OT Re: Reading age of 3 (was: Re: Computers for children)

From: Lawrence Walker <lwalker_at_mail.interlog.com>
Date: Fri Jan 15 10:22:56 1999

On 14 Jan 99 at 13:32, Philip.Belben_at_pgen.com wrote:

> AAAAugh! You had a narrow escape. The arrogance of educators talking
> about "the right way" to teach a child, when theories as to what this is
> seem to change every three years, is amazing. I recall in 1975 (I think -
> I was only about 8 at the time) we knew a retired teacher who sometimes did
> supply work for a local school. She was given a remedial class to look
> after, and started teaching them by traditional methods. Result, in a few
> weeks they were ahead of the main class. Our retired friend quite
> reasonably asked why the school couldn't adopt such methods as a matter of
> course, and apparently they were "not allowed to". She could get away with
> it since she was retired and not a permanent employee, or something.
SNIP
 
> Two shorter comments to finish.
>
> I too have heard that playing music to very small children (age <2) helps
> them develop intelligence. The music has to be of the sort that takes some
> thought to listen to, of course. Mozart, Beethoven etc. are good choices,
> as are some of the better-thought-out pop styles, but minimal music or
> thud-thud-thud pop music are probably not. (Sorry, as a mainly classical
> listener, I don't know the correct terms for the pop music styles)
>
 I was reading when I was 5 and all 4 of my sons could read before they entered
school. Unfortunately this gave them no leg up because except for a few
teachers they were bored with the curicullum and focussed out the window.
 I even had one teacher complain that one of my smart-assed sons would answer
the questions correctly but the answers were not the ones she had designed the
questions for but were geared for laughter. Sounds to me that he was more
intelligent than she was. The education system is designed in general to
provide clones and cogs for the corporate machine not to enhance the
intelligence of the learners. If I was doing it again, I would do it a home.

 I was also able to sing harmony when I was 4 years old and I remember it as
having to twist my mouth in a certain way. I believe all of it was due to my
mothers continual play of the piano and encouragement to join in and sing.
 All my sons as well as my ex have been musical. The family input is the
important thing as evidenced in the old guilds in medieval times. Their
problem was their exclusionary nature which excluded many of those with
"natural abilities" since not all apprentices will become Mozarts or Rembrants,
But the present educational system like our TV is geared to mediocrity and
training in obliging corporate systems requirements.

ciao larry
 
lwalker_at_interlog.com
Received on Fri Jan 15 1999 - 10:22:56 GMT