2B The Sunday Peninsula Herald, Sunday, September 9, 1984. Peninsula Notebook Kindergarten Is Not Just Child's Play It's a Make-or-Break Year for Both Child and Parent, In Some Ways Never a Bad Idea 27tr6 By Anne Germain Peninsula Life Editor 0 4.26 It,a YOUTHFUL GRADUATES DISPLAY MIXED EMOTIONS In photo of commencement excercises at a Rhode Island kindergarten. ttentio 0 4 EDITOR'S NOTE - Kinder- garten may be the most im- portant, yet least understood, year of school. But it's getting noticed more these days as the nation debates the quality of pub- lie schools, and communities de- bate whether 5-year-olds should attend school for a full day. Here's a report, based on inter- views with specialists in early childhood education, on what parents should know about kin- dergarten. By Lee Mitgang AP Education Writer NEW YORK (AP) - For most adults, the word "kindergarten" summons UP vague remem- brances of graham crackers, fin- ger painting, and having to hang up your coat for the first time. Few really recall what they learned in that first year of public school - or understand now what it is supposed to do for their own child. But they should - especially the parents of the approximately 3.2 million 5-year-olds who will be going to school this fall for the first time. How, they may well wonder, can you tell if a particular teacher or school will get your child off on the right foot? Kindergarten is in many ways a make-or-break year for both parent and child. The federal government recognized that fact in the mid-'60s when it began "Head Start," a Great Society program which still provides health, educational and social services to disadvantaged pre- school children. And the upsurge of public in- terest in quality education has made parents more sensitive to the importance of early schooling. "In some ways it's been a bon- anza," says Prof. Leslie R. Wil- liams, an early childhood educa- tion specialist at Columbia Teachers College in New York. "People are now thinking of kin- dergarten as a legitimate time." Still, many parents frequently, and mistakenly, view kindergar- ten as little more than a play school, a place where silly songs are sung and hands clapped with little academic purpose. In fact, the curriculum typi- cally covered in the first year of school can stretch the mind as much as any that follows. New York City, for example, began offering all-day kindergar- ten for the first time last year, and will enroll 60,000 youngsters in September. According to JoAnn Asciutto, a former kindergarten teacher in Brooklyn who now helps manage the citywide pro- gram, the extra school time is more than necessary because kindergarten children learn lit- erally hundreds of skills that ad- ults take for granted. Playing with clay, for example, children learn about volume and texture. Building with blocks teaches shapes and basic design. Kindergartners learn to recognize and read dozens of common symbols and words - a stop-sign, their own names, and the first names of their classmates, for instance. They learn to eat sensi- bly. They learn to solve problems with other children. They learn to listen. Many of these kindergarten ac- tivities are loosely called "read- ing readiness skills" by educators - skills that are needed before words on a page will make much sense. A good kindergarten will make the child feel positive about school - maybe even lessen the chances he will drop out later on. And a good school will encourage parents to be active partners in their child's education. Kindergarten has also received increased attention lately as more communities have adopted all-day kindergartens. The longer day is catching on partly because of the growing legion of working mothers, and because educators for years have applauded the idea despite the higher costs. Figures show that about a third of the nation's kindergarten youngsters were in all-day pro- grams in 1982 - the latest stati- sties available - compared with 14 percent a decade earlier. A private survey compiled last May by Jack W. Humphrey, director of Reading Services and Special Projects of the Evansville-Vanderburgh (Ind.) School District, found that all but one school district in Alabama had full-day kindergarten, and all- day kindergarten far out- numbered half-day classes in Ar- kansas, Louisiana and Georgia. The most important thing a parent can do, almost all early childhood experts agree, is visit the school - not just for a few minutes or an hour, but for an entire day if possible. What should parents know about the kindergarten their child is about to attend? Interviews with kindergarten teachers and education experts yielded these tips: - First, think about what your child is like, and think about what you as a parent want from a school. Some