Kindergardeners CAN READ, JOHN McLAME!!!

[Heather MC]

Sorry if I am late on this. I saw McCain's stupid Commercial about Obama wanting to teach sexual education to Kindergardeners before they can Read.

Last year my son was a kindergardener, The day he began school he could read, because we sent him to an incredible preschool for 2 years, as a matter of fact, My son Aced the exams they give the children at the beginning of the year to test there knowledge. he was only required to get a 28, my son scored a perfect score of 102. In fact when I told him his score was perfect, he said great, then I am done with school since I know everything!

Now, for the Sexual education and why his attack of Obama on this point proves once again how stupid and out of touch John McCain really is.

For the first 3 weeks of school last year, my son was being held down by force and kissed against his will by about 4 little girls that were hot in the undies for my son. At first my son ask me not to tell. After the 3 rd week he had had enough. I told the parents of the girls THEY LAUGHED. I told his teacher she did a class for the kids about keeping your hands to your self.

Well halfway through the school year my son began exhibiting actions of a sexualized nature, showing his penis, kissing a little boy when he was alone. I was worried about, what kind of programming my son had received when he was being held down and kissed. So I took him to a therapist, because I was concerned I was too emotional and angry and not able to ask the right questions, oh and bless God my health care covered this expense.

Anyway, it came out in the therapy that since no one got in trouble for doing those things to him, he didn't think it was wrong to do to others.

We got my son the book "My body is Private", though it's written from a female's perspective he was smart enough to make the connection.

I am writing this post, so that you all can spread the word that teaching children about sexual predators in Kindergarden is very important. As a parent I didn't even consider that my son was being sexually harassed, until I thought, What if I had a daughter who was being held down and forcibly kissed against her will by for boys????????



If you are reading this line, thanks for hanging in there. I am happy to say the 6 week therapy really helped my son, and thank GOD for it!

[leftofcool]

1. Your son is exceptional. My 5 year old grand daughter can also read

but the majority of kindergartners can not.

[Midlodemocrat]

2. Not here. In fact, they have to be reading at a first grade level

to advance to first grade. In fact, if a child cannot identify all their colors, letters, both lower and uppercase, numbers, parts of the body and state where they live and who they live with according to the Brigance testing, they are held back in pre-school for another year.

Some parents opt to put their child in kindergarten because it is free, as opposed to the pre-school, but with the understanding that the child will probably have to repeat.

[leftofcool]

3. So in your state, children have to read at a first grade level

in kindergarten to advance to 1st grade? What state? I am interested as a retired teacher in this because this is the first I have heard of it. I still try to stay on top of teacher type stuff.

[Midlodemocrat]

5. Not state, county.

And, admittedly some schools don't make the grade. By the end of their kindergarten year, the children must be reading at a 1-1 level, which is first grade, first month. They need to be able to recognize sight words and put sight words together to form simple sentences. If they cannot do this, they are held back, or placed in a CLAB class. Some are referred for additional testing for LD/ED

This isn't unusual. A lot of states/counties are doing this.

I am a former teacher/professor as well. Frankly, I think this entire program sucks ass.

[leftofcool]

6. I kind of agree with ya on this

It is a bit much to push kids so young into learning that much their first year. There is enough for them to get used to without all of that thrown in.........sit at your desk, raise your hand, play well with others etc..... My grand daughter's school wanted to move her up to 2nd grade at barely 5 years old because she can read on a 3rd grade level. Thankfully, I raised a smart son who told them to suck eggs! She has to be emotionally ready first at 5.

[Midlodemocrat]

11. Both my girls were reading when they went into K

but it was just a personal thing. My son, on the other hand, wasn't reading and his K teacher, who is a personal friend of mine now many years later, wanted to hold him back.

We refused. He went on in first grade to finish the year reading at a 5-1 level!!!! :wow: He just needed to mature a bit.

In fact, the school has this accelerated reading program, which I detest. The kids take a test which gives them their reading range, based on years/months like in my previous post. They then select a book in that range, read it and take a test on it.

My poor son in fifth grade was reading at an 11th grade level. The only books in the library which had the tests associated with it where Presidential biographies and the LOTR series. So, he read one LOTR book for each quarter. Problem was, he was and is a very slow reader.

It was a disaster for us. And, it took a lot of the joy of reading away from him. This is a child who we took to Barnes and Noble every weekend when he was little so he could pick out a book to read.

By the time my kids were finished with elementary school, they had enough books to start their own libraries, LOL.

