason, but a bigger factor is likely related to the parents' education and the children's access to books, a language-rich home environment, library programs and other informal community learning activities, etc.

 

I don't have time to look it up at the moment, but I remember reading about studies that seem to show one of the most significant predictors/correlations with regard to how well kids will do in school is the sheer number of words they hear spoken prior to a certain age. Wealthier parents tend to be better educated (or vice versa) and are more likely to have a parent at home interacting with a child or to pay a better educated, more professional caregiver to do so. Those kids get more individual attention, get spoken to more often and with a richer vocabulary and go on to do better in school.

 

And, yes, of course, books, too. I also read somewhere not too long ago that some amazingly large percentage of households in this country do not have any children's books on the shelves. None.

 

Of course there are good parents in all income brackets and with varying levels of education. And I'm certain there are many parents who work very hard to do their best to get their kids opportunities despite barriers put in place by lower income and less formal education. However, in big, broad strokes, I don't find it terribly surprising that kids from wealthier families do better in school, for a whole host of reasons.

[Murphy101]

And, yes, of course, books, too. I also read somewhere not too long ago that some amazingly large percentage of households in this country do not have any children's books on the shelves. None.

 

The first thing every single none homeschool person says when they enter my home is some variation of, "woooow. You're house is like a library."

 

The first thing MY kids note, but have learned not to say, when visiting non homeschoolers is, "Wow, you don't have a bookcase in your room?"

 

And no my house is not like a library to ME, but it's not because I am not working on it. ;)

[Supertechmom]

Maybe I am just reading too much into this, but isn't anyone else disturbed by the fact that the gap lessens during the school year? To me, this means that no matter what you do in the summer or how much you prepare your students ahead of time, the ps is the great equalizer. It looks like the kids who went in higher didn't get what they needed to stay challenged. As a Mom of gifted children, that would worry me.

 

 

And that is why we home school. The kids around here go in knowing tons and come out having lost it. It is the topic of conversation with kindergarten moms as they sit around bemoaning the loss of what their child could do before the school year and what they can't do now at the end and how much work they will do all summer to get them back up to speed. Gifted kids and kids who are ahead to begin with for whatever the reason do not get an education. They simply get busy work.

[Jenny in Florida]

Another question - how do people find out about this "free stuff"? Do they hear about it in the public schools? Or does it come from a parent's internet search or a flyer at the dance studio?

 

I know our libraries have flyers up all the time for their various (free) programs. They also publish and hand out for free a monthly brochure listing every (free) class and program they offer. A parent or kid who is already spending time at the library would have amply opportunity to find out about these programs.

 

When our kids were younger and we went through an especially tight financial patch, I kept a copy of the current library brochure on my desk at home and dog-eared every page that had anything in which I thought either kid would be interested. I put every program on our calendar and took them to all kinds of fantastic events: mini-concerts, storytimes, drama presentations, craft sessions . . .

 

Generally, if a family is taking advantage of community resources available to them, they'll be in the right place to find out about even more.

[stripe]

The first thing every single none homeschool person says when they enter my home is some variation of, "woooow. You're house is like a library."

I've read multiple times, and I found the source once when I posted about it, that only TEN books in a child's home makes an enormous difference in their lives.

 

There is an assumption that ALL talk from a parent is a good thing. I have actually observed some parents trying very hard and being downright smothering. I see this everywhere I go! "Oh, Abigail, there's an A! Look there, it's an apple. Apple starts with 'a'!" Meanwhile Abigail is drooling in her stroller, asleep. I certainly have seen children whose language skills are not getting much exercise, and who benefit greatly by interested chat from adults and other kids, but sheesh! Some parents are too much. I think having a conversation is important, not merely a blast of factoids from Mom. Also some time for the child to have its own thoughts, not just star in an educational tv show.

