The Absurdity That Is The 19KAC Facebook

[0KidsAndHappy]

While there is some great snarking there, I lose a little faith in humanity each time I view it.

 

Mixed up between the "i luv u godly warriors, when is ur sho comming back" comments, I just spotted this gem...

 

Quote

hi i would really like to know the best way to start a 4 year old on learning her abc,s having a little trouble with her consentration can you help me please im the grandmother and im going to home school her thank you very much for your time and i love your show geneva noah north carolina

 

[longskirtlotsakids]

Oh, FUCK. I really hope that is one of you out there that posted that. That poor 4 year old.

[Maude]

Yep. Sadly, it appears that many of the Duggar-lovers are just as moronic as the Duggars themselves. It's harsh, but you've seen the comments, as you've said.

[Guest Anonymous]

Please tell me that post is a joke. A 4 year old just learning their ABC's is very sad and very wrong.

[Maude]

Please tell me that post is a joke. A 4 year old just learning their ABC's is very sad and very wrong.

Either the four-year-old has learning difficulties that need to be addressed, or they've been sorely neglected education-wise (or a combination of both). I agree, it's very sad.

[MrsYoungie]

Gramma better learn some spelling and punctuation. I suspect the lack of "consentration" has been passed down through the generations.

(Hoping it's a Poe)

[lilwriter85]

I think the 4 year old might have learning difficulties, so it might be hard to judge the family. I had a cousin who had a minor learning disability as a very young child. When she entered kindergarten, my aunt and uncle got help. My cousin is 14 now and she does well in school. The thing that I find sad is that the grandmother is seeking help from the Duggars.

[SpeakNow]

I've also noticed that when you click on the profiles of a number of these "mothers" you realize that they are not mothers, but are actually children. There was one little girl who claimed to have 9 kids, but her profile said she was in 9th grade. I think there are some kids that see a big happy family on TV and fantasize about it, and live out those fantasies on Facebook.

That being said, there are plenty of actual adult posters that scare the crap out of me. So. Much. Brainwashing.

Also, I really miss Diane's comments. They were so very entertaining.

[Maude]

I'd almost forgotten about Diane. I think she's quieted down since we started going heavy on the Gothard links. It's just Linda and Wanda now who are really living in denialland, although Wanda must have me blocked because I can no longer read her posts. :D

[emmiedahl]

Linda is so funny! She does not even post, she just agrees with any sheeple who does.

[roddma]

Please tell me that post is a joke. A 4 year old just learning their ABC's is very sad and very wrong.

Devil's advocate here but in my generation we learned to read and write in 1st grade. We were read stories in Kindergarten and learned shapes and stuff. Most were 5 and 6. Kids should earn at their own pace.

http://chronicle.augusta.com/opinion/le ... n-too-soon

[0KidsAndHappy]

My post wasn't about the child, but that this woman is planning on homeschooling her and is clueless on how to even get her started learning the alphabet ... and that she'd go to the Duggars via Facebook for help. Not to mention the fact that she doesn't have the grasp of grammar or spelling that I assume would be required of a teacher.

[Maude]

Devil's advocate here but in my generation we learned to read and write in 1st grade. We were read stories in Kindergarten and learned shapes and stuff. Most were 5 and 6. Kids should earn at their own pace.

http://chronicle.augusta.com/opinion/le ... n-too-soon

While I agree that children should be allowed to be children, the idea behind teaching them earlier stems from the idea that the older we get, the harder it becomes to acquire certain new knowledge and skills. Language is the one area that comes to mind where children typically excel over adults, whether due to biology, environment, or a combination of both.

[Elle]

I'm more concerned about that supposed-grandma's inability to use proper grammar, punctuation, and spelling, than I am about a 4-year-old who doesn't yet know the alphabet. When I was a kid, back in the 80's, it was typical to learn the alphabet in kindergarten, so 5-6 years old.

[Beammeup]

I'm more concerned about that supposed-grandma's inability to use proper grammar, punctuation, and spelling, than I am about a 4-year-old who doesn't yet know the alphabet. When I was a kid, back in the 80's, it was typical to learn the alphabet in kindergarten, so 5-6 years old.

This.

Pre School is the new Kindergarten. Kindergarten is the new first grade. They are trying to get American children caught up to the children in other countries.

My daughter knew her letters and numbers at about 3.5. Thank you public television and an excellent day care provider. :clap:

[Sola]

OMG, if there is any reason NOT to homeschool a child, this is it.

That poor child.

[Handmaiden of Dog]

A four-year-old who doesn't know her ABCs is most likely a four-year-old who has not been read to frequently and who doesn't own a lot of books. If you can't be bothered to read and provide your child with lots of books than I can't see you as being successful as a homeschool teacher. My guess is grandma has been the child care provider and is now thinking about homeschooling as well-- not out of any great love of books and learning but simply because she doesn't want her granddaughter contaminated by public schools and has gotten the idea from The Duggars that this is a good way to raise well-behaved children. Ugh. That is the very worst reason to take on homeschooling.

[Katiebug]

I'm more concerned about that supposed-grandma's inability to use proper grammar, punctuation, and spelling, than I am about a 4-year-old who doesn't yet know the alphabet. When I was a kid, back in the 80's, it was typical to learn the alphabet in kindergarten, so 5-6 years old.

