Beverly Cole – English Hound

Bathtime Mathtime With Mom

Beverly Cole — Mon, 17 Aug 2015 08:54:58 +0000

I am not talking about home schooling my kids. Hat seriously off to anyone who accepts sole responsibility for his or her child’s education. Instead, my goal has been to enrich and encourage my children’s math awareness. I have found that if I work with my kids for little pockets of time (like even 15 minutes) and do it in a way that is entertaining, they look forward to, even love, having their math time. I am not a math teacher or really any teacher, so you don’t have to be either. I just like introducing mathematical concepts to my kids before their schools do, and they love to get ahead of their classes.

My suggestions are for younger children (since at 5 and 8 that’s what I’ve got), but can certainly be geared toward older ones. I just started early because tiny brains are sponges, and connection, experience, and growth are critical in the first few years of life. Teaching is also a great way to spend time, especially on stormy days that can seem endless. It’s never too early to start, but if you didn’t do that, no worries! It’s not too late to start either!

1. Early Start. Pretty much by the time my kids were grasping words, their math education had begun. What did this mean back in the day when they’re just mastering walking, and I am still introducing solid foods? At this point, I added numbers to their first words to start them counting. We would count everything we saw – jars, diapers, apples at the store – and point out numbers in everything. At the check out lines in grocery stores, my husband would carry our daughter and randomly stop at different checkout aisles, asking her to identify the number hanging in that aisle. Then we would separate numbers and colors, categorizing everything by similarities. Once our kids could handle crayons, I showed them how to write their numbers. They thought it was hysterical when I used a medieval themed Etch-A-Sketch to draw the numbers up to 20 and had them guess what the number would be before the night or dragon erased it. For early geometry, School Zone has a great, inexpensive workbook for identifying shapes, and small kids can spend hours finding varying geometric shapes all over your home and anywhere else you go.
2. Ordering. The next step was to introduce the concept that numbers have order and relate to one another. Once they could count to ten, we used connect-the-dot books, so our toddlers could understand that numbers come one after another. We began talking about ordinal numbers so that they could better understand placement. Curious George cartoons actually helped a lot. There are some wonderful episodes involving ordinal numbers and number values. Besides, who doesn’t love Curious George?
3. Arithmetic. Once my kids were fully comfortable with identifying and counting numbers, I started the process of teaching them to add things together. This was a very visual process for us at the beginning. I would set out one object, then add another object and have the kids count them. We would do this with larger numbers, and once they felt comfortable with adding (then subtracting), I would take away the visual cues and allow them to add and subtract in their heads. When the kids became “expert” at counting and adding and subtracting simple numbers, I moved them on to counting by numbers other than one, so that they could ultimately count by every single digit in sets up to 100.

These steps help build an easy transition to multiplying. Consequently, I never had my kids memorize the multiplication table. Instead, they placed “sets” of items together in their heads. So three sets of eight would be. . . .8, 16, 24. Voila! Multiplication! Division was just the opposite.
4. Funbooks! Okay, they’re actually called workbooks, but who wants to do something voluntarily that starts with the word “work”? I’ve used them with my kids since they were able to write numbers, and they help give structure to our at-home math education. Again, we do not sit down for hours at a time with our workbooks- just a couple times a week for fifteen to thirty minutes at a time. It doesn’t sound like much, but after a few years, your child has learned a lot of math. There are different styles of workbooks, but we have used Singapore Math workbooks, which you can purchase on Amazon and are relatively inexpensive (free shipping for Prime Members! : ))

5. Spatial Relations. Teaching your kids numerical ability skills is practical and in many ways logical to small kids. Spatial relation skills may not come as readily, so introducing these at home can be tremendous preparation for school. We used games to help develop these skills. First, we started using tangrams (colorful pieces that fit into various pictures) when the kiddos were about three years old. They have varying levels of difficulty that reach expert levels that are challenging for adults. Tangrams utilize different skills than arithmetic and enhance a different set of abilities like geometry and spatial reasoning. We used these tangrams to start, and the kids had a lot of fun with them.

Second, Sudoku, basically a numbers crossword puzzle, is a fun math game that is also able to scale itself from simple to complex. It enables a child to look at numbers from a different perspective, showing them how they can relate to one another in various ways at the same time. There are numerous free, on-line printable Sudoku games, like this one.
6. Money – At a toy store one day, I was surprised to see an 11-year-old boy had no concept of what change he should receive from a cashier. That weekend, I started teaching our kids about money – the value of coins and paper and how to use it and receive change. Our kids enjoyed this toy cash register for years:

In addition to coin recognition, it provides arithmetic and place value games.

Whatever math you choose with which to engage your kids, please make sure you and your kids are having fun. As with most challenges, math can be frustrating, so take your time. Comprehension will come, and your kids will have a wonderful and practical skill they will use for a lifetime.

In addition to coin recognition, it provides arithmetic and place value games.

Middle School: The Best Time To Learn How To Write

Beverly Cole — Mon, 17 Aug 2015 08:45:14 +0000

As a student in middle school or high school, it can be difficult to discern which information is significant to your GPA, and which information is essential as a building block to your future. With few exceptions, writing is one of the most important skills you will learn that is critical to your GPA and your future; Learning how to write well is a gift you will enjoy far beyond your academic tenure, and the earlier your writing education begins, the greater your potential growth as a writer in the years to come.

Prior to college, I had spent my formative educational years matriculated in a large public school district known for academic excellence. Foundationally, my public school experience taught me how to navigate challenging material without a lot of attention devoted to my individual needs as a student. Substantively, my schooling had prepared me well for my time as an undergraduate at the University of Pennsylvania. There was, however, one area in which I felt surprisingly unprepared: writing. Writing had always been something I took for granted before college. I assumed I was an excellent writer because most written assignments I had received in middle and high school returned to me with an “A” and a compliment such as “Wonderful!” or “Thought provoking!” written on the top of it. I was wrong. Those writing assignments that I had glided through in seventh through twelfth grade had not prepared me for the rigors of writing in the Ivy League. After I turned in a draft paper to my Linguistics teacher, she reviewed and returned the paper with a message on top that read something like, “Stilted use of language. Try again!” I felt like I had been slapped. Stilted? From a linguistics teacher, no less! My friend next to me had “Great job!” written on her paper, and I shoved my paper in my backpack, red with humiliation.

Eyes welling with tears, I ran to the library and started reading up on writing and how to write effectively. In the days that followed, I read THE ELEMENTS OF STYLE by Strunk and White and ON WRITING WELL by William Zinsser with desperate intensity. Writing was no longer just about writing down facts you looked up in the library or about appropriating flowery language. At Penn, it was about creating compelling arguments after extensive research. With a new perspective on my own writing style, I tore apart, restructured, and edited my paper. I learned to write then put my writing away for a period of time. Taking time away from my writing gave me new perspective and the consequent ability to edit further with a fresh eye. When I received an A on the final copy of my Linguistics paper, I exhaled and smiled. Despite my relief, I knew I was behind. Other students clearly had a much stronger foundation in writing. I was playing catch up, and writing assignments at Penn would take me twice as long as my friends because I would edit them over and over again. With a great deal of effort, my writing improved during college and even helped me gain admissions to Columbia University School of Law. I still struggled with writing my first semester at Columbia, and it took me a large chunk of my first year as a law student before I finally felt like I was writing as effectively as my peers.

It wasn’t as though I was trying to overcome a weakness for posterity or pride, believe me. As soon as I had seen that detested “Stilted” on my rough draft, I knew that good writing was critical to academic success in college. Writing was impossible to avoid back then and remains an inevitable reality today. Even engineering majors at most top-rated schools like Yale and Cornell have writing requirements. As a Psychology major, I wrote numerous papers, which incorporated technical and scientific terms at every turn. Apart from my requisite Calculus class, most courses I took required some writing, whether in the final exam or in a paper. For a comparative religion course, I spent hours poring over citations, making sure that my references and context were accurate. High school citations seemed like casual references compared to the detailed annotations required by some Penn professors. Annotated bibliographies were like writing essays unto themselves and took almost as long as the core assignment.

In law school, I don’t recall taking one course that didn’t involve either writing a paper or writing for hours as part of a final exam. In many of those exams, professors presented us with a hypothetical situation and a limited amount of time to collect our thoughts, organize a response, and answer in a precise yet expansive manner. Writing is the backbone of legal education, and a successful law student has mastered the art of writing prior to entering law school and uses this skill to advance herself in her coursework.

Although I very much felt alone in my experience at the time (way, way back in the 90’s), this may be a growing problem among top colleges and universities throughout the country. A few years ago, a Stanford professor surprised students by suddenly and publicly berating a student for poor writing skills and then followed up with an apology, explaining that her outburst was expressing a “frustration at what I perceive as a general decline in writing skills.” In addition, William Ellet, an adjunct professor teaching writing at Brandeis International Business School and former writing teacher at Harvard Business School, believes that the problem starts in middle school, stating that “nobody takes responsibility for writing instruction”, citing to a Department of Education study from 2011, which found that a paltry 24 percent of eighth and twelfth graders were proficient in writing.

It is because of my past challenges with writing that I understand the true importance of learning how to be a strong writer at an early age. If I had received the individualized attention I clearly needed in middle and high school, writing would have been more of an evolutionary process, not a crash course in survival. Teaching someone to be a good or even great writer is difficult and takes years. There are so many elements critical to the writing process, and all of them need guidance in their development: Brainstorming, Outlining, Drafting, Citation, Styling, Revision, and Proofreading. Each step requires thought, and without intensive, individualized interaction with a teacher, even the strongest of students can get lost or simply not appreciate the significance behind writing development. With training, however, young students can develop their craft as they grow as students and as people. Their writing style can evolve, so that by the time they reach college, they can write independently and with polished finesse.

There is a reason that Penn and Columbia and other top schools require writing as part of a student’s curriculum. Writing is integral to life. It doesn’t matter which career path a student chooses. Obviously, as an attorney, effective writing is paramount. Beyond the law and other careers that traditionally depend upon a person’s writing skills, the written word continues to grow more significant, as many of our communications that were once verbal are now written – and in a format, like e-mail or text, that can be recorded indefinitely. Doctors and others steeped in the sciences will need to write papers that explain their research and findings to peers. Business people draft presentations and memos on a daily basis. As the CEO of iFixit, the largest online repair community, aptly stated:

Just because most team members don’t have “professional writer” in their job descriptions doesn’t mean writing is off limits to them. Everyone here is a writer.

As students, excellent writers build their skills and achieve academic success. As these students become professionals, these same writing skills can help pave the way for a bright future in any chosen career.

중고등학생들은 어떤 정보가 학점에 중요한지, 그리고 어떤 정보가 미래를 형성하는데 본질적인지를 파악하기가 쉽지 않다. 거의 예외 없이 작문은 여러분이 배울 가장 중요한 기술 가운데 하나이다. 이는 학점(GPA)을 위해서도, 또한 미래를 위해서도 중요하다. 글을 잘쓰는 방법을 배워두면 학창시절뿐 아니라 그 이후로도 오래동안 즐길 수 있는 선물이 된다. 또 작문 교육을 일찍 시작할 수록 앞으로 글쓴이로서의 잠재적 성장은 더욱 커진다.

대학 진학에 앞서 필자는 학업이 우수하기로 소문난 대도시 공립학군 지역에서 학창시절을 보냈다. 기본적으로 공립학교에서는 학생으로서 개인의 필요한 부분에 많이 집중하기 보다는 도전적인 자료들을 다루는 방법을 가르친다. 필자가 받은 공교육은 나중에 펜실베이니아 주립대학(유펜)의 학부과정을 잘 준비하도록 만들어 준 것은 사실이다. 하지만 놀랍게도 미처 제대로 갖추지 못했다고 느낀 한 가지 분야는 바로 작문이었다.

대학 진학 이전에 작문은 항상 자신있게 여기던 분야였다. 필자는 훌륭한 글쓴이라고 생각했다. 왜냐하면 중고등학교 시절 작문 과제는 대부분 A학점을 받았고 “훌륭하다”거나 “생각을 가다듬게 만든다”는 등의 극찬을 받았었기 때문이다. 하지만 그게 아니었다. 7학년부터 12학년까지 곧잘 해 왔던 작문 과제들은 아이비리그 대학의 철저한 작문을 대비하기에는 역부족이었다.

유펜에서 당시 언어학 교수는 필자의 과제물 초안을 받아 검토한 뒤 “과장된 언어 사용, 다시 할 것”이라는 문구를 달아 되돌려줬다. 필자는 볼을 얻어 맞은 것처럼 당혹스러운 기분을 느꼈다. ‘과장되다니? 다름아닌 언어학 교수로부터!’ 더구나 바로 옆의 여학생은 같은 과제물에 “참 잘했음”이라는 평가를 받았다. 급기야 필자는 굴욕감에 얼굴이 벌겋게 달아 오른채 그 과제물을 가방에 구겨 넣고 말았다. 눈에서는 눈물이 맺혔다. 이어 도서관으로 달려가 작문과 효과적인 글쓰기 요령 등을 다룬 책들을 읽기 시작했다.

그 뒤 며칠이 지나 필자는 스트렁크와 화이트가 집필한 <문체의 기본요소들THE ELEMENTS OF STYLE>과 윌리엄 진서가 쓴 <글 잘쓰기에 관해(ON WRITING WELL)>를 읽어냈다. 하지만 작문이라는 것은 단지 도서관에서 훑어본 지식들을 나열하거나 적절히 미사여구를 사용한다고 해서 되는 것은 아니었다. 유펜에서 작문은 집중 연구를 통해 자신의 주장을 관철시키도록 만드는 작업이었다. 필자는 결국 자신만의 문체를 갖춘 새로운 관점으로 이전의 과제물을 뜯어 고치고 재편성하며 교정해 나갔다. 필자는 그 시절 글쓰기에 자신만의 문체를 담아내는 방법을 배웠다. 또 글쓰기로부터 잠시 동떨어진 시간을 가짐으로써 결과적으로 색다른 시각으로 글을 편집하는 능력을 갖게 됐다. 마침내 언어학 과목 과제물 최종본에 A학점을 받았을 때 필자는 안도의 숨을 쉬며 회심의 미소를 짓게 됐다.

이처럼 가까스로 위기를 모면했음에도 불구하고 필자는 여전히 동급생들에 비해 뒤쳐져 있다는 사실을 깨달았다. 다른 학생들은 분명 작문에 있어 훨씬 더 탄탄한 기초를 갖추고 있었다. 유펜에서 필자는 다른 학생들을 따라잡기 위해 애썼으며, 과제물을 작성하는데 친구들보다 두배는 긴 시간이 소요됐다. 계속해서 내용을 수정해야 했기 때문이다.

수 많은 노력 끝에 필자의 작문 실력은 대학시절 많이 개선됐다. 나아가 컬럼비아 대학 로스쿨 입학 허가를 받는데 큰 도움이 됐다. 필자는 그러나 여전히 컬럼비아 대학 첫 학기부터 작문 때문에 고군분투해야 했다. 이는 로스쿨 신입생에게 큰 부담이었다. 시간은 지나 마침내 필자는 다른 또래들처럼 효과적인 글쓰기가 가능한 것처럼 느끼게 됐다. 그렇다고 필자가 마치 후세들을 위해, 또는 자존심 때문에 약점을 극복하려 노력한 것은 아니었다. 믿어달라.

필자는 과제물 초안이 과장됐다는 저평가를 받자 마자 대학에서 좋은 성적을 받기 위해서는 작문을 잘하는 것이 중요하다는 점을 깨달았다. 작문을 회피해는 것은 당시 불가능했고 오늘날에도 불가피한 현실로 남아 있다.

심지어 예일대와 코넬대처럼 최고의 공학계열 대학들도 작문은 필수요소이다.

학부에서 심리학을 전공했던 필자는 매학기마다 기술적이고 과학적인 내용들을 다루는 수많은 과제물들을 작성해야 했다. 필수과목인 미적분 수업을 제외하고 학기말 시험이든 과제물이든 대부분 교과과정에서 작문을 필수로 이수해야 했다. 또 비교종교학 과정에서는 참고문헌과 문맥이 정확한지를 확인하느라 인용문을 검토하는데 상당한 시간을 소진했다. 평범한 참고문헌처럼 보이는 고등학교 시절 인용문들은 유펜 대학교수들이 요구하는 상세한 주석과는 비교됐다. 주석이 달린 참고문헌들은 그 자체로 에세이를 작성하는 것과 같았고 마치 핵심 과제인양 분량도 길었다.

