Is the No Child Left Behind Act Shortchanging Our Children in Music and Art?

Educators have said since its inception that the No Child Left Behind Act was not the solution. Teachers are limited to what and how they can teach; children are dropping out of school and are getting left behind. The act is failing more than it is succeeding, and our children are paying the price, ending up joining the vicious cycle of welfare and poverty due to their lack of education.

The No Child Left Behind Act has a narrow focus on math, science English and testing. In particular, its policy to teach to the test does not teach our children to become well-rounded adults--- adults who can draw on their knowledge and all of their experiences, including music and art. Being able to pass a particular test is not the same thing as being able to resolve problems.

Studies on the Effects of Music

University studies conducted in both Georgia and Texas have found significant links between children who had music instruction and their academic achievements in math, science and language arts. Their studies have found that middle and high school students who participated in music programs scored significantly higher than their peers who did not participate in any kind of music programs. Studies have proven time and again that children who took piano or other musical instrument lessons at an early age elevated their SAT scores considerably in math and languages 11 years later.

A Neurological Research study held in 1999 found that students exposed to music lessons scored a full 100 percent higher on fraction tests than those who learned through conventional teaching methods. In the test, second and third-grade students were taught by first teaching them basic music rhythm notation. They learned about the relationships between eighth, quarter, half and whole notes. Math and music are very closely related. Why? In the music world, kids are learning fractions and intervals and positive and negative with every change in an octave. Once learned, the skills are easily translatable in the math world.

A ten-year study performed at UCLA that tracked more than 25,000 students, found that music-making improved test scores regardless of the student's socioeconomic background. Students continued to obtain higher test scores in not only standardized tests, but tests such as the SAT and reading proficiency exams. Another study by the University of Texas found that college-age kids with music backgrounds are emotionally healthier than their non-musician peers. Each group was given three tests, and the study measured anxiety, emotional concerns and alcohol related issues. They found that students with a music background tend to feel more self-confident when facing tests and had fewer battles with alcohol.

The Many Benefits of Music

The world's top academic countries place a high value on music education, whereas the United States places a higher focus on vocabulary, technology, math and science. Yet our children are failing to achieve high scores in math and science! Hungary, the Netherlands and Japan are countries with the highest achievement in the sciences. These three countries have a strong commitment to the world of music education and the power it has to help their children achieve higher grades in math and science. All three countries require music training for their children in the elementary and middle grade school levels and have done so for decades. Their music training includes both instrumental and vocal.

There are other benefits to music. Exposure to music teaches children to express themselves and provides an emotional outlet that keeps them healthier. It gives them a strong sense of self-esteem, self-worth and self-confidence, key ingredients to success in their adult life. It encourages social interaction, inspires creativity and improvisation. It strengthens their communication skills and their ability to express themselves. The world of art, particularly music, is a positive force on all aspects of our children's lives, particularly their academic success. So with all these benefits, why do the schools and the government continue to eliminate music from the educational system?

Even the nation's top business executives feel that programs in the arts can help repair with America's educational system to better prepare the future workforce. It is time to stop teaching our children to tests and "dumbing down" school books. It does not work. Children are dropping out of school in droves. As a country, we need to bring back the power of the arts to our education system, particularly music. A good education that provides access and exposure to music and art, regardless of a child's socioeconomic background, is perhaps a better answer than the No Child Left Behind Act.

Our family has experienced the positive impact and power music has in education first hand. I grew up in a family of three children. As a child, I took piano lessons for four years, flute for one year and participated in church and school choirs. One of my other siblings also took piano for two years. The two of us who took music lessons quickly grasped fractions and basic math skills, and excelled in reading and the humanities. The sibling who took no music classes early in life encountered multiple problems in school, particularly math, ultimately dropping out of high school because she believed she was simply not smart enough. Then one day she decided to take guitar lessons after becoming involved with her church's worship singers. She went back to school not only finding the success and self-confidence she had not found as a child, but realizing she was indeed an intelligent young woman.

That same sibling pulled her own children out of the public school system because she realized that the No Child Left Behind Act did not work. She has homeschooled her two children through a community charter school that uses both on-hand and internet teaching. She has also made it a point of exposing them to all forms of the arts, including music, and are taught year-round. Both children easily breeze through state required tests with no test anxiety experienced by many public schooled children. They maintain a grade point average of 3.8 - 4.0, and are two grade levels beyond public schooled peers of the same age.

Changing the Face of Education

At a time when our country was comprised of mostly farms and ranches it made sense to free our children to help on the family farm over the summer. It was a necessity. It no longer is. We need a serious conversation on what we really want from our educational system. Our approach to teaching to tests, "dumbing down" text books and providing a narrow focus approach is obviously not working. While the notion of leaving no child behind is a worthy idea in of itself, the No Child Left Behind Act is too restrictive and is not the answer. Providing our children a well-rounded, year-round education that includes not only math, science and language but the world of music, will help our children become the successful adults that will one day lead our businesses and country.

Our children are bright, intelligent and capable of achieving educational greatness with all of the right tools. Involving the very people who teach our children and their parents to help find better and more creative solutions, and providing access to music and the arts in our public schools will help keep our kids in school. We need to give back the power of teaching to the teachers and give the power of a well-rounded education to our children. Together we can help kids achieve the high scores we know them to be capable of achieving and an education that includes the world of music and art.

Here is a math equation for all of us to consider: Exposure to music = quick-to-learn other subjects.

U.S. Senator, Jeff Bingaman (New Mexico), said it best. "Music education can be a positive force on all aspects of a child's life, particularly their academic success. It has proven to be an invaluable tool in classrooms across the country. Given the impact music can have on our children's education, we should support every effort to bring music into their classrooms."

Doing so will perhaps help our children fulfill their dreams and possibilities, and help ensure that no child is left behind. Copyright 2010 Catherine L Pittman - All Rights Reserved (c)

About the Author
Catherine currently resides in Oregon, and is the owner, songwriter and main vocalist for the music production company, Pitter Patter Productions. The company has been producing its own line of original award-winning music for children since 1992, specializing in lullabies and music for toddlers and preschoolers. MP3 downloads of our songs and albums are available at Amazon.com, CD Baby and iTunes. CD's are available at: http://www.pitterpatterproductions.com

Parents: Receive a FREE sampler album download when subscribing to our e-magazine, Parent Patter Magazine. The sampler album includes songs from all of our current and soon to be released albums. Subscribe at: http://www.pitterpatterproductions.com/ParentPatter.html

Regulated at Home: The Home Educators Oppression

Parents who chose to educate their children at home do so because at some point they find themselves frustrated with the school system and have decided that the government school experience is simply not a beneficial experience for their children. In most cases, they would even find it to be detrimental in many ways including spiritually and emotionally as well as intellectually. Sometimes this decision is made prior to what the state considers "compulsory age" sometimes it is made later as parents begin to recognize the damaging side-effects of systematic behavior and they decide to independently educate after suffering a negative experience.

