frannieanddejsmom, I'm with you agewise.
When I was a kid, we had more "recess." I went to a K-8 school. We got a 15-20 recess in the morning AND a lunch period with a second recess. My elementary school kids get a single 40 minute recess and lunch period that includes a bunch of standing in line being quiet while they shepherd kids around the school. My 8th grader gets a 30 minute lunch and "access" period, i.e. you can go outside, seek out a teacher for help or take care of other admin stuff. Don't even get me started on how often they have "inside" days for every minor weather blip. We live in Colorado so there are many weather blips.
The other area that I know is very different is the amount of writing. Other than practicing our letters and maybe writing a short caption under our picutres, we did very little writing before 4th grade. I recently went through "the box" at my mom's house and saw some of my first "reports" that I wrote in fourth grade -- they averaged about a paragragh and were pretty simplistic. My kids have been forced to write early and often -- sometimes to the point where I have questioned whether the activity is devleopmentally appropriate. Both DDs had assignments that required copious amounts of writing -- multiple full length pages by 3rd grade.
Also, as part of a "district writing initiative," they are being forced to write more in ALL of their other classes, including art, music and PE. They added the "writing in all classes" requirement last year and it really drives me crazy. I want my kids to be doing art, music and getting exercise during those class periods, not sitting down doing more writing. It has gotten to the point where my non-dysgraphic kids hate the mention of writing. To them, writing = drudgery and stupid, made-up assignments -- Mom, why do we have to write about composers whose music we've never heard, instead of playing our recorders or singing? Good question, I have no good answer. For my dysgraphic kid, this development is hell particularly since there aren't computers for writing in the specials rooms. (I know that I could fight this but she doesn't want to look different and just now has started consistently using her computer in the regular classroom).
Phew! I needed that rant.