parents feel their child is very young at 5, for instance, and they might want a teacher who places less stress on academics, and more on social development. Other, more precocious young- sters may come to kindergarten already reading and writing. Parents will want to be sure the teacher encourages rnore ad- vanced work for that sort of child. Get a feel for the teacher's basic philosophy. Some early-childhood educators advocate a more structured app- roach, using a fairly rigid cur- riculum to get students versed in basics such as reading, writing and math. For example, the so- called "DISTAR" curriculum de- veloped at the University of Ore- gon includes a heavy dose of phonics and begins in kindergar- ten. It also fosters competition among the youngsters. The current national push for tougher educational standards, led by President Reagan, has even reached some kindergartens. Minneapolis has actually begun flunking kindergartners. About 10 percent of the city's 3,000 kin- dergartners were held back last year after scoring poorly on basic math and language-arts tests or were considered socially im- mature. Many went to special classes this summer to try to catch up and get promoted to first grade. But more than 60 percent of those still flunked and won't be ucation just means guessing cor- rect answers. They tend instead to take cues from the students' interests and build lessons around them. For instance, an alert teacher might build an entire reading, science and math curriculum out of a simple thing like a classroom aquarium. Another might capture youngsters' interest by building lessons around a holiday like Halloween and teach geometric shapes using a jack-0-lantern. There's no single right way to teach kindergarten. Educators certainly haven't settled on one - but most say that the best meth- ods mix fun with seriousness. Parents in the end have to choose what approach fits their child - how important it is to them that their child is reading by the: end of kindergarten, for in- stance, and how much they themselves contribute to their child's education in their own homes. "What we tend to do is push kids very hard to do first and second grade work right away" says Richard Feldman, an early childhood education specialist at the Bank Street College of Ed- ucation in New York. "We forget that there are a whole lot of kids who haven't even settled which is their left hand or their right." No matter what, the teacher and classroom should invite chil- dren to think. Watch how teachers talk to the children. Is it just one- way communication, with the teacher doing most of the talking? Look for whether there are op- portunities for children to read and write. Does the teacher read to the children every day? If a child is able to read in kindergar- ten, is he or she encouraged? JUDGE NOT, LEST YE BE judged, as Lady Hortense, my kindly old godmother, always used to say. Those words now weigh heavily upon the weary shoulders of your faithful corre- spondent. You see, she once had judged a chap known as the Ay- atollah Khomeini to be not the right sort at all. Stern. Unbending. Perhaps even unkind, uncon- genial, and certainly unwise. And now a dispatch has come from Bandar Anzali, Iran, telling us that the dear old Imam has de- creed that his subjects may now eat caviar. They even have his permission to enjoy it, and are doing so by the thousands, with a glass of tea and a splash of lemon as a morning snack. For quite some time caviar has been an Islamic no-no, but as you know, laws can be reinterpreted any old time certain people decide to reinterpret them. But how much faith can we really place in Iranian kindness when the dispatch also states that "the difference between Soviet and Iranian caviar is similar to that between a Toyota and a Mercedes Benz," for such state- ments tend to invite a punch in the nose from the millions of happy Toyota owners among us. THANK GOODNESS Ameri- cans have always been allowed caviar whenever they decide they'd rather have it than, say, a month's groceries. Unfortunately, it doesn't turn up at just any old dinner or cocktail party, but for- tunately, it will turn up at the blockbuster celebration of the blockbuster remodeling of the Macy's store Saturday evening September 22. And not just caviar but also lobster, crab, Brie, salmon cream cheese, smoked oysters, shrimp remoulade, crab gumbo, cajun chicken, eggs sardou, pecan pralines, hot dogs and pizza. Seven local nonprofit organiza- tions will receive 100 per cent of the benefits from the opening festivities, at twenty-five dollars per couple or fifteen dollars per person, so all of it is tax- deductible. The seven organiza- tions are the Hospice, Guide Dogs, SPCA, the Symphony, and Mon- terey Peninsula Museum