There is a Method to My Madness

I know, I know, why are the sentences so complex for an illustrated picture book? Why on earth would I have sentences that are like this when they could be short and sweet?
 
Well, believe it or not, I did this on purpose. Why? Did I mention these children’s books are for gifted children? It isn’t just this reason though.
 
You see, I have been around children for a very long time in a variety of ways not only as a TA or EA or PSPA (whatever you want to call it!) since I started giving kids art lessons after school while I was still in school.
 
I also was fortunate enough to grow up in a two-room school house on the Eastern Shore of Nova Scotia. I had two teachers. Mrs. Bond and Mrs. Hutt who we had for two years running! Our classroom was simple and our playground consisted of a swing set off to one side in a gravel parking lot. Yup, pretty basic. Our teachers rang a hand bell for us to come in, and on hot days the back door was opened which often allowed in a curious squirrel or bird!
 
Since we were all on our own really, my teachers didn’t answer to much of anyone. When they gave out new textbooks for reading with phonics, which was all new, unlike so many other schools these days, Mrs. Hutt discussed it with Mrs. Bond. They didn’t throw the baby out with the bathwater! She taught the way she always had, however, incorporated the newer method in with the older ones she knew. When we moved into grade five in another school, were given books we all laughed at because we had read them in grade two! In high school, all the students graduation who were called back for special honors for highest marks, were almost entirely students from that two room school house.
 
There were other things that are different from what I have seen in schools now. She had loose outcomes to follow and there wasn’t so much on the list that things had to be “re-visited” at another time either in the school year or following years. In other words, we learned our times tables and there was no putting it off! She taught it until it sunk in and then we moved on.
 
Today, ask any teacher and you will find someone higher up has a new idea and a new outcome to add to the ever-growing list that often, to the teacher, makes no sense at all. Add to this, what went before is dismissed and a totally new idea emerges, for a time, then they bring back what was working but call it something else. It is a hoot to watch! Drives the poor teachers crazy because THEY know their kids and they know what they need however outcomes are outcomes and they have to be met and the teachers have little say in the matter.
 
Plus, today memorization isn’t a real learning. There was no such concept in schools back then. Yes, we did drills saying out loud our times tables, and yes, we had homework and did sets to practice these things.  Memorization wasn’t fancy, but it worked!
 
Which brings me to the reason for the long more complex sentences.
 
I don’t know if it is common knowledge or not, however thanks the Romanian government who decided to take it upon themselves to raise infants, the results of their actions have lead to the understanding that the child’s brain is hard-wiring by the age of five. It is also quite clear that children stop acquiring language by the age of 11-12 and then have to have a more concrete method of being taught it.
 
So, what happens to children who never really have to memorize anything? What is the old saying, “if you don’t use it, you lose it?”  In this case, I see kids who just don’t have it to begin with! Honestly, how many kids today can follow a simple list of verbal instructions and actually make it to the end?!?! I have been trying it with kids for years and frankly, it doesn’t matter if they are at the top of the class or not, I can’t help feel that memorization is important. No, not important, imperative! It may not be what is considered by many to be true learning, however, to me, it is like trying to bake a cake without flour!!!!
 
I have decided to make these more complex sentences in my books to give children the chance to practice holding full thoughts. Not just short sentences and chunks of information like we now get from going online, but full, complex thoughts.
 
If the brain is indeed starting to hard-wire by 5 or 6 then what can it hurt to have children hear and think in a way that requires them to remember something? I don’t think it hurts at all. I think it challenges and expands the pathways and exercises a part of the brain that is being underdeveloped in children right now because that baby has been thrown out again.
 
Sure, I know, I know, there are studies, there are experiments, and there are tons of rational for only having mental math (when it happens in a classroom), however no repetitive learning techniques, however frankly, I disagree.
 
I am not saying learning strategies are all bad. I am not saying that EVERYTHING out there should be drilled into a child’s skull; however, I am saying that memorization is a necessary part of the learning process.
 
I am also not saying that all children learn the same way. There are 8- 12 (depending on who you read) ways a child learns they are aware of. Some children do not learn by listening and some do not learn by hearing. I know teachers know this. I am not saying this is not true either.
 
For example, I have been in after-school classes for children who are not learning their times tables. They are removed from their normal class in grade three every other day to sit and try all sorts of games and learning strategies to learn their times tables.
 
At one time I said to the teacher and asked for certain children to come with me to learn their multiplication tables. She agreed so I took them to a corner and I used flash cards and we went over and over them. No corners, no games, just repetition. I made it fun of course and yes, competitive (heaven forbid someone does better than someone else! sigh), and that is all we did.
 
So, what happened? Two weeks later after a few classes every other day we went to the teacher and asked her to ask any of the students I had a multiplication up to 12 so she did. What is 2 x 4? What is 8 x 9? She asked random kids random questions. They just answered without thinking fast each time. The teacher was astounded. They didn’t need to come back to that class and could get on with their regular classes. They were not singled out and they started to like math after feeling like a failure for two years since they started in grade one and were now in grade three learning how to multiply.
 
After she asked me what I had done? I replied, I had asked every child one question. A small multiplication...2 x 4 or 2 x 3. If they could get one, those were the children I wanted.
 
She asked me why them? I replied because if they can memorize and learn that one multiplication, why wouldn’t they be able to memorize the others? To me it was just logical.
 
I know my books are not the “norm” and I know I don’t have a Master’s degree or PHD in Education however I do have one thing going for me. Years of experience, a curious, observant mind and some good old-fashioned common sense. There is a method to my madness and really, what can it hurt?