How Is Yearly Schooling Beneficial To Students?
Is Yearly Schooling Beneficial to Students?
Among Schoolchildren, by Tracy Kidder, could not be summed up by describing a fifth grade classroom in Holyoke, Massachusetts. Kidder has underlying messages about education that is placed in the characters experiences throughout the book. The author does not only show how the teacher interacts with the students, but how she reacts to different situations she encounters throughout the school year. Whether the encounters are horrible or joyful, Mrs. Zajac, the fifth grade school teacher, comes in everyday ready to teach her students. Although Kidder did not write this book to say what should or what should not be implicated into public schools, but readers can understand that he is devising questions about public education and what it does and does not accomplish. Year-round schooling is an important factor in an elementary school child’s success. Choosing year-round schooling for students can increase individual achievement, but also promotes stability in a child’s life, allows for remediation when called for, and increases retention rates.
In the United States, the school systems are operated on a 10-month program. Unfortunately, not everyone agrees that the 10-month system is efficient for every student. Many believe that the only way to get results from students is for them to be in school for a longer period of time. Having a year-round system, schools are in session for 180 days within the year and have shorter breaks. Allowing for students to be in a school environment for a longer period of time allows for an increase in retention rates. When students have longer breaks in the winter, spring, and summer, they tend to forget lessons and key concepts on what they learned in school. In Among …show more content…
Schoolchildren, Holyoke, Massachusetts would not be referenced as a rich, safe, and friendly environment. The fifth graders that Mrs. Zajac is teaching are a mixture of smart, troubled, poor, and stable students. Tyler Weaver, the author of “Year-Round Education. ERIC Digest, Number 68” states, “According to a study done for the New York Board of Regents (1978), students forget much of what they learned in school while on a long summer break. This is particularly true of disadvantaged students and students for whom English is a second language.” This problem pertains to the fifth grade students that are attending Mrs. Zajac’s class. Many of the students are from a Hispanic background, which makes language; especially English, very difficult for them comprehend. A boy named, Clarence, needs to be in a year-round schooling, due to his lack of retention. During a lesson Mrs. Zajac was teaching Clarence, he confused on the word address and the teacher states, “He didn’t know what ‘address’ meant? Well, children sometimes had surprising gaps in their basic knowledge,”(Kidder 165). In the fifth grade you are supposed to know what an address is, but in this instance Clarence has a difficult time. The fifth grade children that do attend her class are not all on the same academic level or pace, so allowing for students to be in a classroom environment where they can learn and nourish, would be a great investment in schools across the states.
Spending more time in school and less in an unhealthy environment can project a more stable student in the classroom. Allowing for a child to live in a horrible environment where they cannot do their homework and are busy worrying about necessities such as food, water, and heat is not safe for the child. When a child comes home from school they should be able to sit at the table do homework and not worry about the duties of a parent. In Among Schoolchildren, the students in Mrs. Zajac’s classroom all come from different wealth, which means from different household environments. The parents usually with the higher incomes have a more stable environment and the parents usually with the lower incomes live in poor environments that take away from the child’s learning capabilities. For instance, Clarence was not being on his best behavior at the Christmas party at school. Mrs. Zajac hosted a Christmas party at school and states, “ Clarence was difficult during the Christmas party, the last afternoon before vacation. He turned up his nose at the McDonald’s gift certificates that Chris gave each of them,” (Kidder 142). The reason why Clarence acting up at the Christmas party is because he knows that tomorrow he wont be in a place he will feel secure in. Christmas break usually last between 14-18 days and between those days Clarence knows that he will be in an unhealthy environment. If Holyoke, Massachusetts did have a year-round program for their elementary students, Clarence would not have to lash out at the Christmas party because he would know that school would be back in affect shortly. Stability in a classroom can have a positive effect on students who do not have that type of lifestyle at home and will also benefit the students that do have an astounding lifestyle achieve great heights in the classroom, due to the increase in school hours. Tyler Weaver, the author of “Year-Round Education. ERIC Digest, Number 68” states, “The primary educational benefit of YRE is that it facilitates continuous student learning.” Continuous learning for any student can promote educational stability, which helps every student excel and succeed. Year-round schooling will keep more students in a stable environment, which keeps them on track to moving on to the next grade level and have the students more prepared for a higher level of education.