Either way, the new home educating parent inevitably becomes concerned about education laws and begins to worry about complying with the regulations that their state requires regarding homeschooling. They are not alone. Even the less stressed veteran home educators get their paperwork ready each September for the coming year so that they can be in compliance with the state's "regulations".

What is regulation?

In the United States today, there are four different levels of regulation. Basically what this means is that there is a varying degree to which the state officials will interfere with how a family chooses to pursue their children's education - independent of the government system. Some states are considered "high regulation". Home educating parents who reside in these states are expected to report attendance, transcripts, curriculum records, a list of materials used, grades etc... and the children are expected to take state standardized tests in order to show proof that they are learning according to state standards.

Other states are considered moderate or low regulation wherein less reporting and/or testing is expected, but the parent must still notify and maintain contact with a school official who is to supervise the family and ensure that what and how the children are learning comply with state standards. Some states do not attempt to interfere with the privacy and freedom of the individual family in matters of education. These are the states wherein the concept of liberty is acknowledged and appreciated. Here, it is realized that the United States Constitution protects basic human freedoms; and included in those freedoms is the right to free exercise of religion (or lack thereof) and freedom of speech. This includes the way we teach and educate our children.

Unfortunately, there are only ten states that currently acknowledge this personal freedom. And so most home educating families across the nation regularly comply with local government demands with little to no complaint.

Why comply?

I've often wondered about this. Us "Independent Educators" are rebels by our very nature. We chose to educate at home because we did not feel (for one reason or another) that the typical school atmosphere was going to be the best option for our child. Yet in most states across the country, we feel forced to adhere to state regulations and restrictions on how, when, where and with what materials we educate our children. It's blatantly counter-productive and yet it goes on. It goes on, my friends, because we accept it.

Even though many parents do not approve of or appreciate state education intervention, many home educating parents simply fill out the forms with whatever information the state wants to just be done with it. They feel that it's best to just cooperate in order to avoid conflict. While I understand wanting to avoid conflict, I must ask the obvious question. Of what use is cooperation other than to perpetuate the idea that it's okay to enforce restrictions? I believe that we accept this kind of intrusion into our private parenting decisions, because we have sadly become accustomed to asking permission for everything. Despite how we go on about being grateful to live in a "free country", we seem to have forgotten the true meaning of being free. When we allow ourselves to be 'regulated' and we allow this kind of intrusion into how we parent, and we allow the state to get entangled in our relationships with our children - we are essentially giving up part of our liberty and a thick slice of that freedom we so enjoy priding ourselves on.

Does society need education regulation?

Critics of home education (often ignorant and misguided) support state regulation and argue that without it there is no way to oversee what and how the children in our society are learning. They boldly assume that parents are not equipped to teach their own children, and insist a burden upon independent parents to prove that they are so worthy, on a regular basis.

It may sound like a nice idea, for a collective society to want to 'ensure' that all children are 'properly' educated. But there are many problems with this theoretical concept. The most obvious one being that 'properly educated' is a matter of perspective and opinion. The concept also assumes that we all desire to live in a collective. The majority of Americans who value liberty - do not.

Because our modern public education results are far beneath the global intellectual average - we also know that the current state systems are failing miserably so whatever it is the 'public' considers 'properly educated' is severely lacking. Perhaps this is the culprit behind the mass misunderstanding of individual freedom in the first place. The clear lacking in intellectual ability is another huge reason that more and more parents are choosing to take on the responsibility themselves. Simply put, the "State" is failing our children.

With this in mind, why on earth do any of us agree to allow the miserably failing "State" to dictate how our kids learn? Home educating parents have made a well thought-out and informed decision to educate their children without the school system. They have deliberately rejected government regulated schooling because they know it has failed our culture intellectually and proven to damage children emotionally, physically, spiritually and mentally; which has in turn damaged our society in these ways. A cursory glance around at our world today or even a simple perusing through the magazine rack at the supermarket exemplifies this sad truth fairly well.

So this begs the next obvious question; why do we allow the very system we deliberately and intelligently rejected, to impose itself upon our parenting and relationships with our children? We decline participation in the school because we know their methods are harmful and inadequate, so why would we comply with the very same standards outside of its walls? And if we are outside of its walls, then why do we assume we are subject to its rules? I do not comply with the rules of the YMCA because I am not a member of the YMCA. Are you following?

Another way of asking this is, exactly why is the government in charge of how my child learns? Where is this in our American Constitution? Who decided that the state should direct my relationship with my children including how I chose to guide their learning? It is as if we are still on a leash and have simply been let out in the yard because we made enough noise, but never out of the fence. And we are okay with this? We call this freedom to educate?

What about child abuse?

Another argument is that the government must ensure that children are not being abused or neglected. Naturally, I agree that those who abuse and neglect their children should indeed be stopped. However, to enforce regulation on us simply because we educate at home (which we indeed have the right to do) assumes that we are automatically guilty (or suspect) of abuse and therefore subject to warrant-less 'search' and forced to 'report' our innocence on a regular basis.

I'll remind everyone that in America, we are innocent until proven guilty, not the other way around. Let me not forget to mention that the State already has its hands full with all the abused and neglected children that are within their jurisdiction in the public school system.

A violation of humanity

In summary, State regulation of home education is a gross and blatant violation of freedom and liberty as Americans. It perpetuates because we allow it. We allow it because we are so conditioned to ask permission for everything from our government....Permission to drive, to run a business, even to marry the person we love....

When you take a moment to step outside the 'box' and really look around, you see just how insane it all really is.

Our children belong to us. They are not property of the State and therefore are not subject to regulation by the state.

Fortunately, I live in a state that recognizes this and offers no attempt to restrict or regulate a parent who endeavors to Independently Educate. If you too live in such a State, I urge you to be diligent about the legislation and keep up to date so that this freedom remains properly protected!

If you do not live in such a state and either currently home educate or are considering it, I urge you to find the audacity within yourself to challenge the 'system' and break free from the matrix. Oppression only happens to those who give permission to be oppressed.

Home education should not mean Home regulation. They are our children, they are precious, and they are human beings. Educate, appreciate and love them.