of Art, Volunteers in Action and the Chamber of Commerce Founda- tion. Each of these groups has invited its favorite guests, so the party-planners are looking to a total of maybe 2,500 guests. There will be champagne! Eight different wines from all the best local wineries! AND there will be Paloma Picasso in person, hoping you'll get to know her a little or at least get close enough for your nostrils to quiver at the scent of her perfume. No, not Chanel No. 5. No, not Yves St. Laurent's "Opium." The label is "Paloma Picasso," a fine old name in the art world which makes it pretty good for the fragrance world, too, of course. This is the first time in Penin- sula history that seven charities have participated in togetherness on one big event and the word is out that our most active charity grandes dames plan to do it ag- ain. And maybe again and again, - too. ALL THE BEST PEOPLE, or at least most of them, from Pebble Beach (maybe even Big Sur) to Marina (maybe even Sali- nas) plan to be present Tuesday evening to see Seaside prove that the Monterey Jazz Festival has as much meaning for Peninsulans as for all the folks from everywhere else who come here to attend it. What Seaside has planned is its "First Annual Seaside Jazz-Art Show" in the City Hall. Seaside Mayor Lancelot McClair says it's to be a reception for the City Hall's current exhibit of exciting jazz art by such as Shell Fisher, Frank Ashley, Eldon Dedini etc., set to music. But there are rumors that it's really going to be a jam session in a gallery setting. How could it be otherwise with the likes of Jake Stock, Mike Marotta, the Ace Hill Trio, and jazz singer Lil Brown lurking around? And the jazz group of Martin Luther King middle school? "It will be a musical-theatrical presentation of the historical de- velopment of jazz as an art form," said Mayor McClair, and, incidentally, "Seaside's first black-tie event." This is not really a Seaside event but a Peninsula event said his honor, and all of Seaside's many friends outside its own boundaries will be welcomed with open arms. And all the jazz freaks among them are anticipating it with the greatest of pleasure. YOULL BE THOROUGHLY charmed to hear that Mrs. Belton K. Johnson (of the Texas John- sons) will take part in one of this coming weekend's big events, "Tablescapes," the Hospice ben- efit at the Monterey Conference Center. (The other big event is, of course, the aforementioned Mon- terey Jazz Festival.) Mrs. Johnson's table-setting will be a hunt picnic beside a Rolls Royce, with an ermine throw covering one of the bales of hay surrounding the Rolls. So very Texas, don't you think? And perhaps the zenith of the Friday evening opening reception for Tablescapes will be gifts to the guests of the secret recipe for the King Ranch Chicken Casserole (Mrs. Johnson is a King, you know, or a Kleberg, or both. Does it really matter?) The Johnsons divide their time between their spreads in Pebble Beach, Carmel Valley and a few in Texas, you know. You didn't? pl Unlweli LI113 lall. "Some children will be ready to Other educators reject that read in kindergarten, but not all," "get tough" approach because Williams says. "A pressure cooker they feel it's wrong to give 5- is not an appropriate atmos- year-olds the impression that ed- phere. Don't Install a Roof that will fuel a fire. DECF& TILE will NOT BURN. LEAK. RUCKLE. Compliment yourself with a complimentary <[10 [p©Qogod program from Nutri/System trr] Offer limited to As people vary, so do " , 4 new clients only their weight losses *i S OR BREAK and-R onlyl/6 the Celebrate Life ... 4 weight Of clay or concrete tile. * -. Now that the kids are back in school, Decra Tile. For those who want more than just a , We want to do something special for you ! roof over their heads. Decla Tile can save you money air space that's created between You can give the - LOSE 10 POUNDS at NUTRI/SYSTEMS on us* because, unlike shake or shingles, the base of Decra Tile and your old there is no perodic replacement roof. your home will be cooler in iv cost. Also, thanks to the insulating summer and warmer in winter. Gift of Life R• *Does not include exclusive NUTRI/SYSTEMS food. by becoming a R. Offer valid through September 15th, 1984. Call Now for Free Estimate Additional Insulation L. Suicide Prevention Center !24 Open Beatn Ceilings I rum,ng begi,15 Ou 4 Available for Volunteer Please call weight loss centers 1 FAHNESTOCK.MACDOUGALL : _ 04,2 A 1-mad U .0 Aftnl V ..443 4 CONSTRUCTION y j f 712 CASS STREET, MONTEREY ..22¥ V Lic. No. 432473 1./. Id./.WL--._'. a..5 1/'ll/.- . 25$-7-9 07427«, 2%*rE i.44 + -Ii--,--- .11141..1+111.