I don't think you should be concerned, sounds like an excellent program to me. :smile:
JLM the "latch key" thread title threw me a bit, as the number of young to very young (kindergarten!) children going to school with latch keys and the issue of their safety both on getting to their home unsupervised & once there being alone is happening all too often IMO. Much of it driven by the high cost of living demanding both parents work just to keep up with the basics or single mothers left to be the sole economic support, which often means two or more low paying, part-time, no benefit jobs in the majority of cases.
But when it comes to techy gizmoes, video games, computers, cell phones.... Bring 'em on AFAIC. Our two daughters experienced a very different school experience & childhood from each other. One did extremely well all the way through school, graduating from the International Baccalaureate curriculum at high school and with an honours degree from university - despite holding down three part-time jobs whilst completing her last two years.
Our other daughter, while highly intelligent, was and is severely dyslexic with accompanying dysgraphia. Although my husband was both a teacher and then a Principal during her elementary years, we could not penetrate the barriers imposed on any children who could not meet the "normal" standards of the mid seventies educational system. It was a nightmare, her school life consisted of constant harrassment and bullying by other students, teachers who humiliated & punished her for "laziness" or "being deliberately inattentive & distracting others...", to "Retard!" and worse. I would pull her out of school for months at a time to give her some relief, to home school her & to give her socializing opportunities away from a school type atmosphere. I fought the system, as did she, all the way through to her high school graduation - which was going to be denied to her and her fellow Learning Disabled group as, put in actual speak rather than the carefully worded notice, "Graduation and the prom was just for the smart normies.". They had to be careful, she & I were too well known in the local media for going to the public school board meetings and outing the treatment and constant breaching of the School Act re learning disabilities. When my daughter, at a hugely crowded school board meeting (a teacher friend had made sure lots of teachers, parents of Special Needs students & the media were there - I didn't know about that beforehand) struggled her way through her speech on the life of a "Special Needs" student in their system, there wasn't a dry eye in the place, including mine - although I hated to see her have to do that I was so very proud of her. We, especially she, made headlines & big changes followed, not in time to benefit her though. I was told some years later by the then retired Superintendent of Schools that we, my daughter & I, should be proud of the fact that seven new Special Needs classrooms were built as a consequence of our fight. I'd have slugged the SOB I swear if my daughter hadn't been with me - I did icily ask him as she turned to move away, "Then where the hell were you when she needed them?" He was gob-smacked. :roll:
Thing is, computers were still in the DOS basic stage and very little techy stuff going. We got her whatever we thought would help though & did whatever we could to ease the hurt she suffered.
Our grand-daughter, her daughter, has the same learning disabilities. Still harsh to take but what a difference all those gizmoes and gadgets make for her! She attends a school where full use of every electronic educational tool is used, where students are taught to treat students with disabilities as their equals and friends, she has access to two one on one aides if needed, excels at sports which are highly encouraged, has her own computer both at school and at home, a Wii, a cell phone, camera (she takes super pic's) plus goodness knows what other digital things, her parents make sure she gets lots of after school activities such as Zuma (martial arts), swimming, etc., plus the weekends after housework (all very organized - my daughter is very bossy :lol
is devoted to getting her to as many activities as possible with her parents - Victoria always has lots going on so they're always doing something fun. She is a happy, fun & IMO beautiful, like her mother, young girl who is coping well despite her dyslexia and dysgraphia.
If you will JLM, imagine the frustration of trying to make a special Mothers Day card when circles move, lines change shape, letters switch around and you don't know how to write what you want to say; which leads to tears and everything being ripped up & garbaged by a broken hearted little one. Now think of the same child sitting down at their computer, going to a website or computer program designed for dyslexic children and adults & giggling as they play with the letters and graphics whilst listening to instructions on how to do things - not having to read them. Then, when they have a finished card they like being able to click on the "tell me" button, which will then read back to them any text they've put in the card, suggest with humour letter changes where spelling errors occur, describe their art work - colour, shapes, etc., usually with some humourous compliments added.... A whole new world JLM, her mother and I will look at each other sometimes as she's happily humming away doing some activity that would have been impossible for her mother to do at her age, we don't say anything but then... we don't have to.
Apologies for the length of this, just a side of the digital age you may not have considered.
This is an open source site so I hope is ok to put the URL in my post:
Tux Paint
I've downloaded it for me to play with, its a hoot & will maybe show you what's out there for the kids that's good stuff, (if you go to it, do check the amazing pic's in the gallery) they also do a Tux Math program & have links to other open source educational sites.
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