An Unplugged Home Educator of her own children for nearly a decade, Laurette is passionate about helping people discover parenting in such a way that it resonates in their life, their children's lives and their world! Her objective is to help parents discover the benefits and joys of family life with Unplugged Education - an experience that goes beyond the logistics of academics and breaks free of the box of simply 'schooling' at home. It is a way of looking at parenting from outside the box and making deliberate informed choices for our family; a bold and audacious journey into the art of active Parenting that shakes the foundation of 'normal' as we learn to unplug from the doldrums of status quo and begin to dramatically improve the entire family dynamic!

In addition to her publications, Laurette delivers this positive message as a Motivational Speaker for home education organizations and events.

You can also listen to Laurette's web radio show at Unplugged Mom Radio: http://www.unpluggedmomradio.com.

Read more of Laurette's inspiring thoughts on her blog titled The Unplugged Mom: http://unpluggedmom.com/

America's Public School System --- Brutal and Spartan

The public school system in America has become a dismal failure. But education in many other times and cultures has been quite successful. The ancient Greeks, whose civilization was at its height around 500 B.C., founded Western civilization as we know it. The Athenian Greeks invented or perfected logic, drama, science, philosophy, astronomy, mathematics, literature, and much more. Yet ancient Greece had no compulsory schools.

Other than requiring two years of military training for young men that began at age eighteen, Athens let parents educate their children as they saw fit. Parents either taught their children at home or sent them to voluntary schools where teachers and philosophers like Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle gave lectures to all who wanted to learn. These great teacher-philosophers did not need a license to teach, nor did they have tenure.

The ancient*Athenians had a free-market education system. The thought of compulsory, state-run schools and compulsory licensing would have been repulsive to them. The Athenians respected a parents' natural right to direct the education of their children.

In contrast, Sparta, Athens's mortal enemy, created the first truly state-run, compulsory education system on record. Individual Spartans lived and died for the state, and had to serve the state from birth until sixty years of age. Their society was a brutal military dictatorship in which male children literally belonged to the city, not to their parents.

The Spartan military government took boys from their homes and parents at the age of seven and forced them to live in military-style barracks for the rest of their lives. Spartan men were life-long soldiers whose highest duty was to obey the commands of their leaders.

It is no coincidence that Sparta had compulsory, state-run education. If a society believes that children belong not to parents, but to the state, then the state must control children's education by compulsion.

Are our public schools any different than the brutal Spartan society in the way they treat parents and children? Today, school compulsory-attendance laws force parents to hand over their children to government employees called teachers for eight to twelve years.

In effect, our local and state governments claim that they, like the Spartans, own our children's minds and bodies for twelve years. Parents who refuse to hand over their children to the public schools can be and have been locked in jail for disobeying the compulsory-attendance laws.

In this respect, our public schools today are just as brutal as the Spartans. The difference is only in degree. Where the Spartans stole children from their parents to serve a lifetime in their military, our local governments create laws that let them, in effect, legally kidnap our children to serve twelve years in their education boot camps called public schools. The brutality of the principal is the same. Like the Spartans, our public-school officials think they own our children, and have contempt for parents' rights.

Joel Turtel is an education policy analyst, and author of “Public Schools, Public Menace: How Public Schools Lie To Parents and Betray Our Children." Contact Information: Website: http://www.mykidsdeservebetter.com, Email: lbooksusa@aol.com, Phone: 718-447-7348. Article Copyrighted © 2005 by Joel Turtel. NOTE: You may post this Article on an Ezine, newsletter, or other website only if you include Joel Turtel’s complete contact information, and set up a hyperlink to Joel Turtel’s email address and website URL, http://www.mykidsdeservebetter.com

Teaching Children With English As A Second Language: How Schools Are Coping

Recent figures have shown that 1 in 6 primary school children in the UK have English as a second language. This has led to some concern that teachers are becoming overburdened with the pressures brought by a multi-lingual classroom. Schools, too, are said to be struggling, because teaching children with a variety of needs requires hiring extra teaching assistants in an already cash-strapped education system.

At the same time, critics argue that diversity in the classroom is an asset, not a burden, and that the difficulties of teaching children with English as a second language (ESL) are widely overstated. So the question is, how are schools really coping?

On the face of it, the challenges of teaching in a multi-lingual classroom are significant. Different provisions need to be made for each child's unique needs, which can impact on the time the teacher has for general class teaching. This can have a detrimental effect on those children who are native English speakers. The head of Migration Watch UK has suggested that the 'huge strain on the educational system... is bound to have an impact on those children who do have English as their first language'.

This assertion has been contested by a number of academic and political figures, who have argued that the figures do not necessarily reflect the fluency that bilingual pupils have with the English language. A lack of evidence for both cases suggests that estimation of the challenge which teachers face nationwide can only be speculated.

Putting political arguments to one side, how difficult is it to effectively integrate native and ESL children while maintaining a high quality of teaching? Academics suggest that, with the right approach, a diversity of languages need not be a problem. Encouraging interaction between children, by pairing them or regularly setting group work, can be a good way to accelerate ESL children's familiarity and confidence with the English language. Taking an immersive approach is widely recognised as the key to successful learning for children from all linguistic backgrounds.

In fact, young children are especially adept at learning new languages and it may be the case that the problem has been overestimated. Some have even suggested that the real challenge is to make sure that English is an addition to, rather than a replacement for, the child's first language. Respecting children's cultural and linguistic background has widely been argued as key in maintaining their confidence and self-esteem, and this may be where teachers face the most difficulty.

The need, therefore, for extra teaching assistants and cultural sensitivity on the part of teachers is clear if a happy balance is to be struck between the needs of native English and ESL children. It's important to recognise, though, the benefits that diversity can bring to any classroom, along with the challenges. As the UK becomes more multi-cultural, encouraging interaction between children from different backgrounds can only help to improve their understanding and sensitivity towards one another. Perhaps more focus should be placed on the positives of classroom diversity, rather than a narrow emphasis on the difficulties.

Hannah McCarthy works for Education City, a leading supplier of e-Learning software for schools and families in the UK. Education City offers comprehensive curriculum-based resources for teachers, including a new Learn English module for teaching English as an additional language. Outside of school, the Stig and Sten website offers a host of cool games for kids to enjoy at home.

Education in Third World

With the daily challenges posed by economic difficulty and other threats, governments in developing countries are working very hard to ensure that their educational institutions continue to provide a standard of education that can make its citizens at part with the educated people in more economically sound countries. To a certain extent, these Third World countries have succeeded in their crusade for quality education. The problem is that a good education comes with a price and it is often a price that many people in Third World countries are not able to pay. So, although quality education is available, it is still unreachable for a large segment of a developing country's population.

Certainly, it is impressive to see that developing countries have educational institutions that are world-class and which offer education that can rival that provided by wealthier nations around the world. There is a clear recognition of the role that education plays in overcoming hardship and poverty. However elusive it may be, a good education is still viewed as the best way to a better life.

