Fixing the Dropout Problem

The high school dropout rate has soared in the last few years. Only 60% of high school students even graduate high school. Legally, a child cannot drop out until he or she is 16 years old. Many states are fighting to raise this age, hoping that perhaps this would decrease the dropout rate even more. Research shows that this can be helped, but the time to intervene is in early elementary school- not once the child has reached high school. Most students interviewed about dropping out admit that it was not that they could not do the work- the classes were just too boring for them. With this being established as the most common problem, it is evident that it is very easy to fix. Requirements for a diploma are the same, regardless of where the information is learned in a classroom or not. Many other things also contribute to the dropout rate- many students drop out due to pregnancy, family issues, dating trouble, or even academic trouble. Whatever the solution may be, it needs to be tailored to each child because each child operates in a different way. Placing better teachers into schools is a very simple fix to the problem. Curriculum can be very boring, but with the right teacher, a child has the ability to learn things that he or she never would have found interesting before. Teachers really make all the difference in the world when it comes to school. Students are more motivated to go to school and pay attention in class when they like their teacher, more likely to obey and follow the rules, and even more likely to stay in school and go to college. Having students feel as though they are a part of the community is another thing that is being tried to help with the dropout rate. Some researchers think that if children feel like they are a part of things, they are less likely to drop out. One of the most important things a school system can do is set up an early warning system; those students who are frequently absent, behavior problems and grade retention are those that are likely to drop out later, and assigning an adult to help these children should help them greatly. Ultimately, high school dropouts have already unconsciously decided they want to drop out when they are very young. Great teachers and heavy encouragement are two of the most important things to help lower the dropout rate around the country.

Language Development

Language development begins at a very early age. The first stage of language development are sounds- they are nothing like a real language at all. Infants begin cooing at around two months, with a repetition of vowels, such as "Aaaaaaa" or "Eeeee." They often make these sounds when they are happy, comfortable or fed. Every infant around the globe, whether in China or America, sounds the same when making this noise. Babbling is the next stage, which occurs around three or four months of age. Babbling is the repetition of vowel-consonant patterns, like "Ma-Ma" or "Pa-Pa." Parents sometimes think that these are a babies first words. At this point, it still does not matter where the baby is from, they all sound the exact same. The third stage is Socialized Babbling, occuring around 6-10 months. There are still no real words spoken yet, but the child is beginning to make sounds that sound more like real words. Children lose their ability to hear phonemes (sounds) they hear. Baby's first words finally happen around the child's first birthday, and the word is usually something that they have heard often, like "Bye-bye" or another social word. From this point, children begin to build on what they know- single word sentences turn into two word sentences, slowly beginning to make more and more sense. Children's vocabulary increases at an incredible rate: from 0 words at 1 year, to 50 words at 16 months, to 600 words at 2 1/2 years old! At age 5 or 6, children know as many as 150,000 words!! Children learn the most from what they hear: if their mother uses improper grammar, chances are the child will have a very hard time breaking that habit because that is the way they learned to speak and what they have been exposed to the most. Just like I have said before, children are like sponges and soak up everything that they hear, so everyone needs to be careful what is said around a child to give that child the best opportunity as possible to grow up as a smart and respected human being.

Prenatal Influences on Development

How much does the time spent in your mothers womb really effect you? Do your mothers actions effect you at all? The answer is YES! Your mothers actions greatly effect you while you are in the womb. You, as you are growing and preparing for birth, rely on your mother for nutrients and protection from the outside world. There are three reasons that the prenatal period is said to be so vulnerable:
1. Some destructive substances such as drugs, viruses, and antibodies can pass through the placenta
2. The organs,body parts and nervous system are still forming
3. The Blood Brain Barrier is not completely formed until birth
Drugs and alcohol can be very dangerous to a fetus and they can both cause various birth defects, some mild and some severe. Nicotine, found in cigarettes, causes not only physical diseases, but also behavioral disorders. These include learning disabilities and problems being able to calm down. Although there are severe birth defects to drugs and alcohol, there are many subtle effects that do not make headlines. These subtle effects end up costing the government more money, because they are much more common, and when they are multiplied by hundreds of thousands, they end up costing millions per year. Exposure to mercury can cause many birth defects. Fetal Alcohol Syndrome and Fetal Alcohol Effects are produced by alcohol consumption during the gestation period. A child with Fetal Alcohol Syndrome is small in size and has widely placed eyes with an extra fold over eyes. The child also has severe learning disabilities. Fetal Alcohol Syndrome occurs when the mother drinks early in her pregnancy most commonly, but can occur with any alcohol consumption. Fetal Alcohol Effects children usually do not have any visible physical abnormalities- they usually have more subtle behavioral, cognitive and neurological problems. This occurs most often when the mother drinks late in her pregnancy and the children often look perfectly normal. While many birth defects seem to have no rhyme or reason to them at all, many of these can and should be prevented. Women need to carefully consider their life choices when they are pregnant so they can protect their children to the best of their ability.

