Report cards are out

[BuffaloPaul]

for those who don't know, Wang Fang is my 15 years old chinese stepdaughter. Her English skills are fair but still not at the par of her classmates.

 

Her newest report card reads ESL=A,  Algebra II=A. Health and Wellness=A and Phsysics(ouchy)=A

 

So with nearly one year of high school behind her she has a cumulative GPA of 4.0.

 

YES, I'm braggin'  She's just a chip off the ole step-block.

Just curious - did she change grade levels when she came here? Wondering how the Chinese grades compare to US grades

[Trigg]

She came her last March. At 14 I thought it would be best to put her in eighth grade for the remainder of the school year so she could get used to American schools. she did bring her school records that show her grades and courses taken-in English.

 

In china she went to school at 7:00 am and got home at 9:00 pm. No talking-no messing around-only learning. Her hair was cut short like a boys. I thought she was just a Tomboy but she told me that in her school they made all the girls have short hair so they wouldn't play with it while they were supposed to be studying.

 

the only non-regular class she has is ESL (English as a second language). This will be her last semester in that. I did that because in TN you have to have two years (block schedule means one semester equal one year) of a foreign language to graduate high school and get into college. Although she speaks Mandarin and Cantonese fluently-they don't count as the school doesn't offer it. So the ESL counts as a foreign language. Next year she will take regular English class-1-4.

 

 

If your step-child is serious about an education-don't worry too much. He/she will be way ahead in the math areas and used to much harder work than American schools will give her/him. Wang Fang had to take a math placement test last year for high school kids. the test was written in English and no help was offered-she got the highest score in the county.

 

She's also in Beta club and captain of the flag corp. Great kid!!!

[Dan R]

Someone sounds like a proud Papa.

 

That's fantastic Trigg. Now how will you prevent her from Americanizing?

[BuffaloPaul]

If your step-child is serious about an education-don't worry too much. He/she will be way ahead in the math areas and used to much harder work than American schools will give her/him.  Wang Fang had to take a math placement test last year for high school kids. the test was written in English and no help was offered-she got the highest score in the county.

 

She's also in Beta club and captain of the flag corp.  Great kid!!!

Wow, That's great. Thanks for the info. Think my future step-daughter will have a little trouble initially since she does not seem motivated to learn English (though her mama's nagging quite a bit).

[Trigg]

Someone sounds like a proud Papa.

 

That's fantastic Trigg. Now how will you prevent her from Americanizing?

Doesn't seem to be a problem. I'm trying to get her to go out more and have more fun--she got learnt reel good in china--probly got mop slapped a bit. Oh, and my wifes mother is a retired teacher-they lived with her and she STRESSES education. Besides, the quaint little town I live in hasn't been americanized yet--no crime-that's unamerican ain't it?? And, despite my minor delusional thought and little spelling deficits-I am afterall a child/adolescent psychologist by trade.

[oregonknl]

Great to hear about Wang Fang's continuing success Trigg!

 

And yeah, the only thing that I think could distract her accademically --- is boys --- and I'm sure when they come around (and you know they will)

 

Daddy Trigg will have is big strong tatooed arm around their skinny little shoulder, slippin' up around the neck a little .... and walk them around the plantation a spel' jus' to let em' know what is expected of a gentl' man in the suthern' tradition.....

 

[hypoclear]

There you go.. that special trip is for her!! ..

 

Now in your capasity as a child..? what age or grade is it that they move away from rote learning? When do they start to develope abstract lthought as it seems many people in china are weak in this.

 

I do know that 40 and above students is the norm here.

 

It could be the younger students in present day China have a more progressive education than the older ones or she isvery lucky in that she hit it at the right time and will move in that direction in the coming years like the rest of the American students.

 

Either way she does have a very bright future and I'm sure pappa trigg will see to it she has a fun present..

 

Mark and Bea and Elizabeth

[Trigg]

There you go.. that special trip is for her!! ..

