Disney ABC's - not unreasonable, is it?

[DVCLiz]

We took my sons out of school when they were in kindergarten and they enjoyed making Disney ABC sheets. They also drew a picture to represent each day and wrote a few words to go with it. After we got home I put the pages into a notebook.

The boys are now 7 and 9 and they both love looking back at those books! It was something that they created and they are proud of them years later!

So I think it's a great idea for so many reasons!!

It is a great idea as a souvenir. If it becomes a chore or something that gets in the way of the vacation, there's no need for it from an academic standpoint.

 

[mickeylove2]

FWIW I attend college full time, along with working fulltime, and when we took our trip 2 of my college professors told ME not to worry about having any assignments to do while on vacation, the operative word being, vacation, 1 of my instructors still held me to the deadlines for the assignemts in his class, but I was prepared to have to do work on vacation anyway. I just took care of getting my work done and handed in when I returned, not a big deal. Both of the professors told me a vacation is what it is and they didn't want me worrying about HAVING to email them assignments and checking our class assignments online, I would still get full credit even though some of my assignments were late. Of course I did do some of my assignments, but I didn't stress about it, for instance I had to read a book and write a 5-7 page reaction paper to it, that's 1 of the assignments that I did, along with a few other papers and all of the assignments for the history class that I had to do...my point is, for my children, I don't worry too much about the elementary school years, now high school it'll be different I'm sure, but at 4 & 6, they can be kids for 2 weeks. KWIM?? But only you know your kids best and you know what's best for them!

 

[famofsix]

I think it is a cute idea.It would be fun for her to get some of the characters to sign the letter pages.

 

[belle&sebastiansmom]

Got it! They look great. Thanks so much!

 

[DevilDuckie]

We don't have the habit of doing something to make up for missing school because we have the actual work they missed to make up.

My point was that by creating something to do as makeup now the OP prepares her kids for later when the makeup work will be sent by the school. I don't think any method of adding education to fun is bad for kids. The OP is encouraging her kids to learn- how is that a bad thing?

 

[DVCLiz]

My point was that by creating something to do as makeup now the OP prepares her kids for later when the makeup work will be sent by the school. I don't think any method of adding education to fun is bad for kids. The OP is encouraging her kids to learn- how is that a bad thing?

I'm sorry, but I don't see any need to "prepare" a child for future missed schoolwork by making busywork worksheets that small children will be made to do on a family vacation. I think there's just a broad level of disagreement here. There's nothing inherently wrong with the practice, I just think it's totally unnecessary. If you're the kind of parent who needs to point out that Dumbo begins with letter D while you're standing in line, then you are and there's nothing I can do about it. But I think that kind of parent is silly beyond words, frankly. Why not just skip the vacation and keep them in school?

It just screams "overinvolved parent" to me and I try to stay as far away from possible from that kind of parent. If you are working on a project for a family scrapbook or souvenir, I don't have any issue. But if you are trying to find "educational" worksheets to color in the middle of Fantasyland, I think you're going too far.

That's just my opinion...

 

[bedillamouse]

It sounds like fun. I PM'd you.

 

[famofsix]

A parent is a child first teacher...pointing out D for Dumbo when your child is interested is completely age appropriate. If the OP's daughter is learning letters right now making a home to school connection where ever you happened to be is a good thing. I did not get the impression the purpose of this activity was to drill the child but to supplement what she is already learning. We took our kids out for Disney and I used teachable moments in Epcot to enhance what they were learning in school.

But then again, we did an alphabet hunt at the zoo when we were on vacation and took pictures of animals with the beginning sounds of the alphabet and made a book later out of it. I guess I am one of those parents

 

[DVCLiz]

A parent is a child first teacher...pointing out D for Dumbo when your child is interested is completely age appropriate. If the OP's daughter is learning letters right now making a home to school connection where ever you happened to be is a good thing. I did not get the impression the purpose of this activity was to drill the child but to supplement what she is already learning. We took our kids out for Disney and I used teachable moments in Epcot to enhance what they were learning in school.

