Tuesday, April 17, 2007

What Children Learn In School...

It's amazing what children learn now adays, especially in school. Do you eer really know what your child is learning in school? In my case I obviously don't know all that goes on.

In one case I didn't truely realize how clicky it is in Kindergarten already!! I knew that they had certain groups that they stick to, but I guess one day Maddy was playing with one friend but wasn't allowed to play with another because her friend said so. Are we really that effective on our kids to make them think at that age of who's cool and who we can and can't play with? I told Madison that she can play with anyone she wants to whether her other friends like it or not. Since then her and this other little girl have been really close friends. But I am very proud of Madison in the way that she doesn't stick to one group, but manages to get along with them all. She plays with the "popular group", plays with the "quiet" kids and everyone else in between. I find that she is a very well rounded individual and for that I am a very proud parent.

Another thing I didn't know until this morning is that they are learning some french already. Okay, first of all this is not a french school and she's in kindergarten!! I was really shocked. It started at breakfast when I said

"Bon Appetit!"
"Are you speaking spanish?"
"No, it's french."
"I know how to speak french."
"You do?"
"Yeah, pink is rose"
"Oh really?"
"Yeah and purple is violet, blue is bleu, red is rouge, etc..."

At this point I am completely shocked. It's one thing to know colors by just the words in english but to know what these colors are called in french was a huge shock to me.

I guess we really have to have faith in our teachers that they really are teaching our kids things and not just playing bingo (a classroom favorite) and coloring. Not that they aren't important but it's nice to know that they are really trying to get them advanced for grade 1.

But even as I end this I am still in shock about my little discovery this morning.