Thread: $500M Obama Program To Teach Kindergartners To Sit Still

$500 Million Obama Administration Program Will Help Kids 'Sit Still' in Kindergarten

Wednesday, May 25, 2011
By James Zilenziger

(CNSNews.com) – Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius told CNSNews.com on Wednesday that the administration's new $500 million early learning initiative is designed to deal with children from birth onward to prevent such problems as 5-year olds who "can't sit still" in a kindergarten classroom.

“You really need to look at the range of issues, because if a 5-year-old can’t sit still, it is unlikely that they can do well in a kindergarten class, and it has to be the whole range of issues that go into healthy child development,â€

The United States should terminate public funding for kindergarten. Most children who are age eligible for kindergarten don't need it and aren't ready to "sit still" in any kind of class. Children this young need to be children and let their bodies tell them to move, stretch, jump, run, talk, explore and play basically whenever they feel like it.

First grade is by far early enough to start regimented "school". With drop-out rates as high as they are, hasn't it occurred to any public educators that these children probably started regimented school at 4 with Head Start and More at Four and all these other attempts to exploit the childhood of our youngest and most vulnerable in some selfish and moronic attempt to make up for the failure of public education and by the time they're 16, they have burn out?

Also, hasn't it ever occurred to public health organizations that perhaps one of the reasons we have a child obesity problem in the US is because children are regimented into sitting still when their bodies are naturally and rightfully telling them to move?

I've thought about this set of ironies for awhile now, and I believe 2 changes we should make to resolve the paradox is cut funding for Head Start and Kindergarten, and let American Kids, be A merican Kids. I had one of the happiest childhoods any child could have and I didn't go to kindergarten. When I started first grade, there was no difference between my development and learning capabilities or in any year thereafter and those who had attended kindergarten.

The goal of American Education should never burden children with a "Race To The Top". The goal of American Education should be to teach American Kids the basics when they're mature enough to start that regimented process which is certainly not before first grade in my opinion. When that process does start, there should be no pressure on the kids to be in a race to anywhere, because they should feel that they are at school for their own benefit to learn things that will help them, interest them, and prepare them for whatever it is they may later choose to do with their lives and livelihoods, not the educators'.

I find it sad and funny at the same time, that public health organizations want "children" to remain on their parents health insurance policies until they're 27, while at the same time public education policies want to stuff them into a Race to the Top at 4.

I've even considered the benefits of starting school at 7 instead of 6 so children graduate at 19 instead of 18, and if they go on to college, they would graduate at 23 instead of 22. I think there's some behavioral, social, mental and physical value to extending childhood without a regimented school environment this extra year and see if starting school at 7 doesn't contribute greatly to minimizing behavior and learning disabilities in the early grades while at the same time increasing performance in the later grades. Some serious investigations should be conducted into this suggestion.

Who knows, we might even see some children running around the neighborhoods like we used to. Wouldn't that be swell?! I certainly think so, because learning to "sit still" too early, makes couch potatoes far too young for a healthy active life.

Originally Posted by Judy

The United States should terminate public funding for kindergarten. Most children who are age eligible for kindergarten don't need it and aren't ready to "sit still" in any kind of class. Children this young need to be children and let their bodies tell them to move, stretch, jump, run, talk, explore and play basically whenever they feel like it.

First grade is by far early enough to start regimented "school". With drop-out rates as high as they are, hasn't it occurred to any public educators that these children probably started regimented school at 4 with Head Start and More at Four and all these other attempts to exploit the childhood of our youngest and most vulnerable in some selfish and moronic attempt to make up for the failure of public education and by the time they're 16, they have burn out?

Also, hasn't it ever occurred to public health organizations that perhaps one of the reasons we have a child obesity problem in the US is because children are regimented into sitting still when their bodies are naturally and rightfully telling them to move?

