A Wall Street Journal article today expressed concern about U.S. school children and their understanding of history:
"The results from the National Assessment of Educational Progress revealed that U.S. schoolchildren have made little progress since 2006 in their understanding of key historical themes, including the basic principles of democracy and America's role in the world.
"Only 20% of U.S. fourth-graders and 17% of eighth-graders who took the 2010 history exam were "proficient" or "advanced," unchanged since the test was last administered in 2006. Proficient means students have a solid understanding of the material.
"The news was even more dire in high school, where 12% of 12th-graders were proficient, unchanged since 2006. More than half of all seniors posted scores at the lowest achievement level, 'below basic.'" See More...
Early patriot, Noah Webster offers a simple suggestion for Patriotic Moms:
"Every child in America should be acquainted with his own country. He should read books that furnish him with ideas that will be useful to him in life and practice. As soon as he opens his lips, he should rehearse the history of his own country."
Summer is an ideal time to get better acquainted with our history. Whether you pick up great books on Amazon.com or borrow them at the public library, every family can create it's very own "I Love America Bookshelf." NCCS.net has some of my favorites.
Some families I know read together as a family every day. They may read at mealtime, bedtime, or right before a fun activity. They also encourage children to read on their own. Their children are developing a lifelong love of reading and of our history.
