Letter: Common Core is upsetting to schoolchildren
8-year-old Michael Crisci holds a lanyard which students brought to schools stating they opted out of Common Core tests on April 1, 2014. Credit: Newsday / Thomas A. Ferrara
I am certainly not an expert on the educational system, but as a pediatrician and a mother, I have a couple of observations that I'd like to share about the Common Core ["U.S. ed secretary boosts NY's King," News, April 11].
During testing, many kids came to my office with headaches, stomachaches and other stress-related symptoms.
Second, kids and teachers are enjoying school less. Teachers' creativity in lesson-planning is being restricted. This was obvious to me when I went to "meet the teacher" night for my children this past fall. The schedule of the day was completely regimented and had a different feel from years past.
My son's first-grade teacher, who was my 13-year-old daughter's favorite teacher, told me that she has no time to do any of the fun things she did in the past.
In addition, my 10-year-old is reading primarily nonfiction and is learning to dislike reading.
Again, I do not claim to be an expert, but I see the effect the shift in curriculum has had on my children and my patients.
Dr. Jennifer Shaer, Dix Hills
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