로스쿨 시절 필자는 모든 교과에서 과제물을 작성하든지 아니면 기말시험의 일부분으로 장문의 글을 쓰든지 둘중 어느 하나는 반드시 해야했던 기억이 있다.

교수들은 시험을 치를 때 가상 상황을 부여했고, 생각을 모아 답안을 정리하며 포괄적인 방식의 정확한 답변을 하는데 제한된 시간만을 제공했다. 작문은 법학 교육의 근간이다. 또 성공적인 법학도는 로스쿨에 입학하기 전에 이미 작문 기술을 통달하며 수업에서 자신의 두각을 나타내도록 하기 위해 이같은 작문 실력을 이용한다.

필자는 비록 대학시절인 1990년대 혼자만의 경험으로 매우 많은 점을 느꼈다 할 수 있지만, 이제는 미국 전역의 모든 일류대학에서 문제시 되는 것 같다. 수년 전 스탠포드 대학의 한 교수는 갑자기 어느 학생의 글쓰기 실력이 형편없다며 공개적으로 질타해 학생들을 충격에 빠뜨린 적이 있다. 그 뒤 그 교수는 학생들의 글쓰기 실력이 전반적으로 퇴보했다는 점을 알고 좌절감이 들어 갑자기 감정이 북받쳤었다며 사과했다.

하버드대 경영대학에서 작문을 가르쳤었고 현재는 브렌데이스 국제 경영대학에서 역시 작문을 가르치고 있는 윌리엄 엘렛 겸임교수는 이같은 문제가 중학교에서 시작된다고 믿고 있다. 엘렛 교수는 8학년과 12학년 학생들의 경우 24%만이 작문에 능숙하다는 2011년 교육부 연구자료를 인용해 작문 교육에 아무도 책임을 지지 않는다고 지적했다.

작문과 관련한 과거 도전들로 인해 필자는 이른 나이에 훌륭한 글쓴기를 배우는 것이 정말 중요하다는 점을 깨닫게 됐다. 만일 필자가 중고등학교 시절 부족한 부분과 관련해 교사로부터 개별적인 관심을 받았었다면 작문은 생존속 충돌과정이 아니라 혁명과정 그 이상이 될 수 있었을 것이다.

누군가를 좋은, 심지어 훌륭한 글쓴이가 되도록 가르치는 것은 어렵고도 오래 걸리는 일이다. 작문 과정에는 수많은 중요한 요소들이 있다. 이는 브레인스토밍(창조적 집단사고)과 개략화, 기안, 인용, 문체다듬기, 퇴고, 교정 등을 포함하는데, 이들 모든 요소들을 발전시키는데는 적절한 지침들이 요구된다. 각 단계별로 사고과정, 과장표현 배제, 교사와의 개별적 상호작용을 필요로 하는 것이다. 심지어 학업수준이 매우 우수한 학생들도 작문 발전 분야는 확연히 뒤쳐지는 상황이 벌어질 수 있다. 하지만 어려서부터 훈련을 받게 되면 학생들은 시간이 지날 수록 작문 실력을 개발할 수 있게 된다. 문체는 세련되어지고 대학에 들어가 독립적이고 능숙한 기교로 글을 쓸 수 있게 된다.

유펜과 컬럼비아대와 같은 일류대학들이 교육과정에 작문을 필수로 하는 이유가 있다. 글쓰기는 삶에서 빼놓을 수 없는 부분이다. 이는 단지 어떤 직업의 길을 선택하느냐의 문제가 아니다. 변호사로서 효과적인 작문은 분명 매우 중요하다. 전통적으로 개인의 작문 실력에 의존도가 높은 법조계와 같은 직업을 떠나 글쓰기는 계속해서 더욱 중요해지고 있다. 가령 오늘날 통신 환경은 무한정 저장가능한 이메일이나 문자처럼 말보다는 글자화되고 있는 추세이다. 의사나 과학자들은 자신들의 연구 성과 등을 동료들에게 설명할 수 있도록 보고서 작성이 필요할 것이다. 기업인들은 일상적으로 기업설명회 초안과 메모를 작성한다. 최대의 온라인 수리 전문 커뮤니티 ‘아이픽스잇(iFixit)’의 최고경영자는 이에 대해 적절한 언급을 한 바 있다. 그는 “최정예 직원들이 전문 글쓴이로서의 직무를 갖고 있지 않다고 해서 그들에게 작문이 출입금지 구역임을 의미하지는 않는다. 여기서는 모두가 글쓴이다”라고 말했다.

학생으로서, 훌륭한 글쓴이들은 실력을 다지고 학업적 성취를 이룬다. 이런 학생들이 전문가들이 될 때 이같은 작문 실력은 어떤 직업을 선택하든 밝은 미래의 길을 닦아 나가는데 도움이 될 것이다.

Books for Advanced Boys

Beverly Cole — Sat, 20 Jun 2015 08:39:57 +0000

Walking into the bookstore’s children section a few years ago, I drew my breath in quickly. There were thousands of books surrounding me, and I was looking for that one book that was going to draw my son into its world. My son is a significantly advanced reader – but he’s, in my opinion, a little too reluctant to escape into a book unless he meets the right one. When he started reading, really full on reading, at four, I noticed him trudging through books. He was doing such a great job, yet somehow seemed so bored. He didn’t say he was bored. It just felt like reading was a chore for him. Something he had to do before he went to bed. Like brush his teeth. I realized that it was the books. The pre-school non-chapter books weren’t holding his attention. He needed more plot. More adventure! Looking for age-appropriate chapter books, I started experimenting with different genres. It was difficult to find more advanced reading that didn’t include words like “stupid” and “idiot”, contain a multitude of bathroom jokes, or involve kissing, until someone mentioned “The Magic Tree House Series”. At 5, he would read an entire book to me every couple nights. He was actually interested in what he read!

In my journey to pique his literary interests, I have made mistakes along the way. When our guy was about to turn 6, I randomly picked up the first of the Hardy Boys books. I mean the ones written even before my time – Hardy Boys #1: The Tower Treasure by Franklin W. Dixon. “Nothing better than a classic detective story,” I thought. We started reading it together, and he was hooked (but I wasn’t). Personally, I couldn’t shake off some of the dated language and, well, subtle yet underlying racism and sexism of the times to appreciate the heart of the stories. I didn’t know what to do. These subtle offenses happily escaped our son, and he started doing something he had never done before: he was reading by himself, like he was actually enjoying it! After reading the first 30 of this seemingly endless series, I felt relieved that he was searching for a new literary journey.

A few years (and a couple more mistakes) later, I have amassed a collection of books that are great for advanced readers – meaning they are toned down in terms of language, violence and other adult scenarios that aren’t appropriate for our precocious yet still young boys. Some of you might have a lower threshold for violence or a higher threshold for smoking or kissing. You’ll have to figure out your comfort level in presenting books to your child, but the following are some great books for your advanced reader at the suggested ages. Many of these books are a part of a series, so your child can really immerse himself in the adventures. A few of these recommendations are geared toward girls as well, but are still wonderful books for the boys (and really, to me, it’s not a bad thing for my little guy to see a strong girl as a protagonist). Added bonus for children who like film – many of them have been made into movies (for after he finishes the book of course!), and I have indicated those books with an asterisk.

Here are the recommendations:

Kindergarten:

Commander Toad in Space by Jane Yolen – My easiest reading recommendation, this book is the first of the seven part series of Commander Toad, a fun, light adventure in which a space-traveling toad has a Star Wars – like mission into space. Boys will love the big boy feel of the book as well as the more subtle humor a more advanced reader can appreciate, while the content is quite mild and teaches teamwork and leadership.
Magic Tree House by Mary Pope Osborne – A 52-book series in which book-smart Jack and his adventurous sister Annie travel through time, solving puzzles and living moments of history. Children enjoy Jack and Annie’s suspenseful challenges, while learning about the world and its past.
Nancy Drew and The Clue Crew by Carolyn Keene – A 47-book series that reintroduces a modernized, younger Nancy Drew. Nancy and her friends solve mysteries, using deductive reasoning to solve the cases. The characters are fun and sharp with loads of personality.
Secrets of Droon by Tony Abbott – A 44-book series that follows the adventures of Neal, Julie and Eric who happen upon a mysterious staircase that leads them into the magical land of Droon. These fantasy books are filled with whimsical, exciting adventures in which the children open their minds and work together to battle an assortment of mild villains.
Nim’s Island* by Wendy Orr – A tale of adventure in which Nim, a young survivalist, can start a fire with a piece of glass and wield a machete. Her scientist father leaves her on an island alone for a few days, and that’s where the adventure begins! Boys will learn about a spunky protagonist who overcomes not-too-scary villains and befriends an assortment of anthropomorphized wild animals. A fun dive into all that the natural world has to offer.

First Grade:

The Last of the Really Great Whangdoodles by Julie Edwards – How could anything by Dame Julie Andrews be bad? The three Potter kids visit the zoo one rainy day and meet Professor Savant. He introduces them to a magical fantasy land of Whangdoodleland where the children use creative problem-solving skills and the help of some wonderful creatures to help the last surviving Whangdoodle.
Lemonade War by Jacqueline Davies – The first in a series of five books, the book features two ambitious siblings competing to see who can make the most money from their lemonade stands’ sales. The story is an entertaining introduction to marketing with math interwoven into the plot.
Anything by Roald Dahl: Willy Wonka & The Chocolate Factory*, Big Friendly Giant, Matilda*, etc. –
Roald Dahl is a master of fantasy interwoven with reality. He will transport your child into a “real world” where small, orange men help make chocolate (Willy Wonka) and enormous giants roam the streets at night looking for children to eat (Big Friendly Giant). His books are a wonderful outlet and catalyst for your child’s imagination.
Babe: The Gallant Pig* by Dick King-Smith – A book made even more famous by its movie, the main character Babe is a sweet, sensitive pig who thinks he’s a sheep dog. Facing challenges that seem insurmountable, this heart-tugging pig is bound to make any boy root for the underdog, while teaching a valuable lesson about appearances and perseverance.
The Mysterious Benedict Society by Trenton Lee Stewart – This is the first of a four book series. Four impressively gifted children are chosen to go on a secret mission for the Learning Institute. The children face extreme mental and physical challenges of which they never dreamed and learn the importance of friendship, bravery, and trust.

Second Grade:

Phantom Toll Booth* by Nortun Juster – A classic from the 1960’s about a young boy named Milo. Incessantly bored, Milo drives his toy car through a toy tollbooth into the Kingdom of Wisdom where he learns he must rescue Princess Rhyme and Princess Reason. The novel is an entertaining adventure that incorporates a playful use of the English language, brilliantly weaving in puns throughout the story and poking fun at the literal meanings of old expressions.
Wrinkle In Time* by Madeleine L’Engle – Another classic from the 1960’s, this slow-building story centers on a brilliant misfit named Meg whose father goes missing while working on a covert project. Can Meg, her brother, her friend Calvin and a myriad of other worldly characters save him and the world? The book showcases the growth of its characters while providing a storyline that slowly mesmerizes its reader.
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone*, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets*, and Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban* by J.K. Rowling – These are the first three of the universally adored series of five novels. The novels’ main character is the orphan turned wizard Harry Potter. Harry finds himself in a world of magic he didn’t know existed. In this world, he attends wizard school, meets his best friends, and faces mortal enemies who will challenge him emotionally and physically. Whereas all six novels have graphic fighting scenes and incorporate death as a theme, the first three are a bit less intense in their violence and more genial in tone than the later novels.
The Chronicles of Narnia* by C.S. Lewis – A seven book series set in the fantasy world of Narnia. Replete with talking animals and epic struggles of good and evil, Narnia’s history unfolds through the eyes of several central children. Your young reader may not catch the complex layering of themes in these novels, which include religious references, mythological allusions, and race and gender issues, but they can be fascinating talking points for discussion at any age.
Because of Winn Dixie* by Kate DiCamillo – After Opal’s mother leaves her family, Opal’s father moves them to a trailer park in Florida where Opal adopts a homeless dog named after the town’s grocery store, Winn Dixie. Through Winn Dixie, Opal overcomes her own feelings of loss, eventually befriending a new community and gaining closure and acceptance. It is a touching and remarkably heart-felt story about the power of animals in our lives.

Third Grade:

The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien* – The epic adventure (and prequel to the series, Lord of the Ring) of Bilbo Baggins, a hobbit enjoying an ordinary life in the fantasy land of Middle-earth. Bilbo is most displeased when a wizard named Gandalf sweeps him into a world of danger and excitement. Beneath the battles and trials, the book highlights the wonder of finding extraordinary in the ordinary and bringing out the best in oneself in the direst of circumstances.
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire* by J.K. Rowling – In this fourth volume of the Harry Potter series, dark forces mysteriously compel Harry to compete in a potentially lethal competition, the Goblet of Fire. This story feels darker and scarier than the stories that precede it, the children are growing up and dealing with dating issues, and a beloved Hogwarts student is murdered. Throughout it all, Harry maintains steadfast integrity and courage.
Leviathan by Scott Westerfeld – Categorized in the relatively new steampunk genre, this is the first of three in the Leviathan series and takes place immediately prior to World War 1. Moments before the war, Aleksandar, a fugitive Austro-Hungarian prince and Deryn, a British Air Servicewoman disguised as a young boy, meet aboard a warship named Leviathan and forge an unusual alliance as they face global dangers together. This historical fiction novel won the Locus Award for Best Young Adult Fiction, and Westerfeld includes a wonderful postscript, explaining which information in the novel is true.
Castle Diary: The Journal of Tobias Burgess, Page by Richard Platt – This creative story takes place through the fictitious journal of an 11-year-old boy named Tobias living in 13th century England. Through his diary, Tobias takes his readers through his typical days as a page and introduces them to a whole gambit of characters – many of who bear striking resemblances to people we could meet today. The book is unique in its ability to entertain and educate its young readers about life in a medieval castle.

Fourth Grade:

Harry Potter and The Order of the Phoenix, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, and Harry Potter and the Deathly Hollows (Volumes 5-7)* by J.K. Rowling – The final books in the Harry Potter series grapple with the more mature emotional themes of desperation and betrayal. They also contain more direct references to death and torture. The sixth and seventh volumes of the series focus almost exclusively on the war between Harry and Voldemort, and death and evil are pervasively present. Given the more adult content, these books and movies are more suited for a slightly older reader.
Wonder by R.J. Palacio – The story tells the story of a ten-year-old boy named August, a boy born with severe facial deformities. He enters fifth grade at a regular school for the first time and meets new friends, faces bullying, and forces people to see beyond his external flaws into the real him. This book compels its readers to reflect on whom they are as people and what that means beyond how they look.
Gregor The Overlander by Suzanne Collins – This novel is the first in the series of The Underland Chronicles, a critically acclaimed fantasy series of five books. Gregor is an eleven-year-old boy living in New York City with his mother and sisters. When one of Gregor’s sister wanders into her apartment’s basement and slips into a mysterious grate, Gregor dives in to save her, falling into the strange world of Underland. There, Gregor finds another world and plays a critical role in the raging conflict between humans and rats. Gregor is both believable and sympathetic as a character.
Dragon’s Gate by Laurence Yep – This heart-rending novel tells the story of a wealthy Chinese boy named Otter who grows up in nineteenth century China during the oppressive Manchu dynasty. Tragedy strikes Otter, and he must flee to California where he finds employment digging tunnels for the Transcontinental Railroad. Recipient of the 1994 Newbery Honor Book, Yep uses Otter to demonstrate the harsh reality of many immigrants, and how one child must learn the meaning of forgiveness while standing up for his beliefs. Transcending its time, Dragon’s Gate offers your son a new perspective on how freedom means different things to different people.

The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate by Jacqueline Kelly – This winner of the 2010 Newbery Honor award takes place in the summer of 1899. An almost twelve-year-old girl from Texas finds herself fascinated by the controversial book by Darwin, The Origin of Species. Unfortunately, she is unexceptional at what girls are supposed to be doing at the time, forcing Calipurnia to balance her brilliant scientific curiosity with her need to learn how to be a lady. A truly interesting read and a wonderful reminder for boys of our times of the restraints that the not so distant past placed on girls.
The Lightning Thief* by Rick Riordan – The first in a series of five, this is a best-selling, heart pounding adventure in which twelve-year-old Percy, the son of a human woman and Poseidon, god of the sea, travels to a special camp for demigods where he and his friends must help stop a war brewing between the gods. The book offers our boys not only a wonderful introduction to Greek mythology, but also page-turning action.