Among the developing countries that have superb educational systems are such "emerging markets" as Mexico, India, Brazil, Turkey, the Philippines, Egypt, South Africa, Malaysia, Thailand, much of South America and several of the Persian Gulf Arab States.

Obviously, the poorest of the poor in these countries will have a hard time getting into the best schools in their vicinity. Of course, there are always scholarship programs available but these are few. Besides, people at the lowest spectrum of the economic scale are more concerned with more pressing issues related to their mere survival such as where to find food and money for clothing and shelter. After these basic needs are met, that is the only time that parents can really focus on their children's schooling. In fact, studies indicate that once their basic economic needs are met, the first priority of most poor families is how to send their children to a good school.

India recently launched EDUSAT, an educational program aimed at giving quality education to even its poorest citizens. Among the group's first initiatives is the development of a $100 laptop which the government hopes to distribute by 2007 to public schools all over the country.

Jonathon Hardcastle writes articles on many topics including Education [http://4educationinformation.com/], Kids And Teens [http://4kidsandteens.com/], and Weather [http://iweatherworld.com/]

Education Reform in an Unequal K-12 Education System: Right, Entitlement, or Privilege?

Just as the medical profession manages symptoms through medication, politicians manage the education system by turning a blind (ignorant?) eye to the way education manages its ills. These "solutions" are most easily seen in urban areas.

Politicians, through the power of legislation, expect schools to have all students performing at or above grade level which is what the "average" child is expected to know or do. There are children who can and do, as well as children who can't and don't. All schools are NOT equal, never can be, as long as we have the freedoms to choose where we live and what we do with our personal resources. All children are NOT equal, never will be, in experiential readiness, developmental readiness, native ability, talents and skills or interests. When we examine the performance of schools, we must consider many things not entering into formulas for success.

Schools of "right"

In the U.S., by law, children have the right to a free and appropriate public education. Complex social, political and legal changes have created standardized instruction, ostensibly to ensure adequate and equal educational opportunity. The goal is for every child to learn skills to be productive members of the workforce. General education schools are the result. These schools often have an alarmingly poor graduation rate, for many reasons. One reason is that the higher achieving, better performing students attend schools of "entitlement" or "privilege".

Schools of "entitlement"

In larger or more urban areas, the public school district may have specialized schools for any level of education (elementary, middle, secondary). The high-performing (gifted) students usually attend a middle and/or secondary school. Magnet schools focus arduous or intensive instruction in particular special vocational interest fields (math, science, arts, vocational options, etc.) at middle and/or secondary schools. "Traditional" schools emphasize instructional basics; typically, these are elementary and/or middle schools. Charter schools require direct parental participation and may be elementary, middle or secondary. Typically, all these specialized schools expect parental support and involvement for students regarding their assignments, achievement, and school-appropriate attitudes, behavior and dress.

These are schools of entitlement; students must meet certain criteria or standards to be eligible to attend. Those standards do not assure attendance; not all who apply attend. Quotas determine how many students are in the classes and, when filled, the doors close. Students not meeting the requisite standards for behavior and/or scholarship become ineligible to continue attendance. Schools of "entitlement" have high graduation rates, because there is mental and emotional investment by adults and students.

Another type of school, questionably falling in to the "entitlement" category, is the alternative school: the school for students behaviorally and/or emotionally inappropriate for the "right" school and definitely excluded from schools of "privilege". Students, removed from their "right" placement school for severe behavioral and/or disciplinary purposes, may or may not return to the general mainstream in the future; typically they have little interest in academic achievement.

Schools of "privilege"

Parents who can afford and value challenging educational opportunities for their children make sure their children benefit. Those with sufficient incomes, usually upper and upper-middle class, send their children to private schools, either day schools or boarding schools. Standards for those teachers and students are high, primarily because parents are committed to their children's education; they pay for tuition and fees to cover expensive structures, uniforms, books, educational trips, and other experiences to enhance their children's optimal growth and connections for their future. Those who choose local schools live where the public schools are highly rated and have reputations of excellent teachers, often attracted equally by high salaries and exceptionally achieving students. Housing costs preclude lower income families from attending. When parents, because of employment or other constraints on where they live, cannot afford those exceptional public schools, they may still seek out specialized schools. Many of these schools, affiliated with a religious organization, reinforce the common values of the families in attendance. Graduation rates for schools of "privilege" are high.

What do we really know?

All educators have extensive training; most teachers work hard, long hours, but can't stop the plethora of influences outside classrooms that prevent student from achieving. Research and statistics, as we currently use them, are NOT appropriate for evaluating education; we cannot statistically evaluate education while aspects of poverty affect children's learning. Assumptions about people, attitudes, values and beliefs drive policies that don't work.

Everyone can contribute to solutions; this is a revolutionary approach that could help identify our personal and collective weaknesses and blind spots. Exposing the personal and national attitudes and beliefs that keep us enmeshed in habitual approaches might allow us to begin effective education reform.

Jennifer Little, Ph.D.

All children can succeed in school. Parents can help their children by teaching the foundational skills that schools presume children have. Without the foundation for schools' academic instruction, children needlessly struggle and/or fail. Their future becomes affected because they then believe they are less than others, not able to succeed or achieve or provide for themselves or their families. Visit http://parentsteachkids.com to learn how to directly help your child and http://easyschoolsuccess.com to learn what is needed for education reform efforts to be successful.

How the Right To an Education Destroys Our Children's Education

One of the most common arguments that school authorities use to justify public schools is that all children have a "right" to an education. Public-school apologists claim that all children have a right to an education, and that only the existence of a massive, compulsory, government-controlled public-school system can "guarantee" that right.

As I will explain below, the claim that all children have a right to an education ends up hurting the very children it was intended to help. I will therefore ask a seemingly shocking question -- do all children have a right to an education? If they do, public-school apologists are correct in assuming that we need government to guarantee that right so no child gets left behind.

What is an economic "right" such as the alleged right to an education? A "right" means that a person has a claim on the rest of society (other Americans) to give him some product or service he wants, regardless of whether he can pay for it or not. For example, if we claimed that everyone has a right to a car, that would mean if someone couldn't afford a car, government would give that person the money to buy it (the payment might be called a car voucher).

Similarly, if we say that all children have a right to an education, regardless of their parent's ability to pay tuition, then only government can guarantee this alleged right. Government has to guarantee this right because no private, for-profit school will admit a student if the parents don't pay tuition (unless the student gets a scholarship). If a private school doesn't get paid for its services, it soon goes out of business.

