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Jack Downey ~ The Galloping Geezer Jack Downey Comments on Canadian Issues to Inform and Amuse.


Photo Credit to Julie Ann Biggs out on the Mekong River, Cambodia Vietnam Border.".






The Three Rs: 'Reading, 'Riting and 'Rithmetic.

The central core of all education is the ability to read and comprehend what is written. It matters not if the writing is on a clay tablet, papyrus scroll or a PC screen. It is about the passage of knowledge from one human to another. Just look at your Fridge. It is an ART GALLERY and a Library for your tribe's do and do nots. Even in the earliest Neolithic caves, the first woman wrote on the wall the important grocery list needed by the family. She drew full shaped animals that would feed the family. Also drawn were "stick" people going after the animals. To any one reading those pictorial writings today it is clear that the stick people represent family members shopping for food. Neolithic Rule #1: Family stick people are not used as a food sources unless they fail to bring some ground Mammoth home. In the evening's cave fire light perhaps the wee ones cuddled next to their elders and listened to the tale depicted by the drawing or perhaps the drawing was an early form of a hunter's 'Homework.' Whatever it's original reason, the drawing was written communication and meant to be read. You may think it unlikely that Neolithic drawings on the wall were there to teach people to read! What about the pictures your teachers drew on the black slate wall so that 30 or so of you little sprats learned your ABCs! Who are we to second-guess the Cro-Magnon or Neolithic man? I've met a few weird modern fellows who are not in the cave, but should be.


'Riting became a specialized skill involving the representation of drawings, diagrams or glyphs on clay, papyrus, or cloth. Transportation and storage of such documents was found to be far less complex than dragging a cave wall around. Standardization of combinations of symbols and the "words" they represented allowed representation and understanding by larger populations. Now we could communicate across vast distances and pass on complex thoughts. The "drafter" needed a good steady hand to make marks on the material accurate enough for others to interpret and understand. Only after the written information was "read" could discussion and argument take place as to what was meant.

If you go to an Art Gallery today, you will see that little has changed. We have people looking, indeed peering, trying to figure out what they see. Then they get on to discussing meaning and trying to come to some mutual agreement about what they have seen. Even though they have not the vaguest idea what Picaso's "grocery list" was supposed to mean, they are reading the 'riting and seem to be enjoying it.

'Rithmetic was needed for trade, building, counting things, and tracking time. To do the basics you have your fingers and toes. The 10 digits were the eventual basis for world standards words. 'Rithmetic is a language of service. Those who see and understand this simple language move on through the complications of Algebra, Geometry and Trigonometry. These 'Rithmetic scholars are our builders and engineers. They are the ones who have 'Ritten 90% of everything we can find through our computers and most of that is available in plain English too. 'Rithmetic is universal so Chaps like you and I are still using our fingers and doubt Pi are square. Most people can go through life and never bake a Theorem or taste an Isosceles popcicle. Stick to your reading and ignore the fancy stuff. If you have 90 % of all knowledge in English at your fingertips and you can count using those same fingers, who cares how much change you get when you spend a Gold fish.

'Riting can be used to declare war; record history or offer up the most complex or beautiful communications between humans. It can give great pleasure to the reader or depress, or strike fear into society.

Up until the 14 th century romantic love was not known, or at least not recorded. The Middle Ages brought us hand made "cards of affection". These are called "Valentines Cards" today. We seem to be back to the cave wall with these cards. Some artist draws a picture and then someone adds some syrupy verbiage releasing us unskilled folks from this chore. The hidden primeval woman sees these cards as drawings on the wall and is apt to swoon if "the Stick People" have included some tasty sweets as a love offering. Back in the cave when Spring was near, the union of the Breeding Pair was needed so that the conceived child would not interfere with planting or summer cropping. These cards made that declaration in a subtle manner. If you brought some marrowbones along as a gift, your lady usually decided you were literate enough for her! She remembers the Stick People on the cave wall who were to bring the groceries home and you did. You have proved your worth young fellow and have opened the heart of a literary lioness!

The computer seems to be a threat to many people today. I have often heard it said that computers would cause children to lose their 3R skills. From what I have seen, such talk is "whistling in the graveyard". A child has 90 % of world knowledge available to them on the Web. To do any thing on a computer, one must be able to read and translate and follow instructions. Ten-year-olds (and younger ones too) can take a very complex visual game and usually beat any adult. When they compete with their peers there is a lot of fancy 'Rithmetic happening. The Spell Checker teaches spelling better than any teacher I ever had. For adults, the computer is a wonder. It allows one to read almost any Newspaper in the world or to E-mail anyone on the Web. The computer screen is now the Cave Wall where information is posted, the center of learning.

One of the areas we are neglecting is computer Reading with our elderly and housebound handicapped. I do believe that there is a viable Home Business providing computer training and Web access to those that have not the where with all to get on the Web. Their quality of life would improve and, as their skills advanced, the possibility of paid work would increase. A Health Care Center for the elderly would do well to provide Web access. For the blind, there are oral books to brighten lives.

You may be aware of the new miniature hand held devices that allow access to the Web and other communications systems. All of these still require reading skills to operate. The majority of what we learn is via the eyes, which is our computer screen. I would like a teacher to give us an assessment on the improvement of reading skills for students after they gain access to a computer.

The other day, Griff and I visited a Hutterite Colony. In the Kindergarten, the little tykes had children's Tape Player, which they could all operate and sing along with the songs. It should be noted that Hutterite Colonies speak old German and English. These children spoke both German and English and could read simple stories in both languages. They have no access to Radio ~ TV ~ or Computers. It is amazing how well a child can learn when it knows it is loved and is provided with learning materials. Griff and I dropped off a rack of National Geographic magazines. Katy, the teacher, told us of the days when she was a child and they got cut outs with little fold over squares on the paper dresses and other gear. That was how her teacher taught them to read. The cut outs were the characters and spoke the parts in the book. What fun they had changing costumes for the script!

One of the saddest situations that I have seen is adults who cannot read. They are forever being cheated. Reading street signs is impossible. Government papers for Taxes or returning funds were incomprehensible. Medication instructions, Recipes, Sale Flyers, Driver Licenses and many more things are lost to these poor souls. Not only are they at a tremendous disadvantage, but there is tremendous shame attached to not being able to read.

Our basic Education laws call for a child to attend school to Grade 8 or to 15 years. How is it possible then that we in Canada have a rather large number of adults who are functionally illiterate? A large number of First Nations people lack basic reading skills. Why are we not teaching them or developing their minds? Immigrants' children, by necessity, are encouraged to pick up Reading skills as quickly as possible. You cannot become a well-functioning Canadian if you cannot read.

If you can read "THANK A TEACHER." The other thanks you should give go to whoever read you stories and took you to the library. These people have given you the greatest gift possible. It opens the world to you, so hug them and enjoy their gift!

The 3 Rs and Canadian Culture are the basics! run it through your spell checker!

© Jack C. Downey CD




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