Fifth Grade: I don’t have a fifth grader for another few years, but my understanding is that reading begins to get more “adult” at this stage. Advanced readers start exploring young adult books, which usually have even more direct references (in a spectrum of intensity) to language, violence, sex and/or drug use.

The Nazi Hunter: How a Team of Spies and Survivors Captured the World’s Most Notorious Nazi by Neal Bascomb – A captivating piece of nonfiction about a team of spies who captured Adolf Eichmann, the operational leader of the Nazi’s Final Solution. Sixteen years after Eichmann escaped into the German mountainside in 1945, the elite team captures Eichmann at an Argentinean bus stop and smuggles him into Israel for trial for his horrific crimes. The story teaches its readers about the Holocaust in a fascinating piece of writing. An essential read for all children.
The Maze Runner* by James Dashner – A dystopian science fiction page-turner that is the first of a three-part series. The reader meets a dazed Thomas who awakens at a strange place called Glade, having no recollection of his past other than his name. He soon learns that there is no way out of this world, other than a deadly maze that changes every night. Desperate to escape and suspicious of the other prisoners who surround him, Thomas must use ingenuity, bravery and a lot of intuition to try to make his way out of this bizarre prison.
Ender’s Game* by Orson Scott Card – Meet Ender Wiggin – earth’s greatest soldier – who happens to be a young boy. The only one of his siblings to gain admissions to the elite Battle School, Ender becomes a leader in this futuristic space school where kids learn to battle alien attackers. While learning how to defend the earth, Ender must battle his own fears and loneliness. He is a hero who questions not only the battle, but also the victory.
The Outsiders* by S.E. Hinton – Written by a teenage girl, this boys’ coming of age novel drops its readers into the lives of a group of teenage boys growing up in Tulsa, Oklahoma in the 60’s. The story, narrated through the eyes of a 14-year-old boy, follows the Socials and the Greasers, two rival gangs separated by socioeconomic status. Transcending its location and its era, The Outsiders introduces concepts of loyalty, inner-conflict, and becoming one’s own person no matter the cost.
Code Talker: A Novel about the Navaho Marines of World War Two* by Joseph Bruchac – This historical fiction novel introduces Ned Begay, a young Navajo boy, who enlists in the Marines at 16 during World War II. He is trained as a code talker, using his native Navajo language to relay critical battle commands, a code kept secret until 1969. Sharing his tale of hardship through boarding school to war with his grandchildren, Ned teaches them about courage, integrity and a strong Navajo heritage that cannot be erased.
Johnny Tremain* by Esther Forbes – Written in 1944, this is a period book that takes place in Boston a few years before the Revolutionary War. Johnny is a fourteen-year-old silversmith apprentice until his hand is maimed by molten silver. Depressed by the sudden end to his career, Johnny finds new purpose serving as a vital messenger for the Sons of Liberty during the moments before our country’s fight for freedom. A beautifully written novel (recipient of the 1944 Newbery Medal) showing your reader the true meaning of perseverance and redemption.

I hope this list proves useful to your growing readers and that he finds a home with many of them. Enjoy!

작가이자 변호사인 베벌리 콜스가 책 읽기에 뛰어난 수준을 가진 남자아이들에게 권장하는 책입니다.

Kindergarten:

Commander Toad in Space by Jane Yolen – My easiest reading recommendation, this book is the first of the seven part series of Commander Toad, a fun, light adventure in which a space-traveling toad has a Star Wars – like mission into space. Boys will love the big boy feel of the book as well as the more subtle humor a more advanced reader can appreciate, while the content is quite mild and teaches teamwork and leadership.
Magic Tree House by Mary Pope Osborne – A 52-book series in which book-smart Jack and his adventurous sister Annie travel through time, solving puzzles and living moments of history. Children enjoy Jack and Annie’s suspenseful challenges, while learning about the world and its past.
Nancy Drew and The Clue Crew by Carolyn Keene – A 47-book series that reintroduces a modernized, younger Nancy Drew. Nancy and her friends solve mysteries, using deductive reasoning to solve the cases. The characters are fun and sharp with loads of personality.
Secrets of Droon by Tony Abbott – A 44-book series that follows the adventures of Neal, Julie and Eric who happen upon a mysterious staircase that leads them into the magical land of Droon. These fantasy books are filled with whimsical, exciting adventures in which the children open their minds and work together to battle an assortment of mild villains.
Nim’s Island* by Wendy Orr – A tale of adventure in which Nim, a young survivalist, can start a fire with a piece of glass and wield a machete. Her scientist father leaves her on an island alone for a few days, and that’s where the adventure begins! Boys will learn about a spunky protagonist who overcomes not-too-scary villains and befriends an assortment of anthropomorphized wild animals. A fun dive into all that the natural world has to offer.

First Grade:

The Last of the Really Great Whangdoodles by Julie Edwards – How could anything by Dame Julie Andrews be bad? The three Potter kids visit the zoo one rainy day and meet Professor Savant. He introduces them to a magical fantasy land of Whangdoodleland where the children use creative problem-solving skills and the help of some wonderful creatures to help the last surviving Whangdoodle.
Lemonade War by Jacqueline Davies – The first in a series of five books, the book features two ambitious siblings competing to see who can make the most money from their lemonade stands’ sales. The story is an entertaining introduction to marketing with math interwoven into the plot.
Anything by Roald Dahl: Willy Wonka & The Chocolate Factory*, Big Friendly Giant, Matilda*, etc. –
Roald Dahl is a master of fantasy interwoven with reality. He will transport your child into a “real world” where small, orange men help make chocolate (Willy Wonka) and enormous giants roam the streets at night looking for children to eat (Big Friendly Giant). His books are a wonderful outlet and catalyst for your child’s imagination.
Babe: The Gallant Pig* by Dick King-Smith – A book made even more famous by its movie, the main character Babe is a sweet, sensitive pig who thinks he’s a sheep dog. Facing challenges that seem insurmountable, this heart-tugging pig is bound to make any boy root for the underdog, while teaching a valuable lesson about appearances and perseverance.
The Mysterious Benedict Society by Trenton Lee Stewart – This is the first of a four book series. Four impressively gifted children are chosen to go on a secret mission for the Learning Institute. The children face extreme mental and physical challenges of which they never dreamed and learn the importance of friendship, bravery, and trust.

Second Grade:

Phantom Toll Booth* by Nortun Juster – A classic from the 1960’s about a young boy named Milo. Incessantly bored, Milo drives his toy car through a toy tollbooth into the Kingdom of Wisdom where he learns he must rescue Princess Rhyme and Princess Reason. The novel is an entertaining adventure that incorporates a playful use of the English language, brilliantly weaving in puns throughout the story and poking fun at the literal meanings of old expressions.
Wrinkle In Time* by Madeleine L’Engle – Another classic from the 1960’s, this slow-building story centers on a brilliant misfit named Meg whose father goes missing while working on a covert project. Can Meg, her brother, her friend Calvin and a myriad of other worldly characters save him and the world? The book showcases the growth of its characters while providing a storyline that slowly mesmerizes its reader.
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone*, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets*, and Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban* by J.K. Rowling – These are the first three of the universally adored series of five novels. The novels’ main character is the orphan turned wizard Harry Potter. Harry finds himself in a world of magic he didn’t know existed. In this world, he attends wizard school, meets his best friends, and faces mortal enemies who will challenge him emotionally and physically. Whereas all six novels have graphic fighting scenes and incorporate death as a theme, the first three are a bit less intense in their violence and more genial in tone than the later novels.
The Chronicles of Narnia* by C.S. Lewis – A seven book series set in the fantasy world of Narnia. Replete with talking animals and epic struggles of good and evil, Narnia’s history unfolds through the eyes of several central children. Your young reader may not catch the complex layering of themes in these novels, which include religious references, mythological allusions, and race and gender issues, but they can be fascinating talking points for discussion at any age.
Because of Winn Dixie* by Kate DiCamillo – After Opal’s mother leaves her family, Opal’s father moves them to a trailer park in Florida where Opal adopts a homeless dog named after the town’s grocery store, Winn Dixie. Through Winn Dixie, Opal overcomes her own feelings of loss, eventually befriending a new community and gaining closure and acceptance. It is a touching and remarkably heart-felt story about the power of animals in our lives.

Third Grade:

The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien* – The epic adventure (and prequel to the series, Lord of the Ring) of Bilbo Baggins, a hobbit enjoying an ordinary life in the fantasy land of Middle-earth. Bilbo is most displeased when a wizard named Gandalf sweeps him into a world of danger and excitement. Beneath the battles and trials, the book highlights the wonder of finding extraordinary in the ordinary and bringing out the best in oneself in the direst of circumstances.
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire* by J.K. Rowling – In this fourth volume of the Harry Potter series, dark forces mysteriously compel Harry to compete in a potentially lethal competition, the Goblet of Fire. This story feels darker and scarier than the stories that precede it, the children are growing up and dealing with dating issues, and a beloved Hogwarts student is murdered. Throughout it all, Harry maintains steadfast integrity and courage.
Leviathan by Scott Westerfeld – Categorized in the relatively new steampunk genre, this is the first of three in the Leviathan series and takes place immediately prior to World War 1. Moments before the war, Aleksandar, a fugitive Austro-Hungarian prince and Deryn, a British Air Servicewoman disguised as a young boy, meet aboard a warship named Leviathan and forge an unusual alliance as they face global dangers together. This historical fiction novel won the Locus Award for Best Young Adult Fiction, and Westerfeld includes a wonderful postscript, explaining which information in the novel is true.
Castle Diary: The Journal of Tobias Burgess, Page by Richard Platt – This creative story takes place through the fictitious journal of an 11-year-old boy named Tobias living in 13th century England. Through his diary, Tobias takes his readers through his typical days as a page and introduces them to a whole gambit of characters – many of who bear striking resemblances to people we could meet today. The book is unique in its ability to entertain and educate its young readers about life in a medieval castle.

Fourth Grade:

Harry Potter and The Order of the Phoenix, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, and Harry Potter and the Deathly Hollows (Volumes 5-7)* by J.K. Rowling – The final books in the Harry Potter series grapple with the more mature emotional themes of desperation and betrayal. They also contain more direct references to death and torture. The sixth and seventh volumes of the series focus almost exclusively on the war between Harry and Voldemort, and death and evil are pervasively present. Given the more adult content, these books and movies are more suited for a slightly older reader.
Wonder by R.J. Palacio – The story tells the story of a ten-year-old boy named August, a boy born with severe facial deformities. He enters fifth grade at a regular school for the first time and meets new friends, faces bullying, and forces people to see beyond his external flaws into the real him. This book compels its readers to reflect on whom they are as people and what that means beyond how they look.
Gregor The Overlander by Suzanne Collins – This novel is the first in the series of The Underland Chronicles, a critically acclaimed fantasy series of five books. Gregor is an eleven-year-old boy living in New York City with his mother and sisters. When one of Gregor’s sister wanders into her apartment’s basement and slips into a mysterious grate, Gregor dives in to save her, falling into the strange world of Underland. There, Gregor finds another world and plays a critical role in the raging conflict between humans and rats. Gregor is both believable and sympathetic as a character.
Dragon’s Gate by Laurence Yep – This heart-rending novel tells the story of a wealthy Chinese boy named Otter who grows up in nineteenth century China during the oppressive Manchu dynasty. Tragedy strikes Otter, and he must flee to California where he finds employment digging tunnels for the Transcontinental Railroad. Recipient of the 1994 Newbery Honor Book, Yep uses Otter to demonstrate the harsh reality of many immigrants, and how one child must learn the meaning of forgiveness while standing up for his beliefs. Transcending its time, Dragon’s Gate offers your son a new perspective on how freedom means different things to different people.

The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate by Jacqueline Kelly – This winner of the 2010 Newbery Honor award takes place in the summer of 1899. An almost twelve-year-old girl from Texas finds herself fascinated by the controversial book by Darwin, The Origin of Species. Unfortunately, she is unexceptional at what girls are supposed to be doing at the time, forcing Calipurnia to balance her brilliant scientific curiosity with her need to learn how to be a lady. A truly interesting read and a wonderful reminder for boys of our times of the restraints that the not so distant past placed on girls.
The Lightning Thief* by Rick Riordan – The first in a series of five, this is a best-selling, heart pounding adventure in which twelve-year-old Percy, the son of a human woman and Poseidon, god of the sea, travels to a special camp for demigods where he and his friends must help stop a war brewing between the gods. The book offers our boys not only a wonderful introduction to Greek mythology, but also page-turning action.

The Nazi Hunter: How a Team of Spies and Survivors Captured the World’s Most Notorious Nazi by Neal Bascomb – A captivating piece of nonfiction about a team of spies who captured Adolf Eichmann, the operational leader of the Nazi’s Final Solution. Sixteen years after Eichmann escaped into the German mountainside in 1945, the elite team captures Eichmann at an Argentinean bus stop and smuggles him into Israel for trial for his horrific crimes. The story teaches its readers about the Holocaust in a fascinating piece of writing. An essential read for all children.
The Maze Runner* by James Dashner – A dystopian science fiction page-turner that is the first of a three-part series. The reader meets a dazed Thomas who awakens at a strange place called Glade, having no recollection of his past other than his name. He soon learns that there is no way out of this world, other than a deadly maze that changes every night. Desperate to escape and suspicious of the other prisoners who surround him, Thomas must use ingenuity, bravery and a lot of intuition to try to make his way out of this bizarre prison.
Ender’s Game* by Orson Scott Card – Meet Ender Wiggin – earth’s greatest soldier – who happens to be a young boy. The only one of his siblings to gain admissions to the elite Battle School, Ender becomes a leader in this futuristic space school where kids learn to battle alien attackers. While learning how to defend the earth, Ender must battle his own fears and loneliness. He is a hero who questions not only the battle, but also the victory.
The Outsiders* by S.E. Hinton – Written by a teenage girl, this boys’ coming of age novel drops its readers into the lives of a group of teenage boys growing up in Tulsa, Oklahoma in the 60’s. The story, narrated through the eyes of a 14-year-old boy, follows the Socials and the Greasers, two rival gangs separated by socioeconomic status. Transcending its location and its era, The Outsiders introduces concepts of loyalty, inner-conflict, and becoming one’s own person no matter the cost.
Code Talker: A Novel about the Navaho Marines of World War Two* by Joseph Bruchac – This historical fiction novel introduces Ned Begay, a young Navajo boy, who enlists in the Marines at 16 during World War II. He is trained as a code talker, using his native Navajo language to relay critical battle commands, a code kept secret until 1969. Sharing his tale of hardship through boarding school to war with his grandchildren, Ned teaches them about courage, integrity and a strong Navajo heritage that cannot be erased.
Johnny Tremain* by Esther Forbes – Written in 1944, this is a period book that takes place in Boston a few years before the Revolutionary War. Johnny is a fourteen-year-old silversmith apprentice until his hand is maimed by molten silver. Depressed by the sudden end to his career, Johnny finds new purpose serving as a vital messenger for the Sons of Liberty during the moments before our country’s fight for freedom. A beautifully written novel (recipient of the 1944 Newbery Medal) showing your reader the true meaning of perseverance and redemption.

I hope this list proves useful to your growing readers and that he finds a home with many of them. Enjoy!

Beyond The Books: The Significance Of Character Education

Beverly Cole — Sat, 20 Jun 2015 08:07:06 +0000

“Don’t forget to say please!” I say for what feels like the thousandth time that day. I am trying to instill good manners in my children, and I think I have repeated that phrase a million times in the last eight years. I may or may not be exaggerating. The world is complicated and busy, but really taking the time to appreciate what others are doing, using kind words, and making good choices concerning the people around us are important to me. Really important. My husband and I have told our children countless times that people remember kindnesses. It feels good to be nice. It’s easy to be good. But our kids aren’t with us all the time. As they get older, they are spending an increasing amount of time with their teachers and their peers, so their values impact my children directly. To the extent it’s still in our control, we want our kids surrounded by people who place importance on treating other people with respect and kindness.

In a world where stories of bullying inundate our newsfeeds and where innovative types of media pop up every day that make it easier for people to say cruel things to one another anonymously, our hope to raise caring, sensitive adults feels small and powerless. It would feel practically futile except we are not alone. There are millions of parents out there who want their children to care in a meaningful way about the world and people around them. Although many of these parents look to religious schools and places of worship to help promote these principles, my family, like many others, is largely a secular one. Because of this, it’s essential that my children’s school value character education as much as we do because much of our children’s waking lives are spent there. When teachers and school administrators help to create a “whole child,” children can gain new perspective on what it means to be a good person, a real contributor to our world.

