I picked up the August issue of Maryland Family magazine at my
son’s day care this afternoon _ I always enjoy the informative
articles and information that you provide.
As I skimmed through the magazine, I was attracted to Betsy
Stein’s article “Waffling Over All-Day K.” As both an educator and
the mother of two young boys, I was intrigued. I am an advocate of
full-day kindergarten, but I am very understanding of both sides of
the issue. However, I found one of Ms. Stein’s comments to be very
offensive. She states that “ … the full-day program in public
schools doesn’t really add much more instruction time _ after
lunch, recess, and ‘specials’ like gym and art …” Wow! As a
master’s level physical education/health teacher, this blew me
away! There are so many comments I could make in response to
this, but let me attempt to be brief.
First, those of us who teach physical education (“gym” is the
building where PE takes place) would strongly disagree with the
assertion that not much instruction takes place. I have taught at
every level from kindergarten through college, and I have managed
to impart a significant degree of knowledge and skill acquisition to
each of my students. The last I knew, this constitutes
“instruction.”
Additionally, my friends who teach in the fields of art and music
may find Ms. Stein’s comments tough to swallow as well. There is a
vast body of literature that supports the role of the arts in the
overall educational experience. It stimulates creativity and allows
for personal expression, often giving students an outlet for their
frustration. Many young people who find difficulty in the rigorously
test-score driven world of academia are able to excel in the arts.
When it comes to physical education, has Ms. Stein ever seen the
statistics dealing with childhood obesity? The rates are
astronomical and growing rapidly. There are also the mental
(stress relief), emotional (exercise stimulates the flow of
endorphins), and social (lifelong friendships formed through
recreation and sports) benefits that structured physical activity
provides (and recess doesn’t cut it!)
I would like to caution Ms. Stein on the message her attitude is
sending to her own children. As an editor of a magazine, I would
hope that in the future she takes a few moments to educate herself
further and to consider that her personal biases belong elsewhere.
She has certainly failed to garner any respect from me!
Thank you for your time and attention.
Nancy Bauer
Catonsville