Can the DR education system be improved

Rick Snyder

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Nov 19, 2003
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That there is a problem within the educational system here in the Dominican Republic I think we can agree on. What that or those problems are is always the center for a debate.
I have a son starting the second grade this year and while he was in the first grade I took an active interest in his studies to include his homework. My son has the books Nacho 1, Nacho 2 and Gran ABC Dominicano and I have studied these books. The educational curriculum in this country follows the way that Nacho 1 and Gran ABC Dominicano are written in that the vowels and their pronunciation are taught first and then different letters are introduced and added to these vowels to form syllables and the children are taught how to pronounce these syllables i.e., a,e,i,o,u, the introduction of the letter (m) forming ma,me,mi,mo,mu, double the ma= ma-ma and you have taught the word mam?. All this is well and good but it leaves me wondering if there is something we are forgetting.
At this point, if you will allow me, imagine yourself as a young child of 5 or 6 years of age. Place yourself in school at that age and your teacher tells you that there are 5 letters called vowels and they are a,e,i,o and u, (as a child I would imagine I would be wondering what is a vowel and what is a letter). After studying these vowels for a few days the teacher introduces the letter (m), (as a child I would imagine I would be wondering where my teacher came up with this letter which is called a consonant and how many more are there). Remember, up to this point you have not been taught that all languages have an alphabet and all alphabets contain letters and the Spanish alphabet contains 29 letters. It is my opinion that we are failing to teach some very simple basics which are the foundations of any language and they are; 1.What an alphabet is, 2.How many letters are contained therein and 3.What those letters are. Now, still in the imagination mode, imagine you have been taught what an alphabet is, that the Spanish alphabet contains 29 letters and you have been taught to recite the alphabet. The teacher tells you that there are five letters called vowels and they are a,e,i,o and u. Having already learned what the alphabet is and because you can recite it you know from where your teacher got these vowels and you can already pronounce them. When the letter (m) is introduced you know from where this letter was derived and all you need to learn is the sounds produced when this letter is added to each vowel. Another great benefit to learning to recite the alphabet is that you learn in which order these letters are placed. This benefit serves you after you have learned to read in that you are easily able to navigate those items that are alphabetized such as a dictionary or phone book.
In the last 2 years I have been conducting a survey and have asked over 4,000 children between the ages of 8 to 18 two very simple questions, 1.How many letters are in the alphabet? 2.Can you recite the alphabet? 93% of those surveyed were unable to answer number 1 or perform number 2. We are not teaching the basics that are needed for better learning.
When I started my survey 2 years ago it became apparent to me very quickly that the children were not learning the alphabet in a way that would benefit them the most. I thought of how the children in the USA learn to recite the alphabet at a very young age through song so I took the Spanish alphabet and put it to song. I then took 12 children in my barrio, my son included, and taught them this little jingle of the Spanish alphabet. Here it is 2 years later and these children can still recite the alphabet completely and correctly. I taught this song in 2 sessions of half an hour each session. The children enjoyed learning in these session because I taught it like a game and for that one hour of teaching it is still in their memory two years later. Cost to me? Didn't cost anything except a little time. My reward? I am proud that there are 12 children that know the alphabet when so many do not.
It is my opinion that if the children are given a better foundation to learn from by teaching more basics they will learn better and have more of an interest in learning. I believe that learning to recite the alphabet is one of these basics and it is very simple to do, doesn't take much time, is fun and..............doesn't cost anything.
 

Texas Bill

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Feb 11, 2003
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Rick---

You are ABSOLUTELY RIGHT!!!

I learned my ABC's in exactly the same way and even now, at 78, I still remember that little jingle.

Amazing, isn't it, that a subject, properly introduced and taught becomes so ingrained in our subconscious that we can recall it 73 years later.

I'm putting your idea to work tonight on Margarita's boys. Will let you know how successful I am with it. Trouble is, I dont know a tune to go with it.

Texas Bill
 

locofoto

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Aug 18, 2004
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Hmm... 5 years old and still learning the alphabet

Where I'm from children of age 5 talk almost like adults. Learning the alphabet is not an issue anymore. My latin wife (not from the DR) wondered how these small children know that much at a quite young age. The reason is that most well educated parents dedicate time to educate the basics of the language to their children. They talk to them, read to them every night and practice the alphabet in writing and pronouncing the letters. When these children start going to school there is not much left to do for the teachers.

Although in recent years that amount of parents who do this has dropped. Sad to notice.
 