This concept of school-based character development is not new. In fact, most pre-schools focus much of their time “socializing” their students. Teaching children to use their words, to be kind to one another, to not strike or tease one another is part of learning how to thrive in our society and grow as a person. Unfortunately, as children grow older, exposure to emotional education can decrease. As elementary schools prioritize academics over socialization, these important life skills can be marginalized within a school setting.

This is not always the case, however. In a refreshing trend, this idea of creating an educational environment where children learn how to treat other people is now extending itself beyond the pre-school setting and becoming more pervasive in private schools around the country.

At the prestigious Brunswick School in Greenwich, Connecticut, the school incorporates character education into the fabric of its education. As indicated in their on-line brochure:

Nothing is more important to us than building character. The entire Brunswick community is committed to instilling in our boys, by example and through experience, the qualities all true gentlemen possess — qualities that will make them respectful, courageous, honest, and honorable sons, friends, leaders, and citizens.

http://admissions.brunswickschool.org.

How is this character education incorporated into a school’s curriculum? At the academically rigorous Hackley School in Westchester, New York, the following phrase is etched into one of its stone arched entrances:

“Enter Here to Be and Find a Friend”

This unofficial motto is a cornerstone of Hackley’s core values. To reinforce the meaning behind the message, Hackley’s Lower School has instituted a virtue of the month, including traits like Patience, Appreciation, and Responsibility. There is a teacher resource guide for such virtues, which includes suggested classroom activities, classroom readings, and even ideas for parental involvement. Through these activities and a culture that promotes the importance of character, teachers can encourage students to appreciate and implement this valued behavior in their interactions with one another on a daily basis. It is through this integration of values into its classrooms that Hackley creates an “even better, safer, kinder, and more supportive school environment for our students, our staff, and our community.” http://www.hackleyschool.org/Page/Student-Life/Lower-School/Character-Education—LS.

It’s not just the schools and parents that value character education. Teachers at schools that emphasize character education appreciate the impact that it can have on its students. Jessica Lahey, a writer and teacher at the Crossroads Academy in Lyme, Connecticut, writes enthusiastically about what character education means to her:

“I have come to understand what real character education looks like and what it can do for children. . . . Schools that teach character education report higher academic performance, improved attendance, reduced violence, fewer disciplinary issues, reduction in substance abuse, and less vandalism. . . . From a practical perspective, it’s simply easier to teach children who can exercise patience, self-control, and diligence, even when they would rather be playing outside – especially when they would rather be playing outside. . . .” See http://www.theatlantic.com/national/archive/2013/05/the-benefits-of-character-education/275585/.

Character education is happily no longer the exclusive purview of U.S. private schools. With concerns over bullying growing more pervasive, public schools are stepping in to educate their students on the importance of treating one another with integrity and making positive decisions that can impact them the rest of their lives. Character education can prove essential in poverty-stricken schools. There are various free programs that even the poorest of schools can utilize in their educational plans. Goodcharacter.com provides numerous teaching guides including, for example, one on controlling anger (it also offers educational items for purchase). It offers tips that teachers can use to help children learn how to control their own emotion, provides discussion questions for classrooms, and suggests student activities to help children learn how to utilize relaxation exercises. See http://www.goodcharacter.com/GROARK/Anger.html.

The Mission Hill K-8 School is a Boston public pilot school where many of the children receive free and reduced cost lunch. Despite the surrounding poverty, Mission Hill has a philosophy that every child has value. The mission of the school is to “help parents raise youngsters who will maintain and nurture the best habits of a democratic society be smart, caring, strong, resilient, imaginative and thoughtful.” See http://www.missionhillschool.org/about-2/about/. The school utilizes “Habits of Mind & Work” to incorporate its values into the daily lives of its students. Teachers encourage students to ask themselves questions of both “Mind & Work” to help produce thoughtful, engaged “well-educated” people. See http://www.missionhillschool.org/classroom/habits-of-mind/.

Schools reap the rewards of implementing value-based education. According to an article in Education Week, there is increasing evidence that there is an appreciable positive change in students when values are incorporated into a school’s curriculum. According to the article, a 2011 meta-analysis of school-based emotional and social developmental programs found notable, positive increases in students’ academic achievement, as well as their attitude and behavior. See http://www.edweek.org/ew/articles/2013/02/27/22character.h32.html?tkn=NVWFPVyFHxMg4LQYLpYXfKVs%2FE2rPWz49k7i&cmp=ENL-EU-NEWS2.

In addition, supporting a child in their moral edification doesn’t just help the child succeed in school. As a child grows into adulthood, these essential lessons on showing respect and compassion can help a young person in their career. Emotional intelligence is critical to an adult’s success in his or her career. See, e.g., http://www.forbes.com/sites/travisbradberry/2014/01/09/emotional-intelligence/. “Playing well” with others can translate into promotions and long-term career goals achieved.

I want my children to know that being a good person doesn’t just happen at home. It’s a way of living. When a school can help support that philosophy, and teachers and families work together to forward this understanding, we are in a better position to achieve this goal. Surrounded by character education in their daily lives, it is easy for kids to be good, to resist wrongdoing, and ultimately to make great choices on their own.

At the prestigious Brunswick School in Greenwich, Connecticut, the school incorporates character education into the fabric of its education. As indicated in their on-line brochure:

Nothing is more important to us than building character. The entire Brunswick community is committed to instilling in our boys, by example and through experience, the qualities all true gentlemen possess — qualities that will make them respectful, courageous, honest, and honorable sons, friends, leaders, and citizens.

http://admissions.brunswickschool.org.

“Enter Here to Be and Find a Friend”

“I have come to understand what real character education looks like and what it can do for children. . . . Schools that teach character education report higher academic performance, improved attendance, reduced violence, fewer disciplinary issues, reduction in substance abuse, and less vandalism. . . . From a practical perspective, it’s simply easier to teach children who can exercise patience, self-control, and diligence, even when they would rather be playing outside – especially when they would rather be playing outside. . . .” See http://www.theatlantic.com/national/archive/2013/05/the-benefits-of-character-education/275585/.

Why Americans Love Their Kids in Sports

Beverly Cole — Mon, 27 Apr 2015 20:05:48 +0000

Skiing, Tennis, Golf, Tae Kwon Do, Swimming – I am not starting a list of all the sports I can think of in a minute. It’s actually sort of a confession. These are the sports in which my son is currently participating (not including the pick-up basketball and football games at school, Ping Pong and of course the non-athletic activities of chess and Spanish). He is eight years old. Please don’t think we are forcing our child to engage in any of these activities. We’re not. In fact, we’ve told him that at some point we need to narrow down this list to make room for his increasing homework load, but for now he loves them all. I realize that in other countries, this is not the norm. First and second graders are not throwing themselves into a packed calendar of structured sports, and, even more curious to our foreign friends, parents are not spending large portions of their own lives developing the sports’ careers of their children from the age of 3 (and younger).

Statistics support their suspicions about us Americans. According to a 2008 report, “Go Out and Play: Participation in Team or Organized Sports” created by the Women’s Sports Foundation, 69 percent of U.S. girls and 75 percent of U.S. boys participate in organized sports. According to a 2013 report, this means that roughly 35,000,000 U.S. children between the ages of 5 and 18 choose to play some organized sports. Which sports are the most popular? For children under 9, soccer and baseball seem to dominate, but by the age of 9, basketball is the sport of choice for many U.S. boys and girls. Other sports, like Martial Arts, are gaining popularity in the U.S., as a result of youth involvement. Clearly, these numbers support the theory that Americans love to see their kids involved in sports. But why, many foreign friends wonder.

Well, wondering the same thing, I took to the (suburban) American streets to find out. I wasn’t expecting anyone to admit that they force their kids into sports to build their college resumes or that they are really hoping that their 11 year old will one day receive an athletic scholarship to college (which is, by the way, incredibly rare: the U.S. National Collegiate Athletic Association cites a statistic of about 2 percent of high school athletes being awarded some sort of athletic scholarship to compete in college). Of course, there are those parents who do covet those scholarships for their kids and yes, those parents who somehow need their kids to live out their own fallen hopes of athletic glory do exist, but beyond these unavoidable realities, the responses were remarkably well thought out and more varied than I ever imagined.

Some U.S. parents emphasize how sports are able to teach their children commitment, integrity, and responsibility. According to the Kids Play USA Foundation, children who play youth sports are less likely to skip class, join a gang or abuse drugs. This may have to do with the mental and physical commitment children have to make to their teams. As children get older, sports become more competitive. As a result, athletes must commit huge amounts of time and energy to their teams. As they learn to work with one another and improve their athletic skills, many students develop deep relationships and ultimately rely on each other. The result can be lasting friendships among the players as well as an expectation that everyone take responsibility for him or herself for the sake of the team. For example, Jenny’s* 12-year old son Andrew had serious issues waking up at 7:00 a.m. She would practically need a bullhorn to get him up for school in the morning. When he joined a travel baseball team, she sat down with him to talk about how he would need to get up at 5:30 in the morning for some of his weekend games. The coach had a zero lateness policy, which meant that if you were late for the game, you sat out for the game. The morning of the first Saturday morning game, Jenny found Andrew fully dressed, eating breakfast in the kitchen at 5:30 am. He said that if he didn’t show up on time for his game, his teammates were going to “kick his butt.” He woke himself on time for every Saturday game during the season. Jenny thought a miracle had occurred. To Jenny, sports gave Andrew the motivation to take responsibility for his own actions – something that his parents couldn’t do for him.

Perhaps not surprisingly, some American parents begin preparing their children for athletics at an incredibly early age. Gina has very young children, ages 4 and 2. Her 4 year old has already started hockey, tennis and tae kwon do, as well as taken toddler multi-sports classes. She is anxious to get her boys involved in sports and has given a lot of thought to the benefits of athletic involvement. Her reasons are threefold: First, in Gina’s opinion, athletic kids are generally “the cool kids.” For her, athletic prowess will not only give her children an elevated social status that could be essential in an increasingly complicated teen social culture, but also help prevent them from being bullied. Second, Gina feels that this higher social status associated with being a talented athlete carries over into adulthood. This realization struck her at her golf club where she noticed that the best golfers were the most sought after for rounds of golf by other members of the club. To her, childhood athletics can pave the way for important social connections in the future, which can prove valuable socially as well as professionally. Finally, having seen her nephew’s commitment to swimming and the arduous hours he devotes to it, Gina sees how a sport can demonstrate the value of hard work: “I had always thought sports came easily to athletic kids. And while that may be true somewhat, I now realize the amount of passion, dedication and grit that are needed to be at the top.”

While the American commitment to youth athletics is certainly cultural, this enthusiasm can be quite contagious, quickly acquired by parents who come to call the U.S. home as adults. When Lynn immigrated to the U.S. with her husband, she was shocked to see how intense the parental interest was in all things athletics. Having young kids, she couldn’t imagine what all the fuss was about. As her children became grade school age, though, she began to see advantages to involving her kids in sports programs. She recognized sports as a way for her kids to incorporate exercise as part of a healthy lifestyle. Having three very different children, she also realized that sports were not a one size fits all activity, so that each of her kids could find a sport that was right for them. Her more reserved daughter thrived in her martial arts class (ultimately progressing to black belt), while her more overtly active boys were drawn to soccer and tennis respectively. Athletics had a way of bringing out the best in her children, and Lynn and her husband became fans of sports being integral to their family life.

Finally, U.S. parents can start their kids off in sports for one reason and then find that there are entirely different benefits to these activities. Michelle had this very experience with her high school aged twins. Originally, she thought that high-energy sports like swimming, soccer and gymnastics would be healthy outlets for her girls’ seemingly endless amounts of energy. Although the sports didn’t seem to tire the girls out, they enjoyed participating and found close friends on their teams. What Michelle did discover was that as the girls began to compete seriously in their sports, the team commitment provided a necessary structure around which the girls could organize their studies. When the girls had practice or a swim meet or game, they knew they only had a certain amount of time to finish up their homework obligations. Without any sort of mandated schedule from sports, the girls would dawdle with their work, and it never really got completed as well as when there was a time deadline because of practice or a competition. For Michelle’s kids, sports had inadvertently added an organizational structure to their daily activities, helping to create better-organized kids.

After listening to other Americans’ reasons for encouraging their kids to participate in sports, even if that means waking up at 5:00 in the morning, every morning, to drive their kids to ice hockey, gymnastics or swimming, I began to reflect on my reasons for wanting my children to start their own sports experiences. The answer, I realized, had a lot to do with my upbringing. My parents always emphasized academic success and never encouraged us to engage in any sort of athletic competition. As a child, seeing other kids completely invested in their teams made me feel slightly alienated, as though I was missing some part of my childhood. Fast forward a few decades, and you have me – a novice golfer and an amateur tennis player who winces at the thought of anyone actually watching me engage in an athletic activity. I can’t help but feel that participating in childhood sports may have helped me with my athletic misgivings. The result – I want my own kids to enjoy sports when they are young. I think it will help them gain a certain confidence, so that they can feel comfortable, no matter what their skill level, whether playing a round of golf or skiing a black diamond without cringing at every mistake they make. If they decide sports aren’t for them (definitely not the direction in which they seem to be headed), then that’s okay, but in the mean time I will relish every moment on the sideline. As my husband put it best while we watched our son rallying with a friend in tennis: “I would rather watch this than the U.S. Open any day.”

So what do you think? Does it still seem strange that Americans sacrifice so much for their child athletes? Would you give it a try?Skiing, Tennis, Golf, Tae Kwon Do, Swimming – I am not starting a list of all the sports I can think of in a minute. It’s actually sort of a confession. These are the sports in which my son is currently participating (not including the pick-up basketball and football games at school, Ping Pong and of course the non-athletic activities of chess and Spanish). He is eight years old. Please don’t think we are forcing our child to engage in any of these activities. We’re not. In fact, we’ve told him that at some point we need to narrow down this list to make room for his increasing homework load, but for now he loves them all. I realize that in other countries, this is not the norm. First and second graders are not throwing themselves into a packed calendar of structured sports, and, even more curious to our foreign friends, parents are not spending large portions of their own lives developing the sports’ careers of their children from the age of 3 (and younger).

So what do you think? Does it still seem strange that Americans sacrifice so much for their child athletes? Would you give it a try?

The Totally Lame Peanut Problem: It’s Your Kid’s Problem Too

Beverly Cole — Mon, 06 Apr 2015 20:00:26 +0000

To the woman two rows behind us: I know, I know. I’m the uncool peanut-obsessed parent who is wiping everything down in her row, scanning for any speck of peanuts in the seats and in the windows. I know you’re the hip “anti-helicopter” mom who lets her kids do their thing, eat what they want, play what they want. Now, I know I’m annoying the passengers around me by politely instructing the flight attendant that my son has a severe peanut allergy. Here I go, irritatingly requesting that he please refrain from serving peanuts as I discussed with the airline service representative a few weeks prior to the flight. The flight attendant totally gets it, but, yes, you are totally reasonable in rolling your eyes as I read every ingredient on the pretzels they serve on board. Their poor little hands that I’m wiping with a wipe to make sure they’re clean before they eat – I mean come on! I’m totally making my kids crazy, right? They will be co-dependent, anxiety-ridden creatures for the rest of their lives. I get it.

But wait. Is your nine year old’s eye swollen? It looks okay to you? Nope, I’m pretty sure it’s swelling up. Could it be possible that he too has a food allergy? Oh, he actually does have a nut allergy? I think you might want to give him some Benadryl immediately. His lips look a little large too. You’re not carrying any? Please give him some of mine right now if he’s okay taking it. I know it’s really lame to carry it around, but if he doesn’t take it, you might have to administer an even dorkier Epi-Pen if he goes into anaphylactic shock, and his organs start shutting down. Really, he needs it. Now.

Look, the Benadryl’s working for your son. Thank goodness! Did he have anything unusual to eat? Oh yeah, it really is a bother to check those ingredients, especially on something with sooooo many different ones, like that granola bar you picked up at the concession stand right before the flight. Maybe you should take a couple of my Benadryl tablets along with you, just in case that pesky nut allergy interferes with your laid back style. Just in case. Also, if you get around to it, maybe, just maybe pick up a couple of Epi-Pens for yourself. I know it’s not fun to be the “allergy kid,” but it’s a lot better to be the living allergy kid. I promise. Your kid deserves it.To the woman two rows behind us: I know, I know. I’m the uncool peanut-obsessed parent who is wiping everything down in her row, scanning for any speck of peanuts in the seats and in the windows. I know you’re the hip “anti-helicopter” mom who lets her kids do their thing, eat what they want, play what they want. Now, I know I’m annoying the passengers around me by politely instructing the flight attendant that my son has a severe peanut allergy. Here I go, irritatingly requesting that he please refrain from serving peanuts as I discussed with the airline service representative a few weeks prior to the flight. The flight attendant totally gets it, but, yes, you are totally reasonable in rolling your eyes as I read every ingredient on the pretzels they serve on board. Their poor little hands that I’m wiping with a wipe to make sure they’re clean before they eat – I mean come on! I’m totally making my kids crazy, right? They will be co-dependent, anxiety-ridden creatures for the rest of their lives. I get it.

