Wednesday, January 10, 2007

Teaching Beyond Comprehension

Eva's in a Early Learning Center type daycare. She's learned a ton. In fact, there's times I think they've learned the entire Kindergarten curriculum. But sometimes, I have to wonder if they aren't teaching beyond what kids can understand. Last year, it was the Battle of Bunker Hill, and they had to draw a picture of what it meant to them. Her's was a hill with rainbows and people holding hands. It still cracks me up.

So yesterday I picked her up and she told me someone was having a birthday. I asked her who thinking it was someone in her class. She said it was someone brown from Australia. I thought she meant Tomas, who is dark skinned from South America. But no, she told me it was someone that was in jail. I'm thinking ok...who in the world is she talking about?? I asked her what his name was and she didn't know. Then she's like it's the bad man, in jail, that's brown from Antartica. Finally, I realized she she was talking about Martin Luther King, Jr. So we had to have a discussion about how he didn't go to jail (did he go to jail? because I couldn't specifically remember that) because he was bad but because he was trying to change the rules, etc. She didn't get it, so I just sort of dropped it when she changed topics of discussion. I thought it was funny though, not Australia, or Antartica, but Atlanta!

6 comments:

Erin (moviemuse) said...

Why on earth are they trying to teach the Battle of Bunker Hill to a child that young? Sheesh. They don't care! (Heck, I still didn't care much in high school either.) And being from Atlanta, if I have to choose between her two options, I'll take Australia, thanks. Too cold for this Southerner in Antarctica! LOL (Still chuckling about the confusion.) But yes, he did go to jail, on more than one occasion, IIRC.

Anonymous said...

Wow, tough discussion to have with a kindergartner. Sounds like you did well :-)

Unknown said...

That does sound a little excessive.
And the picture about Bunker Hill sounds hilarious

Anonymous said...

Hmmmm, well.... Bunker Hill you say?... Strange...

MLK went to jail in Birmingham for IIRC demonstrating without a permit.

Theresa said...

That was hilarious!

Anonymous said...

Australia, Antartica, Atlanta - it's all the same, isn't it? I mean - they're all in the "south", right?