[pnwmom]

27. Both my son and I had an experience similar to your son's.

In my case, it was because I missed most of kindergarten, and all the early reading instruction. (The building wasn't completed until after Christmas, and then I ended up getting every childhood disease in existence.)

So I entered first grade with the non-readers, but I left it reading Nancy Drew. I was just READY and learning to read was a THRILL. It's really unfortunate they push kids so hard nowadays. It must take all the fun out of it.

[sammytko]

10. you would be amazed what they can do

I'm in a teacher ed program (second career). I did 20 hrs last semester in a bilingual kinder class. They can read in English and Spanish. The class was not for Spanish speakers only. Most of the parents wanted thier kids to learn a second language. We had a couple of very blond cute kids who were just adorable - perfect accents.

Even the school board president had her little girl in the class.

[pnwmom]

18. Some kids can, some kids can't. And it has little to do with intelligence

or long term reading ability.

My daughter was able to read a few odd words at age 2, but her brother, who didn't read anything until kindergarten, suddenly took a huge leap and was at the top of his class in first grade.

In the long run, whether a child learns to read in first or second grade or in preschool isn't any more important than whether a child learns to walk at age 10 months or a year and a half.

[fed_up_mother]

24. I agree.

I've known more than a couple of very immature boys who couldn't read in kindergarten who were "kicking ass" by high school. And I know little girls can fall into that same category.

Let's face it: many parents can claim their kids were reading in kindergarten and then are shocked when their little darlings don't make it into the gifted and talented programs. Early maturation "can" be a sign of high intelligence, but there are many other factors, as well.

Frankly, I don't think very highly of educators who think it's fine to push kindergarteners to get nowhere fast.

[pnwmom]

14. That policy has no pedagogical foundation.

Reading ability is largely developmental. Some kids are simply ready earlier than others.

When my son started kindergarten, he only identified about 1/3 of his letters. (He probably knew more, but was unwilling to say unless he was sure.) In first grade, they expected to see the children begin the reading program at least at "level 6", and to progress to "level 12" by the end of the year. He started out at level 8, and progressed to level 30-something by the end of the year, putting him at the 4th grade level. (The test didn't go any higher.)

In your district, he would have been held back from kindergarten, on the assumption that he wouldn't have been able to read in first grade. How stupid.

[Heather MC]

12. that's true Most Can not, However every child that left my son's preschool could read

that pre-school was no joke

it went from 7am- 4pm
they gave home work 3 nights a week no weekend homework
and they were patience but consistant with the kids

They even were able to teach austic children to read.

But we also do out part, Our son has had a library card since he was 3 and asked for one.

And we are not putting unusal pressure on him to learn. What we do at him is incourage where his interest lie, like if he likes trains, we get hims books and books about trains

This week it's snakes, we just got past insects (I thought I hated that phase but now he is on to snakes, I wish he would like something cute like puppies)

In my son's public school class there were 3 kids who could read at the beginning of school out of 12 students.

[fed_up_mother]

25. Homework in preschool?!

Do you think that's more to satisfy the parents' ego than the actual developmental requirements of the children?

[LeftyMom]

30. 7-4 and homework in preschool? That's not even slightly developmentally appropriate.

People who push kids like that are going to fuck them up royally.

[bunkerbuster1]

4. Thanks for something that'd been rattling in my brain...

it reflects the old, old, old thinking of Team McCain.

Anyone who's had a child in the school system the past 10-20 years knows that kindergarten is, essentially, where 1st grade used to be in terms of reading skills expectation.

Put another way, most kindergarteners are expected to be able to read a bit. Not much, but they should be able to recognize at minimum a few simple words upon starting the school year, and they're then taught to read simple material.

So not only is the McCain ad lying about Obama, but it's fundamentally out of touch with current practices.

Anyway, thanks for sharing the story of "My Body is Private." Hope all is well with your son now.

[cali]

7. Well, some kids can read in Kindergarten and others can't

My kid couldn't. He knew the alphabet and could recognize letters but that was it. On the other hand he was leagues ahead of all the other kids in math skills. Hell, he finished all his h.s. math requirements by 8th grade.

Oh, and once he really got into reading, he became a voracious reader, but that really wasn't until the end of 2nd grade.

[bunkerbuster1]

9. Point taken.

Obviously, some kids develop skills in math before reading and vice versa.

My point is, it's just dishonest on its face to say that something happening in kindergarten is "before they can read." A lot of kids can. What's more, it's generally expected that K-aged kids should be able to read a bit.

McCain's out of touch in so many ways, this is just a nitpicky example.

