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What Do Kindergarten Teachers Mean By “Ready for School?”

May 7, 2024 By MKE Community Journal Leave a Comment

By Kristen J. Amundson

At this time of year, many preschool parents are worrying about whether their child will be ready for kindergarten. What are the things their child should learn? Do they need to make alphabet flash cards? Invest in worksheets so kids can practice math. I talked with kindergarten teachers to find out what they think kids need to know to be kindergarten-ready. You may be surprised: Readiness for school, teachers say, does not mean that your child will have mastered all the kindergarten skills on Day One. Instead, it means that your child will take pleasure in learning how to do things on their own.

One kindergarten teacher said to me, “I can teach kids their ABCs. I can’t teach them —at least not very efficiently—to help them get along with others and to understand that they aren’t going to get their own way all the time in school.” If you always do things for your child, and always tell them what to do, they will not be able to make their own decisions and learn how to be independent. One good rule of thumb for parents of toddlers: whenever possible, avoid doing things for your child that they can do on their own.

Kindergarteners are expected to take responsibility for their belongings. They put their lunch box in the right place. They hang up their coat. During the day, they use the restroom and wash their hands by themselves. In the cafeteria, children must put the straw in their juice box or open the milk carton. They must get the foil on top of the applesauce. “The whole first month in the cafeteria, we’re helping children learn to open things,” one teacher said. “They’re always surprised that ketchup packages have a little line that shows you where to tear to get the ketchup out.” So, teach your child how to do those things before the first day of school.

Let your toddler eat (and accept that mealtime will be messy and s-l-o-w, at least at first). Let young children choose what they want to wear—and relax if they choose to wear the polka-dot shirt with the checked pants. Encourage them to use the crayons they want to use in their coloring book and do not be surprised if you see a purple horse or a red elephant.

Follow the rule that teachers use when they are teaching a new skill:

First, I do.

Then we do.

Then you do.

Whether it’s shoe tying or making a sandwich, start by showing your child what to do. Then practice the same skill together, working side by side. Finally, let your child do it alone, first while you watch and then independently. And let me just say one word here about shoes—the bane of every kindergarten teacher. Shoelaces do not stay tied. “They drag on the floor. They drag across the restroom floor. They go into kids’ mouths,” a kindergarten teacher told me. “They need my help retying them. If I have 25 students, that’s 50 feet. And at 30 seconds per shoe tie, that’s 25 minutes a day I’m not teaching them letters or numbers or how to get along with others,” she said. That doesn’t mean children have to be able to tie their shoes before they start kindergarten. “Just put them in different shoes,” the teacher wisely advised. And really, just reread that part about shoelaces that have dragged on the kindergarten restroom floor ending up in the child’s mouth. You’ll probably keep your kid in Velcro shoes until they’re 20.

Kristen J. Amundson is a former teacher, school board chair, state legislator, and CEO of a national education organization. This column is excerpted from her book 81 Questions for Parents: Helping Your Kids Succeed in School, published by Rowman & Littlefield. It is also available on Amazon.

Gender Disparities in High School Graduation Rates: Unearthing Root Causes and Seeking Solutions

October 31, 2023 By MKE Community Journal Leave a Comment

The systemic problem not only hampers the immediate educational prospects of affected students but also casts a long shadow over their prospects as Black Americans.

By Stacy M. Brown
NNPA Newswire Senior National Correspondent
@StacyBrownMedia

In communities across America, the disparity in high school graduation rates between Black students and their counterparts of other racial backgrounds has long been a point of concern. Officials and activists have identified the deeply rooted issue of excessive student suspension as a significant contributing factor. The systemic problem not only hampers the immediate educational prospects of affected students but also casts a long shadow over their prospects as Black Americans.
However, a report in the Associated Press explored a less explored facet of the educational divide emerges when examining the gender gap within these communities. While boys and girls attend the same classes, have access to identical programs, and often come from the same families, girls consistently outperform boys in public high schools nationwide. This gender disparity mirrors the achievement gap between students from affluent and low-income families, an issue that educational officials have closely monitored for years.
According to researchers, the reasons behind this discrepancy are multifaceted. One factor that emerges prominently is that boys are also more susceptible to disciplinary measures, including suspensions, which can lead to falling off track. Moreover, they are less likely to seek help when facing mental health challenges.
Research found that some boys initially find steady employment upon dropping out, but the long-term consequences of lacking a high school degree are stark. Recent studies reveal that young men who leave high school prematurely earn less over their lifetimes and are more likely to end up in the criminal justice system.
Despite this, the U.S. government does not mandate states to report graduation data by gender, in contrast to the requirements for reporting data by racial and ethnic groups, as well as for children with disabilities, English language learners, and homeless students. Nevertheless, the Associated Press reported that researcher Richard Reeves, who based on data available from 37 reporting states, estimated that over 45,000 fewer boys than girls graduated high school in 2018. That year, approximately 88% of girls graduated on time compared to 82% of boys.
The gender gap in graduation rates persisted at six percentage points in 2021, according to a follow-up analysis. The gap has largely evaded comprehensive attention from schools, though some have implemented effective strategies. Yonkers, New York, for instance, improved graduation rates for boys of color through mentoring programs. Former Superintendent Edwin Quezada highlighted the need to address the racial gap in graduation rates as a crucial step toward comprehending the broader gender gap, which stood at seven percentage points in 2022.
Quezada told the news outlet that boys are referred to special education at higher rates than girls in early grades and are suspended more frequently throughout their school years. These factors, he noted, can significantly impede progress toward on-time graduation. “When the decks are stacked differently for young men than they are for young ladies, why should we expect different outcomes?” he questioned.
To support boys’ success, school policies in Buffalo have incorporated initiatives from the “My Brother’s Keeper” program. The district has also partnered with the education advocacy group “Say Yes Buffalo” to offer mentoring to male students and to recruit male teachers. Despite these efforts, the urban district reported a 10-point graduation gender gap in 2022 (84%–74%) and an 11-point gap (84%–73%) in 2021.
Research from Buffalo’s spokesman, Jeffrey Hammond, indicates that girls excel nationally in school over boys due to their propensity to plan, set academic goals, and invest effort in achieving them. He added that girls receive fewer school suspensions, demonstrating that they are generally more likely to follow the rules and receive more personalized instruction from teachers.
Though straightforward strides have been made, understanding the precise interplay between race and the gender gap remains a challenge, with only ten states reporting graduation rates breaking it down by both gender and race.
The graduation gender gap “is harder to explain than some of the other disparities we see,” Population Reference Bureau’s Beth Jarosz told the Associated Press. “We know that structural racism is part of the explanation for why Black youth and Hispanic, Latino youth and American Indian youth are less likely to graduate. But it’s not a structural racism issue for boys versus girls,” she said.