[stripe]

Here's an interesting theory

 

Childhood poverty, chronic stress, and adult working memory

Gary W. Evans and Michelle A. Schamberg

http://www.pnas.org/content/early/2009/03/27/0811910106

The income–achievement gap is a formidable societal problem, but little is known about either neurocognitive or biological mechanisms that might account for income-related deficits in academic achievement. We show that childhood poverty is inversely related to working memory in young adults. Furthermore, this prospective relationship is mediated by elevated chronic stress during childhood. Chronic stress is measured by allostatic load, a biological marker of cumulative wear and tear on the body that is caused by the mobilization of multiple physiological systems in response to chronic environmental demands.

[TravelingChris]

Oh and one thing some of these studies don't do- differentiate between income and class. You can have low income for a number of reasons- new to employment, bad turn in the economy, immigrant, etc, but still be of a higher class. We can sometimes see immigrants from some countries where the parents have issues getting certificates or licenses for their original careers and are now working much below their educational levels to survive. They still have the rich vocabulary and wide knowledge of an educated person even if they are cleaning the theater (someone I knew had this issue and the parents were on the cleaning staff at the Kennedy Center).

 

The lack of conversational talk with preschoolers doesn't just impact reading. It has a huge impact on math skills too. I never knew about this issue until last year when I encountered my first school aged kid who didn't understand numbers. I am not young (just reached 50 this year) but I had never encountered this issue. Why? Because although I had met children of poor parents, those parents were poor in money, not in attitude. They still talked to their little ones. All the many kids I had seen up to that point were taught what numbers were (and shapes and colors) simply by parents having the kids count when doing things like buying apples. IF all you are doing is talking business with your kids, they don't learn about numbers. Some pick up the idea anyway. Others, who are probably less smart or less observant, don't. This year I have a kid in fifth grade who still didn't understand numbers. He had memorized some arithmetic facts but had no idea what any of it meant. He can't tell you whether nine is bigger than seven. He has problems even when he counts it out. I don't think he will ever get math at all. I have been trying since September to remedy the situation and I have failed. I am happy that at least I taught him to read.

[Dmmetler]

In my TN county (and in several others), you can sign up to have a book delivered to your child each month from birth to age 5, regardless of income. I actually e-mailed them to ask what donation would be good to send to pay for my DD's subscription, so they could help someone else, and they wouldn't tell me (so I estimated-hardcover children's books are something I can find a price on pretty easily). They'll send books in English or in Spanish.

 

It's a great service-and it's something that you'll have the application form handed to you practically as soon as you get out of L&D in the hospital. There REALLY is no excuse for a kid not having books at home when they start K.

 

I was talking to one of my former teaching colleagues (who now also homeschools) at our homeschool group's end of year lunch/play at a pizza place today-and one of the things we were talking about was that the wonderful public library was maybe a 2 block walk from the school we taught at. Yet, most of the kids never went there and checked out a book or participated in the programs and classes unless it was on a school field trip. We had them fill out library card applications at school, and got the kids their library cards. We sent home flyers about library programs. We took the kids there regularly. I don't know why the older kids, at least, didn't go there more often-it was well within a range they could have easily walked, and I would think that if I were a 11-12 yr old girl who was responsible for caring for a 3 and 5 yr old, that preschool story time offered several days a week would have looked like a GREAT break (just like it did for all us middle class mamas of preschoolers), or that going to a library craft time, or story time, or "read to the dog" time, or any of the other activities they had in a nice, air conditioned building should have been quite attractive to the older kids.

[Crimson Wife]

Dh taught 6 years in a high school with a large percentage of poor, non-white kids. Their worlds are more against education than for it. He said there is a mentality among poor parents that you never see among those of higher income. Many of the poor parents didn't want their kids to do better than they had done.

 

 

My DH is white and wasn't poor growing up but he experienced the bolded. DH was always expected to go to college but only a local state school. He got into a huge, nasty fight with FIL when DH chose Stanford over Penn State. If it hadn't been for the encouragement of one of his high school teachers, DH wouldn't even have applied despite being valedictorian of his class, National Merit Finalist, and so on. If he had grown up in my upper-middle-class neighborhood, it would've been drummed into him from a very early age to aim for an elite university.

