Kindergarten is Kickin My Booty!

Okay, be honest, show of hands if you thought kindergarten was for coloring, becoming proficient with scissors, learning your letters and numbers, and just learning how to "be in school". Well times have changed! Oh my stars. We are doing about AN HOUR of HOMEWORK every night and I still feel she's behind, or struggling I should say. And I know it's not because she's slow or lazy, it's because she's FIVE! I mean, like, they're past learning their letters and sounds. They've moved on to STORY WRITING, yes story writing, you didn't read that wrong, they're story writing. Can I say it again? Story writing. With a beginning, middle, and ending. Okay, at our house, we're still on "V says vuh". Forget about Heather, the mommy, for a minute. This is coming from Heather the teacher...UH HELLO...STATE LEGISLATURE or U.S. DEPT OF EDUCATION or whoever the h-e-double hockey sticks is coming up with this CRAP...WAKE UP AND SMELL THE FRENCH TOAST STICKS! I'm sorry, but 5 yr olds have no business writing stories. You cannot rush these first few years of reading and phonics instruction. It is the foundation for which the rest of their education will rely upon. Most 5 yr olds are not developmentally ready for the academic pressures that are being put on them in school these days. And you want to talk about pressure, Lexi is about to take her THIRD test! We're only 6 weeks into the school year. I recently read a book about Biblical Worldview that was bashing the public education system for "watering down the curriculum". Are you kidding? I wanted to ask that author, "What are you smokin?" I know her teacher is just as frustrated and annoyed as I am about the ridiculous pressures they put on these kids and when I say "they" I mean the government, not the schools. The schools are just doing what they have to do by government standards. I mean, if I wanted her to be face down in a book all day and not enjoy childhood, we would move to China!

But I do have to say, she is THE CUTEST girl in the class and the best dressed and she's THE BEST artist in the class, hands down, I know because I went to open house tonight and I saw everyone else's scarecrows and Johnny Appleseeds and granny apples and hers were WAY better than everyone else's. And that has to count for something. That's like way more important to me than what reading group she's in. Way.