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                                Food For Thought
                                                    by Billie A Williams © 2006

“The first idea that the child must acquire in order to be actively discipline is that of the difference between good and evil: and the task of the educator lies in seeing that the child not confuse good with immobility, and evil with action.” Maria Montessori.


“Every time we teach a child something, we prevent them from discovering it for himself.”  Jean Piaget.

So it is with education today.  It isn’t just readin, writin, and ‘rithmatic, anymore. It’s anger management, and time outs, and so much more. The world our children live in today is filled with fast acting video games and whirl wind cartoons. They are expected to learn so much more. They are expected to make hard choices at an earlier age. The violence in our schools seems to me to be the acting out of this growing faster than they need to. They don’t get to experience the joys of childhood. Of just being, or lying under a nearly clear blue sky watching clouds form shapes of knowable things in their imagination.

There is no more playing with the cardboard box that can be anything from space ship to train, to hideout. There is no more cowboys and Indians games, because that isn’t politically correct. There is no more catching fire flies, or frogs, or even worms just for the fascination of watching them do what they do.  There is no more eat your spinach cause it’s good for you – It may not be on any given day.

Back to basics is an old cry, I would like to see back to nature, back to country, back to pledge of allegiance and prayer in school – in such a frightening world our children need something to believe in, something to hang onto.  They can always change their mind when they are grown – you did.

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Billie A Williams is an award wining author of mystery suspense, romantic suspense, adventure, Young adult adventure, and non fiction how to write books, as well as poetry and numerous articles and book reviews. Visit her website at www.billiewilliams.com for more details.