Kill Worksheets; Save Our Children

The proliferation of worksheets is troubling. The idea that "homework equals worksheet" and a novel needs a "packet" is problematic on many levels. Start counting the worksheets your child brings home, and you will have a good idea of the quality of instruction s/he is receiving. Hint: less is better. Worksheets kill creativity in favor of route memorization and the questing for the right answer. communicate a binary view of the world. reward consumption. encourage a busy work view of school. are passive. are irrelevant. dumb down. promote the glaze. normalize. are all about low expectations. are lazy. Q: Why do worksheets persist? A: Worksheets persist because parents were, for the most part, educated with worksheets.

Irony

No Child Left Behind, now that's ironic. I look forward to post irony. Let's get real and keep it real.

What do you want your kids to be able to do?

What Summer Skills do you want your child to be able to do? I've been asking neighbors and friends this question throughout the last week. The list looks like this: 1) Swim 2) Ride a bicycle 3) Throw a ball 4) Catch a ball 5) Play tennis 6) Play golf 7) Bait a hook 8) Cast a line 9) Sail a boat 10) Hit a ball The list is a tell. It communicates, to some extent, class and cultural norms. I wonder how this list would change if I asked this question in a different neighborhood...