But then again, we did an alphabet hunt at the zoo when we were on vacation and took pictures of animals with the beginning sounds of the alphabet and made a book later out of it. I guess I am one of those parents

I guess my feeling really is - why the need to do this in the first place? What's wrong with just going to the zoo and having fun looking at animals? Take all the pictures you want - why the need to make an alphabet book out of them? Why not just make a scrapbook called "Our Fun Day at The Zoo" even if you couldn't find a picture of all 26 letters? We have literally hundreds of pictures of the animals at the Safari at Animal Kingdom - I love looking at them because I can see different stages when my daughters were very young (blurry brown spot) and then older and better photographers (clear shot of hippo out of the water.) It never occurred to me to make them sit down and put them in an alphabet book. They wouldn't have thought that was fun at all. Maybe someday we will put them in a scrapbook and if they want to help we'll do it as a family, but not as an "educational experience."

It just always smacks of "I'm such a better parent than all those schmucks who just let their kids look at the elephant as long as they want and then move on, without identifying body parts, or making the distinction between types of elephants, or sounding out the word and tracing it in the dirt by the fence." The kind of moms I knew who were that way with their kids at those ages haven't grown into the types of moms who can take things in stride with their middle and high schoolers. Everything is a contest to see how much better they can do things than everyone else. I just get tired of it.

 

[iheartdisney]

I guess my feeling really is - why the need to do this in the first place?

umm, becasue the whole point of going to the zoo is to learn. To learn about the animals in the world around us, right? To experience things that are out of our norm.

It never occurred to me to make them sit down and put them in an alphabet book. They wouldn't have thought that was fun at all.

To my young children, making a book together is what my kids refer to as "craft time." Its called being a parent and being involved with your kids, not just letting Nick Jr babysit all day.

Everything is a contest to see how much better they can do things than everyone else. I just get tired of it.

Actually, my teaching my children has NOTHING to do with competition and NOTHING to do with you. It has to do with relating to and communicating to my children. And if that makes you feel bad, instead of judging me, you should take a look at the cause of those resentments.

 

[DVCLiz]

umm, becasue the whole point of going to the zoo is to learn. To learn about the animals in the world around us, right? To experience things that are out of our norm.


To my young children, making a book together is what my kids refer to as "craft time." Its called being a parent and being involved with your kids, not just letting Nick Jr babysit all day.


Actually, my teaching my children has NOTHING to do with competition and NOTHING to do with you. It has to do with relating to and communicating to my children. And if that makes you feel bad, instead of judging me, you should take a look at the cause of those resentments.

I don't think the whole point of going to the zoo is to learn, if by that you mean a formal learning experience complete with photos and a labelled booklet at the end of the day. To me, the "point" of the zoo (and I don't even agree that there has to be a "point" to it) is to have fun, to see animals, and to enjoy the experience as a family. Of course kids will "learn" by looking and reading and seeing - but I don't think they have to have a formal educational experience in order to be allowed to come into the zoo.

As far as "craft time" and Nick Jr., it can be fun to make a book together. We have lots of those kind of things we did when my children were small. They were fun but they weren't a required part of any vacation. My daughters also watched their fair share of Nick Jr., but I didn't use it for a babysitter. I had daycare for that, and they didn't allow television.

I don't care in the least how you or any other parent relates to or communicates with their children. It doesn't make me feel bad - far from it. And I don't resent anyone unless they try to play "Who can be the better mom?" with me. Then I do resent them because they are tedious and boring.

 

[DVCLiz]

Also, for the record since this thread has strayed pretty far from the original post, I'm not against any sort of educational activity a mom might choose to do with or for her children on any sort of "daily life" excursion, as long as she's doing it because she genuinely thinks her children will enjoy it, and as long as she stops if it becomes a chore or something that isn't fun anymore. Oh, and as long as she doesn't get smug about it if I choose to go to the same place but skip the activity.

My whole reaction on this thread is specifically because it is a vacation and a kindergarten student is being given an assignment (the OP's words.)

 

[famofsix]

I don't look down on parents who choose not to extend a teachable moment in the same way that I do nor do I expect other parents to judge me for finding a fun way to teach my children.