Public School Vs. Private School

Does the education your child receives really change based on whether the school is public or private? Everyone seems to have a different opinion of this. I personally attended private school, but I also had many friends that attended the neighboring public school. Growing up in Atlanta, Georgia, there are some places in town that you would never want your child to be exposed to, much less go to school in and be around those people. I went to public school up until 7th grade, when my parents felt that it was time to move to another school district or transfer to a private school. I can honestly say that I was not exposed to many of the drugs, sex and alcohol that my public school friends were having to deal with on a daily basis. Public school children in my area were much rougher and tougher, and my parents did not want me growing up in that type of environment. The classes at most private schools are smaller and more intimate, giving teachers the opportunity to actually know students, instead of them just being another face in the crowd. Teachers were also much more willing to spend time with a student when he or she was struggling with something, even willing to stay after school or work through lunch. When speaking to my friends who attended public school, students often had to rely on other students to help them because the teacher had other things to do. However, some public school systems are excellent and offer just as much help and growth for a student as a private school with smaller classes. Another negative to many private schools is that there are not as many academic or extra-curricular options, because the school is so small. Public schools offer many Advanced Placement courses that some private schools do not. They also offer more after school activities and clubs to join, because there are more students that are interested in the subject matter. Simply said, the option of public school versus private school ultimately depends on each family: is it a monetary sacrifice they are willing to make for their children or is it even worth it?

No Child Left Behind

President George W. Bush originally proposed the No Child Left Behind Act in 2001. The law was intended to increase the performance of U.S. primary and secondary schools by increasing the standards and accountability for school districts for school districts and states, and also provide parents more flexibility in choosing school for their children. Also, No Child Left Behind reauthorized the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (ESEA) to increase focus on reading. WHile President Bush intended good things with No Child Left Behind, it has hurt man school systems around the country, especially those with special education programs. No Child Left Behind is based on the belief that setting high standards and establishing measurable goals can improve outcomes in education. States, under No Child Left Behind, are required to develop assessments in basic skills to be given to all students in certain grades, if federal funding is given to those schools. No Child Left Behind, although a federal law, does not set national standards- each state sets its own standards. Many have found great success with No Child Left Behind, but many, especially students with learning disabilities, even slight ones, struggle to pass the test created by the states. No Child Left Behind focuses on math and English language skills, so studfents may lose benefits of a broad education. A benefit of No Child Left Behind is that Congress has increased funding of education by several billion dollars. The No Child Left Behind Act itself received a 40.4% increase in funding in 2001. Despite hopes for No Child Left Behind to succeed, a 2008 study "Reading First Impact Study: Interim Report" reported that the Reading First Program was ineffective. Students in twelve states, grades 1-3 were studied and the final report was completed in 2008.

Attachment Styles

Traditionally, children are though to attach to their parents one of three ways. There is a fourth attachment style, but it is very uncommon. Attachment styles are secure attachment, insecure-avoidant, insecure-resistant, and disorganized. Attachments form in the second half of the first year, shown by separation anxiety. The first few years of life are the most critical, but attachments evolve through life. The psychoanalytic theory of attachment is no longer taken seriously by researchers, but was linked to gratification of innate drives. The Learning Theory attributed attachment to the primary drive of hunger being reduced by a primary reinforcer (food) and a secondary reinforcer is one who feeds. Cognitive developmental theory states that specific attachment requires object permanence and begins to form when children begin to understand this. The most important is Bowlby's ethological theory, which says that infant attachment has roots in instictual infant responses important for survival and protection. Smiling and crying, an infants early social signaling systems, play an active role in the forming of attachments. Most children are securely attached, so they turn to others for support and are comforted by those he/she is close to. With insecure-avoidant attachment, the person follows "rules" that restrict acknowledgement of distress and didn't seek comfort or support. The last style of attachment that is most common is for those who direct attention to their own distress and worry about those they are attached to. This inhibits self confidence.

Pre-K Success Depends on Teachers

Preschool is something that most children in America attend. There are two or three day per week programs, and they are usually divided by age. Preschools can be something as simple as a babysitting service, or they can teach a child and encourage learning. According to an article on csmoniter.com, "critics of universal preschool have cited a study showing that pre-k not only fails to narrow the achievement gap between rich and poor children, but also hinders students' social development." However, the same study also revealed that children made cognitive gains across the board- perhaps suggesting those who attend preschool are better prepared for school. High quality preschool programs have an excellent influence on children, and also have begun to bridge the achievement gap. These programs can offer extra support to low income students, and teachers in these programs receive the training and support they should have to be allowed to teach children. Children, espeically in preschool, are very impressionable and soak up information like sponges. If teachers approach the school year appropriately and stimulate their students growth and development, great achievements can be made in that single year. Some students may not receive extra assistance at home, therefore teachers really carry the weight of that childs success. I do strongly believe that a child's preschool experience is heavily influenced by the teacher, and that one teacher has the ability to make or break the experience for the family.