-ill 1 , OCR Text: 2B The Sunday Peninsula Herald, Sunday, September 9, 1984. Peninsula Notebook Kindergarten Is Not Just Child's Play It's a Make-or-Break Year for Both Child and Parent, In Some Ways Never a Bad Idea 27tr6 By Anne Germain Peninsula Life Editor 0 4.26 It,a YOUTHFUL GRADUATES DISPLAY MIXED EMOTIONS In photo of commencement excercises at a Rhode Island kindergarten. ttentio 0 4 EDITOR'S NOTE - Kinder- garten may be the most im- portant, yet least understood, year of school. But it's getting noticed more these days as the nation debates the quality of pub- lie schools, and communities de- bate whether 5-year-olds should attend school for a full day. Here's a report, based on inter- views with specialists in early childhood education, on what parents should know about kin- dergarten. By Lee Mitgang AP Education Writer NEW YORK (AP) - For most adults, the word "kindergarten" summons UP vague remem- brances of graham crackers, fin- ger painting, and having to hang up your coat for the first time. Few really recall what they learned in that first year of public school - or understand now what it is supposed to do for their own child. But they should - especially the parents of the approximately 3.2 million 5-year-olds who will be going to school this fall for the first time. How, they may well wonder, can you tell if a particular teacher or school will get your child off on the right foot? Kindergarten is in many ways a make-or-break year for both parent and child. The federal government recognized that fact in the mid-'60s when it began "Head Start," a Great Society program which still provides health, educational and social services to disadvantaged pre- school children. And the upsurge of public in- terest in quality education has made parents more sensitive to the importance of early schooling. "In some ways it's been a bon- anza," says Prof. Leslie R. Wil- liams, an early childhood educa- tion specialist at Columbia Teachers College in New York. "People are now thinking of kin- dergarten as a legitimate time." Still, many parents frequently, and mistakenly, view kindergar- ten as little more than a play school, a place where silly songs are sung and hands clapped with little academic purpose. In fact, the curriculum typi- cally covered in the first year of school can stretch the mind as much as any that follows. New York City, for example, began offering all-day kindergar- ten for the first time last year, and will enroll 60,000 youngsters in September. According to JoAnn Asciutto, a former kindergarten teacher in Brooklyn who now helps manage the citywide pro- gram, the extra school time is more than necessary because kindergarten children learn lit- erally hundreds of skills that ad- ults take for granted. Playing with clay, for example, children learn about volume and texture. Building with blocks teaches shapes and basic design. Kindergartners learn to recognize and read dozens of common symbols and words - a stop-sign, their own names, and the first names of their classmates, for instance. They learn to eat sensi- bly. They learn to solve problems with other children. They learn to listen. Many of these kindergarten ac- tivities are loosely called "read- ing readiness skills" by educators - skills that are needed before words on a page will make much sense. A good kindergarten will make the child feel positive about school - maybe even lessen the chances he will drop out later on. And a good school will encourage parents to be active partners in their child's education. Kindergarten has also received increased attention lately as more communities have adopted all-day kindergartens. The longer day is catching on partly because of the growing legion of working mothers, and because educators for years have applauded the idea despite the higher costs. Figures show that about a third of the nation's kindergarten youngsters were in all-day pro- grams in 1982 - the latest stati- sties available - compared with 14 percent a decade earlier. A private survey compiled last May by Jack W. Humphrey, director of Reading Services and Special Projects of the Evansville-Vanderburgh (Ind.) School District, found that all but one school district in Alabama had full-day kindergarten, and all- day kindergarten far out- numbered half-day classes in Ar- kansas, Louisiana and Georgia. The most important thing a parent can do, almost all early childhood experts agree, is visit the school - not just for a few minutes or an hour, but for an entire day if possible. What should parents know about the kindergarten their child is about to attend? Interviews with kindergarten teachers and education experts yielded these tips: - First, think about what your child is like, and think about what you as a parent want from a school. Some parents feel their child is very young at 5, for instance, and they might want a teacher who places less stress