Well it's been a few weeks since the new school year has started. The kids seem to be adjusting to the early morning routine as well as the school day pretty good. I on the other hand find it oddly quiet. I know, I know, when they're all here I complain about the constant the noise, but for some weird reason I also find the noise comforting.
Anyway, so every year we get a list of suggested supplies the teachers believe would be helpful for our children's education during the school year. Mind you these are only suggestions, we do not have to purchase them but they would like us to. So my suggested supply list for this year cost me close to $200.00. That is not including the 7 backpacks, 7 pairs of shoes plus all the clothes. I'm not complaining, if all the supplies I bought will help my children receive a better education then I can't put a price tag on it, can I?
A few of my kids have difficulties in a few classes and get a little help. Being a drug addict for 7 months in utero and then going cold turkey has it's problem as well as having their small brains beat in. So I attend IEP's to make sure my kids get the help they need.
At one particular IEP I expressed my concerns regarding my child's inability to spell. The response to my concern was and I quote "Thank God for spell check". Seriously he had the audacity to say that? I was appalled . As far as I am concerned the school system caused a lot of the problems with their writing to read program. Write the word how you think it sound and eventually you learn to spell it right.Whatever happened to good old fashion phonics? Learn the alphabet and their sounds and put it together. It has been many years since I was taught to read and write but I still remember some of the rules of both. When two vowels go walking the first does the talking or i before e except after c. So now I have kids who spell it likes they think it sounds and can't read the word when it is spelled correctly in a sentence.
I am totally confused up to this point as to how odorless dry erase markers, glue sticks and crayons are going to help my child's education. Wouldn't my money be better spent on maybe "Hooked on Phonics".
Give these kids spelling test, oh wait, you can't because they can't spell.
I just read a newsletter from one of my kids teachers and in the 5th grade they are now focusing on vocabulary structure rather than spelling, it's called morphological awareness. Which means they are going to be able to identify parts of a word. That all sounds great if they can get the prefixes and suffixes but don't you need to know how to spell the root word first? I'm just asking.
Now before all the teachers get mad at me let me tell you I have the utmost respect for teacher and bus drivers. I would not want to stand in front of a classroom full of hormonal boys and girls and expect everyone of them to understand everything I have said. As for bus drivers I would never have that many children behind my back at one time.
I am just voicing my own opinion on what I have experienced with my kids. I also understand a lot of the teaching methods are put into place by the school district and your hands are tied. So for that I apologize if I have offended any teachers that is not my intention.