Year-round schooling can help remediate students that have learning disabilities or have a difficult time remaining on pace with the other students without extra assistance. Every student is wired differently and has a different approach at solving equations and understanding concepts. The more time students are with the teacher and getting the extra help they need allows for progress in their intellectual process. Teachers would not have to cram down curriculum in a short amount of time with the year-round system. Especially when the teacher has 180 days to teach their students, they can extend lessons throughout the amount needed or if certain children are struggling. Once students receive attention from teachers because they have time for one on one help, students can increase in their individual intelligence. Remediation in the classroom cannot be taken lightly because this procedure has to be done properly and efficiently so that the students get the best assistance they can possible. Tyler Weaver, the author of “Year-Round Education. ERIC Digest, Number 68” states, “For example, schools can offer intersession programs where students participate in advanced, remedial, and enrichment classes.” The teachers have to make sure that the slower learners are getting the concepts taught in each lesson. The teachers also have to make sure that the students are being drilled in key concepts and lessons, so that there is no way that the student is being left behind out of his/her class. Remediation might not always be an easy task because each student learns differently. In Among Schoolchildren, Mrs. Zajac has students that range from different levels of intelligence and different levels of understanding concepts. Some activities that Mrs. Zajac does in the classroom such as math games on the board or guess the state game may be easy for others because they are exposed to the information unlike other students. As Mrs. Zajac tells all the students to write in their journals, some students, such as Robert, has a hard time writing because he is not as advanced as the other students in vocabulary. Robert writes his father letters often and the letter says,
“Dear Dad, were do you live I want to come and see you I love you but the only thing is do you love me.
Why did you leave my mother in the first place because you had another lady on your mind or something.
By Dad”
(Kidder 95). If done properly remediation can assist students and allow for them to receive the education they need to move on to the next grade level.
Among Schoolchildren, by Tracy Kidder, has underlying messages about how education should be enforced throughout the book the students’ personal life experiences. Kidder did not write this book to say what should or what should not be implicated into public schools, but readers can understand that he is devising questions about public education and what it does and does not accomplish. Year-round schooling is an important factor in an elementary school child’s success. Students may not appreciate the 180 days with fewer breaks, but education success comes first. When remediation, stability, and retention are three main benefactors that can be the difference a student failing and passing, then year-round school should be enforced across the states.
Works Cited
Kidder, Tracy. Among Schoolchildren. New York: Houghton Mifflin, 1989
Weaver, Tyler. "Ericdigests.org." Year-Round Education. ERIC Digest. Eric Digests, n.d. Web. 04 Dec. 2013. .
Among Schoolchildren, by Tracy Kidder, could not be summed up by describing a fifth grade classroom in Holyoke, Massachusetts. Kidder has underlying messages about education that is placed in the characters experiences throughout the book. The author does not only show how the teacher interacts with the students, but how she reacts to different situations she encounters throughout the school year. Whether the encounters are horrible or joyful, Mrs. Zajac, the fifth grade school teacher, comes in everyday ready to teach her students. Although Kidder did not write this book to say what should or what should not be implicated into public schools, but readers can understand that he is devising questions about public education and what it does and does not accomplish. Year-round schooling is an important factor in an elementary school child’s success. Choosing year-round schooling for students can increase individual achievement, but also promotes stability in a child’s life, allows for remediation when called for, and increases retention rates.
In the United States, the school systems are operated on a 10-month program. Unfortunately, not everyone agrees that the 10-month system is efficient for every student. Many believe that the only way to get results from students is for them to be in school for a longer period of time. Having a year-round system, schools are in session for 180 days within the year and have shorter breaks. Allowing for students to be in a school environment for a longer period of time allows for an increase in retention rates. When students have longer breaks in the winter, spring, and summer, they tend to forget lessons and key concepts on what they learned in school. In Among …show more content…
Schoolchildren, Holyoke, Massachusetts would not be referenced as a rich, safe, and friendly environment. The fifth graders that Mrs. Zajac is teaching are a mixture of smart, troubled, poor, and stable students. Tyler Weaver, the author of “Year-Round Education. ERIC Digest, Number 68” states, “According to a study done for the New York Board of Regents (1978), students forget much of what they learned in school while on a long summer break. This is particularly true of disadvantaged students and students for whom English is a second language.” This problem pertains to the fifth grade students that are attending Mrs. Zajac’s class. Many of the students are from a Hispanic background, which makes language; especially English, very difficult for them comprehend. A boy named, Clarence, needs to be in a year-round schooling, due to his lack of retention. During a lesson Mrs. Zajac was teaching Clarence, he confused on the word address and the teacher states, “He didn’t know what ‘address’ meant? Well, children sometimes had surprising gaps in their basic knowledge,”(Kidder 165). In the fifth grade you are supposed to know what an address is, but in this instance Clarence has a difficult time. The fifth grade children that do attend her class are not all on the same academic level or pace, so allowing for students to be in a classroom environment where they can learn and nourish, would be a great investment in schools across the states.
