Expect Excellence

Are educational standards for elementary age students (or any age student) set high enough? In the few education courses I took, I saw numerous charts and lists enumerating what can reasonably be expected of children at differing ages. Certainly these have their place as useful guides in the overall picture.

But really, what can you expect of your young student? I have a classroom of 13 students - 5 first graders and 8 second graders. I am continually stunned by the work they produce. At the same time, if I push them too far, it becomes apparent that their concrete minds are no longer capable of following my lead. It can be a delicate balance, but you don't know the extent of their ability until you reach the edge of it. Don't preset their limits; challenge them, set your standards high, make them work. Just because they are 6, 7, 8 years old doesn't mean they cannot begin to comprehend excellence.

Let me share some of the things I have seen my students accomplish over the course of this school year: every one of my students writes legibly in cursive; each of my second graders is required to write out chronologies - including titles and Scripture references or dates, if applicable - for every event studied in their Bible and history courses to date on a weekly basis; first and second graders alike can identify subject nouns, verbs, adjectives, adverbs, prepositions, objects of the preposition, possessive nouns and pronouns, prepositional phrases, complete subjects and predicates, and the list goes on; each student can explain the importance of subject/verb agreement and identify singular and plural nouns and verbs; second graders answer test questions in complete sentences, giving heed to capitalization and punctuation. This is not an exhaustive list, but I dare say it is rather impressive when compared to the modified standards set forth by the latest public education experts.

My advice to parents is to push your students, no matter how young, and don't hesitate to make them work. Of course, you must be discerning to tell the difference between genuine inability and simple laziness. The discipline and good study habits you instill now will serve them well for a lifetime. The expectation of excellence in all areas, even those which require constant, instensive effort and practice, will become commonplace to the child who knows nothing of the mediocre.