What do you study for? The grade or the knowledge?
I had a discussion with my boyfriend about grades in general. He remembered his years from middle school and up only as fun. He felt as it was an achievement to get good grades and then compare them with his classmates. It was the competition that drew him to study.
When I look back at my school years, I had most fun in primary school up to elementary school. I thought all the subjects were interesting and were eager to learn more. When I began middle school (from the seventh grade) it wasn’t the same. You were separated from your classmates and began in a new class with only a few of who you knew. The teaching was completely different with us going to different rooms where the subjects were located and different teachers in every subject. It took time to adapt to everything being new. Then you got grades and everything got stressful. Suddenly you studied to get as high marks as possible and also trying to squeeze all information in as fast as you were able to. This led me feeling headache and stomach pain.
Many pupils are driven to get high grades. It makes them work harder to get to the top. This can be good for some but those who do not have this competing spirit might feel vulnerable. Some want to see what the other has got in grade and they might try to hear or see their grades. The one who don’t compete might feel exposed and uncomfortable.
I believe grades in such early age are unnecessary. Children are so dependent of us adults. It is our job to give them their self confidence in what they are doing. They want to hear that they are good at something and get the credit they deserve if they have finished an exercise or a test. They want to hear that they have done an okay job, no matter of the result.
On the other hand, I can understand parents who want to know if their child needs any backup in a certain subject. My experience is that it is a truly blessing to have a teacher with good documentation of the pupils. In Sweden I believe we have good documentation like this. An example is every semester the teacher and parents have a conversation of the child’s development (utvecklingssamtal).
The laissez-faire attitude is not a bad thing. Young children especially, need the time to adapt and grow into the work they tend to do. Let them play. Does it really matter if it takes a little longer time for them to understand what they are intended to do? Let kids be kids.
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Hi Sofie
SvaraRaderaThank you for letting me chare your thoughts about grades. You describe, based from your own experience advantages and disadvantages of grades in primary school. I certainly agree with you that there are advantages and disadvantages in this matter and it will be interesting to see what the Government's proposal will end in.
Your text is easy to read, your spelling is good and you have no problems with punctuation. The paragraphs are also ok. I have, however, a thought which regards your second paragraph. You begin with I, for example “When I look back..” but you change to you, for example “You were separated from…” My advice to you is that you should cling to the same pronoun.
This text is meant to be an argumentative text but you have no thesis statement in the beginning of your text. It’s not until I read the fourth paragraph I understand what you think about grades in early years and that’s when you write “I believe grades in such early age are unnecessary.”
Finally I think your blog was interesting to read and your last paragraph contains a question which could be an interesting topic for discussion.
Keep on your good work,
Best regards,
Britt-Marie Melin