My memories are filled with the struggles my daughter encountered beginning in Kindergarten. Her teacher asked for a meeting with me, and then asked pointed questions about whether or not I took drugs during the pregnancy (I didn't even allow myself an aspirin!). Then she proclaimed my daughter to be mentally ill and demanded I take her to a therapist. At the end of the first appointment, the therapist said, "Hogwash! She has learning disabilities!" That began the process of doing an IEP and having my daughter out of the classroom for part of every day for most of the rest of her childhood education. I remember taking her to a parent/teacher night and as we walked into her classroom, all the other students had brightly colored name signs on their desks with examples of their work but my daughter's desk was void of anything. I watched her face turn bright red. There was nothing personal for her in her "learning disabled" classroom either. Thankfully, she became determined, graduated high school even having pulled herself out of all "special" classes towards the end, and then attending college. She just graduated with her masters and is now a teacher herself, and has much more understanding of neurodivergence. That you for your take on the nostalgia over learning cursive. I have wondered about that a lot.
I love writing with pen and paper but I completely agree with your thoughts here. There isn't a one size fits all solution when it comes to educating our children. My two children, both with the same parents, are entirely different in the ways they learn, interpret information, and interact with the world. We need to work with kids (and adults) to figure out what works best.
Thanks for educating us about neurodiversity and dysgraphia. Although I do not have the condition, I struggle with handwriting due to carpel tunnel syndrome and often feel defeated when I hear people toot the horns of handwriting as a form of therapy and connecting with the heart/soul. We each have a different way of learning and some are better at audio visual. At work , we depend a lot on reading documentation to learn new skills that allow us to do our job but I find it unhelpful. I prefer people to go over things in person so I can absorb the knowledge better. I often feel that I am a little bit slow in learning or that im "outdated" but perhaps it has to do with the method of teaching.
You're welcome. I was thinking about all of the great thinkers who couldn't write due to physical limitations too. Like Helen Keller who had her Anne Sullivan and Stephen Hawking who did not learn to read until age 8 and of course, was physically incapacitated. I'd also like consumers to be more aware of pseudoscientific claims pushed by wellness influencers similar to the Baby Einstein phenomenon wasting our time and money.
Points well taken. Those are great examples. There are certainly a lot of snake oil salespeople out there abusing "science" to make a buck. Caveat emptor.
My memories are filled with the struggles my daughter encountered beginning in Kindergarten. Her teacher asked for a meeting with me, and then asked pointed questions about whether or not I took drugs during the pregnancy (I didn't even allow myself an aspirin!). Then she proclaimed my daughter to be mentally ill and demanded I take her to a therapist. At the end of the first appointment, the therapist said, "Hogwash! She has learning disabilities!" That began the process of doing an IEP and having my daughter out of the classroom for part of every day for most of the rest of her childhood education. I remember taking her to a parent/teacher night and as we walked into her classroom, all the other students had brightly colored name signs on their desks with examples of their work but my daughter's desk was void of anything. I watched her face turn bright red. There was nothing personal for her in her "learning disabled" classroom either. Thankfully, she became determined, graduated high school even having pulled herself out of all "special" classes towards the end, and then attending college. She just graduated with her masters and is now a teacher herself, and has much more understanding of neurodivergence. That you for your take on the nostalgia over learning cursive. I have wondered about that a lot.
great article and smart. No one person is like another.
Thanks!
I love writing with pen and paper but I completely agree with your thoughts here. There isn't a one size fits all solution when it comes to educating our children. My two children, both with the same parents, are entirely different in the ways they learn, interpret information, and interact with the world. We need to work with kids (and adults) to figure out what works best.
Thank you, Mathew. We can reduce so much needless anxiety and damaging shame with mindsets like yours.
Thanks for educating us about neurodiversity and dysgraphia. Although I do not have the condition, I struggle with handwriting due to carpel tunnel syndrome and often feel defeated when I hear people toot the horns of handwriting as a form of therapy and connecting with the heart/soul. We each have a different way of learning and some are better at audio visual. At work , we depend a lot on reading documentation to learn new skills that allow us to do our job but I find it unhelpful. I prefer people to go over things in person so I can absorb the knowledge better. I often feel that I am a little bit slow in learning or that im "outdated" but perhaps it has to do with the method of teaching.
You're welcome. I was thinking about all of the great thinkers who couldn't write due to physical limitations too. Like Helen Keller who had her Anne Sullivan and Stephen Hawking who did not learn to read until age 8 and of course, was physically incapacitated. I'd also like consumers to be more aware of pseudoscientific claims pushed by wellness influencers similar to the Baby Einstein phenomenon wasting our time and money.
Points well taken. Those are great examples. There are certainly a lot of snake oil salespeople out there abusing "science" to make a buck. Caveat emptor.
Hello there how are you doing