Part I of Our Ivy Series: Twenty Years Of Catching The Ivy Ring

Beverly Cole — Thu, 02 Apr 2015 10:00:16 +0000

Chris P.* graduated from a top-rated, suburban public high school outside of New York City. He was valedictorian of his class with near perfect SAT scores. His activities included class president, editor-in-chief of his school paper and captain of an extremely competitive team at his athletically successful high school. He also created and held leadership positions in several clubs in which he held strong interests. Can this person exist? Apparently quite well, as he is returning to his second year at Yale University. Even more amazingly, as a successful candidate to the Ivy League, his high school resume isn’t particularly unusual in 2013.

The Ivy League universities are some of the most venerable educational institutions in the world. Distinguished professors, cutting edge research and unparalleled learning opportunities are at a student’s fingertips – not to mention that a degree from one of these eight schools can be a stronghold for future career success and priceless contacts. The Ivies have been around for hundreds of years and have always been considered prestigious. What’s different today from past generations, even twenty years ago, is the absolute rigor of admissions. There has been a remarkable increase in applicants and a drastic reduction in the admissions percentages, so that, as one Yale alum from the Class of ’94 put it, there would be no way that a lot of her college friends would be getting into their alma mater if they would have to apply today.

Statistically speaking, it is more challenging now to gain admissions into an Ivy League school than ever before. Twenty years ago, Yale’s acceptance rate was just under 19%. Today that percentage is just under 7%. What has happened? A few things. First, in contrast to twenty years ago, there has been a tremendous increase in the U.S. population, from a little over 250,000,000 residents in 1993 to approximately 316,000,000 today. This overall population increase reflects itself in the number of high school graduates. From 1995-1996 through 2007-2008, there was a 32% increase in the number of high school graduates. See Projections of Education Statistics to 2020.

In addition, there has recently been a tremendous increase in international interest in U.S. colleges. In 2011 alone, there was a 5.7% increase in foreign students enrolling in American universities from countries all over the globe, including China, India, South Korea, Canada, Japan, Saudi Arabia, Taiwan, Turkey, Vietnam and Mexico. See International University Admissions.

Finally, each Ivy League school has adopted the common application used for hundreds of U.S. schools, making it easier for candidates to apply broadly. Given that Ivy League schools haven’t expanded their enrollments significantly in recent years, the acceptance rates at these institutions have plummeted. See, e.g., College Admissions: Ivy League Acceptance Rates Decline.

The result – qualified applicants are getting rejected from these top schools more than ever. Consider the application of one female candidate from an Illinois public school. She received a 2320 on the SAT** and earned an unweighted GPA of 4.0. Her course load senior year contained only AP and honors classes, and she graduated as salutatorian from a class of about 500 students. Her extra-curricular activities included editor in chief at her paper, varsity badminton and numerous other academic and community-oriented activities. The result? Rejected from the Ivy League schools to which she applied – Harvard and Penn. If this seems like an unlikely outcome, consider the perfect SAT scores of a male, Asian candidate who attended a boarding school in Massachusetts. His weighted GPA was 4.74 out of 4.0, and he was student body president and captain of the lacrosse team. He also played varsity basketball. He too was rejected from Harvard, although accepted to Columbia, Dartmouth and Cornell. Twenty years ago, perhaps these applicants would have been accepted at all Ivies. Today it’s no longer the case. As applications have soared, it seems the applicants have also stepped up their game, making admissions’ officers role of choosing from so many qualified applicants a most challenging task.

How have so many students become so well prepared for some of the best schools in the country? It can’t just be answered by a sheer increase in applicants. First, the Internet and social media have greatly increased knowledge about admissions into the Ivy gates. This information has helped students today shape their resumes, so that far more candidates now appear Ivy-ready, increasing the competition surrounding admissions. A perfect example of this trend is the increased knowledge that this generation of college applicants has about the Academic Index. Originally created in the 1980’s to help compare student athletes’ academic credentials, the Academic Index is a calculation that Ivy League schools utilize to compare and contrast potential applicants. See The Ivy League Academic Index. The index standardizes the grades and testing achievement of each candidate’s academic career. Twenty years or so ago this index was a virtual unknown and certainly not a factor when most students prepared their college resumes and applied for admissions. Do students consider this Index today? While some candidates are still unaware of the Index, many look no farther than their computers to see how they stand in relation to it. There are numerous on-line calculators that attempt to recreate the Index’s calculation, so that a student can simply plug in their GPA, SAT and SAT II results to help determine where they may stand on the Index. See, e.g., Academic Index Calculator 2012. In addition, Internet sites like College Confidential are teeming with potential applicants discussing the Academic Index, whether or not their specific Academic Index is good enough and any alterations that the schools may have made to the Index. Unfortunately and fortunately, as students have become more knowledgeable about the process, they have also raised the bars for admissions by becoming super-academics. This is quite a change from the early 1990’s. For example, one white female ’95 Penn alum attended a public high school in the Philadelphia suburbs. She graduated in the top 2% of a class of about 550 with SAT scores in the mid 1400s and was admitted to Penn without real stress concerning her ability to get in. She worked hard through high school, but was shocked to learn that today many kids at her old high school no longer take lunch, so that they can include more academic classes like statistics in their schedule. “When I attended high school, I had no idea what statistics was, let alone have any inclination to drop my lunch to take an extra class,” she said. Are kids today smarter? Perhaps not, but certainly more knowledgeable about what succeeds in the admissions world. Asked if she felt that students today were more impressive, an alumni of Princeton Class of ’93 who interviews students for Princeton, said that “students have more supported preparation and almost seem too polished these days– I think it was my doing things all on my own that made a difference, in retrospect.”

Supported indeed – today there is an entire market geared toward packaging candidates into Ivy-League turnkeys. Students pay college advisors like Michele Hernandez, a former admissions officer at Dartmouth, upwards of $40,000 to edit essays, hire tutors, choose classes, review homework and even plan their vacations and summers in some cases. See I Can Get Your Kid into an Ivy. Not that college advisors didn’t exist in the past, they just seemed to have a much more passive role in guiding a student to the right school for them. One 39 year-old Brown alum explained: “When I was in high school, a few kids [at his wealthy, southern private school] saw a college consultant who would basically take their resume senior year and help by telling them which schools would work for them. Yes, the consultants would review essays, but there was no one I knew who had a counselor picking and choosing classes and activities for them. That’s incredible.”

Of course, there are some aspects of a candidate that you cannot package, and these all important “hooks” or features of an application that make certain candidates stand out are still heavily considered in the Ivy’s pursuit of diversity and the creation of an amazingly well balanced class. For example, a white woman from Pennsylvania applied to Penn’s class of 2017. She had a 4.0 unweighted graded point average at her private, parochial school, but her SAT scores fell below Penn’s mean with a total score of 2050. Her summer experiences included babysitting and studying for pre-calculus, and during the school year she participated in two years of Mock Trial and played tennis. While not excelling in her test scores or in her extra-curricular activities, her troubled family’s income fell below $15,000 a year and her status as the first person in her family to go to college made her a desired candidate for Penn’s admissions committee.

Beyond an interesting background, there are other ways that applicants have drawn the attention of Ivy admissions committees – high school students have taken their commitment to extra-curricular activities to a whole new level. Grades and test scores are vitally important, but not necessarily everything in the world of Ivy League admissions. It isn’t just a function of numbers that makes it so difficult to receive an acceptance letter. Applicants must also demonstrate true interests beyond their required classes, and as always, top schools are looking for those who excel in sports. In the past few decades, the overall caliber of the Ivy League student athlete applicant has increased remarkably. The Ivy League is after all an athletic conference within the NCAA Division 1, the most competitive collegiate sports in the U.S., and the schools need stellar athletes to compete on their teams. Historically, the best athletes in the country may not have necessarily chosen an Ivy League school because they do not offer athletic scholarships. Recently however, these schools have been recruiting Olympic-quality athletes due to their generous financial aid packages, which have proven incredibly attractive for students looking for top-notch athletic competition and a degree from an Ivy League school. As a result, athletes recruited by the Ivies in the 90’s may not be competitive with those athletes admitted today. As quoted in a 2011 New York Times article, Andy Noel, Cornell’s athletic director Andy Noel stated: “Eighty percent of our best recruits in the current freshman class would not have come here 10 years ago because we couldn’t match other schools’ offers. The impact has been enormous. And will continue to be.” See Financial Aid Changes Game as Ivy Sports Teams Flourish. Given the demands of the Academic Index and the increasing interest from top athletes, chances of entrance based upon athletic ability grows smaller as well.

This elevated competitive plane of Ivy League athletics is not reserved for traditionally mainstream sports. As students attempt to differentiate themselves from other candidates, they are pursuing non-traditional sports like squash. As a result, squash is seeing more intense competition in its junior players than it has ever experienced previously. See, e.g., How Squash Got Serious. Likewise, fencing, a sport requiring as much strategic thinking as it does skill, is seeing a surge in popularity. The Ivy League has six men’s fencing teams and seven women’s teams and these teams too are recruiting their most competitive athletes to date. The recruiting is working – Princeton recently won its first ever NCAA fencing championship for its women’s team.

Not surprisingly, this heightened demonstration of excellence of Ivy League candidates extends beyond athletics to all extra-curricular activities. In 1990, one applicant applied to college with a 4.2 weighted grade point average and low 1400s SAT score. A white male, his extra-curricular activities included a position in his classes’ student government for two years, a place on his debate team for one year, several different sports over his four years in high school, leadership in his French club and three student exchange placements throughout Europe. His commitments were evident, but varied. He was admitted to both Brown and Penn. Today, applicants have honed in on demonstrating the significance of their interests. Everly, an incoming Harvard freshmen, dedicated most of her after-school time to her love of the water. She was a four-year varsity athlete on her school’s swim and dive team, as well as a Water Safety Instructor at a local college pool. During the summers, she spent her time as a lifeguard. Her zeal for the water and perseverance in overcoming a learning disability paid off, being admitted to Harvard off the wait list with a 2150 SAT and graduating in the top ten percent of her class of about 300 from a competitive public school. Although schools like Princeton still welcome applicants who are well-rounded in many types of extra-curricular, the defined commitments of students in each activity have strengthened, so that a candidate who dabbles in numerous activities may not appear as invested as the candidate who spends hundreds of hours devoted to just a couple activities or activities within a certain “genre”. Our Yale student, Chris P., agrees, stating, “Today just being a member of a particular club isn’t enough. It’s more important to have leadership roles in important school organizations, or to start your own clubs/groups that explore an academic or extra-curricular interest. There is of course a balance between depth and breadth, but depth is the more important of the two. A large number of surface-level extra-curricular activities do not say much about your interests and your ability to commit to excellence in an activity. If you want to think of it in terms of the composition of a college class, a class consisting of people with a variety of interests that they have pursued in depth creates a far richer learning environment than a class consisting of people with superficial interests that they only pursued at a surface level.”

This is not to say that two decades ago, Ivy League students were not innovative and well-invested in their pursuits. For instance, a ’92 Dartmouth grad and his friends received a provisional patent for a new technology they invented and incorporated a company to sell their product, all while they were in high school. At the time, this ingenuity and execution was unique. The difference, it seems, is that in the past several years, such innovation is remarkably more common in the Ivy League application.

So where do we go from here? Will this trend continue forever, so that acceptance rates at the country’s top schools continue to decrease and competition reaches almost unfathomable heights? Looking at the projected population chart, there seems to be a small dip in the number of college-age children before the population sees even more of an increase.

ACTUAL AND PROJECTED 18 YEAR OLDS: 1995 THROUGH 2020

[In thousands]

Year (July 1)
1995	3,601
1996	3,650
1997	3,780
1998	3,984
1999	3,993
2000	4,078
2001	4,087
2002	4,052
2003	4,154
2004	4,150
2005	4,146
2006	4,205
2007	4,285
2008	4,459
2009	4,391
2010	4,332
2011	4,291
2012	4,233
2013	4,212
2014	4,191
2015	4,142
2016	4,147
2017	4,194
2018	4,241
2019	4,395
2020	4,402

Projections of Education Statistics to 2020 PDF

Given this increase and the seemingly unstoppable international interest in the Ivy League, the competition could remain boiling hot for years to come. It is hard to imagine that twenty years from now, Ivy candidates will demonstrate even more stellar achievements, but they certainly seem headed in that direction.

*Names have been changed to protect anonymity.

**SAT explanation: Until 2005, the SAT was comprised of a math section, which included skills using Algebra, Arithmetic, Geometry and Data Analysis and a reading section including analogies, reading passages and sentence completions, both scaled from 200 to 800. A perfect score was 1600, and the average score was approximately 1050. In 2005, the College Board released a new SAT with three parts: a slightly revised math section that now includes Algebra II, a revised reading section that omitted analogies and a new writing section, all three of which are scored from 200 to 800. Presently, a perfect score is 2400, and the average score is about 1520.See The Old SAT vs. the New SAT.

크 리스 P*는 뉴욕 시 교외 명문 공립고등학교를 수석으로 졸업하고 만점에 가까운 SAT점수를 받았다. 고등학교 재학 시절 학생회장과 학교신문 편집장, 명문 스포츠팀의 캡틴으로 활발하게 과외활동을 했다. 뿐만 아니라, 교내 여러 클럽을 만들고 리더로서의 역량도 한껏 발휘했다. 이렇게 완벽한 학생이 정말 있을까? 물론 존재한다. 그는 올해 예일대학 2학년이 된다. 그런데 한가지 더 놀라운 사실은 그처럼 훌륭한 학생 수가 2013년에는 꽤나 많다는 점이다.

아이비리그 대학들은 세계적으로 인정받는 최고의 명문 교육기관들이다. 최고의 교수진과 최신 기술을 앞세운 연구시설, 타의 추종을 불허하는 교육체계는 학생들에게 언제나 오픈 되어 있다. 아이비리그 내 8개 대학의 졸업장은 사회에 나가 인맥을 형성하는데 큰 도움이 될 뿐만 아니라, 성공의 지름길이 되는 경우도 많다. 아이비리그는 오랜 역사와 전통을 자랑한다. 불과 20여 년 전과 확연히 차이가 나는 것은 바로 아이비리그 입학이 훨씬 더 어려워졌다는 것이다. 그만큼 학생들의 실력이 평균적으로 향상됐다는 얘긴데, 1994년에 예일대를 졸업한 한 학생은 “지금 다시 대학에 지원한다면 대학 동기들 중에 합격하지 못할 친구들이 많을 것”이라고 전했다.

통계에 따르면, 그 어느 때보다도 지금이 아이비리그 대학에 들어가기가 가장 힘들다는 사실을 알 수 있다. 20년 전 19%에 달하던 예일대 합격률은 지금 7%을 조금 밑돌고 있다. 왜일까? 몇 가지 원인이 있겠지만 우선적으로 미국 내 인구는 20년 전과 비교해 급격히 늘어났다. 1993년 당시 2억5천만 명이던 것이 오늘날 3억 천6백만 명으로 증가했고, 따라서 고등학교 졸업생 수도 자연히 늘어날 수 밖에 없었던 것이다. 1995년부터 2008년 사이 고등학교를 졸업한 학생 수는 32% 늘어난 것으로 나타났다. 링크참조: Projections of Education Statistics to 2020.

그리고 최근에는 미국 대학들에 대한 전 세계의 관심이 크게 높아져 2011년 현재 미국 내 대학에 재학중인 외국인 학생 수는 5.7% 증가한 것으로 조사됐다. 이들 외국인 학생들은 중국, 인도, 대한민국, 캐나다, 일본, 사우디아라비아, 대만, 터키, 베트남, 멕시코를 포함한 세계 각처에서 온 것으로 나타났다. 링크참조: International University Admissions.