 

Now in your capasity as a child..? what age or grade is it that they move away from rote learning? When do they start to develope abstract lthought as it seems many people in china are weak in this.

 

I do know that 40 and above students is the norm here.

 

It could be the younger students in present day China have a more progressive education than the older ones or she isvery lucky in that she hit it at the right time and will move in that direction in the coming years like the rest of the American students.

 

Either way she does have a very bright future and I'm sure pappa trigg will see to it she has a fun present..

 

Mark and Bea and Elizabeth

If memory and my theoretical background serves me, your talking about Pioget (sp) and his theory of development-concrete to formal thought at -around age 12-However, only 25% of all adults ever reach this stage is it requires above average intelligence. As for China-they teach step by step-as in math and left brain things' Critical thinking skills are not required. American students learn less stuff but more thinking skills.

 

disclaimer-----I may be confusing Pioget with some other lame ass stage theorist-It's been a long time and I'm not in the above mentioned 25%.

 

Should I bill your insurance??

[hypoclear]

Nope American Express via the GZ American Services.. hehe

 

yup that's the guy and I'm thinking Growth and Human Development from my college days. This is all 101 and theory to give us a walk around the field so to speak.

 

I just saw something that mentioned the USA and Canada as Individulistic societys where as a developing place such as Koera are collective... hmmm oh yeah it was in the NY Times editorial and how China's 25 th year of food aid was ending.

 

So perhaps it is a cultural thing, or older people having a different educatioon or as Bea has mentioned the old Iron Rice bowl mentality but.. it seems many over here could not figure out how to put their shoes back on if some one else took them off.. And what 1 person from Japan could do in a day it would take 10 Chinese.

 

But!! you only know what you know and it may not reflect what you can do or learn to do.. nature verses nuture?

 

Or.. ask a fish about his enviornment and the last thing he will say is water.

and.. I wouldn't join any club that would have me as a member.. Marx no not carl, groucho.

 

Mark and Bea and Elizabeth

[Dan R]

Groucho was a very wise man. He also said:

 

Outside of a dog, man's best friend is a book.

Inside a dog it is too dark to read.

 

Very astute that man. One of America's great philosophers obviously. They may have Confucius but we have Marx.

[frank1538]

Trigg, can you say "scholarship"?

[Trigg]

Trigg, can you say "scholarship"?

OH YEA, Frank-It has been at the front of my mind. She has a 4.0 after 3/4 of her first year. My VA benifits will pay around $800.00 a month to her while she is in college. Put in some money from me, a part time job from her and a nice academic and possibly even a minority scholorship and her options may go beyond UT or WKU.

 

Not only have I thought about--SHE HAS. I gotta love the way she can defer gratification. she's in the ninth grade and already trying to decide where she will do her graduate work that's ten years from now.-I gotts gt her hangin' out with my soon to be 12 year old daughter-she just made the middle school cheerleading team and is sure that she has achieved high in life-defers her gratification all the way 'till this afternoon.

[Robert S.]

If she can do well in English Literature and keep making all A's then I can see her going to Vanderbilt on a scholarship.

[BuffaloPaul]

I gotts gt her hangin' out with my soon to be 12 year old daughter-she just made the middle school cheerleading team and is sure that she has achieved high in life-defers her gratification all the way 'till this afternoon.

Yeah , know exactly how you feel. My other 3 children are not motivated at all academically. Maybe my new step daughter will be an inspiration

[Trigg]

I gotts gt her hangin' out with my soon to be 12 year old daughter-she just made the middle school cheerleading team and is sure that she has achieved high in life-defers her gratification all the way 'till this afternoon.

Yeah , know exactly how you feel. My other 3 children are not motivated at all academically. Maybe my new step daughter will be an inspiration

Well, my 12 year old has always been on the honor role with A's a B's-but she is very bright and understands the language more--if she were as motivated as my stepdaughter she may be in college by her 13th birthday. Then again the 12 year old has a lot more fun--kids need that too