What should Obama do?

[JenniferJoy]

Please share your ideas of how the United States can improve education by teaching children earlier. 

If we all share our ideas with our leaders at the websight below, we can improved our leader's interest in early learning.
http://www.whitehouse.gov/contact/

If your confident of your ideas, please put them in a letter form so that we can cut and paste them to the sight http://www.whitehouse.gov/contact/.  This will
get more letters to the whitehouse and thus bring more attention to early learning.  Please also include at the bottom if we have permission to cut on paste your posted letter.

I have started a sample letter to the president.  Letters to the president throught the websight above are limited to 5,000 characters.  I have 3,000 left.  Please, cut and paste my entry into your next post and improve it by adding more ideas, details, and resources.   

Lets improve America's education,
JJ
----------------------

Dear President Obama and presidential advisors:

Because of your focus on improving education, I know that you will be eager to learn of a simple way to dramatically improve our nations educational system.  The proposals that I make to you, can require very little funding increases, yet will apply to the under privileged of our nation as well as the affluent.  The basis of my proposal is to teach children to read and do math at the earliest ages possible.   By visiting http://www.brillbaby.com/ or reading Glenn Doman's books you will learn that it is easier to teach a baby to read and do math then it is to teach a five or six year old.

The first step is simply to raise awareness of early learning methods.
Few parents realize babies can read or know how to teach them.  I suggest that you raise parents awareness in three ways:


1) Require that hospitals show a DVD on teaching babies to read and do math to all parents when they deliver a baby.  Also send a sheet summary of teaching their babies home with them when they leave the hospital.  Many hospitals already require parents to watch a DVD on "Back to sleep" and "Don't Shake Your Baby," adding one on teaching your baby would sky rocket parent awareness almost instantly.



2) Include instructions and direction for teaching babies to read and do math in the government publications that are already sent to the parents whose children are enrolled in government supplemented health care.  These publications are already sent out teaching parents how to care for their children through the first year of life.  Adding teaching directions to them, will target low income families.  This will have a direct effect on educational outcomes in low income school districts within 5 years, when these babies enter school.


3) Give a press conference on the topic.  The media coverage will instantly raise awareness and knowledge of how to teaching babies and young children to read and do math.


Sincerely,

Jennifer Andregg

[KL]

Well written, Jennifer! And thanks for the plug! 

I know some folks here (like domanmom) have many ideas on how to improve the US educational system, so I hope more people chime in!

[Kimba15]

Hey US of A's people!

I think all of you here have the makings of starting your own early education centre's between the all of you. I am sure there are 1000's of parents in the US of A who would love a place to send there children why they are at work where they are going to be loved and educated.

Unfortunately government can only do soo much, due to limited funds, taxes and so on and so on. If you start your own centres it may even open you up to receiving government grants and you would be setting a great example to everyone else of what children are capable of achieving.

Every single one of you here on this forum have a true passion for educating children, and that passion could help alot of parents who would dearly love to educate their children but are extremely time poor and have to work for finacial reasons.

So go all of you and go Obama. THANK GOD he got in!!!!

[neric6373]

This is a great idea and one that will  help this country once again be on the top. The babies are the future and they will accomplish more than what we can. I have always wondered if a home centre opened for kids that learn in Doman would be a good idea? I don't know ..what do you all think? Ofcourse it would have to be a smaller group at first..something like the Montessori program..but do you think it is achievable..and if so, do you think the concept will live on?

[Trinity]

It's a great theory, but I don't think the Americans would be that receptive.  For some reason, the prevelant feeling is to "let babies be babies."  I wish someone would shed some light on why Asian cultures are so accepting of teaching very young children, but we are so closed to it here in the US.

Also, I feel that government intervention makes things worse for the most part.  I am a product of the public school system but I don't really like the idea of sending my daughter to public schools.  I feel they breed mediocrity and a sheep mentality. 

[neric6373]

Hi Trinity and others, I am an Asian, Indian and in our country, like other Asian countries too, there is so much emphasis on child education right from the beginning. The first few years , upto 2 yrs are mostly for fun, but then they start school at 3 yrs and unlike here, where there is more play at school, kids in India are already adding and doing math, repetition is very much encouraged through homework, even in English. The words are written over and over, along with math and a solid foundation is give at the elementary school level. The belief is that once a good foundation is set, then the rest will all fall in place, ofcourse with constant reiteration that children need to perform their best at studies and nothing else. Sports is rarely enouraged though physical activity is important for brain functioning, dating is out of the question..house work is mostly left to adults and children do nothing but come home, spend some time playing and quickly get into books again. I would not say it was fun, it is exhausting when you are constantly sent to extra tuition after school, tuition during summer etc, but I think it is well worth it, as most Indians all get into graduate school and into doctorate levels. Parents instill in their children that they only way to a good future is through working hard and becoming a doctor or engineer.
I think Obama gets this as I have heard him say it in his speech, that we (the people) needed to instill this into our children, that it is necessary for America's future.

[Lappy]

Great thread started Jennifer - and your ideas are well thought out. I hope that people in our USA board will take this thread and pitch in their ideas to get this letter to the White House!

Here are a couple more ideas you might want to consider:

1. Government subsidy for small business owners who are in the industry of early education (early education centers)

If the government provides a small subsidy for small business owners and people who want to establish early learning centers, then education will be much more affordable.

2. Financial aid for children who are enrolled in early learning centers

Kids going through college have educational subsidies, so why not really small children?  If it were cheaper for the little ones to begin learning at a young age, perhaps more people may be inclined to give early education a try.

[Trinity]

Thanks neric6373!  I used to work in telecommunications and many of the engineers were from India.  I was always impressed with the fact that they not only had advanced engineering degrees, but had to adjust to a new culture and language.

[neric6373]

Yes..did you all watch Obama's speech about education reforms this morning? There was so much optimism in his words and it all boils down to our children's education, it was so exciting and wonderful to hear him say all those things that should have been said a few years ago. It is how India has become what it is today, it is beacuse of that dream that parents have for their kids, to be better than what they were. To give you a persepective, in 2007 alone, there were about 450,000 engineers that graduated out of colleges in India alone, whereas annually the U.S. and U.K. only graduate around 60,000 and 25,000 engineers, respectively. That is a startling number, as to the level of education we have in India right now. And then when we think of higher education, we always dream of coming to the US, where education is much sought after and we complete higher levels of education here. I too, am completing my Masters now, even though I have two kids and am a very busy mom. I quit work last year to concentrate on my studies, not just to complete it with mediocre scores, but to complete it with a good GPA. FInally I will be graduating in May with hopefully a 3.7 GPA. So I love Obama for all the changes he wants to see in America!

[lawrence]

Great thread Jennifer.
And great ideas Lappy.

If the government can do this subsidy on both sides for families and center owners, this can really make it much more affordable and appealing to the mass of parents.

Does anyone else have anymore ideas? 

[DadDude]

Interesting thread but I have just one comment...be careful what you wish for.

[lawrence]

We can continue this thread here as it seems Mr. Obama has answered some of our questions already!

http://forum.brillkids.com/general-discussion-b5/early-childhood-education-initiatives-by-obama/

 

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