끝으로, 아이비리그 대학들은 일반 대학 입학원서와 동일한 원서를 사용하기로 해 학생들의 편의를 봐 주었다. 지난 몇 년 간 입학정원을 크게 늘리지 않은 탓에 아이비리그 대학들의 입학 합격률은 큰 폭으로 줄어들었다. 링크참조: College Admissions: Ivy League Acceptance Rates Decline.

결론 – 자격을 갖춘 지원자들이 아이비리그 학교들로부터 불합격 통지서를 받고 있다. 일리노이주의 공립고등학교를 4.0 GPA로 졸업하고 SAT에서 2320점을 받은 한 학생의 경우 12학년 때에는 AP과목과 우등반 수업만 들었다. 졸업 시 500명 가량의 동기생들 가운데 차석으로 졸업한 그녀의 과외활동으로는 학교신문 편집장과 배드민턴 대표팀 선수, 학교와 커뮤니티에서의 다양한 활동을 꼽을 수 있다. 그렇다면 그녀는 그토록 가고 싶어하던 아이비리그 대학에 합격했을까? 그녀는 원서를 제출했던 하버드대와 펜실베니아대로부터 불합격통지서를 받았다. 이런 결과를 이해할 수 없다면 또 다른 학생의 경우를 살펴보자. SAT 만점을 받은 아시안 남학생의 경우 매사추세츠주에서 사립고등학교를 다녔고 4.74 GPA에 학생회장과 라크로스 (Lacrosse)팀 캡틴을 지냈고 농구 대표팀에서도 활동했다. 결국 그는 하버드대는 못 갔지만 콜럼비아대, 다트머스대, 코넬대로부터 합격통지서를 받을 수 있었다. 20년 전이라면 이 두 학생은 아이비리그 어떤 대학이라도 너끈히 합격했을 것이다. 대학진학을 원하는 지원자 수가 급속히 늘어나면서 학생들의 질적 수준도 훨씬 향상된 것이 사실이다. 그리고 이로 인해 입학사정관들의 고뇌는 더욱 깊어졌을 것이다.

그렇다면 어떻게 학생들의 실력과 수준이 향상될 수 있었을까? 단순히 학생수가 늘어난 사실만으로는 결코 그 답이 될 수 없다. 먼저, 인터넷과 SNS의 보급으로 아이비리그 대학들의 입학절차와 조건에 대한 상세한 정보를 쉽게 얻을 수 있게 되었다. 학생들은 그런 정보를 바탕으로 자신이 꿈꾸는 아이비리그를 향해 꾸준하게 준비할 수 있었던 것이다. 그 한 예로, 요즘 한껏 뜨거워진 학업수행지표 (Academic Index)에 대한 학생들의 관심을 들 수 있다. 80년대 체육특기생들의 학업성취도를 비교분석하기 위해 만들어진 학업수행지표는 아이비리그 대학들이 신입생 후보들을 비교하는 잣대로 사용되고 있다. 링크참조: The Ivy League Academic Index. 학업수행지표는 학생들의 학교성적과 시험성적을 평준화 시켜 학생들의 상대평가를 쉽고 편리하게 해준다. 20여 년 전만해도 이 지표는 요즘처럼 널리 알려지거나 사용되지 않았었다. 요즘 학생들은 이 지표에 대해 얼마나 알고 있을까? 많은 학생들은 개인 컴퓨터로 자신의 학업수행지표를 확인함으로써 동급생들과 비교했을 때 자신이 어느 위치에 있는가를 한눈에 알 수 있다. 또, 인터넷에는 자신의 학업수행지표를 계산하는데 사용할 수 있는 계산기도 많이 있다. 학업수행지표를 계산할 때 필요한 정보로는 학생의 GPA와 SAT, 그리고 SAT II 결과만 있으면 된다. 링크참조: Academic Index Calculator 2012. College Confidential과 같은 웹사이트들은 대학입학을 준비하는 학생들로 늘 붐비는데 학생들은 그러한 웹사이트에서 학업수행지표에 관한 요긴한 정보를 공유한다. 불행인지 다행인지 이렇게 학생들의 대입절차에 관한 지식이 깊어지면서 결국 입학의 문도 더욱 좁아지게 되었다. 1995년 펜실베니아대를 졸업한 한 백인 여학생의 경우 필라델피아 근교 공립고등학교에서 550명의 동급생 중 상위 2%로 졸업하고 SAT 1400점을 받고 어렵지 않게 펜실베니아대에 들어갈 수 있었다. 자신도 고등학교 때 열심히 공부했지만 요즘 어린 학생들을 보면 점심도 거른 채 ‘통계학’과 같은 어려운 수업을 듣는걸 보고 놀라움을 금치 못했다고 했다. 그녀는 “내가 고등학생이었을 때는 ‘통계학’이 뭔지도 몰랐다. 점심도 안 먹고 수업을 듣는다는 건 상상조차 할 수 없는 일이었다”라고 말했다. 그렇다면 요즘 학생들이 예전 학생들보다 더 똑똑해진 걸까? 그렇게 단정지을 수는 없지만 적어도 대입절차에 관한 지식만큼은 예전보다 훨씬 풍부해졌을 것이다. 1993년에 프린스턴대를 졸업하고 현재 프린스턴대 입학사정관으로 일하고 있는 한 여성에게 요즘 학생들에 대해 묻자 그녀는 “요즘 학생들은 매우 치밀하다. 그리고 대학입학준비를 혼자가 아닌 주위 사람들로부터 도움을 받아 함께 준비하는 경우가 많다. 학생들이 각자 주체가 돼서 모든걸 준비하던 예전 모습과는 판이하게 달라졌다. 예전엔 대입원서마다 학생들의 개성이 잘 드러나 있었다”라고 회상했다.

상품화된 학생들 – 요즘에는 아이비리그 입성을 원하는 학생들의 대입에 관한 모든 과정에 도움을 주고 준비시키는 업체들이 우후죽순 늘어나고 있다. 학생들은 전 다트머스대 입학사정관인 미쉘 허르넨데스 Michele Hernandez와 같은 대입상담사에게 에세이 (Essay) 수정과 개인교사 추천, 수업스케줄 편성, 과제물 검토, 심지어는 여행이나 여름방학 계획 등을 의뢰하고 많게는 $40,000을 지불한다. 링크참조: http://www.powerscore.com/sat/help/sat_oldvsnew.cfm

예전에 대입상담원이 없었던 건 아니지만, 지금보다는 훨씬 수동적으로 학생들의 대학진학을 도왔었다. 올해 39세인 한 브라운대 졸업생은 “내가 부유한 집안의 아이들이 다니던 남부지방의 한 사립고등학교에 다닐 때는 12학년 때 몇몇 학생들만 대입상담원을 찾아 자신의 성적과 이력서로 갈만한 대학을 추천 받곤 했었다. 당시에도 대입상담원은 에세이를 검토해주기는 했지만, 수업스케줄 편성이나 여가활동 계획을 세워주는 일은 찾아볼 수 없었다. 요즘은 세상이 정말 많이 바뀐 것 같다”며 혀를 내둘렀다.

물론 그렇게 돈으로 포장할 수 없는 부분도 있다. 아이비리그 학교들은 신입생 학급의 다양성과 균형을 위해 매년 몰려드는 수많은 입학원서들 중에서 특별하게 눈길을 끄는 원서에 관심을 보인다. 올해 펜실베니아대에 지원한 한 펜실베니아 거주 백인 여학생의 경우 사립교구학교에서 4.0 GPA 성적을 받았지만 SAT는 펜실베니아대 입학생 평균을 조금 못 미치는 2050점을 받았다. 여름방학에는 어린아이들을 돌보고 미적분학 준비수업을 들었고, 과외활동으로 2년 간 모의법정에 참여하고 테니스를 친 게 전부였다. 이렇게 SAT점수나 과외활동에서 특출 난 모습을 보이지는 못했지만, 갑작스럽게 가정형편이 어려워져 가정의 연 수입이 $15,000 아래로 떨어지고 가족 중에서 처음으로 대학진학을 꿈꾸던 그 학생에게 펜실베니아대 입학사정관들은 관대함을 보여주었다.

특별한 배경 말고도 아이비리그 입학사정관들의 관심을 끌 수 있는 몇 가지 방법이 있다. – 요즘 고등학생들은 과외활동을 단순한 방과 후 활동 정도가 아닌 원하는 대학에 진학하기 위한 필수조건으로 생각한다. 물론 성적과 시험점수도 중요하지만 아이비리그에 진학하기 위해 갖춰야 할 조건의 전부라고는 할 수 없다. 단순히 종이에 적힌 숫자만으로는 아이비리그 입학을 예측하기 어렵다는 얘기다. 지원자들은 학교에서 필수과목을 이수하는 데 그치지 않는 뭔가 뜨거운 열정을 보여줘야만 한다. 뿐만 아니라 적극적인 스포츠 활동도 아이비리그 입학사정관들에게는 매우 중요하게 작용한다. 지난 십 수년 간 아이비리그에 입학하는 체육특기생들을 보면 모든 면에서 그들의 질적 수준이 몰라보게 향상된 것을 볼 수 있다.

아이비리그란 원래 미국 대학들의 체육협회(NCAA) 소속의 한 리그(League)의 명칭이었다. NCAA 중에서도 아이비리그는 경쟁이 가장 치열한 것으로 유명했고, 그래서 가장 유능하고 실력 있는 체육특기생들을 선발하기 위해 아이비리그에 속한 8개 학교가 각축전을 벌이게 된 것이다. 그렇다고 최고의 실력을 가진 체육특기생들이 전부 아이비리그로 간 건 아니다. 아이비리그 학교들은 체육특기생들에게 장학금을 제공하지 않았기 때문이다. 하지만 지금은 이야기가 달라졌다. 오늘날 아이비리그 학교들은 다양한 재정보조혜택을 앞세워 올림픽에 나가도 손색없는 실력을 가진 최고의 체육특기생들을 모집하고 있는 것이다. 덕분에 명문대 졸업장과 재정보조혜택을 한꺼번에 거머쥐고 싶은 어린 학생들의 반응이 매우 뜨겁다. 따라서 90년대 아이비리그에서 활약했던 학생들과 지금 현재 아이비리그에서 뛰고 있는 체육특기생들의 실력과 수준에는 어느 정도 차이가 있을 수도 있겠다. 2011년 뉴욕타임즈에 실린 한 기사에서 코넬대 체육과장 Andy Noel앤디 노엘은 “10년 전으로 돌아간다면 올해 신입생들 중 최고의 실력을 자랑하는 체육특기생 중 80%는 아마 우리학교로 오지 못했을 것이다. 당시 다른 학교들이 제공하는 재정보조혜택을 우리는 제공하지 못했으니까. 우리도 체육특기생들에게 재정보조를 시작한 후부터는 판도가 180도 달라졌고, 앞으로도 그 효과는 지속될 것”이라고 전했다. 링크참조: http://www.nytimes.com/2011/12/23/sports/financial-aid-changes-game-as-s…

까다로운 학업수행지표의 잣대와 최고의 실력을 자랑하는 체육특기생들의 뜨거운 관심 덕분에 체육특기생으로 아이비리그에 입학하기도 매우 어려워지게 되었다.

아이비리그에서 우리에게 익숙한 경기종목들만 경쟁이 심한 것은 아니다. 평범한 것을 거부하는 학생들은 스쿼시 (Squash)와 같은 종목에서 두각을 나타내려 한다. 그 결과 하급생들의 눈에는 스쿼시가 굉장히 격렬한 운동으로 인식되고 있다. 링크참조: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB1000142412788732453200457835896364981033…

마찬가지로 기술과 노련미를 요구하는 펜싱 (Fencing)의 인기도 급상승하고 있다. 아이비리그에는 현재 6개의 남자 펜싱팀과 7개의 여자 펜싱팀이 있는데 각 팀마다 우수한 선수를 찾으려는 경쟁이 치열하다. 이러한 경쟁과 노력 덕분에 최근 프린스턴대 여자 펜싱팀은 개교이래 처음으로 NCAA 펜싱대회 우승이란 쾌거를 이룩해냈다.

출중한 실력은 비단 체육특기생들뿐 아니라 아이비리그에 지원하는 모든 학생들의 과외활동에서도 찾아볼 수 있다. 1990년도에 4.2 GPA와 1400점 대 SAT 점수를 받은 한 백인 남학생이 아이비리그 대학에 지원했다. 그가 참여한 과외활동으로는 2년 동안 학생회에서 일한 것과 토론팀에서 1년간 활동, 고등학교 4년간 다양한 스포츠팀에서의 활동, 프렌치클럽 (French Club)에서 리더로 활동한 것, 교환학생으로 유럽에 다녀온 것 등이 있었다. 분산되긴 했지만 과외활동에 대한 그의 열의는 명백히 보였기에 브라운대와 펜실베니아대에 동시합격할 수 있었다.

대입을 준비하는 학생들을 보면 하나같이 자신의 관심분야와 취미를 부각시키려 노력한다. 올해 하버드대에 입학한 에벌리 Everly는 방과후 거의 대부분의 시간을 자신이 가장 좋아하는 수영과 다이빙에 투자했다. 그녀는 고등학교 4년 내내 수영대표팀과 다이빙대표팀에서 선수생활을 했고, 근처 한 대학교 수영장에서 물놀이 안전수칙을 가르치는 강사로, 또 여름방학이면 인명구조요원으로 일했다. 그런 그녀의 물에 대한 열정과 학습장애를 극복할 수 있었던 끈기와 노력은 하버드대 합격이라는 결실을 안겨주었다. 그녀가 다녔던 고등학교는 실력으로 알아주는 공립학교로 에벌리는 약 300명의 급우들 중 상위 10%로 졸업했고, SAT에서 2150점을 얻어 하버드대 합격대기자 명단에 오를 수 있었다.

대학들 중에는 프린스턴대와 같이 다양한 과외활동을 경험한 학생들을 선호하는 학교도 있지만, 오랜 시간 한 우물만 판 학생들과 비교했을 때 왠지 열정이나 끈기가 부족해 보일 수도 있을 것이다. 서두에 소개한 크리스 P*도 “요즘은 두드러진 활약 없이 단순히 팀에 소속만 되어있어서는 빛을 발하지 못한다. 교내 기관들이나 클럽에서 리더로서 활동하거나 새로운 기관을 만들어 활동하는 게 더 중요하다. 물론 활동영역과 깊이가 어느 정도 균형이 맞아야 하겠지만 그래도 꼽자면 깊이가 조금 더 중요하다고 본다. 그 이유는 깊이가 없이 겉에서 살짝 맛보기만 한 과외활동은 학생의 열정이나 발전가능성을 잘 보여주지 못하기 때문이다. 예를 들어 말하자면, 다양한 관심사에 열정을 가진 학생들이 참여하는 강의와 수박 겉핥기 식으로 열정이 없는 학생들이 참여하는 강의는 근본적으로 그 수준이나 내용면에서 큰 차이를 보이는 것과 마찬가지라고 할 수 있겠다”라고 전했다.

물론 20년 전 아이비리그 학생들이 오늘날의 후배들보다 혁신적이지 못하고 자기개발이 부족했다는 건 결코 아니다. 한 예로, 1992년도에 다트머스대를 졸업한 몇몇 학생들은 고등학교 재학시절 자신들이 개발한 신기술로 임시특허를 받고 그 기술을 제품화하기 위해서 회사를 설립했을 정도로 뛰어난 실력을 가지고 있었다. 당시 그런 천재성은 찾아보기 보기 드문 독보적인 것이었지만, 지난 몇 년간 아이비리그에 진학하는 학생들을 보면 이제는 그런 실력 있는 학생들을 어렵지 않게 볼 수 있게 되었다.

그렇다면 앞으로는 어떨까? 최고 명문대 입학률은 계속 떨어지고 경쟁률은 끊임없이 치솟기만 할까? 인구전망도표를 살펴보면 인구증가율이 잠시 멈칫하다가 다시 높아지는 걸 볼 수 있다.

실제인구와 전망된 18세 인구: 1995년부터 2020년까지

[천명 단위]

Year (July 1)
1995	3,601
1996	3,650
1997	3,780
1998	3,984
1999	3,993
2000	4,078
2001	4,087
2002	4,052
2003	4,154
2004	4,150
2005	4,146
2006	4,205
2007	4,285
2008	4,459
2009	4,391
2010	4,332
2011	4,291
2012	4,233
2013	4,212
2014	4,191
2015	4,142
2016	4,147
2017	4,194
2018	4,241
2019	4,395
2020	4,402

Projections of Education Statistics to 2020 PDF

이러한 인구증가율과 세계 각국의 아이비리그 학교들에 대한 지속적인 관심을 놓고 볼 때 아이비리그 입성을 위한 치열한 경쟁은 당분간 계속될 것으로 전망된다. 지금으로부터 20년 후 아이비리그 진출을 원하는 학생들의 실력이 지금보다 더 출중해질 거라 단언할 수는 없지만 현재 추세로 볼 때 결코 불가능한 일은 아니다.

