Random Play by Graham Reid

That's a lovely post, Graham and just goes to show how flawed the 'national standards' model is. We all grow at different rates ...

A vaguely related story about so-called late blooming:

I was always considered smart in the NZ schooling system, so it was somewhat of a shock when I got to the American School in Japan, and firstly was told I needed to go into Fourth Grade at age 10 (when I knew from Judy Blume books that I should be in Fifth Grade) because, and I quote "all these Australians come here and think that they know what year they should go in to, then find they're too stupid for that class". A huge tantrum and some aptitude tests quickly put me into fifth grade, but a couple of months later going into sixth grade, they got their revenge and stuck me in Remedial Writing. Oh hell no! I had plenty of stickers and certificates for my story-writing, and my spelling was pretty good too! It's true that I had never diagrammed a sentence before, but I did actually know what I was doing. Three months later, they realised that and I was let out of that class. Now I make my living from my skill with words and my admirable analness when it comes to grammar. Suck it, ASIJ. You can take this ‘late’ blooming and shove it up your privileged ridiculous ass.

American School in Japan

ASIJ... pfft. You should have gone to ISSH.

ASIJ... pfft. You should have gone to ISSH.

Wasn't that a boys' school? Mum always threatened that if I ever called her "Mom" she'd stick me into Catholic school, but that was never going to happen. My parents are more atheist than me!

I'd add that early bloomers are hardly guaranteed to do well either. I taught myself to read and write at four, was considered some sort of frigging genius through primary school, then almost crashed out of intermediate school, did averagely in high school and ended up graduating at 30.

I had Leo the Late Bloomer as a child! Mum had bought it at the enthusiastic recommendation of an aunt, but later realised that the book had been more beneficial to the aunt than to my allegedly "late blooming" cousin, or me and my bro.

I just thought it was a nice story about a tiger with some cool illustrations.

Also, The Creative Hub sounds brilliant. I wish there was something like that in Wellington!

Hey Graham,

I haven't thought of Leo the Late Bloomer for years and years, it was one of my faves. I must have a dig around in some boxes to see if I still have my copy. This was always the one book that had to be in the mix somewhere. I vaguely recall it had great artwork too...

Must admit I was an early bloomer though, I was reading at age 4 and just couldn't get enough words... Shame about bombing out at high school...

Fairly sure Leo was a Tiger. It was my son's favorite library book earlier this year, and I distinctly remember it from my own childhood. Nice message, and something I constantly see happening in reality.

The thing I think is always worth remembering about any standards system is that there is a colossal number of different things to be good at. By academic standards at school, I was a good student, and an excellent sportsman, but it was usually not the yardstick I measured myself by. I was envious, for example, of the "low achievers" who seemed to be able to woo girls. It was a very poorly taught subject and I flunked it for my entire teenage years.

My eldest son wrote nothing right through Primary School yet he was passionate about books. As a late bloomer he would have been classed as Fail Fail Fail. He has now completed an Honours Degree at Canterbury and is now onto Law in Auckland.
The political belief when interfering in Education seems to be that all progress at the same rate. Rubbish and good luck and admiration for the Creative Hub. Though had it been financed by the Government it wouldn't be now!

I went to primary school knowing how to read & write & draw in a non-toddler fashion - but I was extremely shortsighted, which wasnt picked until I was 7.

The damage was done - I hated teachers who didnt understand, thought I was cheating (somehow-?) and - especially -those who derided my quite exact knowledge of insects et al...net result?

I was a non-bloomer. O yes, I won a lot of prizes for writing & speaking at both primary & secondary school, and even went into UC as a law honours student - but I detested academia.

I think the powers-that-be picked this: I've had a couple of term (=3 or 6 month) fellowships, but never a full-term one.

Late late bloomers unite! We can still do something-

Col Sanders didn't even start KFC until he was 70!

The Creative Hub sounds fantastic -- I hope it's a roaring success.

I've always found it odd that most people consider their learning to be over when they leave high school/uni/polytech. As if there was nothing further they needed to know.

My Nanna, born in ANZ but Orkney in origin, had a pithy wee saying: "You stop learning and you start dying."
She left school at 12 (she was eldest and there were 6 siblings.)
She and her husband, a most lovely & lovesome Kai Tahu man, revered books. And practical knowledge. And some quite esoteric knowledge.As does my mother. As do all her children. And a considerable number of her grandchildren & greatgrandchildren-

because we are curious primates (I mean that all ways) we *can* go on learning as long as we are able to. I love trained minds. I also love the wild ones-

On that note, Islander, do you know of any books on Orkney or Shetland immigration to NZ? It seems like North Otago and Otago more generally was quite a popular destination for immigration from those islands.

My mother likes to tell the story of how when I was 3, she started using those flashcards (yes, apparently they had them, even in the mid 60's) with me. They lasted about 10 mins according to her. I wasn't having any of it. And I went on to become an avid and able reader and writer. I really think it's less about school, and more about your home environment, generally. As Islander says, if you come from a family that values education, in a very broad sense, and reading, then I don't know that you can go very far wrong - as long as the child has no complicating factors.

Ben Austin - I dont know of any books, but there are quite a few chapters and articles on Orkney & Shetand migration to Otago. I'm headed south next week - I'll do some checking. I have some Matches cousins who are immersed in their histories & genealogy-

almost all the street names in Palmerston are Orcadian place names.

Late bloomers may not be able to hit University so easily in the future if the gummint has its way...

We seem to be moving towards what the Japanese education system is moving away from. What next, cram schools?

On that note, Islander, do you know of any books on Orkney or Shetland immigration to NZ? It seems like North Otago and Otago more generally was quite a popular destination for immigration from those islands.

There's a thesis been or being written on this topic at the University of Otago History Department. Jill Harland, The Orcadian Odyssey: The Emigration of Orkney Islanders to New Zealand, Australia and Canada 1840-1914.

Excellent- thanks Kyle!

It was that whole swash of migrants - Hebrideans, Shetlanders Orcadians - from about the 1860s onwards to here- that was part of our history I am enamoured of-

I read an article not too long ago about the yearly gathering of Orkney originated people from all over the world. It sounds fascinating. Have you never done it, Islander? Just your bag, I think.

My mother & myself have tried twice to get to the Orkneys Jackie, and each time we were thwarted by the weather...not for the gathering, just to be in Kirkwall, where there are apparently still relations.

There are several marvellous archaeological sites that I would also've liked to have seen. Aue, since I dont travel by air any more, that wont happen, but I'm looking forward to the younger generations doing their OE and sending clips to my computer.