Local or state governments can guarantee this alleged right in two basic ways. They can own and operate all the public schools and force all children to attend these schools, or they can give subsidies (vouchers) to parents to pay for tuition in the private school of their choice. Since most school authorities strongly oppose vouchers, that means they support only a government-controlled system of compulsory public schools and school taxes to guarantee children this alleged right to an education.

But government produces nothing by itself. Government gets its money by taxing us. To guarantee this alleged right to a product or service, government tax collectors must therefore take money from one person to give it to another. They must take from Peter to pay Paul, as the saying goes. So, in effect, a person who demands food, housing, or medical care as an alleged right, is really demanding that government tax agents steal money from his neighbor to give him an unearned benefit he didn't work for.

Education, like housing or medical care, does not grow free in nature. Just as someone must pay doctors, nurses, and hospitals for all the services they provide, someone must also pay for teachers' salaries, textbooks, janitorial services, and school upkeep. Other than air, nothing that we need is free.

The average public school now gets over $7,500 a year per student, paid from compulsory taxes. To guarantee education as a "right," local, state, and federal governments must tax all Americans to pay for public schools. All of us are taxed, whether or not we have school-age children or think these schools are worth paying for. So when some parents claim that their children have a right to an education, they are really demanding that their local or state government steal money from their neighbors to pay for their children's education.

Here's an analogy that might help clarify this issue. Imagine that your unemployed neighbor comes to you and asks you to lend him money to pay for his children's education. You reply that, though you sympathize with his problem, your answer is no. He responds by saying that he is poor, points out that you have a big house and a job, and insists that his children have a "right" to an education. You say, "Sorry, my answer is still no because I need my money for my own children's education." Suppose that your neighbor then gets real mad, pulls out a gun, puts it to your head, and says, "I asked you nicely. I told you my children need an education. You have a job, and I'm unemployed, so you have a moral duty to give me your money." Then he clicks back the hammer on the gun.

Does your neighbor have the right to put a gun to your head and steal your money because his children "need" an education? He has no such right. Nor does he, or any number of your neighbors, have the right to rob you by getting government to be their enforcer -- by pressuring local governments to take your money through school taxes. Any school system that uses compulsory taxes is a system based on the notion that theft is moral if it's for a good cause. No goal, not even educating children, justifies legalized theft.

It is only natural that all parents want the best education for their children, but do good intentions justify stealing from your neighbor? A mugger on the street who puts a knife to your throat and demands your money also has good intentions -- he wants to make his life better with your money. One of the Ten Commandments says, "Thou shalt not steal." It does not say, "Thou shalt not steal, except if you need tuition money to educate your child." Since no one has a right to steal from his neighbor, no one, including children, has a "right" to an education.

Some might argue that I may be correct on this issue when it comes to adults, but surely we can't punish innocent children for their parent's failures? Just because parents are poor or unemployed, why should innocent children suffer and be denied an education? The answer to that question is one that many people find hard to accept, yet it is trte -- there are no guarantees in life, not for adults or for children. Good intentions to alleviate a problem do not justify hurting other people by stealing from them. Two wrongs do not make a right.

Moreover, if we agree that children have a right to an education because their parents are poor, then shouldn't they also have a right to food, a bicycle, a nice house in the suburbs, and designer clothes? If poor kids (and all children) have an alleged right to an education, don't they also have an alleged right to everything else that other kids have whose parents are well-off? Why not then say that anyone, poor, middle-class, or rich who has less money than his neighbor, has the "right" to steal from his neighbor? Where do we stop if some people can legally steal from others because they claim their kids need this or that?

The answer is, we don't stop, and we haven't stopped. That is why our country has turned into a devouring welfare state that is drowning in debt. When I use the word "welfare," I don't mean only for the poor. Rich, poor, and middle-class alike in America now claim the right to everything from corporate tax breaks and subsidies, to price supports for farmers, to Medicare, to rent subsidies for unwed mothers. When we let government steal money from taxpayers to give unearned benefits or subsidies to special-interest groups, we open up a Pandora's box. We become a nation of thieves stealing from each other. Is this what we want America to become?

It is true that a free market does not and can not guarantee that all children have enough to eat or live in a comfortable house. Likewise, a free-market education system in which all parents have to pay for their children's education obviously can't guarantee a quality education for every child.

However, government-controlled public schools also can't guarantee that every child gets a quality education. These failed schools can barely teach our children to read. Also, neither system can make guarantees because there are no guarantees in life, and because each child's abilities, personality, and family background are so different that such guarantees are impossible. The real question, then, is not which system is perfect, but which system is more likely to give the vast majority of children a quality education that most parents could afford?

Public schools fail and betray millions of children, year after year. The only "right" the public-school system gives to school children is the right to suffer through a mind-numbing, third-rate education for twelve years.

In contrast, the free-market, while not perfect, gives us all the wondrous goods and services we buy every day, such as cars, fresh food, computers, refrigerators, and televisions. The superbly efficient and competitive free market gives us all these marvelous products at prices that most people can afford. Even the poorest American families today have a car, refrigerator, and sometimes two televisions in their homes. If we want to discover which system would give the vast majority of children a quality education at reasonable prices, I think we have the answer -- the free market, hands down.

We therefore don't need a failed public-school system to enforce an alleged right to an education, when there is no such right in the first place. Each parent should be responsible for paying for their own children's education, just as they pay for their children's food or clothing.

Finally, public-school apologists use this alleged right to an education to justify keeping the public-school dinosaur alive, in spite of these schools' never-ending failure. Many public-school apologists who claim that children have a right to an education do so out of good intentions. They want to give all children a chance to get a decent education. But good intentions mean worse than nothing if they lead to dismal consequences. This alleged right to an education lets government bureaucrats have tyrannical control over our children's minds and future.

The "right" to an education requires a massive government-controlled public-school system to enforce that right. But it is this same public-school system that cripples the education and lives of millions of children. So, ironically, the alleged right to an education is the worst thing we can offer our children.

Most low-income families don't need government education handouts anymore in the form of allegedly "free" public schools. Parents today can buy quality, low-cost food in a competitive, free-market food industry full of grocery stores and supermarkets. In the same way, parents today can give their kids a quality education using low-cost Internet private schools and homeschooling.

Only when we reject the notion that all children have a "right" to an education will we get government out of the education business, permanently. Only a fiercely-competitive free-market education system can give kids the quality, low-cost education they deserve.