*개인신상 보호를 위해 실명을 사용하지 않았다.

**SAT 설명: 2005년 까지 SAT 시험은 대수학, 연산, 기하학, 데이터분석 등을 포함하는 수학문제들과 독해와 문법, 유사단어 찾기 등을 포함하는 영어문제들로 구성되어 있었다. 두 과목 모두 최소 200점부터 최고 800점까지 얻을 수 있었고, 만점은 1600점이었다. 당시 SAT 평균 점수는 1050점이었다. 2005년 College Board는 새로운 형태의 SAT를 발표했는데, 수학에서는 대수학 II가 새롭게 포함됐고 영어에서는 유사단어 찾기가 없어지고 작문이 생겼다. 역시 세 과목 모두 200점에서 800점까지 얻을 수 있고, 현재 SAT만점은 2400점, 평균 점수는 1520점이다.

링크참조: The Old SAT vs. the New SAT.

by 베벌리 코올

An Education, by Beverly Cole

Beverly Cole — Wed, 11 Feb 2015 09:00:43 +0000

Above all else, I wish health and happiness for my children. Billions of other parents wish the same for their kids. To that end, one of the major decisions that every parent makes, whether tacit or not, is how to educate her children. It’s a tremendous priority for me, given that education can offer not only invaluable enrichment for growing minds, but also a world of opportunity in their futures, and, hopefully, a road to happiness.

The educational path, however, can be tricky to navigate, and managing how your children learn is an education unto itself. For me, when so many choices abound in regard to early education, decisions become overwhelming. Of course, our options can be limited by finances, geography and selectivity, but I wanted to give a layperson’s rough road map to some of the choices I have seen and how they can practically apply to your preschooler.

Preschools offer a wide variety of educational styles, and each specific school will offer its own culture and personality. If you are not choosing a religious school for your preschooler, then many preschools in the U.S. can be classified into one of three categories: A traditional preschool, a Montessori preschool and a Waldorf preschool.

A traditional preschool (or sometimes called a play-based preschool) is the one I envisioned before I actually sent my own children to preschool. It reminds me of a younger version of a traditional primary school except the learning is more focused on emotional and social development. Classes are usually mixed gender and grouped by age. The teacher (usually at least two, depending on the size of the class and state regulations) is the leader of the classroom. She facilitates learning through age appropriate materials, provides an enriching environment and allows enough time to play and explore. She is a nurturer in every way – physically, emotionally and intellectually. The teacher is also a disciplinarian when necessary, demonstrating to her students the importance of kindness and respect. Class time includes both child-directed and teacher-guided activities. For example, a few children can be called over by the teacher to do some painting or a drawing project, while other children are having free playtime. Throughout most of the day, though, the students move together as a class. The preschool day is very structured, filled with a specific curriculum that isn’t particularly academic, but instead introduces pre-academic concepts like numbers and letters through everyday experiences. This pre-academic environment can help prepare children for the more academic experience they will encounter at a typical primary school. She facilitates learning through age appropriate materials, provides an enriching environment and allows enough time to play and explore. She is a nurturer in every way – physically, emotionally and intellectually.

The Montessori system is in many ways a contrast to the play-based school. In a Montessori school, each class can include children in a three year age range, and it is common to have 25 to 35 children in each class.

The teacher is less of a focal point, and children are encouraged to learn through experience. Work is individualized to fit each child’s needs and expressions. While there may be circle time during the morning, most time is spent individualized to the child’s choice. Unlike the traditional preschool, the Montessori philosophy places a great emphasis on promoting cognitive development in a child’s early years. To support this goal, the teacher prepares the classroom with activity stations representing a varied assortment of subjects. These work stations can include activities like blocks, fruit patterning with plastic fruit, pom pom numbers, puzzles and feed-the-chicken activity trays. The school day includes “work periods,” of up to three hours, during which time each child chooses his own activities and the amount of time spent on such activities. Focus is also placed on promoting independence and self-teaching, so children learn how to self-discipline, dress and clean up after themselves.

The Waldorf preschool emphasizes the need for play. Under the Waldorf philosophy, children’s play becomes a building block to a healthy, happy future. As in a traditional preschool setting, the Waldorf schools delay the introduction of academic subjects until a child is older. To promote a slowly paced learning system and to encourage creativity in its students, a Waldorf preschool incorporates fairy tales into its lessons and includes activities using imaginative play, art, and puppetry (see also the Eugene Waldorf School). Unlike the other two types of schools, the Waldorf schools emphasize a deeper level of spirituality, whereby a Waldorf school will seek to engage a child’s whole self – her emotions, intellect, will, and soul. Although not religious per se, this spiritual component of the school’s philosophy is pervasive throughout the daily activities, so, for example, a preschooler’s day can include reciting or singing verses. Nature is considered essential to the development of self, and the classroom is filled with elements of the outside world. As in the Montessori schools, you will see mixed ages in a Waldorf classroom. Schools that follow the Waldorf philosophy incorporate individualized, small and large group activities. Individual attention can include hair brushing, help with dress and undress for the outside, and even warm footbaths on very cold days.

After reading the above descriptions, it is apparent that there are numerous theoretical distinctions among the schools. As a practical matter, I thought it might be useful to compare and contrast these different schools through a specific example. What better example to demonstrate the application of these distinct philosophies than snack time – a staple in the day of any busy preschool child (although, as mentioned above, each school will have its own specific protocol).

At a traditional pre-school, sometime in the middle of the morning, the children sit down for circle time. A teacher discusses the day’s themes, sings songs or plays games with the children. Once snack is ready, the children line up to wash their hands and quietly take seats at the table. The teacher distributes a snack, usually goldfish crackers, pretzels or cereal, but everyone must wait to eat until all the children have snacks. Once served, the class thanks the child who brought in the snack that day – the snack helper – and then digs in. Children can chat with one another, and a teacher may read a story. (See giocare playschool’s website for a sample daily routine.) Once the children are finished, they help clean up any mess left over.

So what would snack be like at our Montessori school? It is not uncommon for preschoolers to use real knives to prepare snack for their peers and then serve the snack. See Transitioning To Montessori Independence. True to the system of fostering self-reliance and independence, some Montessori schools don’t have a set snack period. Instead, during their work period, each child decides when she is hungry, washes her hands and prepares her own snack time. Teaching nutrition is fundamental to the snack, so it is very typical to see fruits and vegetables as part of the snack routine.

At a Waldorf school, snack is a time of ritual and reflection. In preparation, children may prepare their own vegetables for soup. Snacks can be individually packaged in reusable cotton cloths. When it’s time to eat, the hungry little ones may be greeted by a “cloth helper” who passes out peppermint smelling cloths for hand washing. The children quietly sit around a table as a teacher and child helper serve natural, home-cooked food. After a verse, all the children and the teacher enjoy the food.

So which school will work for your child? Obviously, every parenting decision is unique to every parent, and more importantly, every child. I think a critical question to ask is – what do you want to get out of the experience for your child? Assuming all three schools will keep your child safe, what matters most to you? If the answer is the lasting impact that the preschool experience can have on your child, numerous studies have followed children after they have graduated from these different types of schools. Perhaps not surprisingly, the results among the studies vary greatly.

Montessori and Waldorf Schools are the fastest growing schools worldwide. Perhaps a large part of their growing popularity is the future success of their graduates, as touted by certain studies. A 2006 study by Lillard and Ese-Quest found that Montessori-educated students at the end of kindergarten outscored their peers in reading and math, tested better in “executive function” and showed greater complex language skills. In addition, a recent study at the University of Chicago demonstrated that children who worked with puzzles and shapes, activities integral to a Montessori classroom, held an advantage in their understanding of numbers.

Despite its vastly different philosophy, the Waldorf system has been shown to have lasting benefits as well. A recent study found that readers introduced to reading later in childhood, as promoted under the Waldorf philosophy, caught up in reading skills to those who read earlier. In addition, Waldorf teachers commonly report significant progress with children who have been diagnosed with Attention Related Disorders. Furthermore, after graduating from a Waldorf school, 94 percent of students attend college.

Other studies promote the benefits of play-based preschool. As a juxtaposition to the Montessori studies’ results discussed above, The Center for Early Childhood Education published an article by Jeffrey Trawick-Smith titled “Science in Support of Play: The Case for Play-Based Preschool Programs”. Trawick-Smith argues that play as a small child is necessary for future academic success in older children. The author points to a large 1996 study that states that children who attended a play-based preschool achieved higher levels of economic and social success as well as other studies that have found that while playing, children spoke in more complex and longer sentences.

Parents, it’s a tough call. From my perspective, all three schools have advantages and disadvantages. If these studies are inconsistent, they still indicate that preschool as a theory is a good thing. Benefits of quality early education programs are said to include positive economic, educational and social advantages for children. Perhaps it is the quality of the school itself, not the specific underlying philosophy, which makes a difference. In any event, for my kids, preschool is a good thing. Both of my children are homebodies, and the process of socialization in a school setting is helpful to get them used to the whole concept of school (since I know that homeschooling would be a disaster for mother and children in this situation). My kids always seem to learn when they are exposed to new situations, and I think this learning – exposure link extends to a school setting where they meet peers and teachers, all who have different perspectives than the one we offer at home.

Given these considerations, the play-based preschool makes the most sense for my family. My children respond well to warm nurturing, and their first teachers have acted as surrogate parental figures guiding them through their first formal educational experiences. It is a gentle transition from the home to school environment. Although I am sacrificing early cognitive advancement in a school setting, I like working on academics with my preschoolers at home and, knowing them as well as I do, can gauge when they are ready to learn and for how long they can focus. I teach them to read, introduce them to maps and mathematics, and engage them in puzzles, tangrams and mind-challenging games. Because I give them the opportunity for academic achievement at home, I am comfortable with their preschool being about fun and socializing and learning how to “be” with other kids. There are things that I’m not crazy about – when I ask my daughter what she had for snack, and she replies “cookies,” I try not to flinch visibly. Also, it would be easier to have some academic support from school to help further what I teach them. Easier, but not necessary, especially when I see how much my daughter (and my son before her) thrives under the structure of the school. Like me, my kids seem to do well with times assigned to do certain things and not too much freedom for too long a period, as offered in the Montessori system. I do envy the small class size and amazingly nutritious, natural foods offered by many Waldorf schools, but when I see my kids can manage in a class of 19, I am proud that they can succeed a little outside their comfort zone (and mine) when they are so used to individual attention.

My personal choice aside, many feel that a Montessori preschool education presents a child with the best learning opportunity. One mother, Jane H.*, an attorney, said that a Montessori preschool was the perfect answer for her active, bright child with Attention Deficit Disorder. It availed him the ability to learn in a multi-sensory classroom in which he could shift attention from one subject to another at his own pace. For children of all abilities, the introduction of academics at an early age can give a head start on understanding basic concepts that will be fundamental to future learning. If I worked full time outside the home, I would more seriously consider a Montessori preschool education because it offers the intellectual stimulation that my children crave. The multi-age classroom is also a positive for kids who may need to strike a balance between their cognitive advancement and their social maturity, as many times such development may not be in equilibrium at an early age. Despite the numerous advantages, the Montessori system may not be for everyone. If your child doesn’t appreciate a lack of structure and strong guidance by a teacher, they may feel a little lost or “bored.” Also, if you feel your child isn’t ready for academic focus, Montessori may not be for your family. Finally, the day is usually longer for your little one, and the class size is larger.

The Waldorf preschool provides the unique benefit of a non-competitive, natural setting. John S.*, a professor, enrolled his children in a Waldorf school because he admired how the Waldorf education preserves childhood as long as possible. There is something wonderful about preschoolers being allowed to have fun and truly immerse themselves in being so very young, especially given how quickly children seem to grow up now. It sounds liberating, and given the well thought-out environment, there is great room for creative growth. Respect and true appreciation for the beauty of nature is so rare that to be able to incorporate them into a child’s daily life is a wondrous thing. The schools provide healthy, natural foods for the children to help prepare and savor, again an unusual gift for a child in a world permeated with processed foods. Waldorf schools are a progressive nod to things past that are worth preserving. As a parent, though, there are certain things with which you need to be comfortable. First, you may or may not be comfortable with the spiritual nature of the school’s philosophy. In addition, the school discourages pushing academic progress at an early age and modern technology for children.

My take away from this labyrinth-like process of deciding on a preschool is that there are truly great choices, and there can be more than one right answer for each child. Trying to visualize my child in each preschool lead me to the decision I made, although I do sometimes still wonder about a Montessori school as well. I think that having a loving and supportive preschool that meets your child’s and family’s needs balanced with a loving, stimulating home environment will, despite any differences in studies’ outcome, help create a successful, well-adjusted child. The real test for me: You have a happy child who tells you fantastic things about their day at school. Then you know you have made a terrific decision.

* Names have been changed to protect anonymity.

나는 무엇보다 아이들의 건강과 행복을 기원한다. 아마 이것은 수십억의 학부모가 원하는 바일 것이다.교육 방법에 대한 선택은 모든 부모들이 내려야 하는 수많은 중대한 결정 중 하나이다. 나에겐 자녀 교육이 그 무엇보다 중요한 일이다. 우리는 교육을 통하여 자라나는 아이들의 값진 성장을 기대할 수 있을 뿐만아니라, 그들에게 가능성의 세계를 열어주며, 더 나아가, 행복으로 가는 길을 열어줄 수 있기 때문이다.

그러나 여러가지 선택의 갈래에서 우리는 갈팡질팡한다. 자녀가 학습하는 방식 그 자체가 교육이기 때문이다. 나는 종종 조기교육에 관한 수 많은 갈래길 중 어느 길을 선택해야 할까 막막함을 느낀다. 우리의 선택의 폭은 경제적 위치적 환경적 여건에 따라 한정되어진다. 나는 여러가지 답안들 중 당신의 자녀를 위한 현실적이며 현명한 선택에 도움을 주고자 미취학 자녀 교육법에 대해 이야기하고자 한다.

유치원은 여러 교육적 성격을 띈다. 그리고 이 학교들은 모두 다른 문화를 갖는다. 만약에 당신의 미입학 자녀를 종교학교에 보내지 않을시에는, 미국 내의 많은 학교들이 아래의 세가지 항목으로 분류 될 수 있다: 전통적 학교, 몬테소리 유치원, 월도프 유치원.

전통적인 유치원은 (간혹, 놀이를 기반으로한 유치원이라고 불린다) 내가 아이들을 유치원에 보내기 이전부터 쭉 고려했던 교육방식이다. 전통적인 유치원은 나에게로 하여금 보통의 초등학교를 연상케 한다. 다만, 어린 아이들을 대상으로 한다는 점과, 감정적 사회적 성장을 위주로 수업을 진행한다는 점이 다르다. 아래의 주소를 참고하시기 바란다.

수업은 보통 혼성으로 구성되며, 연령대 별로 구분된다. 선생님(국가 규정과 수업 규모에 따라서 달라지지만 보통의 경우 2명이상)들이 보통 수업을 리드하며 진행한다. 선생님은 연령대에 적합한 수업 재료로 학습환경을 제공하고 아이들이 충분한 시간을 갖고 놀며 탐구할 수 있게 한다. 선생님은 육체적, 정서적, 지능적 양육자이다. 선생님은 필요 할 때마다 아이에게 친절과 존중의 중요성을 가르치는 역할을 하기도 한다. 수업시간은 아이가 원하는 활동위주 혹은, 선생님이 진행하는 활동위주로 진행된다.

예를 들어, 보통의 경우에는 학생들이 반 단위로 함께 움직이지만, 선생님의 재간에 따라 놀이 시간중 몇명의 아이들만을 불러서 그림그리기나 공작을 시키는 등의 활동을 할 수 있다. 유치원에서의 날들은 아주 짜임새 있고 구체적이며 상세하게 구성되어있지만, 특별히 학업 위주이라기 보다는, 아이들에게 매일 매일의 체험을 바탕으로 숫자나 알파벳등 취학전에 알아야할 콘샙트를 자연스럽게 배울 수 있는 환경을 제공한다. 이 학업 환경은 전형적인 초등학교 교육과정에 대비할 수 있게 해준다.

