Thinking During Playtime

So a while back, actually quite a while back, my good friends Gypsy and Suzanne came to visit and brought Devon some goodies. One of the things they got her was a solid art book. It looked fun, but somehow it got lost in her craft chest and I found it in the back a few days ago. Basically it is a kit to make a little Hello Kitty town by popping out the pieces and gluing them together and then you get to play with the little people in the town. It's way cute.

So yesterday during Matthew's nap we sat down at the kitchen table to put it together. Devon had a blast. It was perfect for a four year old. She could pop out the pieces on her and and fold them (for the most part, sometimes she needed a little help with the complex pieces) and glue them. It turned out much cuter than I originally thought. She loves playing with the little Hello Kitty people. It was such a cool thing to do together. It was like a model car kit, but cooler.

I was looking at the back and of course it was made in Japan. Why can't we make intelligent toys for our kids here! I love how she in essence had to earn her toy by working to put it together. Gypsy if you read this where did you find that?? We have one other one left that I'm saving for when this one becomes boring (which doesn't seem to be anytime soon). It's a little different than a town, but still looks fun.

Why? Why? Why?

Most people consider me to be a hard ass about allowing what and when Devon can watch tv or movies. And I'll admit it's mostly true. I am especially picky about what she can watch (there are rating for a reason people!) and how often. Most of the time, probably 90%, she doesn't watch tv on school days. Now she only goes in the mornings right now, which is why I am "nice" 10% of the time. But when she does start going to school everyday and eventually has real homework, she will be used to not watching tv on school days and will spend her time after school being a kid and playing, and completing homework. No one will ever be able to convince me that doing otherwise is beneficial. So cut it out! Seriously.

I don't judge people who don't use this same method, so don't worry. It's ok to be different, just respect when others won't agree with you. There's nothing wrong with disagreeing.

I saw a commercial this morning during the news for a new version of the v-smile. For those who don't know what a v-smile is, it's a video game system with games fit for three to six year olds. It is made by v-tech a popular children's educational toy company. When I first saw this a few years ago I instantly asked how much Nintendo or Sony payed to get this product on the shelves.

V-tech claims that it teaches your child while they play, and you know what they're not lying. It does teach the kids. My problem is that it puts kids in more solitary conditions lessening their social skills, and it gets kids used to overly visual based learning. How often do you hear about ADD or ADHD increasing in children. You're three year old can learn the same things the old fashioned way, through playing, being read to, and experiencing the world. A simple trip to the grocery store can replace just about every bit of information your kid will learn from the video games.

Now to the new version of the v-smile. It basically is a preschool version of the Nintendo wii, which I secretly love. The wii, not the v-smile. As a fan of the wii I don't necessarily believe that it is superior because it gets people "active," it's just made for people like me who used to turn their remote control while playing Super Mario Brothers. Basically this v-tech and even leapfrog products state that they can be educational, and immediately people grab them. When did people decide it's ok for a machine to spend so much time teaching our kids? Is this going to create a disconnected generation of people who cling to things instead of people? Or is that what we have already become?

I Heart Mrs. Hygh

So as you may recall from a previous blog, I'm pretty anal about my kids education. Too many kids these days slip through elementary school without a good foundation in the basics which makes the rest of there time in school miserable. So last night when we went to curriculum night, I was waiting to hear what Mrs. Hygh, Devon's teacher, had to say about her classroom. And let me tell, I could not love this woman anymore! She is everything you could want in a teacher.

First off, she used to teach 4th, 5th and 6th grade and during those years she was upset about how most kids didn't have a good foundation in basic skills, meaning she was reteaching them concepts they should already know. It's one thing to need a little refresh after three months of not using your brain during summer vacation, but not being able to read, spell or do math at your designated level is unfortunate. So she moved down to pre-k with a strong passion to get things started the right way.

Many of the materials she uses in her classroom are designed for kindergarten and she even told us that she is teaching them many things that they will learn in kindergarten now, because if they catch on great, if not next year it will be sure to sink in because they've seen it. So that means she is working harder to not only teach them the pre-k curriculum but is stepping it up to give more of a challenge. That's passion and that's why you gotta love her.

She mentioned that last year she had a few kids reading by the end of the year and that's when the falling in love process was complete for me. Now I know I am big on reading and many people may think that I go to far sometimes, but I just thought that was incredible. Now I've got to try my best not to push Devon too hard, because I don't want to push her away from it (even though that's hardly possible since she has been called "book girl" in church since she was two!). I tell myself that she will read when she's ready, but I am totally ready for whenever that happens. I get goosebumps just thinking about it.

Teacher's Pet or Teacher's Pain?

Devon will be starting pre-k this August, and she couldn't be more excited. Too bad she doesn't really know how long three months can last, but since summer always seems to go by fast she will be there before we know it. So now that this reality of my baby starting school has set in, I can't help but wonder if all of my kids teachers are going to appreciate my intense concern for my children's education or if they will see me as a pest and worn all the other teachers.

A few weeks ago, I met with a high school friend who I haven't seen since graduation, and she holds a higher disregard for public school than I do. So much that she is homeschooling her little girl who is also four. Now I have to admit there are some pretty tempting advantages to homeschooling. Her little girl is already up to the first grade, because let's face it, when you work one on one you let the child set the pace. You don't have to worry about whether or not a teacher is a child molester. Your kids won't pick up nasty habits from other kids. But then again, you deny your kid the opportunity to make their own moral judgements.

Now don't worry, I'm not going to home school Devon, with her personality she will definitely thrive more in a classroom environment than at home. So this begs the question of whether or not Devon's teacher will be able to handle my constant concern over public school curriculum. Since let's face it, they teach to pass the TAKS. Luckily, I don't have to worry about that battle until Devon is in third grade. I would like to think a teacher would invite any parent who wants to ensure the best for their child. So we will just have to wait and see. But then again, I am the type of person who will go out to the teacher stores and buy my own material to help my kids master a subject/topic that I believe the school isn't doing a good job at. But once again, I say we will just have to wait and see.

I am such a freak about this. It's probably quite sad to most people and I am sure I have passed the point of obsession. I even found a website, www.greatschools.com which is where you can rank your kids school and even leave reviews, this was my favorite part. Devon's elementary school is only in it's second year of operation, but so far it has pretty good reviews. There were only two poor reviews, and one of them said they were pulling their kid and sending them to private school. This worried me a bit, but it is possible that they have standards no public school can meet. Who knows.