 

[DVCLiz]

I don't look down on parents who choose not to extend a teachable moment in the same way that I do nor do I expect other parents to judge me for finding a fun way to teach my children.

To each her own. I'm sure you will continue to do what you think is best for your children whether I judge you for it or not. The OP did ask for opinions about the reaction of her fellow teachers to her assignment for her daughter, so clearly there are some who do judge, myself included. I believe I have been relatively clear about why, so I won't rehash that. I do think it's wrong, or at least naive, to expect not to be judged - whether you care about someone else's judgement is another matter entirely.

 

[famofsix]

well if teaching my kids to explore the world around them in a fun way to build a tremendous knowledge base is all I am judged for I guess I am doing ok

great idea OP If your child is excited about it go for it!

I don't consider myself naive and I don't consider other parents shmucks for doing things differently.

 

[DVCLiz]

well if teaching my kids to explore the world around them in a fun way to build a tremendous knowledge base is all I am judged for I guess I am doing ok

great idea OP If your child is excited about it go for it!

I don't consider myself naive and I don't consider other parents shmucks for doing things differently.

I guess when I see a parent doing these kinds of activities, or talking about them in detail in front of other parents, I interpret it to mean, "Hey! Look at me!!! Watch me teach my kids to explore the world around them in a fun way and build a tremendous knowledge base at the same time!!! Ha ha!! All you're doing is watching the animals!!!! You're not even taking pictures to make an alphabet book later!!"

Maybe I feel I am doing the same thing, but I don't need to formalize it with an academic assignment on vacation. And it really has been my personal experience that most moms who want to do these kinds of things don't want to do it in a vacuum - they talk about it and make sure everyone knows exactly how wonderful they are and how enriched their kids will be. It just gets on my last nerve....

 

[williamohms]

I think the idea is pretty cool. Just because you made a choice to spend time helping your child learn doesn't mean that everyone will agree unfortunately. I say do what you want they are after all your children if you wish to enhance the experience with some education then do it

Unfortunately everyone in the world feels they have a right to tell everyone else how they should or should not raise their own children. Sounds like your child wants to do this so do it My school district does not allow the teacher to send home work missed during "unexcused absences" which a trip to WDW is. So I've been looking for things to do to ensure that the time spent at Disney is educational as well as fun. My choice as my 3 children's Father.

 

[DVCLiz]

I think the idea is pretty cool. Just because you made a choice to spend time helping your child learn doesn't mean that everyone will agree unfortunately. I say do what you want they are after all your children if you wish to enhance the experience with some education then do it

Unfortunately everyone in the world feels they have a right to tell everyone else how they should or should not raise their own children. Sounds like your child wants to do this so do it My school district does not allow the teacher to send home work missed during "unexcused absences" which a trip to WDW is. So I've been looking for things to do to ensure that the time spent at Disney is educational as well as fun. My choice as my 3 children's Father.

Of course you are right - everyone has the right to make the choices they want concerning their own children. But it is a public message board, and everyone has a right to state their opinion, particularly on a thread that started with an OP asking for opinions. I haven't told anyone how they should or should not raise their children - just shared my opinion about a technique I thought was over the top.

Anyway, I think I've exhausted the subject from my point of view!!!! And I'm going to make DD14 help me clean a few things before she finishes her real homework...

 

[nancy drew]

i think it sounds like a great idea!

to me this would be a fun "lets do it together" project, where dd (and eventually ds, who is too young now) would work on it together, if we had time. maybe even something fun to do after the trip, as we look at photos.

ill be sending a PM to request the file.

 

[sl_underwood]

It seems so many feel that the only place to learn is in a classroom or from a book. Life is full of learning experiences and our kids are sponges, just waiting to soak it all up. There is nothing wrong with playing the alphabet game at the zoo or teaching your teen mall math during a shopping excursion. These lessons teach using real life, something you cannot get from a textbook. It also saddens me that so many feel that learning isnt fun, that learning something takes from enjoying the experience. I dont understand why anyone would want to send that message to their child.
Just my two cents!