Joel Turtel is the author of two books — “Public Schools, Public Menace: How Public Schools Lie To Parents and Betray Our Children" and “The Welfare State: No Mercy For the Middle Class.” He is also a syndicated columnist and education policy analyst. Website: www.mykidsdeservebetter.com Email: lbooksusa@aol.com Article Copyrighted © 2006 by Joel Turtel. NOTE: You may post this Article on another website only if you set up a hyperlink to Joel Turtel’s email address and website URL, www.mykidsdeservebetter.com

Homeschooling - Three Reasons People Homeschool Their Children

Children have very powerful minds. They spend a lot of time trying to impress their parents and become more like them. When public schools and day cares take over part of that day, they begin placing their influences on these powerful minds. Are the values of the educators and care takers where children spend more time than they do with family really going to help prepare the next generation for the success that all of them have inside them?

Some families are willing to sacrifice a lot to homeschool their children simply because they feel that their children need more than the public educational system is offering. In particular, parents want their children to experience more than just a harried existence of rushing to everywhere and getting the minimum out of life. Three particular areas have many parents quitting jobs or changing job schedules to be able to educate their children themselves so that they can provide religious instruction, more advanced training than they can get in public school and finally that family bonding that is slipping away from the traditional family.

Religious Instruction

Public education is required to teach a non-religious curriculum because of the vast differences in the backgrounds of students and teachers. Parents who wish to sidestep the influences of the public education system can find help in homeschooling. It is easy to find a home school curriculum that will promote whatever religious beliefs the parent wants to teach their child. Many Christian based curriculum choices are available that provide the vast resources that children need while reinforcing the Christian values and teaching of the Bible.

As more and more families are choosing to homeschool, Jewish and Muslim (and even more than can be mentioned in this article) curricula are being developed by families and made available for sale once they have been tested. Different religious groups can also develop their own curriculum based on one of currently available, but tailored to their specific belief structure. The basic structure is similar in all of the religious curricula, but the tenets of the particular faith is interwoven into the reading, writing and history.

Advanced Training

The measure of a homeschool curriculum is whether it satisfies the criteria of the government agencies that are responsible for education. Seeing as how the majority of public schools are churning out children who are passably able to read and can barely spell, it is possible to beat the public school system by just spending more time with children, reading with them and going over their homework with them. The operative words are "with them" because quality time with children means more interaction and places more importance on doing a good job with schoolwork.

For parents who want their children to be college ready, a more advanced curriculum is required. Luckily, many advanced programs are available for home school families. Since parents who decide to homeschool come from varied backgrounds, many homeschooling materials are created by these parents to satisfy a need that was lacking in the homeschool community. As more families homeschool their children, more advanced curricula are becoming available for college prep.

Engineers, lawyers, doctors, chemists and CEOs have all contributed to the vast array of home educator materials available for parents to use for their children. These people make it possible for a child to choose whatever career path they can envision without having to attend public school. The only limitation is how much a parent can afford to invest in their own child's education.

Family Bonding

Because of the closeness of parents with their children in a homeschool environment, a special bond occurs with kids and parents that makes the experience even more beneficial. Instead of having a complete strangdr instilling their (who knows what kind) values on children, parents can form a stronger relationship and develop a more eager desire to learn in their children simply by continuing to encourage them.

Closeness with children is something that the family unit lacks, and simply showing an interest in a child's education is more important than the actual training materials on their own, since children respond to parental involvement very positively by wanting to excel. Obviously, stress and mental problems can get in the way of a positive learning environment, so before embarking on a homeschool curriculum, it is vital for parents to understand how much time they must devote to their children's education and whether they are mentally able to undertake such a task.

Some methods of homeschooling have a more "hands off" approach to teaching, by basically giving children a list of books to read and workbooks to use, but no real structure or interaction. This style is typically better for parents who are not able to deal with a structured schooling environment. Parental involvement is still crucial, but only in the encouragement of the child to continue reading and working at their own pace.

Summary

Religion in schools is a target from a lot of directions. Students are leaving school ready for a $10 per hour job. Too many families are fractured or simply damaged. It is crucial that parents become involved in their own children's education; even if it means after school religious instruction, help with homework and family activities. Homeschooling is one way to take away complete control of the preparation of children from the government (which has difficulty doing any large task effectively) and placing in back in the hands of the parent.

After seeing the results of having his 3 daughters in public school and in home school, Micheal Savoie found that home educators need more resources at their disposal to make homeschooling simpler for the parent and student. By making a website where home educators could exchange ideas and resources, the Home Educators Resource Exchange was born. Find out more at http://heregroups.com

A Review of K 12 Education

The compulsory attendance of children to go to school starting at the age of six to up nineteen in the thirteenth grade is called the K 12 educational system. Learning about a little bit of the background of this type of educational system makes it easier to understand its overall concept of teaching.

The first grade, kindergarten was created by a philosopher German teacher named Friedrich Froebel who wanted to create a place for young children to learn from their guided playing and enable them to bloom with their individual minds and initial learning. This grade was created long before K 12 education system was followed and which started in America in about 1856. At that time, education was not yet compulsory nor not all children have access to attend school. Kindergarten was usually taught to the children of the elite who do not have to work in their family's farms.

In 1918, the Fisher Act helped the formulation of the K 12 education that is familiar today. The law started the recognition of the education for children with special needs and raised the age to fourteen when children can leave schooling. After the Act, separate states have separate regulations regarding their educational systems. Most of the educational schooling available after the following years are usually headed by religious communities. In 1925, the Supreme Court allowed either public or private schooling for children..

After so many years, the states have formed their own departments of education to handle the education of the children. Funding resources also became available from federal, state, and local sources.

K 12 educational system have been established when the 1950's came. Social status discrimination was evident having only children of the elite can be schooled. Some social biases also occurred as segregation were prevalent in public schools but it was abolished in 1954.

Since then, the educational system worked for most of all of the states. And in 2002 the No Child Left Behind campaign approved by then President Bush that enables parents to choose the school where they will be sending their children.

Arguably many parents have find K 12 not effective in their children's education and opt for other alternative learning systems like home schooling and community schools. Some even have online teaching to educate their kids. The only challenge in these alternative options are the educational credits for the children. But surprisingly, the government have become more accommodating of the other learning options as time has passed by.

Government has made it possible to provide free education in public schools to children up to the 12th grade. Private schools are usually expensive because parents have to pay for the tuition that they require. Many of the children going under K 12 educational system are enjoying its benefits at school by bringing out their best selves and skills. The system will change undoubtedly in due time because of the constant changes in the socio-political atmosphere. What we know as now may radically change given a few decades.

Nancy D. Smith enjoys writing educational materials like sat prep and isee test prep and other related fields.

Is Our Education System Failing Our Youngest Learners?

We cannot ignore technology - it is part of our children's' world. We need to be harnessing the power that this technology brings to engage our earliest of learners in the skills they will need for the future. Ofcom, (Media Literacy Audit, 2008) showed that children's use of key media including the TV, games consoles and the internet are well established by the age of five.