몬테소리 시스템은 많은 면에서 놀이 중심의 시스템과 상반된 성격을 띈다. 몬테소리학교는 학생들을 3세 단위로 분류하며, 보통 25–35인 수업을 기준으로 한다. 수업 안에서 선생님의 비중이 덜하며 체험을 통한 학습을 격려한다. 활동들은 아이들 개개인의 필요와 표현에 따라 달라진다. 아침에 써클타임이 있을 수도 있지만, 대부분의 시간은 아이의 선택에 따라 개별활동으로 채워진다. 전통적인 유치원과는 달리 몬테소리의 교육철학은 유년기의 인지력 향상에 비중을 둔다. 이를 위해, 선생님은 교실 안에 여러가지 주제의 활동 스테이션들을 준비한다. 블록 쌓기, 장난감 과일로 과일패턴 만들기, 팜팜 숫자 놀이, 퍼즐, 닭 모이주기 활동 등이 그 예이다.

하루일과중에는 세시간 동안의 자율학습 시간 동안이 포함되며, 학생들이 각자의 학습 과제와 시간을 정하게된다. 또한, 수업은 자율학습과 자유에 초점을 맞추고, 학생이 자기 스스로 옷을 갈아 입고 뒷정리를 하는 등의 교육을 진행한다.

월도프 유치원은 “노는것(플레이)”을 강조한다. 월도프의 교육 철학은 아이들의 놀이가 건강하고 행복한 미래를 위한 중요한 구성요소라고 말한다. 전통적인 유치원 환경처럼 월도프 또한 교과수업을 아이가 좀 더 성장한 후 진행한다. 월도프 학교들은 동화, 창의적인 활동, 미술, 그리고 인형극 등을 교육에 활용한다. 앞서 말한 두가지 종류의 학교들과는 달리 워도프 학교는 더 깊은 영성을 강조한다. 월도프 학생의 감정, 지성, 의지와 영혼을 포함한 온전한 자신이 수업에 참여하는 것을 목표로한다. 비록 종교적인 것은 아니나, 이 영적인 부분에 대한 학교의 교육 철학은 학교에서 진행되는 여러 활동에 고루 스며있다. 예를들어, 학생의 하루 일과에 성경 낭독과 찬송가 부르기 등이 포함 될 수 있다. 자연은 자아 성장에 있어서 없어서는 안될 부분으로 여겨지며, 교실은 야외에서 찾은 물건들로 채워진다. 몬테소리학교와 같이, 월도프 클래스도 여러 연령대로 구성된다. 월도프계 학교들은 학생 개인의 개성을 중시하는 크고 작은 활동들을 활용한다. 개별적으로 받는 캐어에는 머리빗기, 옷갈아입기, 그리고 쌀쌀한 날에 받는 따뜻한 족욕 등이 있다.

이로써 앞서말한 학교들에는 여러가지 이론 상의 다른 점들이 존재한다는 것이 확연해졌다. 좀더 실용적인 정보제공을 위해 구체적인 예시를 들어 위의 학교들을 비교, 대조 해보겠다. 각 학교들의 다른 교육 철학들을 보여주는 단면적 예로 간식시간이 있다. 위에서 말했듯이 학교들마다 구체적인 의례가 있을 수 있으나, 간식 시간은 어느 유치원이냐 관계 없이 바쁜 하루 일과 속에서도 빠지지 않는 부분이다.

전통적인 유치원의 경우, 오전 시간중 학생들이 앉아서 모임활동을 시간을 갖는다. 선생님이 그날의 테마를 설명해주고, 노래를 부르고, 게임을 하는 등의 활동을 한다. 간식이 준비되면, 학생들은 줄을 서서 손을 씻고, 조용히 테이블에 앉는다. 선생님이 간식을 분배하고, (보통의 경우 과자나 씨리얼) 아이들은 분배가 끝날 때 까지 기다린다. 다 나눠준 후, 반 학생들이 그날의 간식을 가져온 학생(간식 도우미)에게 고맙다고 말한 후 먹기 시작한다. 아이들 끼리 수다를 떨 수도 있고 선생님이 책을 읽어줄 수도 있다. 다 먹고 난 뒤, 아이들은 함께 뒷정리를 한다.

몬테소리 학교는 어떨까? 몬테소리계 학교에서는 유치원생들이 진짜 나이프를 이용해서 간식을 준비하고 분배하는 것은 흔히 있는 일이다. 자주적이며 아이들의 독립심을 길러주는 것에 중점을 두는 시스템에 알맞게, 몇몇의 몬테소리 학교들은 정해진 간식 시간이 없다. 대신에, 수업중에 학생이 배가 고프다고 느끼면 스스로 손을 씻고 자율적인 간식시간을 갖는다. 영양에 대한 것을 가르치는 것은 간식준비에 있어서 빠져서는 안될 부분이기 때문에, 전형적인 간식 스캐쥴에는 과일과 야채가 포함된다.

워도프 학교에서는 간식 시간이 기분전환의 기회라 여겨진다. 준비를 할때 아이들이 스스로 스프에 들어갈 야채를 준비하기도 한다. 간식은 하나 하나 재활용이 가능한 천에 싸서 준비되어진다. 식사 직전 아이들은 클로쓰 핼퍼(천 도우미)로 부터 페퍼민트 향이나는 손 닦을 수건을 분배받는다. 선생님과 학생 도우미가 집에서 만들어온 음식을 나눠줄 동안 아이들은 조용히 테이블에 자리를 잡는다. 성경구절 낭독 후 모두 식사를 시작한다.

어떤 학교가 당신의 자녀에게 알맞을까? 학부모에 따라, 무엇보다도, 학생에 따라 교육방법에 대한 선택은 달라진다. 간과해서는 안될 근본적인 질문은 우리 아이가 어떤 경험을 통해 무엇을 배우게 하고 싶느냐이다. 이 세가지 종류의 학교 모두가 학생들의 안전을 보장한다는 가정하에 무엇이 당신에게 가장 중요한가? 만약 이것이 유치원 교육이 당신의 자녀에게 끼칠 영향이라면, 이에 대한 수많은 연구 결과들이 존재한다. 물론, 그 결과는 천차 만별이다. 어쩌면 별로 놀랍지 않은 일이다.

몬테소리와 월도프 학교는 전세계적으로 가장 빠르게 자라고있는 학교 형태이다. 아마도 이들이 점점 더 인기를 얻는 이유는 특정한 연구 결과들이 전하는 졸업생들의 성공적 미래일것이다. 2006년 릴라드와 이지-퀘스트가 시행한 한 연구에서는 몬테소리 교육을 받은 학생들은 졸업할 무렵 또래의 학생들보다 뛰어난 읽기 수학 점수를 얻었고, 또래에 비해 뛰어난 대표활동능력과 난이도 있는 언어능력을 보였다. 덧붙이자면, 시카고 유니버시티 대학의 최근 연구결과에 따르면 몬테소리 수업에 필수요건인 퍼즐과 모양 활동들을 한 학생들은 그렇지 않은 학생들보다 뛰어난 숫자 이해 능력을 보였다.

확연히 다른 교육철학들에도 불구하고, 월도프 시스템 또한 졸업 후 지속되는 장점을 보였다. 최근 연구에 의하면, 월도프 교육 철학이 강조하듯이, 읽기를 유년시절 후반기에 접한 학생들이 어릴 때부터 교육받은 학생들의 읽기능력을 따라잡을 수 있다는 것이 입증되었다. 문헌참고. 또한, 월도프의 선생님들은 집중력에 문제가 있었던 학생들의 집중력 개선에 대한 보고를 자주 한다. 문헌참고. 더 나아가, 월도프 졸업후, 94%의 학생들이 대학교에 진학했다.

다른 연구들 또한 놀이가 중심이된 교육의 혜택을 강조한다. 비슷한 예로, 조기교육 센터가 “놀이를 지지하는 것에 대한 과학: 놀이 중심의 유치원 프로그램에 관한 사례 (제프리 트라윅-스미스)” 이라는 기사를 발표했다. 트라윅 스미스는 어린아이에게 놀이란 미래의 성공적 학업 성취를 위해 꼭 필요한 부분이라 주장한다. 저자는 1996년 시행되었던 큰 규모의 연구 결과를 예로 든다. 이는 놀이 중심의 학교를 다녔던 학생들의 경제적 사회적 성공을 보여줬다. 이 밖의 연구들 또한 아이들이 놀이 중에 더 난이도 있고 긴 문장들을 사용했다는 것을 보여줬다.

학부모들에게 자녀의 교육방법을 선택하는 것은 어려운 일이다. 나는 개인적으로 이 세가지 학교 모두 장단점을 가지고 있다고 생각한다. 위의 연구 예시들의 결과가 일관성이 없다고 할지라도, 이들 모두는 조기교육의 혜택을 암시한다. 질 좋은 조기교육은 아이들이 미래에 경제적, 교육적, 사회적인 성공을 할수 있게 돕는다고 알려져있다. 문헌참조. 아마도 이는 구체적인 근본적 교육 철학보다는 학교 그 자체의 퀄리티에 의해 결정되어 질 것이다. 나의 자녀를 위해 조기교육은 긍정적이라 생각한다. 나의 두 아이들은 모두 집에 있는 것을 좋아하기 때문에 (흔히 이런 경우, 홈스쿨링은 큰 낭패로 돌아온다고 말한다.) 학교 환경에서의 사회생활은 아이들이 학교라는 개념을 이해하고 적응하는데 큰 도움을 줄 것이다. 우리 아이들의 경우, 새로운 환경을 마주했을 때 더 많이 배운다. 그리고 나는 이 학습 방식이 학교 환경 -가정에서 제공하는데엔 한계가있는 여러가지 관점들과 선생님,학우들과의 만남-에도 적용될 것이라 보고있다.

이러한 조건들을 볼때 우리 가족에게는 놀이 중심의 조기교육이 가장 알맞다. 우리 아이들겐 따뜻하고 관심을 주는 양육방식이 적합하다. 아이들의 첫번째 선생님들은 대리 부모로써, 아이들이 처음 정규 교육을 받기 시작할때 길라잡이 역할을 했다. 이는 가정과 학교 환경의 부드러운 연결고리가 되었다. 나는 학교에서의 학과교육을 포기했지만, 아이들과 집에서 홈스쿨링을 하는 것을 즐기기 때문에 이것은 문제되지 않는다. 내가 아이들을 잘 알기 때문에 아이들이 배울 준비가 되었는지, 얼마만큼 집중할 수 있는지를 가늠할 수 있기 때문이다. 아이들에게 읽기를 가르치고, 지도와 수학을 소개하며, 난제, 퍼즐과 지혜 놀이판을 즐기게한다. 내가 집에서 아이들에게 학업 성취 기회를 제공하기때문에, 그들의 조기교육 방식- 사회생활과 다른 학생들과의 교류에 대한-에 대한 불만이 없다. 불편한 점이 아주 없는것은 아니다. 딸아이에게 어떤 간식을 먹었냐고물었을때 “쿠키”라고 대답할때 티내지 않으려하지만 움찔하게 되는것이 사실이다. 또한, 학교에서 어느정도의 학업지원을 제공한다면, 가정에서의 학습이 더 쉽게 빛을 바랄 수 있지 않을까. 좀 더 쉬울것이다. 하지만 꼭 필요한 것은 아니다. 특히 우리 아이들이 학교라는 조직안에서 성장하는 것을 볼때 더욱 그렇게 생각한다. 나를 닮은 우리 아이들은 정해진 시간안에 특정 활동을 할때 더 능률이 오른다. 몬테소리 시스템의 경우 너무 긴 자유시간을 갖기 때문에 알맞지 못하다. 월도프 시스템이 제공하는 소수의 수업과 영양가있는 오가닉한 간식들이 아쉽기는 하지만, 나는 내 아이들이 19명 단위의 수업에 잘 적응 할 수 있으리라 생각한다. 나는 엄마의 개별적인 관심에 익숙한 우리 아이들이 심리적인 안정감을 느끼는 안전지대에서 벗어나 잘 적응하는 모습을 볼때 너무 자랑스럽다.

내 개인적인 선택을 제외하자면, 많은 사람들이 몬테소리 조기교육이 아이에게 최고의 교육기회를 제공한다고 말한다. 제인H, 한 학부모는 몬테소리 유치원이 주의력이 부족한 그녀의 밝고 활동적인 아들에게 완벽한 답이었다고 말한다. 몬테소리는 아이가 자신의 패이스에 따라 학습 할 수 있게하는 다감각을 이용하는 교실을 제공했다. 어떤 학습 능력을 가진 학생이던 관계없이, 어릴 때 학업에 대한 노출이 있을 시, 아이들은 미래의 학습에 대한 기본적인 개념을 익힐 수 있다. 내가 만약 가택근무가 불가능한 정규직이었다면, 나는 아마도 몬테소리 유치원을 좀더 고려해 보았을것이다. 몬테소리 시스템은 아이의 성장에 꼭 필요한 지적 능력을 자극하는 학습환경을 제공하기 때문이다. 여러가지 연령대의 수업 또한 지적능력 향상과 사회적 성장을 필요로하는 아이들에게 긍정적이다. 어린 아이들의 경우 이같은 요소들이 균형을 이루는 것이 쉽지 않기 때문이다. 여러가지 긍정적인 부분이 있음에도 불구하고, 몬테소리 시스템이 모든 아이들에게 적합하지 않을 수도 있다. 만약 아이가 너무자유로운 교육환경을 원하지 않고, 선생님의 인도를 필요로한다면, 아이들이 무엇을 해야할지 모르거나, 심심해할 수 있다. 그리고 아이가 아직 집중적 학습지도를 받을 준비가 되지 않았다면, 몬테소리는 좋은 답이 될 수 없다. 또한, 이곳에서의 보통의 하루는 길고, 수업의 크기 또한 크다.

월도프 유치원은 경쟁적이지 않고 자연스러운 환경이라는 특별한 혜택을 제공한다. 교수인 존S씨는 자녀들을 월도프 유치원에 보냈다. 월도프 시스템이 아이들의 유년기를 가장 아이답게 오래도록 지켜줬기 때문이다. 아이들이 즐겁게 그저 온전히 어린 아이들로 머물 수 있는 시간을 허락받는 다는것은 어쩐지 멋지다. 특히, 요즘 아이들이 얼마나 빨리 성장하느냐를 생각했을 때 이부분은 더 빛을 바란다. 아이들은 해방되는 느낌을 받음과 동시에, 그들이 제공하는 잘 짜여진 환경에서는 더 큰 창의적인 성장이 가능하다. 진정성있는 자연에대한 존경과 감상을 중심으로하는 교육은 이시대에는 극히 드물기 때문에 이를 아이들의 일상과 결합할 수 있다는 것은 참으로 멋진일이다. 학교들은 건강식을 제공하고 아이들로하여금 음식을 준비하고 맛을 볼 수 있게한다. 이 또한 가공식품과 함께 자라나는 요즘의 아이들에게 정말 멋진 선물일것이다. 월도프 학교들은 우리가 지나온 시절에 존재했던 보존했어야 마땅한 부분들을 간직하고있다. 하지만 학부모로서, 몇가지 불편하게 느껴지는 부분들이 있을 수 있다. 첫번째로, 종교적인 성격을 띈 그들의 교육 철학이 있다. 덧붙여 말하자면, 그들은 아이들이 현대 과학기술과 조기 학업을 접하는 것을 방지한다.

이 미로와같은 양육방식에 대한 결정에 부담을 덜어주는 사실은, 꼭 한가지의 정답 만이 존재하는 것은 아니라는 점이다. 당신은 당신의 자녀를 위해 꼭 맞는 정말 좋은 선택을 할 수 있다. 나는 아이들이 위에 소개된 교육환경에서 적응하는 모습을 상상해보았다. 이는 내가 결정을 내리는대 있어서 좋은 토대가 되었다(비록 아직도 몬테소리 학교는 어땠을까 생각하지만). 여러분의 자녀와 가족의 필요를 충족시키며 격려하고 지지하는 유치원이 사랑이 넘치고 활기를 주는 가정환경과 조화를 이룰때, 학업후에 있을 수 있는 다른 결과들을 고려하더라도, 성공적이고 심리적으로 건전한 아이의 미래에 조금 더 가까워 질 수 있을것이다. 내가 아이의 성장을 가늠하는 기준은 아이가 행복해하며 나에게 학교에서의 하루에 있었던 멋진 일들을 이야기 해 주느냐이다. 아이가 위와같은 반응을 보인다면, 당신은 당신의 자녀에게 꼭 맞는 선택을 한것이다.

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