Witnessed today at a local (corporatised) child care centre (marketed as ‘early childhood learning’ centre), a fully qualified worker who could not read the word ‘chameleon’ in a book being read to the children.
Perhaps I’m just feeling tired and emotional, but how on earth can we instill a love of reading when those charged with teaching it are not adequately prepared by their own education? Sigh
Posted by Jo A on January 14, 2009 at 8:37 am
Oh man. Really?
*sigh*
Posted by Graham Storrs on January 14, 2009 at 11:32 am
I was in a service station on the New England Highway last week and the girl behind the counter could make no sense whatsoever of the word ‘meringue’ when it came up on her till. Not such an awful example as yours but pretty shocking given that this was her job and she only had about 50 products to sell.
Actually, I wouldn’t be surprised if you don’t need qualifications at all to work in an ‘early learning centre’. They probably pay minimum wage and most of the parents don’t care anyway.
Posted by janettedalgliesh on January 14, 2009 at 2:32 pm
Actually you DO need quals – though you’re right, it’s crap money and SOME of the parents don’t care.
The awful thing is, as I’m commenting on this I’m also thinking, am I turning into one of those grumpy old farts who drones on about sms and twitter being the end of the English language as we know it blah blah.
Actually I LIKE sms and tweeting – who wouldn’ve love a timesaver? – it’s just if it’s your JOB to help kids learn to grasp the foundations of written language, shouldn’t you at least be able to read yourself? I don’t expect everyone to be able to spell chameleon, or meringue for that matter, but is recognition too much to ask? Sigh.