By BERN MORLEY.
Jack just didn’t get it. And it wasn’t from lack of trying on our part. He just didn’t understand the letters and words that swam around in front of him. Or why on earth he’d necessarily want to waste his time learning what they meant when there was still daylight and he could be kicking a ball.
Just as an FYI, you should know that this post is brought to you by Australian Scholarships Group. But all opinions expressed by the author are 100% authentic and written in their own words.
See Jack is one of those kids that just needs to be moving. He is stop or go. I didn’t know that this kind of child existed before I had him. I guess I got lucky the first time around, almost spoilt in a way. My daughter just went ahead and did everything that she was meant to do. She read, she wrote and she just ‘got it’ with very little help from us at all. So I suppose we thought that was just the norm. Yet when our two boys came along we were in for quite the rude awakening. It was partly because they found it difficult, but more so, they were just NOT interested. It’s like anything I suppose. In life, as adults, we choose to use our leisure on activities that interest us. It might be netball, football, reading, quilting or French literature. Whatever it is, we get to choose. When you’re a child however, there are some very fundamental activities that you must participate in and conquer if you are to succeed in adult life. Reading is one of these.
There were so, so many nights that were spent with both myself and Jack getting just extremely frustrated and upset. I knew he was trying yet he couldn’t remember a word he knew 3 minutes ago and I could not for the life of me understand why not. These books about Uncle Ken coming for a visit held no interest for him. And why would they? Who CARES what Uncle Ken does in his spare time.
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Top Comments
I finished my teaching course last year. We are taught you need to tap into students interests. It doesn't matter what their reading as long as their reading! So hopefully that brings hope to parents out there... teachers should be connecting learning to students interests. I see very boring 'readers' in the classroom. If a child brings in a footy magazine and wants to read it great
*They're.
*THEY'RE.
So many face palms.
I think our education system is so outdated and desperately needs a complete overhaul. How could we not know that a child learns best from something he/she is interested in? Some of the readers my kids have to read are so boring and old-fashioned they almost fall asleep. They do old fashioned dancing to 1950's and 60's music in drama, rather than modern contemporary music that suits their generation. They are still making stuff in art that I did in the 70's. And the books that are read to them....yawn!
The boys have to sit still all the time, despite learning better from activity. Schools used to depend on the cane to keep those boys still, now what? Boys struggle in a learning system designed better for girls who sit quietly more often. Why can't they teach boys maths with building blocks or doing something, rather than sitting and listening?
Then there's the whole sibling order problem. First children tend to do better than younger siblings because they are raised to feel more responsibility. Next siblings choose a different personality so they can stand out and therefore, can often seem like they are not as accomplished, when they are just trying to carve out their own identity. We have so much knowledge about psychology and personality now yet we still teach kids like it's the 1950's. Even the hours haven't changed, despite the modern family looking completely different than it did then.
It's a shame that so many kids must be falling through the gaps because education hasn't evolved like we have.
Sounds like you need to go to a different school. No schools I have taught at have been like the 1950s at all.
Pretty sure all schools use concrete materials for teaching maths to both sexes, especially in infants when they are learning mathematical concepts. I think you have made some gross generalisation regarding schools. I agree with the guest below, i have never taught in a school like the one you described.
I totally agree that the education system is antiquated and has a one size fits all approach to teaching. With all we know about children and learning these days the education system needs to be updated. Some children are visual learners and others spatial. Not all boys need to be active when learning my daughter would benefit from this too. Those children who can't keep up are left behind despite. The only change is that Harder concepts are being taught at a younger age. Time for real change.