Spending more time in school and less in an unhealthy environment can project a more stable student in the classroom. Allowing for a child to live in a horrible environment where they cannot do their homework and are busy worrying about necessities such as food, water, and heat is not safe for the child. When a child comes home from school they should be able to sit at the table do homework and not worry about the duties of a parent. In Among Schoolchildren, the students in Mrs. Zajac’s classroom all come from different wealth, which means from different household environments. The parents usually with the higher incomes have a more stable environment and the parents usually with the lower incomes live in poor environments that take away from the child’s learning capabilities. For instance, Clarence was not being on his best behavior at the Christmas party at school. Mrs. Zajac hosted a Christmas party at school and states, “ Clarence was difficult during the Christmas party, the last afternoon before vacation. He turned up his nose at the McDonald’s gift certificates that Chris gave each of them,” (Kidder 142). The reason why Clarence acting up at the Christmas party is because he knows that tomorrow he wont be in a place he will feel secure in. Christmas break usually last between 14-18 days and between those days Clarence knows that he will be in an unhealthy environment. If Holyoke, Massachusetts did have a year-round program for their elementary students, Clarence would not have to lash out at the Christmas party because he would know that school would be back in affect shortly. Stability in a classroom can have a positive effect on students who do not have that type of lifestyle at home and will also benefit the students that do have an astounding lifestyle achieve great heights in the classroom, due to the increase in school hours. Tyler Weaver, the author of “Year-Round Education. ERIC Digest, Number 68” states, “The primary educational benefit of YRE is that it facilitates continuous student learning.” Continuous learning for any student can promote educational stability, which helps every student excel and succeed. Year-round schooling will keep more students in a stable environment, which keeps them on track to moving on to the next grade level and have the students more prepared for a higher level of education.
Year-round schooling can help remediate students that have learning disabilities or have a difficult time remaining on pace with the other students without extra assistance. Every student is wired differently and has a different approach at solving equations and understanding concepts. The more time students are with the teacher and getting the extra help they need allows for progress in their intellectual process. Teachers would not have to cram down curriculum in a short amount of time with the year-round system. Especially when the teacher has 180 days to teach their students, they can extend lessons throughout the amount needed or if certain children are struggling. Once students receive attention from teachers because they have time for one on one help, students can increase in their individual intelligence. Remediation in the classroom cannot be taken lightly because this procedure has to be done properly and efficiently so that the students get the best assistance they can possible. Tyler Weaver, the author of “Year-Round Education. ERIC Digest, Number 68” states, “For example, schools can offer intersession programs where students participate in advanced, remedial, and enrichment classes.” The teachers have to make sure that the slower learners are getting the concepts taught in each lesson. The teachers also have to make sure that the students are being drilled in key concepts and lessons, so that there is no way that the student is being left behind out of his/her class. Remediation might not always be an easy task because each student learns differently. In Among Schoolchildren, Mrs. Zajac has students that range from different levels of intelligence and different levels of understanding concepts. Some activities that Mrs. Zajac does in the classroom such as math games on the board or guess the state game may be easy for others because they are exposed to the information unlike other students. As Mrs. Zajac tells all the students to write in their journals, some students, such as Robert, has a hard time writing because he is not as advanced as the other students in vocabulary. Robert writes his father letters often and the letter says,
“Dear Dad, were do you live I want to come and see you I love you but the only thing is do you love me.
Why did you leave my mother in the first place because you had another lady on your mind or something.
By Dad”
(Kidder 95). If done properly remediation can assist students and allow for them to receive the education they need to move on to the next grade level.
Among Schoolchildren, by Tracy Kidder, has underlying messages about how education should be enforced throughout the book the students’ personal life experiences. Kidder did not write this book to say what should or what should not be implicated into public schools, but readers can understand that he is devising questions about public education and what it does and does not accomplish. Year-round schooling is an important factor in an elementary school child’s success. Students may not appreciate the 180 days with fewer breaks, but education success comes first. When remediation, stability, and retention are three main benefactors that can be the difference a student failing and passing, then year-round school should be enforced across the states.
Works Cited
Kidder, Tracy. Among Schoolchildren. New York: Houghton Mifflin, 1989
Weaver, Tyler. "Ericdigests.org." Year-Round Education. ERIC Digest. Eric Digests, n.d. Web. 04 Dec. 2013. .