Rick Snyder

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Nov 19, 2003
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I praise the parents

locofoto,
Don't know where you live but it is commendable that the parents in your area do that for their children because the public school system doesn't. I can only say that of the 4,089 children I surveyed only 7.4% knew there are 29 letters in the alphabet and only 7% could recite the alphabet using either 29 letters or the 27 that the school system teaches. Rember, these children were 8 to 18 years old.


Texas Bill,
In reality it isn't a song that I sing I just recite the alphabet in groups of three letters with a lot of clown antics thrown in and a smiley face. The children really love it and they pick up this little jingle of 3 letter groups rather quickly,
a - be - ce, che - de - e, efe - g - hache,

i - jota - ka, ele - elle - eme, ene - e?e - o,

pe - cu - ere, ese - te - u, uve - uve doble,

equis - i griega, ZETA

notice that the v and w are grouped as 2 as are the x and y for rhyme and rythem sake and the z is alone and I draw this letter out and do a safe signal with my hands. Try it you might like it :nervous:
 
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Jozee74

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Sep 3, 2004
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has everything changed.....

I remember when I went to visit my family members in D.R. and my younger cousin was doing math that I didnt understand (I am like 4 years older than she is). I dont know about any other state but in NYC, as long as you come in regulary and do your homework they will pass you to the next grade level.....thats a shame.

When dominicans decide to move to the U.S, the school department decides that because spanish is their primary language, they set them back about 1 or 2 years and honestly I bet many kids that come from D.R. know more educationally than alot of teachers here. if anyone would like to comment on this.
 

Texas Bill

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Feb 11, 2003
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Rick Snyder said:
locofoto,
Don't know where you live but it is commendable that the parents in your area do that for their children because the public school system doesn't. I can only say that of the 4,089 children I surveyed only 7.4% knew there are 29 letters in the alphabet and only 7% could recite the alphabet using either 29 letters or the 27 that the school system teaches. Rember, these children were 8 to 18 years old.


Texas Bill,
In reality it isn't a song that I sing I just recite the alphabet in groups of three letters with a lot of clown antics thrown in and a smiley face. The children really love it and they pick up this little jingle of 3 letter groups rather quickly,
a - be - ce, che - de - e, efe - g - hache,

i - jota - ka, ele - elle - eme, ene - e?e - o,

pe - cu - ere, ese - te - u, uve - uve doble,

equis - i griega, ZETA

notice that the v and w are grouped as 2 as are the x and y for rhyme and rythem sake and the z is alone and I draw this letter out and do a safe signal with my hands. Try it you might like it :nervous:

Thanks Rick

I'll start on this tonight just before bedtime. Maybe the boys will dream about it!!

Texas Bill
 

FuegoAzul21

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Jun 28, 2004
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Jozee74 said:
I remember when I went to visit my family members in D.R. and my younger cousin was doing math that I didnt understand (I am like 4 years older than she is). I dont know about any other state but in NYC, as long as you come in regulary and do your homework they will pass you to the next grade level.....thats a shame.

When dominicans decide to move to the U.S, the school department decides that because spanish is their primary language, they set them back about 1 or 2 years and honestly I bet many kids that come from D.R. know more educationally than alot of teachers here. if anyone would like to comment on this.



yeah , i agree that many schools underestimate the knowledge of Latin American students but i have noticed that when they move to more suburban places ,the schools usually dont do that , they usually keep them there and leave them there to fend for thier own ,however ,these students learn english alot faster then students who go to urban districts with ESL programs ,hence thier better equiped in the higher grades and do better on mandated proficiency tests . But in urban schools thats not exactly done anymore either , becuase of ESL programs , which in some ways hurts the students ,but in other ways helps them . but in the end it all depends on the students themselves
 

bienamor

Kansas redneck an proud of it
Apr 23, 2004
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I doubt it.

Jozee74 said:
I remember when I went to visit my family members in D.R. and my younger cousin was doing math that I didnt understand (I am like 4 years older than she is). I dont know about any other state but in NYC, as long as you come in regulary and do your homework they will pass you to the next grade level.....thats a shame.

When dominicans decide to move to the U.S, the school department decides that because spanish is their primary language, they set them back about 1 or 2 years and honestly I bet many kids that come from D.R. know more educationally than alot of teachers here. if anyone would like to comment on this.

Was your younger cousin attending a public school here or one of the Private schools? There is a vast gap between any of the private schools and the public arena.
I can see this happening is you cousin was attending Carol Morgan, St Thomas vs a NYC public school. But you can have the same problem moving out of NYC to other states with a higher education priority. My daughter went from an C-B student in Indiana to A-B student in Florida no more work in fact less. She was far ahead of what Fla was teaching.