Something I Feel Strongly About- Day 2 of the 30 Day Challenge

I feel strongly about kids and their learning environment.  If you ever read this blog before you already know this.  Kids are unique in their learning style and need to be nurtured and guided to knowledge.  They need to accept ownership of their learning and they need to have fun in a safe environment.
Age appropriate activities that support the curriculum are crucial in educating young children.  There can be areas for general learning like a book area or math area or science area.  There can be specific tasks for a particular skill  like sorting objects by size or color or matching rhyming words.
Kids need to express themselves so daily journaling should be part of their day.  Young children can write single words or one sentence.  Older children can write more of course.  A prompt is always a good idea so kids don't have to worry about picking a topic.
I hate what is happening in education today.  It is insulting to children and their development.  Kids need to be kids.  We have learned scholars who studied the development of children and we know how they change.  We also know they change at their own pace yet education does not take that into account.
Instead of immersing students in an age appropriate environment teachers are forced to teach skills that their students aren't ready for just to meet the standards of politicians who are not trained in child development, child psychology, or education.  This has to stop.
We need to respect childhood and adopt the belief that children grow in their own way and that every child deserves the chance to learn at his own pace.