[Murphy101]

All the many kids I had seen up to that point were taught what numbers were (and shapes and colors) simply by parents having the kids count when doing things like buying apples. IF all you are doing is talking business with your kids, they don't learn about numbers. Some pick up the idea anyway. Others, who are probably less smart or less observant, don't.

 

 

I have a dear friend who I grew up with. Her second and my fourth are very close in age. So the are about to turn 3ish and she says to me, "I need to put X in preschool. He needs to learn to count and his colors and stuff." and I blurt out, "What the? Don't you talk to him?!"

 

But she really doesn't. And I've learned that MANY families don't talk and MANY couples don't talk. It is mind boggling to me, but I hear tell it is VERY common.

 

To me, no child needs taught to know shapes and numbers. How many times does a kid need told to grab his green cup before he knows that's green? How many times does a kid need told to get 4 spoons for the dinner table? And so forth.

 

It's really rather horrifying to me. But apparently many families just don't talk about much. I don't know what they do around each other, but apparently talking isn't it.

 

In my TN county (and in several others), you can sign up to have a book delivered to your child each month from birth to age 5, regardless of income. I actually e-mailed them to ask what donation would be good to send to pay for my DD's subscription, so they could help someone else, and they wouldn't tell me (so I estimated-hardcover children's books are something I can find a price on pretty easily). They'll send books in English or in Spanish.

It's a great service-and it's something that you'll have the application form handed to you practically as soon as you get out of L&D in the hospital. There REALLY is no excuse for a kid not having books at home when they start K.

I was talking to one of my former teaching colleagues (who now also homeschools) at our homeschool group's end of year lunch/play at a pizza place today-and one of the things we were talking about was that the wonderful public library was maybe a 2 block walk from the school we taught at. Yet, most of the kids never went there and checked out a book or participated in the programs and classes unless it was on a school field trip. We had them fill out library card applications at school, and got the kids their library cards. We sent home flyers about library programs. We took the kids there regularly. I don't know why the older kids, at least, didn't go there more often-it was well within a range they could have easily walked, and I would think that if I were a 11-12 yr old girl who was responsible for caring for a 3 and 5 yr old, that preschool story time offered several days a week would have looked like a GREAT break (just like it did for all us middle class mamas of preschoolers), or that going to a library craft time, or story time, or "read to the dog" time, or any of the other activities they had in a nice, air conditioned building should have been quite attractive to the older kids.

 

 

Not all books are created equal. Most free programs give really useless fluff books based on TV cartoons bc those are deemed popular and are usually cheap/donated by publishers. (idk if the TN program is like that tho.)

 

And many libraries are not welcoming to kids coming by themselves. None of my kids can even get a card without my signature. And then they aren't supposed to be dropped off. This is sad to me bc as a kid I practically lived at the library I walked to a mile and a half away from home. If I'd had to have my parents involved to go, I wouldn't have been able to go. My father has never once walked into a public library. Neither had my mother. If I couldn't get there on my own, then I didn't get to go bc mom and dad worked too much to accommodate me. Heck, if I missed the school bus, then I didn't go to school that day unless I walked there.

[Dmmetler]

Here's the 2012 book list for the TN program

-----

Imagination Library 2012 Book List

 

The first month after a child enrolls, he/she receives a copy of the book Dolly Parton first gave to all of the children in her home county, The Little Engine That Could.

 

Children born in 2012 receive books that are bright, with big drawings, and colorful. Some are board books, but all are simple, easy to use, with minimal text.

Giggles With Daddy Peekaboo Morning Gingerbread Man Where’s My Nose? Look Look! Where’s Spot? Look At the Animals Whose Baby Am I? Max’s First Word Winnie-the-Pooh’s Opposites My First Songs

 

Children born in 2011 receive books that have repetition and predictability. Some show children doing familiar things. Others teach about colors, letters or numbers.