I've thought about this set of ironies for awhile now, and I believe 2 changes we should make to resolve the paradox is cut funding for Head Start and Kindergarten, and let American Kids, be A merican Kids. I had one of the happiest childhoods any child could have and I didn't go to kindergarten. When I started first grade, there was no difference between my development and learning capabilities or in any year thereafter and those who had attended kindergarten.

The goal of American Education should never burden children with a "Race To The Top". The goal of American Education should be to teach American Kids the basics when they're mature enough to start that regimented process which is certainly not before first grade in my opinion. When that process does start, there should be no pressure on the kids to be in a race to anywhere, because they should feel that they are at school for their own benefit to learn things that will help them, interest them, and prepare them for whatever it is they may later choose to do with their lives and livelihoods, not the educators'.

I find it sad and funny at the same time, that public health organizations want "children" to remain on their parents health insurance policies until they're 27, while at the same time public education policies want to stuff them into a Race to the Top at 4.

I've even considered the benefits of starting school at 7 instead of 6 so children graduate at 19 instead of 18, and if they go on to college, they would graduate at 23 instead of 22. I think there's some behavioral, social, mental and physical value to extending childhood without a regimented school environment this extra year and see if starting school at 7 doesn't contribute greatly to minimizing behavior and learning disabilities in the early grades while at the same time increasing performance in the later grades. Some serious investigations should be conducted into this suggestion.

Who knows, we might even see some children running around the neighborhoods like we used to. Wouldn't that be swell?! I certainly think so, because learning to "sit still" too early, makes couch potatoes far too young for a healthy active life.

Excellent Judy...!

Originally Posted by forest

Originally Posted by Judy

The United States should terminate public funding for kindergarten. Most children who are age eligible for kindergarten don't need it and aren't ready to "sit still" in any kind of class. Children this young need to be children and let their bodies tell them to move, stretch, jump, run, talk, explore and play basically whenever they feel like it.

First grade is by far early enough to start regimented "school". With drop-out rates as high as they are, hasn't it occurred to any public educators that these children probably started regimented school at 4 with Head Start and More at Four and all these other attempts to exploit the childhood of our youngest and most vulnerable in some selfish and moronic attempt to make up for the failure of public education and by the time they're 16, they have burn out?

Also, hasn't it ever occurred to public health organizations that perhaps one of the reasons we have a child obesity problem in the US is because children are regimented into sitting still when their bodies are naturally and rightfully telling them to move?

I've thought about this set of ironies for awhile now, and I believe 2 changes we should make to resolve the paradox is cut funding for Head Start and Kindergarten, and let American Kids, be A merican Kids. I had one of the happiest childhoods any child could have and I didn't go to kindergarten. When I started first grade, there was no difference between my development and learning capabilities or in any year thereafter and those who had attended kindergarten.

The goal of American Education should never burden children with a "Race To The Top". The goal of American Education should be to teach American Kids the basics when they're mature enough to start that regimented process which is certainly not before first grade in my opinion. When that process does start, there should be no pressure on the kids to be in a race to anywhere, because they should feel that they are at school for their own benefit to learn things that will help them, interest them, and prepare them for whatever it is they may later choose to do with their lives and livelihoods, not the educators'.

I find it sad and funny at the same time, that public health organizations want "children" to remain on their parents health insurance policies until they're 27, while at the same time public education policies want to stuff them into a Race to the Top at 4.

I've even considered the benefits of starting school at 7 instead of 6 so children graduate at 19 instead of 18, and if they go on to college, they would graduate at 23 instead of 22. I think there's some behavioral, social, mental and physical value to extending childhood without a regimented school environment this extra year and see if starting school at 7 doesn't contribute greatly to minimizing behavior and learning disabilities in the early grades while at the same time increasing performance in the later grades. Some serious investigations should be conducted into this suggestion.

Who knows, we might even see some children running around the neighborhoods like we used to. Wouldn't that be swell?! I certainly think so, because learning to "sit still" too early, makes couch potatoes far too young for a healthy active life.

Excellent Judy...!

Thank you, forest.