on academics, and more on social development. Other, more precocious young- sters may come to kindergarten already reading and writing. Parents will want to be sure the teacher encourages rnore ad- vanced work for that sort of child. Get a feel for the teacher's basic philosophy. Some early-childhood educators advocate a more structured app- roach, using a fairly rigid cur- riculum to get students versed in basics such as reading, writing and math. For example, the so- called "DISTAR" curriculum de- veloped at the University of Ore- gon includes a heavy dose of phonics and begins in kindergar- ten. It also fosters competition among the youngsters. The current national push for tougher educational standards, led by President Reagan, has even reached some kindergartens. Minneapolis has actually begun flunking kindergartners. About 10 percent of the city's 3,000 kin- dergartners were held back last year after scoring poorly on basic math and language-arts tests or were considered socially im- mature. Many went to special classes this summer to try to catch up and get promoted to first grade. But more than 60 percent of those still flunked and won't be ucation just means guessing cor- rect answers. They tend instead to take cues from the students' interests and build lessons around them. For instance, an alert teacher might build an entire reading, science and math curriculum out of a simple thing like a classroom aquarium. Another might capture youngsters' interest by building lessons around a holiday like Halloween and teach geometric shapes using a jack-0-lantern. There's no single right way to teach kindergarten. Educators certainly haven't settled on one - but most say that the best meth- ods mix fun with seriousness. Parents in the end have to choose what approach fits their child - how important it is to them that their child is reading by the: end of kindergarten, for in- stance, and how much they themselves contribute to their child's education in their own homes. "What we tend to do is push kids very hard to do first and second grade work right away" says Richard Feldman, an early childhood education specialist at the Bank Street College of Ed- ucation in New York. "We forget that there are a whole lot of kids who haven't even settled which is their left hand or their right." No matter what, the teacher and classroom should invite chil- dren to think. Watch how teachers talk to the children. Is it just one- way communication, with the teacher doing most of the talking? Look for whether there are op- portunities for children to read and write. Does the teacher read to the children every day? If a child is able to read in kindergar- ten, is he or she encouraged? JUDGE NOT, LEST YE BE judged, as Lady Hortense, my kindly old godmother, always used to say. Those words now weigh heavily upon the weary shoulders of your faithful corre- spondent. You see, she once had judged a chap known as the Ay- atollah Khomeini to be not the right sort at all. Stern. Unbending. Perhaps even unkind, uncon- genial, and certainly unwise. And now a dispatch has come from Bandar Anzali, Iran, telling us that the dear old Imam has de- creed that his subjects may now eat caviar. They even have his permission to enjoy it, and are doing so by the thousands, with a glass of tea and a splash of lemon as a morning snack. For quite some time caviar has been an Islamic no-no, but as you know, laws can be reinterpreted any old time certain people decide to reinterpret them. But how much faith can we really place in Iranian kindness when the dispatch also states that "the difference between Soviet and Iranian caviar is similar to that between a Toyota and a Mercedes Benz," for such state- ments tend to invite a punch in the nose from the millions of happy Toyota owners among us. THANK GOODNESS Ameri- cans have always been allowed caviar whenever they decide they'd rather have it than, say, a month's groceries. Unfortunately, it doesn't turn up at just any old dinner or cocktail party, but for- tunately, it will turn up at the blockbuster celebration of the blockbuster remodeling of the Macy's store Saturday evening September 22. And not just caviar but also lobster, crab, Brie, salmon cream cheese, smoked oysters, shrimp remoulade, crab gumbo, cajun chicken, eggs sardou, pecan pralines, hot dogs and pizza. Seven local nonprofit organiza- tions will receive 100 per cent of the benefits from the opening festivities, at twenty-five dollars per couple or fifteen dollars per person, so all of it is tax- deductible. The seven organiza- tions are the Hospice, Guide Dogs, SPCA, the Symphony, and Mon- terey Peninsula Museum of Art, Volunteers in Action and the Chamber of Commerce Founda- tion. Each of these groups has invited its favorite