Many aspects outside education have been transformed by technology - why are we not harnessing the power of technology to educate our children? eBooks for children can be used as early as pre-school to help children learn to read, whilst harnessing the technology available to them on which they play games. Maths skills can be taught by playing games, early exploratory science can be enhanced by online education. The association therefore surely must be that learning can be fun. Surely this will engage our learners from the earliest age to promote a life long love of learning? A recent study conducted for Becta by IPOS/Mori showed that secondary school pupils wanted to be active learners solving problems in groups and by using technology. Their actual experience is copying from a board, working on their own, listening to the teacher and taking notes. In what ways are we failing these children by not providing their education via mediums that they will be using throughout their working lives?

Research has shown that when parents and carers are engaged in a child's learning and in learning together, both children and adults achieve more. A recent survey* revealed that 95 per cent of parents think the effective use of technology such as the internet, interactive whiteboards and laptops can help their children to learn. Parents have a vital role to play in ensuring that technology helps their children to develop and learn at home.

Yet parents need to have access to quality online materials such as eBooks, games and interactive educational materials. There needs a step-change in the way we apply technology, so it becomes an integral tool in supporting and improving key processes in education. This needs to be done in support of our teachers in whose hands rests the future of our learning generation. [source Betca Harnessing Technology: Next Generation Learning 2008]

Jeanette McLeod

Jeanette is passionate about getting kids reading and using technology in eduction to engage young minds. Jeanette runs a children's picture book publishers that solely distribute interactive read-along picture books for young children via the website http://www.wizz-e.com A mum who is passionate about getting all young children reading more to raise literacy levels across the world.
http://wizz-e.com

Public Schools - Bad Education, Year After Year?

 If a store sells inferior products or a business gives bad service, most customers will not come back and that store or business will eventually go bankrupt. If public schools sell bad education, year after year, why don't they go bankrupt? Why aren't they shut down?

The answer is government compulsion. In private schools, if the school does a bad job educating children, parents will soon take their child out of that school. If enough parents take their kids out of the school, that school will go bankrupt. A private school depends on the voluntary consent and tuition payments of its parent-customers to stay in business.

Unlike private schools, public schools are a government-controlled education system that stays in business through naked compulsion. Local governments pass laws that give school authorities near-monopoly powers over our children's education. Compulsory-attendance laws force children to go to these schools. School taxes force parents to pay for these schools. Unlike private schools, public schools rarely go out of business, no matter how bad they are, because they get their "customers" and their money by force.

Compulsion rears its ugly head in our public schools in many other ways. State teacher licensing laws prevent excellent but unlicensed educators or outside experts from teaching in the schools. Tenure laws make it almost impossible for school boards to fire incompetent or even mediocre teachers or principals.

Local governments force children to go to public schools for six to eight hours a day, five days a week for up to twelve years, even though these children might hate public school. School authorities force children to study subjects that school authorities dictate, even though children might find these subjects boring or meaningless. Public schools also force parents to accept teachers that parents might not like or think are competent.

Many public schools force children to learn math and reading with teaching methods that can cripple children's math and reading abilities. Public schools often subject children to values or sex-education classes that parents object to. The list goes on and on.

Like tax-supported prisons, public schools don't shut down because the whole system rests on a foundation of naked force. Take away compulsory-attendance laws and compulsory school taxes and it's highly likely that most public schools would "go out of business."

But parents don't have to wait for the highly unlikely event of public schools going out of business in their lifetime. Luckily, parents in America, unlike those in Germany or many other countries, have the right to homeschool their children. Parents can also take advantage of new, low-cost education options available to them right now, such as low-cost Internet private schools. I go into detail about these new education options in my book, "Public Schools, Public Menace."

Joel Turtel is an education policy analyst, and author of “Public Schools, Public Menace: How Public Schools Lie To Parents and Betray Our Children." Contact Information:

Website: http://www.mykidsdeservebetter.com,
Email: lbooksusa@aol.com,
Phone: 718-447-7348.

Article Copyrighted © 2005 by Joel Turtel.
NOTE: You may post this Article on another website only if you set up a hyperlink to Joel Turtel’s email address and website URL, http://www.mykidsdeservebetter.com

Raising Children - Learning Through Montessori's 'New Education' Method

Maria Montessori believed that in order for the world to become a more peaceful and more civilized society for people to live in, the new generations must be taught to live in harmony and their hidden potential must be developed to the fullest. She believed that the only way to do it was through education. However, there was a need for the old educational system to be reformed as it was too teacher-centered, so it would not be able to maximize the potential in each child. The traditional system also did not prepare the child for life in society as the activities did not teach the child to work in collaboration with others, neither did it teach the child important skills such as concentration, responsibility and perseverance. She felt that the teacher's job should be that of an observer; alert to the needs of the child and ready to react appropriately as "any form of education must be based on the personality of man". (Absorbent Mind, Chapter 1, p. 8) As such, there arises a 'new education' system which proves to be effective all around the world even till today.

In addition to imparting knowledge to the children, Montessori felt that their physical and social development should also be taken into considerations. It is important that the teacher observe the children to find out what they need and thereby providing them with their needs. In other words, the teacher or parent should understand the learning style of the child and thereby pitching the lessons according to the child's needs. She also believed that it should be part of education that a child is taught to be caring and compassionate towards others, but he must first be showered with care and concern himself. Thus, it is just as important to care about the hygiene and welfare of the child.

In this new education, Montessori described the importance of providing a child-centered and conducive learning environment. She stressed that there are differences between the learning objectives and methodologies between a child and an adult, thus they should not be taught in the same way or even use the same furniture. An adult is concerned with the end result of the task at hand; therefore, he tends to rush in order to finish the job quickly. He would not repeat the same task numerous times in order to perfect it.

On the other hand, a child differs from an adult in that he is still developing and constantly learning, thus he needs to interact with his environment to absorb information for his own development. He has what Montessori describes as an absorbent mind. A child will be able to absorb the specific skills that he needs to learn through repeated activities. He needs to make use of his environment and carry out repeated work to develop his personality, habits and physical being, so he will do a task numerous times in order to perfect it. Montessori believed that each child is a different individual, so he will have his own sensitive periods to absorb different skills perfectly. This new education allows each child to set his own pace for learning as he is free to select the materials that he wishes to work on. Multi-sensory materials are used in these classrooms for the children's hands-on activities and they get to progress from the simple to abstract concepts without any pressure from the teacher. The child is led to experience a sense of accomplishment as he discovers the skills on his own.