Yes, this. I taught myself to read at 3, but when I was a kid in the 80s most of my classmates learned the alphabet in kindergarten and we didn't start reading in school until 1st grade. Now it's basically required that children be able to read in kindergarten in order to move to 1st grade. What worries me is the grandma's posting - and she's going to be homeschooling?!?

FWIW, our 22 month old can count to 10 and knows around half of the letters by sight. Thank you, Leapfrog Fridge Phonics! Also, we read to her daily and have done so since she was born. The caregivers at daycare also read to the kids throughout the day. I have no doubt that by the time she's in kindergarten she'll be reading and able to do simple arithmetic.

[Trynn]

I'm more concerned about that supposed-grandma's inability to use proper grammar, punctuation, and spelling, than I am about a 4-year-old who doesn't yet know the alphabet. When I was a kid, back in the 80's, it was typical to learn the alphabet in kindergarten, so 5-6 years old.

Yes this. While it is easier to learn when you're younger, I do think there comes a point when a kid is young enough that they should not be forced to sit down and learn anything. While that might be different depending on the child, I think 5/6 is a good age to start school.

I grew up in the 90s, and I THINK I knew the alphabet before going into kindergarten, but I can't properly remember. If I didn't, I'm sure I knew it by the time I entered 1st grade. I think Sesame Street taught me the alphabet song (which, btw, if you REALLY want your 4 year old to learn the alphabet, singing it with them is a much better way than trying to get them to sit down and concentrate with pencil and paper.) And if Sesame Street didn't, my mom read to me A LOT as a child, so I'm sure I learned a lot of the alphabet from that.

I'm more concerned about the grandma's grammar and spelling than the 4 year old not knowing the alphabet. If she is going to be doing the homeschooling, heaven help the poor child.

[bananacat]

Wow, sometimes people need the perspective. The wisest thing is to realize your own weaknesses and not attempt to do things you're not capable of. If this commenter is for real, she should not be in charge of any child's education. She may be a nice, caring, wonderful person, but that doesn't mean she'll be a good teacher.

[Didi]

I don't think that a 4 year old not knowing their ABC's is that big of a deal... I could sing it at 2, but I couldn't have put the letters with the song until 5. :-)

[bananacat]

I don't think that a 4 year old not knowing their ABC's is that big of a deal... I could sing it at 2, but I couldn't have put the letters with the song until 5. :-)

I think you kind of missed the point. The problem isn't with the 4 year-old; it's with the teacher who is barely literate herself. This is not the right person to homeschool a child.

[ElphabaGalinda]

If she can't even figure out how to teach her grandchild the abcs she really shouldn't be homeschooling because she's going to have lots of trouble teaching her anything else. Actually anyone who asks the Duggars for homeschooling advice should not be homeschooling. Anyways, shouldn't they be asking the real home schooler Jessa? Jichelle hasn't done any "homeschooling" in years.

*the quotes are because I hate to call the SOTDRT homeschooling.*

[emmiedahl]

This.

Pre School is the new Kindergarten. Kindergarten is the new first grade. They are trying to get American children caught up to the children in other countries.

My daughter knew her letters and numbers at about 3.5. Thank you public television and an excellent day care provider. :clap:

My kids all learn them early also. They just pick it up. Preschool teachers are always like, "I can tell you really work with her a lot!" Nope. I read them a story every now and then. But they know books must be full of amazing shit because their mother literally always has her nose in one.

Some of the most successful education programs in the world start academics at what Americans would call a late age. It can be a lot of pressure for a young child who is only just potty trained and talking. It used to be that you learned the alphabet in kindergarten; now you need to show up on the first day already knowing shapes, counting, ABC's, how to write letters, what sound they generally stand for, how to write your first and last name, etc. I have a list somewhere because my 4 year old will be starting in the fall, and it is amusing. My kids love it, but it seems excessive for a child who is not inclined. I think it is a formula for making a child feel stupid and/or making them hate school. When I was in preschool, we fingerpainted.

[Witsec1]

My kids all learn them early also. They just pick it up. Preschool teachers are always like, "I can tell you really work with her a lot!" Nope. I read them a story every now and then. But they know books must be full of amazing shit because their mother literally always has her nose in one.

Some of the most successful education programs in the world start academics at what Americans would call a late age. It can be a lot of pressure for a young child who is only just potty trained and talking. It used to be that you learned the alphabet in kindergarten; now you need to show up on the first day already knowing shapes, counting, ABC's, how to write letters, what sound they generally stand for, how to write your first and last name, etc. I have a list somewhere because my 4 year old will be starting in the fall, and it is amusing. My kids love it, but it seems excessive for a child who is not inclined. I think it is a formula for making a child feel stupid and/or making them hate school. When I was in preschool, we fingerpainted.

I'm glad you posted this, Emmiedahl. I don't think requiring more academic skills from 4 year olds is going to get American children "caught up" to countries like Finland, where they don't start formal reading/writing instruction until age 7. If your kid picks up reading and writing earlier, that's great but pushing kids who aren't interested is not going to help and will probably hurt. It's more important that the get plenty of reading aloud and lots of playtime in an environment with lots of opportunity for exploration. I'd be more concerned if a 4 year old knew few songs and rhyming games (where you say the words and do the actions) than if they didn't know their ABC's