Spelling is tough

My nine year old daughter came home yesterday with a note from school explaining that she was going to be tested in 'spelling' in a whole new way.

No longer will my daughter just be given a word to spell during the test but she now has to use the word in a sentence, and apply a specific pre-determined grammatical concept to it.

The letter that explained how the spelling tests would work and how they would be marked was a full page long. For. a. fourth. grade. spelling. test.

Is it just me or is life getting um, harder?

I haven't been able to do my son's math questions for about a year now. Did I ever learn this stuff?

Does anyone know what happened to all the worry over acid rain? That was the big environmental issue when I was a kid. Did we solve this problem?

Oh, and is there still a hole in the ozone layer and if there is why don't we hear about it anymore?

And perhaps most importantly, does anyone know why and when they stopped putting toys in cereal boxes?

Someone? Anyone?

I am so old.

Sigh.

Comments

[Anne]

I am old too. My first graders homework takes forever and requires my help. When I was in first grade, we didn't have homework. I didn't realize they didn't put toys in cereal boxes anymore. How depressing.

[Melanie]

I hear ya. It's hard.

Last year, my youngest son survived SK full-day classes. He was so tired when he came home. Kids are learning so much at a faster pace then we did.

[Chris]

Have you gotten to the Math yet?! OMG; I have not been able to help my 9th grader w/his math since the 3rd grade. Waaaaay over my head :(

[Cindy]

*sigh* Where we live I think they spend way too much time giving busy work and dreaming up new and "better" ways to go about doing it. "New Math" is what they are calling it. How is math "new?" I do believe it hasn't changed much in hundreds of years. Honestly, I don't think our kids (here) are being challenged enough so that they are really learning. They expand the school days, do this "new" stuff, but somehow are testing lower. So, they change how they are tested and what the testing involves. Makes me want to scream.

[Cindy]

... we have that whole "no child left behind" nonsense. Yes, its great (in theory) for the kids struggling. But, it also translates to "the kids who are doing well and need MORE challenge to progress are shoved aside." *stepping off soapbox momentarily*

[frogmama]

Wow, that's pretty intense for 4th grade. But surely the ozone layer and acid rain issues have been resolved if they can devote so much time and energy to spelling issues. Surely!

I'm scared of what school is going to be like when my 2 1/2 yr old starts. Really scared.

[mpotter]

i'm right there with ya.

and i fully believe (as a former teacher of 1st grade) that the education system is contributing to forcing our kids to grow up WAY fast!

and i know it's getting worse. since i left about 3 years ago- so so so many things have already changed. i feel that if i went back tomorrow, i'd be floundering like my first year!

[Michele]

Wow.. seems a bit much for the 4th grade! I'm scared. LOL

And yes, THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU... when, I SAY, when did they stop putting toys in cereal?? Thought about this a couple years ago. Why weren't we informed?

[Tanya]

Fifth grade math boggles my mind - I don't know how I ever passed if I had to learn this stuff. I don't know what I'll do when he gets to higher grades. No counting beads eh?

Tanya