I just read an article by Stephen Mason in Psychology Today and I admit some of it made me uncomfortable. While I can't say I disagree with much of what Mason said, there is something about the way he said it -- bluntly.
The article, Their Kids Are Smarter than Our Kids, discusses the attitudes Americans have toward high IQ's. Mason's view is not terribly flattering. He thinks the average American is essentially clueless on the meaning of intelligence and it's this lack of understanding that leads to the dumbing down of American kids and their poor achievement compared to kids in other industrialized nations.
Among other things, Mason says that "Americans are far more likely to support remedial classes for dumb kids than they are to provide gifted offerings for smart kids. Naturally, a lot of dumb adults will take offense at that last statement...and then wonder why we don't have a cure for cancer?"
Now that's blunt. Maybe it's beyond blunt. But is it essentially untrue?
The article, Their Kids Are Smarter than Our Kids, discusses the attitudes Americans have toward high IQ's. Mason's view is not terribly flattering. He thinks the average American is essentially clueless on the meaning of intelligence and it's this lack of understanding that leads to the dumbing down of American kids and their poor achievement compared to kids in other industrialized nations.
Among other things, Mason says that "Americans are far more likely to support remedial classes for dumb kids than they are to provide gifted offerings for smart kids. Naturally, a lot of dumb adults will take offense at that last statement...and then wonder why we don't have a cure for cancer?"
Now that's blunt. Maybe it's beyond blunt. But is it essentially untrue?
Yes, you’re all dumb as hell
So true! There is so much emphasis on the teachers getting ALL the kids to pass these standardized tests, that there is no or very little interest in keeping the gifted kids interested in their education.
In his recent State of the Union address the President mentioned the lack of emphasis in our schools on math and science. In my blog, I’ve written about World-class Education and how the US lags behind Finland, which is ranked #1 in both Math and Science at the teen level. I’ll echo Obama’s sentiments: our country should not be in 2nd place (or 17th place!)
For any parent not fortunate enough to have their gifted child in a school which fosters their development, seek out summer programs on college campuses, or camps that specialize in your child’s area of interest. Ask your principal for guidance during the school year, too. Maybe she’ll change the coursework if enough people ask.
Nurture your child’s development early on with educational and developmentally appropriate toys like those from Discovery Toys. If all children arrived at pre-k knowing how to write their name and having number sense and letter recognition, the curriculum would have to change to keep up with the kids!