Everything Important In Life Depends On Your Ability To Answer This Kindergarten Question

Business Insider ^ | 10/01/2010 | Joe Weisenthal

[SeekAndFind]

Harvard Professor Raj Chetty and a group of other researchers have performed a much-discussed study (via Gene Expression) that looks at what factors really affect things like income, your likelihood to own a home, and odds of getting married.

The most startling thing they found?

Your score on a very basic kindergarten test is a HUGE predictor. Other educational factors like class size and the quality of your teachers aren't nearly as important.

Given the renewed interest in educational policy in America right now, it's fascinating.

[Lazamataz]

“duk” —> “kup”

[Lazamataz]

“duk” —> “kup”

[Lazamataz]

“duk” —> “kup”

[Lazamataz]

“duk” —> “kup”

[Lazamataz]

“duk” —> “kup”

[Lazamataz]

“duk” —> “kup”

[Politicalmom]

Hey, you didn’t fail to amuse us. :p

[pops88]

“Our son is two, and we plan on homeschooling him.”

I come from a long line of educators, including a college dean. Public school is a cesspool. I had to send my daughter for a couple years. She was in a gifted program. Thanks to “No Child Left Behind” she was in the worst inner city middle school filled with illegals. She was regularly offered drugs and had sexual cat calls between classes at the age of 11. At least she was ranked #1, and if she didn’t like the lunch I packed, school lunch was free for everyone, as was breakfast. Homeschooling or private school is the only way to go IMHO.

[tiki]

In kinder my son came home with a paper and he was supposed to draw things that began with G. He had a big red blob and I asked how that could stand for G? He informed me that it was GUM, Big Red gum to be exact.

[Quix]

HOW YOU BE BRO.

Getting your uhhhhh affairs uhhhh

in order?

[Lazamataz]

“duk” —> “kup”

[ShadowAce]

Our son is two, and we plan on homeschooling him.

Speaking as one who has homeschooled our kids--

Stop planning and start schooling.

[spectre]

I'm sure you've seen this before..:) I wanted to post it somewhere on this thread, LOL..

"Aoccdrnig to rscheearch at an Elingsh uinervtisy, it deosn't mttaer in waht oredr the ltteers in a wrod are, olny taht the frist and lsat ltteres are at the rghit pcleas. The rset can be a toatl mses and you can sitll raed it wouthit a porbelm. Tihs is bcuseae we do not raed ervey lteter by ilstef, but the wrod as a wlohe."

[Politicalmom]

Um...**STUNED**.

[21twelve]

“He and I did not bother to write down the numbers we carried and trusted our memory. Yeah, it worked most of the time, but not always.”

Way off topic. In the news last night the head doc of Children’s Hospital in Seattle was talking about two recent deaths. They will be shutting down for a day to go over procedures with everyone.

Seems that when the doses where being “double checked” the calculations were done just in the nurses’ head and they got it wrong. Twice within a week. (Well, at least twice that ended up in deaths of a kid). But yeah, probably works out okay most of the time - but not always.

By the way - I ended up being banned from the sand table when I was in nursery school. That was pretty much a life indicator for me.

[petitfour]

The story doesn’t say when this kindergarten test is administered. Is it at the beginning of kindergarten or at the end? They give the test two or three times during the kindergarten school year. It has several parts that contribute to the total score. One section is identifying letters in the alphabet. One section is identifying the sounds that each letter makes. I think there is another section that deals with sounding out nonsense words. (words that aren’t really words) I never paid attention to whether or not my older children were given these tests in kindergarten. (DIBELS test) But I know my fourth grader was given these tests in kindergarten through third grade. My first grader also took the tests in kindergarten and at the start of this school year.

[Politicalmom]

I suppose you’d hit something in that picture. :p

[Lazamataz]

There is nothing I will not hit.

(On my tombstone: "He Hit It All.")

[aruanan]

Since schools are starting to teach whole-word memorization instead of phonics, many kindergardeners will fail this test.

Other way around. Schools are leaving the whole-word memorization approach (that was a very 70's thing) and placing a renewed emphasis on phonics.

[justsaynomore]

Our son is two, and we plan on homeschooling him.

You'll love it. I've yet to meet a parent who if they didn't love it, sure did like it a whole lot better than the alternative :)