[Heather MC]

8. McCain is out of touch I wish someone in M$M would defend their kids

on that point.

My son is very well now and back on track, and it took all the resources that Obama is a champion of to make it happen.

I hope people do not vote based on a pep rally and pay attention to the score board

[pnwmom]

13. Though it was absolutely wrong for those girls to bully him like that,

the expression "hot in the undies" makes no sense as applied to five year old girls.

More likely one or more of them had been the victims of harassment themselves.

[Heather MC]

15. I will tell you the hold story about the Girls

There were 4 of them, on was the ring leader I will call her Sally

Sally would direct the other 3 girls who to chase each week. My son Reese was on rotated around with 2 other boy they would chase and hold down.

One day my son came home on a friday, I ask him had the girls left him alone. He said no, but it's Ok because on Monday the will be going after "Billy". I said what do you mean. He said there are 3 of us they take turns trying to get. I ask when does this happen, he said on the playground.

I ask where are the teachers, he said the girls wait until the teachers, walk past.

Those girls are hot. I would watch them after school ripping the boys clothes off and the mothers and fathers just laughing. I don't think they were abused, I think they just don't know how to handle being attracted to a boy.
so they HOT

[pnwmom]

19. Your description does nothing to change my mind that one or more of them

probably had been subject to that kind of harassment themselves, and it has nothing to do with being "hot."

[Heather MC]

22. Ok, I am coming at this from a place of anger and not compassion for those lil' ladies

So being a reasonable person, I will agree with you.
:hi:

being a mother I am more up set that their parents did nothing to curb the behavior. I mean not even talk to them, that I know of.

[pnwmom]

23. I totally agree with you about those parents. They should be taking

this thing very seriously. I know I would, if any of my children had been bullying other kids.

Also, I have a couple of sensitive sons myself and so I understand what you're going through as a mother. Good luck on working this out soon, Heather. There's nothing worse than seeing your child suffer.

[fed_up_mother]

26. Attracted to a boy in kindergarten? Sexually attracted?

What kind of harmones are in the water over there?

I'm sorry, but I'm having trouble believing this story as written.

[Arkansas Granny]

16. My first thought also was that they were reenacting something they had experienced

or witnessed.

[bullwinkle428]

17. I was reading to the rest of my class in kindergarten...

it's one of those things my Mom still likes to bring up. :blush:

[Barack_America]

20. Thanks for posting this. It got me thinking...

And helped me understand why teaching children to have respect for their bodies and the bodies of others (don't touch and don't let anyone else touch either) is so important.

I also wonder if education like this could have the added benefit of reducing bullying. I guess time will tell.

[stillcool]

21. When you add in Palin's

charging rape victims for rape kits, it seems as though the GOP is okey-dokey with sexual assaults of women and children. I guess that's not surprising considering the perverse attitudes of the Right Wing Extremists which spawned these two.

[Fleshdancer]

28. my daughter knew how to read in Kinder AND

I taught her the difference between appropriate and inappropriate touching. Why? Because I love her and want her to know that no one has the right to touch her. Heaven forbid we educate our children the difference between right and wrong.

[WinkyDink]

29. Really? Then why do they need to learn the alphabet?

[LeftyMom]

32. They don't learn that in Kindergarten, and haven't in years.

The expectation now is that they'll be at least starting to read by Kindergarten, and can write their names and a few simple words, and know their letters and numbers.

[WinkyDink]

33. Learned where? Urban "pre-school"? Or in upper-middle-class homes?

[LeftyMom]

34. My understanding is that's the state standard for all preschools.

My broke-ass welfare recipient friend's daughter learned to read a bit and write her name in Head Start when she was three, so I wouldn't call it a class thing.

[LeftyMom]

31. A smart kid with access to books should be able to figure it out themselves by that age.

Personally I'm of the opinion that intensive reading instruction just creates anxiety and is a poor substitute for actual reading practice, but definitely kids can and should be reading by that age.

And they should know about inappropriate and inappropriate touch and behavior is, by the time they're old enough to be away from family (for the school day or lessons or whatever.) That's just common sense.

McCain is such an ignorant old fossil.

[elshiva]

35. Re: "My Body is Private."

I have not seen this particular book, but I think this is important to talk to your child about even when they are in kindergarten. There are parts of the body that are not to be touched by others except by the child him/herself and only touching themselves when they are a lone in their rooms or going to the toliet. This is important stuff. Sorry about your child, but you did a good job addressing it.

:thumbsup:

buffy/