Class of 1986, early Gen-X here; I must have been at the tail-end of learning to read phonetically and damned lucky for it, too. I’m certainly grateful and like you I didn’t get to use a calculator (although I sure wish I coulda!). I might have to order Hooked on Phonics for my nieces in case it’s not around in 4 years when they’re ready to read. I was shocked to learn phonetic reading had been retired from public service. Whole word recognition is a great tool to improve reading, especially for speed, but I think phonetics is a better foundation.

It’s no wonder, too then, that in 1996 although she was in 8th grade, my sister could barely read (she looked at me as if I was on crack whenever I told her to “sound it out”). She also had NO idea how to use a dictionary. It was easy for the system (and in turn, for her) to blame her problems on dyslexia. I locked horns with her every day after school for two weeks; no boyfriends, no tv, no phone, and no hanging out at the local cafe — just her, the homework, and the kitchen table. I was the EVIL SISSY™. When she finally stopped resisting and applied herself, though, the results were — stunning — even she admitted the work looked like it belonged to someone else.

I’m relieved for the type of actions you’re taking with your daughter. Not only do I see home schooling as a positive step towards a deeper, more rounded education, but also in preserving the sanity of today’s young minds. I hope school goes well for your daughter, if only because younguns have to have somewhere to plot against all us old curmudgeons. Man, I haven’t been in a good mustard fight since my sister ambushed me in 1997!

I hope Holly plans to keep us thinking, and I hope we’ll find reasons to keep sharing thoughts as well. Thanks for making this snow-day more fun and interesting. :D

I totally agree with you on political correctness. It seems crazy to me that our words are so closely monitored while our behavior toward each other continues to get worse. We have a responsibility to choose our words carefully, but it is so much more important to show that we care about each other as people through our actions. Words don’t mean much if our actions don’t back them up.

As for Mr Gatto’s article, I look back at my own school days [a long time ago] and see clearly how the system nearly did my poor brain in. I’m still struggling to wake up from
it, and I graduated in 1992! Generation X at its finest.

And the sad thing is, the current system is even worse than it was in my day. Whole word recognition is one of the dumbest things I’ve ever heard of as a system for teaching people to read! I worked in the school system for a few months several years ago, and at that time, they were teaching kids how to make little dots and circles on numbers to learn to add. They were also allowed to use calculators. I remember getting into so much trouble for counting on my fingers in school! And now they teach you tricks to make it easier for you!

I plan to send my seven year old [who will be eight in February] to school next year, but I am teaching her to read, write and do math with the ‘Hooked On Phonics/Math kits’ before she darkens the doors of public school. I’m hoping she will have enough of a foundation for learning that she will still be able to think for herself from within the system. If she ends up having serious problems with school, I’ll pull her out and we’ll do it at home again.