Now I Know my ABCs

Test

My 8-year-old son makes good grades in school. And not "just getting by" good, I mean, "head of the class type" grades. And you know what? He's bored stiff with the educational system. Almost every day he comes home begging us to rip him out of school and teach him at home.

"They're trying to dumb me down," he keeps saying. "Besides, I learn more at home than I do at school. And those tests can't tell how intelligent we really are, they're just using that to hold us back." Yeah, those are the words of my eight year old. First of all, let me explain something about this boy--he's a classic whiner. He could win awards for his whining ability.

For a while I argued the point with him about the importance of getting an education, landing a good-paying job, blah, blah, blah. That was until I really understood the inner mechanisms of the school system and this country.

Today's students, especially in the public school system, aren't taught the basics of reading, writing and arithmetic, before they're finding standardized testing stuffed down their throats. I can't count the times I've encountered kids who can fill in the bubbles on a computerized form or beat the computers on their PlayStation, but can't multiply and divide simple numbers or count back change.

And further proof of how the single-minded implementation of these tests that deprive kids of the basics, thereby eroding their learning, sets our children world's apart from the educational culture of other countries is that almost every day I receive an e-mail from an adult with MD, BA, BS, MPH, or PhD attached to the end of their names and it reads like something a one-year-old pecked out.

That, in itself, lends credence to what my son has been saying. They're teaching them to be structured robots and creativity is not allowed. Even the ability of some teachers comes into question. A prime example of that is my son's current teacher. She gave them an assignment where they had to split apart compound words.

At least five of his words weren't compound words. He brought this to her attention, and what was her response? "Yes, they are."

"I don't see it," he responded.

"Well, take it home to your parents and let them explain it."

Here's one of the words: unfair.

Can you find the compound words? I'll wait.

Thought so.

In my home, we're evaluating methods that will allow us to teach our children as well as other children outside of the current educational system. I know that my family is not alone in rethinking the viability of a system that exists off a culmination of tests created by people who didn't even take the time to research or care about the varied learning styles and needs of children from a multitude of backgrounds. 

I'd love to know what others are thinking, doing, etc.