5 Ways to Invest in Yourself: You Deserve It

May 3, 2021 By MKE Community Journal Leave a Comment

At the point when posed this inquiry, your musings may leap to your home or to a stock that is performing especially well at the present time. All in all, it’s possible that the business you are building is your best resource.

While these resources can absolutely be significant, the best resource you own is yourself. At the point when you set aside the effort to put resources into yourself, you are building a resource that can profit you all through your lifetime. However long you keep putting resources into yourself, you will have better freedoms to bring in cash and appreciate life more.Benjamin Franklin once said, “An interest in information pays the wellbeing.” Learning is truly outstanding and most effortless approaches to put resources into yourself. You can see the profits decently fast.

Discover some new information
In the event that you own a business, learning the fundamentals of bookkeeping and focusing on expenses can help you support your capacity to bring in cash. Regardless of whether you work a more customary work, deep rooted learning can profit you. Mastering another ability can prompt an advancement or even to a more lucrative work. On top of the monetary and business benefits, learning new things additionally affects your sensations of satisfaction and prosperity, and can even assist you with keeping up your intellectual competence as you age.

Stretch Yourself
Your usual range of familiarity is the place where you deteriorate. In the event that you need to move to a higher level, regardless of whether it’s with your business, your work or your connections, you need to extend yourself. Move out of your usual range of familiarity. Face a couple of determined challenges. Stretch yourself. Development happens when you’re marginally awkward. At the point when you’re willing to attempt new things and reach for something that is simply past your fingertips, you’ll push ahead in surprising ways that will profit you.

Unwind
Remember to unwind. Your vacation is an interest in yourself. This is the time that you re-energize your batteries. Significantly more than one investigation shows that you can improve your inventive cycles and your profitability when you figure out how to take a break. Invest energy every day — regardless of whether it’s just 20 or 30 minutes — unwinding. Regardless of whether everything you do is take a genuine mid-day break (no working through lunch!), you may be astounded at the amount more beneficial and innovative you are.

Deal with Your Health
Perhaps the greatest venture you can make in yourself is your wellbeing. Start by ensuring you are appropriately safeguarded with the goal that you don’t end up in monetary difficulty in light of a disease or injury. When that base is covered, ensure you are doing the accompanying things for your wellbeing:

Eat nutritiously: Poor dietary patterns can back you off and sap your psychological capacities. Eating the correct food varieties can support your body’s capacities and even assistance your reasoning cycles. Help yourself out and eat right.

Exercise: Physical movement supports your disposition, alleviates pressure and improves your invulnerable framework. It’s a decent method to keep your body flexible as you age and a decent method to guarantee that you have fun at this point.

Rest: Don’t disparage the force of rest. It gives you an approach to keep your body running appropriately. In addition, you’ll settle on better choices when you’re refreshed and new.
Great wellbeing propensities currently will pay off later, as you will actually want to appreciate a better of life for a more extended timeframe.

Not exclusively would relaxation be able to assist you with contributing your business and vocation, however it can likewise help your wellbeing. Unwinding decreases the pressure and tension that can affect physical and psychological well-being. Putting resources into yourself doesn’t need to be hard. Here are 5 different ways you can put resources into yourself:

Figure out how to Say No
I actually battle with this interest in myself. Notwithstanding, it’s imperative to figure out how to say no. Sort out what is generally essential to you. With such countless things and individuals climbing for your time, it’s imperative that you choose what’s fundamental and spotlight on those things. You don’t need to chip in for each action. You don’t need to say yes to each independent occupation that comes your direction. Remember to deny yourself at times. It very well may be simpler to sit before the TV for three hours per day, however you should advise yourself no and make some other interest in yourself. When you figure out how to put resources into yourself, you’ll receive the benefits, and feel the impacts of long haul achievement.