A note to teacher

[candybomiller]

Dear Matthews future kindergarten teacher:

We will not be partaking in the coloring in the lines portion of your class. I believe it stiffles Matthews natural creativity. Plus he just doesn't want to.

Thank you for your consideration.

Matthew's extremely frustrated Mommy

[TaChapm]

HA...I LOVE IT!!! I can totally relate!

I haven't been around much so I don't think I have congratulated you on your pregnancy. What great news! (although I am a little late) :)

Tara
Mommy to Jackson 11-10-02
Tyler 6-9-05
& Baby Jaci 8-10-06

http://b5.lilypie.com/IV-Mm6.png


http://b2.lilypie.com/sJmVm7.png

http://b1.lilypie.com/EZwnm7.png

[MarisaSF]

LOL!

Oh, gosh, Candy! Is that actually something they do?

[candybomiller]

Thanks Tara! Congratulations are always nice to hear. :)

[candybomiller]

Not in my house! LOL.

I keep trying to tell myself that even though he's not coloring in the lines, it doesn't necessarily mean he's going to grow up to be an anarchist.

I hope.

[fortato]

Candy---

Add to the bottom of your letter...

It's the process not the product.

[daniele_ut]

Candy - I am sure that my own mother could commisserate with you on this point. My older sister, who is now 44, FAILED kindergarten because she refused to color within the lines. Yup, they actually held her back for the year. Did she grow up to be an ax murderer? Nope, she started her career as a freelance photographer, spent 20 or so years as a graphic artist and now is a happy SAHM. Gee, that creativity must have been good for something!!!

[SnuggleBuggles]

Doesn't this kindergarten crap stink? I was told that ds needed to come to school writing. Now, he can write all his letters and if you spell words he can write...but, aren't they supposed to teach this stuff?? I hope Matt gets a good teacher.

Beth

[ellies mom]

Good for you.

When I was in kindergarten, it wasn't enough to just colour in the lines, we had to outline each part with a black crayon. I didn't get it then, I don't get it now. And it forms part of my aversion to the Color Wonder "colouring books".

[muskiesusan]

I was just talking to my bf who is a K teacher about this subject. She gives her students two coloring worksheets-one to be creative with and another to do her way, which is staying in the lines to work on fine motor/control/whatever skills as a prewriting activity. I thought this was a nice approach.


Susan
Mom to Nick 10/01
& Alex 04/04

[lmwbasye]

Don't even get me started. I teach Kindergarten and we don't even have time in our schedule (which I have zero control over) for coloring.

Ugh!

[scoop22]

you must have tons of patience.. good for you.

i dread sending ds to school. i will definitly be writing lots of letters.
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[Lovingliv]

Please tell me you are kidding,,,,,,,,,,

[MMEand1]

I was going to post a question regarding coloring, too! I hope you don't mind if I highjack for a minute...

My 4yo DS has no interest in coloring inside the lines. He just likes to scribble, usually with just one or two colors. Is this normal, or is he going to be the ax murderer/anarchist??

Thanks,
Mariah P.

[bunnisa]

Candy, we're homeschooling, but this is my favorite coloring book (there's a series) and Matthew might like it:

http://ec1.images-amazon.com/images/I/51X8BBK8VCL._BO2,204,203,200_PIsitb-dp-500-arrow,TopRight,45,-64_OU01_AA240_SH20_.jpg

http://www.amazon.com/First-Anti-Coloring-Book-Creative-Activities/dp/0805068422/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1/002-5989556-2196035?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1178166863&sr=8-1


What's up with the coloring in the lines obsession? I think it stifles creativity, too.

[candybomiller]

About what?

[almostamom]

I was just going to suggest the same type of book - I started using these in my classroom 15 years ago (yes, I'm really old!) Hmmmm, I should go dig these out for DS!! I know one of the books I had used picture "starters" - the beginning of a picture was there, but the child completed it however he/she wanted. One I remember was a little cowboy sitting on a split rail fence so the child would add the background, scenery, animals, etc.

HTH,
Linda

[californiagirl]

So I didn't go to kindergarten -- I was in a Montessori school until first grade. I missed the "coloring in the lines" lessons. Not that I didn't color; I had coloring books I loved (I remember coloring Queen Elizabeth's dresses, for instance). In junior high, we were painting sets, and somebody said to me contemptuously "Don't you know how to color in the lines? You outline it first, like this." We had to repaint all her trees, because they look an awful lot more like trees if you do it the sloppy way... But it worked nicely on the mushrooms. It still looks terrible if it's something you're going to see close up, though.

DD at just past three has suddenly developed an interest in coloring, occasionally. She's about as good at it as her friend H was at 2, but you can see that her aim was to color specific parts of the paper. (At 2, she wanted to color the WHOLE paper. We have video of the two of them. He is scientifically trying to color an illustration, one crayon at a time. She has a crayon in each hand and is clearly trying to fill the whole page with color as fast as possible.)

[MamaKath]

LOL!!!! I hate stressing coloring in the lines. And I teach kindergarten.

I loved coloring with my Grandma as a kid. She was an artist and NEVER gave me a coloring book. She would set up a still life. She would get out all the supplies (paints or crayons) and we would draw then color!!! It was fantastic!

And CONGRATS!!!