All of Baby Nose to Toes Pouch! A Mud Pie For Mother Roly Poly Pangolin ABC Look At Me Red Wagon Corduroy Goes to the Doctor Spot Goes the the Library Good Night, Gorilla Sleep, Baby, Sleep The Story of Ferdinand Three Little Kittens Little Loon and Papa Your Kind of Mommy Little Pink Pup

 

Children born in 2010 receive books that help them understand feelings and resolve issues. Some books may have no words and they can create their own story.

1,2,3 to the Zoo One Foot, Two Feet Big Brother, Little Brother Over in the Meadow Big Sister, Little Sister Road Work Ahead I Am A Rainbow Roar of a Snore Little Owl’s Night Rhymes ‘Round the World Llama, Llama Red Pajama The Wild Little Horse Mine-o-saur Tomie dePaola’s Mother Goose My Little Train

 

Children born in 2009 receive books that are more complex and feature the diversity of others. There are nursery rhymes, poems, and lots of good humor.

A House Is a House for Me Love, Mouserella Blueberries for Sal Madeline Bun Bun Button My Lucky Day Corduroy Old Bear and His Cub Goldilocks and the Three Bears Pretend Llama Llama Mad at Mama Read to Tiger Little Monkey Lost The Story of Ferdinand

 

Children born in 2008 receive books with more details (hero, complication, resolution) and show that is okay to be different. Some are funny and playful.

Bringing the Rain to the Kapiti Plain My Baby Blue Jays Grandfather Buffalo Otis Legend Of The Indian Paintbrush Strega Nona’s Harvest Ladybug Girl and Bumblebee Boy Take Care Good Knight Llama Llama Home With Mama Taking Care of Mama Llama Llama Misses Mama The House That Jack Built Luke Goes to Bat The Snowy Day

 

Children born in 2007 receive folk tales, non-fiction science books, rhymes and poetry. Other stories address school preparation and readiness.

At This Very Moment Sylvia Jean, Scout Supreme Born Yesterday The Tale of Peter Rabbit Holler Loudly Wanted: the Perfect Pig I Wanna New Room What’s the Big Idea, Molly? Mary and Her Little Lamb Where Butterflies Grow Owl Moon

 

A child receives Look Out Kindergarten, Here I Come! as he/she graduates from the program in the month of his/her fifth birthday.

[Crimson Wife]

It is in the best interest of the elites (that upper 10% mentioned in the article) to keep the performance gap as wide and ever-widening as possible, because it is the middle class that is their competition for future generations. In that respect it is also in their best interest to minimize the middle class as much as possible, as a lower class offers much less competition and threat. This is why you see failing school and education agendas pushed and financed decade after decade. It is to the benefit of the intellectual and monied elites to weaken their competition in every respect.

 

 

What about the economic self-interest of the elites to not want to have to financially support so many able-bodied individuals? I want a strong middle class not just because it's the Christian thing but because I'm sick of having such a large chunk of our family's income going to pay for all the various government handouts. I want people to have the education and skills to earn a wage that will support themselves and their own families. Yes, there will always be a need for burger flippers and retail clerks. But I'd like those low-wage jobs to be a temporary steppingstone for those just starting out in the workforce rather than a permanent dead-end.

[MistyMountain]

Here's the 2012 book list for the TN program

-----

Imagination Library 2012 Book List

 

I got those same exact books mailed to me this year in Alaska based on the child's birth year.

[Paige]

I don't think elites want to keep the gap wide. They simply want their children to do as well as possible. The competition among the elites themselves is creating the widening gap. And, kids of other classes, in general, are scoring better too. The difference is that their rate of improvement is slower than that of the elite. Or, it could be that the scores are all completely meaningless, inflated, and don't reflect actual knowledge or skills for any class.