During each sensitive period, a different skill is learned and after the skill is perfected, the child will naturally drop the activity and proceed on to something else. With the traditional education system, the child is forced to perform the task that the teacher has assigned. He would then be deprived of the freedom to learn or perfect the skill that he desired to during that sensitive period. Therefore, Montessori believed that it is more important for the teacher in the new education system to "discover the potentialities of each of the students and of offering him means and motives which could awaken his latent energies so that he might continue to use, expand, and coordinate them through proper exercise". (Discovery of the Child, Chapter 2, p. 33) She believed that it is more important for the teacher to be an observer in the classroom and that the teacher should prepare the lessons and materials to suit the learning ability of the individual child. In this way, the child's self-confidence is built up as the teacher is neither demoralizing nor judgmental. Similarly, if the parents are willing to assist the child by teaching him through the use of a method most suited to his learning style instead of forcing him, the child will be able to excel in every way. Parents must believe that every child is capable of learning.

In Montessori's new education, she showed that it is important that "a school allows a child's activities to freely develop". (Discovery of the Child, Chapter 1, p. 9) However, this would be difficult with the use of the rigid furniture in the traditional classroom. Besides restricting the students' movements as they were not allowed to move about to change the materials that they would like to work on or to move the furniture around independently, Montessori felt that these furniture also hindered the proper development of the children's spinal cord because the children were forced to remain in the same position at the desk for hours. Instead, she advocated the use of child size furniture and floor mats in the Montessori classroom. Such furniture are not so intimidating and the children can have the freedom to move around independently when they need to.

Since the child will not be forced to carry out activities against his wishes, Montessori described this new education to be a system whereby the children will learn spontaneously. She had tested out this system in many Montessori schools and even up till today, children in Montessori classrooms enjoy carrying out their activities in an orderly, prepared and tranquil environment. Under this new education, the child learns to work quietly and with full concentration as he focuses on the task at hand. He will not be distracted by others around him nor will he give up easily as he will be able to correct his own mistakes through the use of the specially prepared materials. This is an important skill to develop as many children in the elementary schools are still not able to concentrate and they lack perseverance skills too. She believed that developing the child's spontaneous interest in learning will develop his personality such as kindness, warmth and perseverance which is necessary for peace and civilization in the society.

Montessori believed that this new education must start from birth in order for its effect to be obvious as the child, no matter how young, is capable of learning and he will absorb what he sees or hears from the environment around him. She believed that through the use of appropriate materials at the suitable timing, a child will be able to learn very easily. As such, the job of the teacher as an observer is very important. Montessori had proven the success of this new education, which probably accounts for its popularity all around the world.

Stella Mak is a qualified school teacher with over 18 years of teaching experience and a mother of a pair of twins, so she is very experience in handling children [http://www.childrenproblemshelpdesk.com]

Did you find the above information useful? You can learn a lot more about parenting children as well as receive FREE ecourse and special report on parenting at [http://www.childrenproblemshelpdesk.com]

Montessori Education in Europe

 

Education systems in Europe are considered among the most advanced in the world. Europe is also generally perceived to have education systems distributed more evenly across each nation than, for example many African or Asian countries. (This is certainly a debatable generalization but beyond the content of article.) Even within this context (true or false), Europe has seen many Montessori schools successfully enter communities of all socioeconomic levels. The world's first Montessori school, Casa dei Bambini, or the Children's House, was founded in 1907 in Rome, Italy by Dr. Maria Montessori, a very successful education expert with complimentary degrees in sociology and psychology. Although the original Children's House is long since closed, the methodology that developed there has in fact changed the world's education systems.

Interestingly, across Europe you will find that the Montessori education system is utilized in its more pure forms. This is perhaps due to the cultural context of the original findings, not necessarily due to the rigidity of those implementing the system. Schools in can be found in eastern, western, northern and southern Europe.

In a review of many of the Montessori schools, one of the more interesting cases was that of Casa Montessori in Romania. Originally, the school was formed to support an orphanage. They found orphans were in need of a more nurturing environment. The Montessori Method's emphasis on providing this atmosphere in its classrooms made a remarkable difference in the children. The methodology's focus on the student rather than the child also improved the confidence of the orphans as well as the academic level of the education they were receiving in comparison to the traditional system.

As the economic and social system of Romania developed, the orphanage that Casa Montessori was based out of closed due to the decrease in orphans in the area. Although this was a good thing, there were still many others in the community that needed a nurturing environment to turn to. The school changed its focus and turned into a Day Care Center and Rehabilitation Center for mentally challenged and physically disabled children. The education is provided free of charge for poor families in the community as well as for abandoned children. They plan to extend this into other areas of Bucharest as well as create a Teacher Training Center to further spread the Montessori education system in Romania. But Montessori education is not a new concept in Romania. Dr. Montessori personally opened the first Montessori school in Romania in 1934 after opening a string of small schools in Italy and introducing her methodology to North America and the many countries in Europe. The system has not spread across the globe and continues to grow and change the culture of learning worldwide.

For further information on Denver Montessori schools, arrange an introductory visit to this leading Montessori School in Denver.

Puzzle Game in Education Systems

A puzzle game is more of a brain game that can be used to develop critical thinking capabilities in a child. Although the game is enjoyed by both adults and children, today the game is often used in institutions of learning. The main reason why this kind of game has been incorporated into the education systems is because it provides a perfect balance between learning and having fun while learning. With this kind of game there is more use of mathematical elements like subtraction, addition, division and multiplications. To the child making use of the game, this will require some level of logic thinking to solve the puzzle. In this way, the child develops logical skills which come in handy in normal life situations.

A puzzle game is often associated with problem solving features. This is another reason why it is being used in the education systems. In life and in the classroom, a child will be required to solve certain small and big issues. With the help of the knowledge and abilities offered by the puzzle games it becomes easier for the child to solve these problems. The fact that a puzzle has to be solved in a prepared sequence, whether basic or complex sequence, means the child learns all the ways of solving problems.

There are very many types of these games and each has its own level of critical thinking. It is possible to pick more than one puzzle game to be played at once, or a child can be made to move from games that require basic logic to a complex one. This will ensure that the child graduates from simple thinking to critical thinking. This is another reason why this game is used in education systems. Furthermore, each type of puzzles will need a different sequence. Therefore, there is no monotony in the pattern used to solve the puzzle. Additionally, they get to learn how to solve mathematical problems in a fun and exciting way and they enjoy more.

Geometry is an important part of an educational system, especially for children who are still learning about basic shapes used in geometry. Every aspect of the game makes use of geometric shapes no matter the type of game. This means it can be used to help children learn about the various shapes. Therefore, they will have an easy time relating to the various shapes found in geometry.

A puzzle game requires the person playing it to come up with innovative solutions to solve the problem. The reason why the puzzle game is used in education systems is because it helps improve a child's thinking capabilities and increases the child's intelligence.