For Americans only. Are our children getting dumber?

Question

Examples of what I mean.

1) Can't tell time without a digital clock
2) Can't do simple math without a calculator
3) Can't spell
4) Can't write in plain english

Answer 1

That is all so true! And we only continue to make them dumber

Answer 2

No. My child is 5 years old and she can read simple words, spell simple words, and can do addition in her head. She has a concept of time because I have been enforcing the 5 minute rule with her since she was 3. I warn her when we are going to leave by saying, "5 minutes" and she knows that she will have to wrap up what she is doing.

I think are kids are getting smarter. I didn't know how to do some of the things she can do with a computer until I was well into my 20's. She is also learning about maps, animals, science, math, reading, writing, art and music in pre-kindergarten. She's probably at the level I was when I was in first or second grade!

Answer 3

I can't speak for other peoples children, but my little one 1 and 2 years old can not only say their Alphabet, but identify letters and numbers, the can both count in Spanish and German, and say small sentences in Spanish. Their vocabulary is better than some High school graduates that I know. I am a stay at home mama and I spend a lot of time reading and talking to them. I have NEVER used "baby talk" nor do I talk down to them. If they don't understand something, they ask. I think it's just a matter of how much time and effort you put into raising your children. I don't think American children are becoming "dumber", I think parents are.

Answer 4

In my opinion... yes... although I think I would choose a different word than dumb.

I just graduated from college a couple of years ago, and here's my little theory - American kids live the good life... they have no motivation to learn because there really is no need for them to.

Who motivates kids to do better? Parents that buy them BMWs for their sweet 16? The media that makes every 12 year old girl want to be Paris Hilton? Our government surely doesn't set a good example.

Combine those factors with the fact that kids don't really face any hardships that may push them to succeed. The biggest care on the minds of most college kids was what party everyone was going to...

Kids in other countries have real motivators... I spent some time in china not too long ago, and I can tell you that those people are hungry for success... they work damn hard for it too. They have a real goal to make life better, and the whole society falls in line. Even in this country years ago, we had outside forces like the Great Depression and the Soviet Union in the cold war that kept our society in a competitive mode, which in turn put pressure on our kids to not fail.

Who is going to work at making life better if its already great? I think its a situation where the age old creed "dont mess with success" is really going to slow us down. I can't blame a kid who fails out of high school if mom and dad give him everything he could ever want... I wouldn't pay for something that I can get for free either...

Answer 5

I am a American but I have lived in London for a little while so I have another perspective about this. I was lucky to have mother who loved to read, was a math genius and was picky about spelling and grammar and I was taught all of that from a early age but I did notice that when I was younger no one could do simple math like 21 x 6 in their heads while I was doing even higher grade math in my head. Also I was taught from a young age to work hard to achieve my goals and to keep on trying and no one else was like that! I was so surprised when no one was like that. I just hope someone will save The USA before it implodes on itself.

Answer 6

My kids are nothing like that....the world has come to this point where they target kids for all these new games and videos and music...well when you are throwing everything BUT education at them what do you expect....another thing that i disagree with is the lady that said it is the schools fault...the school offers all it can to these children but they are too busy worrying about other things that they dont take advantage of this oppurtunity....i stay involved with my kids education because it is not the schools responsibility it is yours....and anyone that says different is not a very concerned parent about their childrens education

Answer 7

Mine do all of this! I have a kindergartner and 2nd grader. They both can read, know all of their letters and what they sound like and can write them, do simple math and are now working on their times tables, my daughter has a perfect spelling record, my son is working on his still and both can write in perfect English.
I think maybe because not only am I involved in their life but I make sure the teachers are as well.

Answer 8

In this day and age I believe that there are too many distractions and they are partaking in those distractions and have no interest in school for the most part. School is seen as a boring ordeal and they have become less teachable due to the vast array of entertainment due to today's technological advances. Let's hope somehow this can be overcome.

Answer 9

I don't think they are getting dumber, they are simply acquiring less knowledge. To say that they are dumber is to imply that they have less capacity to understand, and that is not the case. The problem is that they are being taught as much, and we have a horrible school system to thank for that.

Answer 10

Yes but American kids have always been dumber than all the other kids in the world. Even in illiterate countries the kids are waayyy smarter.

Answer 11

yes but in th kids defence, our school systems are not doing their jods. ex: the math issue is they dont spend enough time on multiplication and some kids take longer to learn.


point blank, they are trying to cram everything into kiids heads before they graduate and as the years go by there is more and more for the children to learn.