guests, so the party-planners are looking to a total of maybe 2,500 guests. There will be champagne! Eight different wines from all the best local wineries! AND there will be Paloma Picasso in person, hoping you'll get to know her a little or at least get close enough for your nostrils to quiver at the scent of her perfume. No, not Chanel No. 5. No, not Yves St. Laurent's "Opium." The label is "Paloma Picasso," a fine old name in the art world which makes it pretty good for the fragrance world, too, of course. This is the first time in Penin- sula history that seven charities have participated in togetherness on one big event and the word is out that our most active charity grandes dames plan to do it ag- ain. And maybe again and again, - too. ALL THE BEST PEOPLE, or at least most of them, from Pebble Beach (maybe even Big Sur) to Marina (maybe even Sali- nas) plan to be present Tuesday evening to see Seaside prove that the Monterey Jazz Festival has as much meaning for Peninsulans as for all the folks from everywhere else who come here to attend it. What Seaside has planned is its "First Annual Seaside Jazz-Art Show" in the City Hall. Seaside Mayor Lancelot McClair says it's to be a reception for the City Hall's current exhibit of exciting jazz art by such as Shell Fisher, Frank Ashley, Eldon Dedini etc., set to music. But there are rumors that it's really going to be a jam session in a gallery setting. How could it be otherwise with the likes of Jake Stock, Mike Marotta, the Ace Hill Trio, and jazz singer Lil Brown lurking around? And the jazz group of Martin Luther King middle school? "It will be a musical-theatrical presentation of the historical de- velopment of jazz as an art form," said Mayor McClair, and, incidentally, "Seaside's first black-tie event." This is not really a Seaside event but a Peninsula event said his honor, and all of Seaside's many friends outside its own boundaries will be welcomed with open arms. And all the jazz freaks among them are anticipating it with the greatest of pleasure. YOULL BE THOROUGHLY charmed to hear that Mrs. Belton K. Johnson (of the Texas John- sons) will take part in one of this coming weekend's big events, "Tablescapes," the Hospice ben- efit at the Monterey Conference Center. (The other big event is, of course, the aforementioned Mon- terey Jazz Festival.) Mrs. Johnson's table-setting will be a hunt picnic beside a Rolls Royce, with an ermine throw covering one of the bales of hay surrounding the Rolls. So very Texas, don't you think? And perhaps the zenith of the Friday evening opening reception for Tablescapes will be gifts to the guests of the secret recipe for the King Ranch Chicken Casserole (Mrs. Johnson is a King, you know, or a Kleberg, or both. Does it really matter?) The Johnsons divide their time between their spreads in Pebble Beach, Carmel Valley and a few in Texas, you know. You didn't? pl Unlweli LI113 lall. "Some children will be ready to Other educators reject that read in kindergarten, but not all," "get tough" approach because Williams says. "A pressure cooker they feel it's wrong to give 5- is not an appropriate atmos- year-olds the impression that ed- phere. Don't Install a Roof that will fuel a fire. DECF& TILE will NOT BURN. LEAK. RUCKLE. Compliment yourself with a complimentary <[10 [p©Qogod program from Nutri/System trr] Offer limited to As people vary, so do " , 4 new clients only their weight losses *i S OR BREAK and-R onlyl/6 the Celebrate Life ... 4 weight Of clay or concrete tile. * -. Now that the kids are back in school, Decra Tile. For those who want more than just a , We want to do something special for you ! roof over their heads. Decla Tile can save you money air space that's created between You can give the - LOSE 10 POUNDS at NUTRI/SYSTEMS on us* because, unlike shake or shingles, the base of Decra Tile and your old there is no perodic replacement roof. your home will be cooler in iv cost. Also, thanks to the insulating summer and warmer in winter. Gift of Life R• *Does not include exclusive NUTRI/SYSTEMS food. by becoming a R. Offer valid through September 15th, 1984. Call Now for Free Estimate Additional Insulation L. Suicide Prevention Center !24 Open Beatn Ceilings I rum,ng begi,15 Ou 4 Available for Volunteer Please call weight loss centers 1 FAHNESTOCK.MACDOUGALL : _ 04,2 A 1-mad U .0 Aftnl V ..443 4 CONSTRUCTION y j f 712 CASS STREET, MONTEREY ..22¥ V Lic. No. 432473 1./. Id./.WL--._'. a..5 1/'ll/.- . 25$-7-9 07427«, 2%*rE i.44 -Ii--,--- .11141..1 111.-ill 1 , Heritage Society of Pacific Grove,Historical Collections,Historic Properties of Pacific Grove,8 th st,146 8th,146 8TH ST_017_redacted.pdf,146 8TH ST_017_redacted.pdf 1 Page 1, Tags: 146 8TH ST_017_REDACTED.PDF, 146 8TH ST_017_redacted.pdf 1 Page 1