I don't know if it is the kids that are so programmed or the system is so programmed to optimize.
In the age when my mother was pregnant, plenty smoked and drake through pregnancy. Then gave formula -- the non DHA kind. We ate Kraft Mac&Cheese and drank soda (or pop where I come from).
Now we breastfeed, we read to our kids as soon as they pop out, we give them organic foods, they are not around relatives that smoke etc etc. They should be smarter and accomplish more just from that.
Just like the US has not spent on infrastructure. We don't have the high speed trains, bridges need to be fixed, we need to overhaul the expectations of what kids can learn and on some level I think that is the case. Growing up in Canada, I remember learning to read in K and doing math yet many say that never happened in K when they were in school here. Yet, today, K does read, does write in their journals, does math. DD is doing more research projects in 1st grade than I remember doing. Though I read something I wrote in 1st grade, that my father kept that I was surprised I was capable of writing so maybe we did more.
So besides the push down in high school, there should be an overhaul to push higher learning at K.
On the other hand, spending the summer in NJ, the red shirt state, so many parents tell me their kids are not ready for K and have to k twice because it is like 1st grade used to be. We forget, with our kids who are years ahead, some kids cannot do the grade work at their own level because of the push to learn.
What is the solution then for the general public?
Ren