[Anne in CA]

One thing that I have not seen anyone mention explicitly, the real elephant in the room is popular culture. Middle class kids use most of their intelligence on memorizing sports statistics, lines from movies, and popular song lyrics. Those things will never raise your test scores or help you later in life. They are seen as valuable skills in mainstream America today. It is the biggest battle I have fought for my kids education and I may have lost it. I lost it with my oldest, and I'm fighting tooth and nail with my younger two. My son believes with all his heart that being good at games like Minecraft are not wasted time. He has a very high IQ, but he only has a 2.8 GPA in college because he NEVER does homework. He can get a 2.8 by showing up and taking tests, giving speeches, ect with no prep. His WTM education gave him enough of an edge to pull that off. Younger dd believes that being a Selena Gomez fan is important. My dh will not support me in unplugging the kids and so there it is. My kids are as smart or smarter than any wealthy kids I know, but they have watched more television than they should have and I limit TV more than any other non home schooling mother that I know, so what mainstream kids watch must be truly over the top.

[Parrothead]

Sadly a great many of those double dippers, as you called them, have to work at any job they can find due to the downturn.

[Scarlett]

Maybe they are engaged in an interesting activity riding around in circles. Kids do all kinds of stuff that seems stupid or pointless to adults. I remember spending hours walking about 15 feet, then coming back, and repeating until new kittens were trained to follow me wherever I went. My dad thought it was stupid and pointless. But I didn't think so. I thought it was fascinating that with encouragement and repetition I could train kittens as young as 4-6 weeks to come when called and follow at my heels. Not to mention, it showed a tremendous ability to patiently focus on a goal until it is reached, which isn't easy to teach in a classroom.

 

I have a son who rides his bike in circles around the neighborhood. He isn't racing. He is trying to build some stamina. I think. Currently he is at 70 laps and his goal is 100. I have no idea why. But he likes it and says it clears his head. So who cares?

 

Why the blazes must we engage all the cotton picking time? Why must their activities be of more interests to us than them for it to not be considered aimless and pointless? I posit that bordom is the result of lack of imagination or initiative. And I tend to think adult constantly micromanaging their time and constantly insisting that all endeavors have an academic or sports aim is what has led to a nation of children that when finally left to their own devices, the kids literally don't know what to do with themselves other than get in trouble.

 

 

 

Your post reminds me of my ds13, who from the time he was 4 would spend HOURS outside playing imaginary games. (he still does it but don't tell him I told you so) If you watch him from the window he appears to be a bit touched in the head, but he is having a good ole time just him and his imagination. His dad, my XH, used to watch him and say sadly, 'poor kid, he needs some friends'. Uh, no, he doesn't he is fine. He has a great imagination why be sorry for him?

[Scarlett]

I have a dear friend who I grew up with. Her second and my fourth are very close in age. So the are about to turn 3ish and she says to me, "I need to put X in preschool. He needs to learn to count and his colors and stuff." and I blurt out, "What the? Don't you talk to him?!"

 

But she really doesn't. And I've learned that MANY families don't talk and MANY couples don't talk. It is mind boggling to me, but I hear tell it is VERY common.

 

To me, no child needs taught to know shapes and numbers. How many times does a kid need told to grab his green cup before he knows that's green? How many times does a kid need told to get 4 spoons for the dinner table? And so forth.

 

It's really rather horrifying to me. But apparently many families just don't talk about much. I don't know what they do around each other, but apparently talking isn't it.

 

 

I know ! I don't get it. I know not all kids progress at the exact rate, but HOW do they get to K age and not know how to count to 10? Or colors? Or shapes? It is puzzling to me. I remember when ds was about 4 we were in Books a Million and he found a box that had four puzzles in one box...each puzzle was 20pieces....he dumped the box out and lickey split put those four puzzles together!

 

My mom has seen kids come into K not knowing their own last name.