Parents are truly the first teachers that their children encounter. They are there in those very vital formative initial years of life, when the most basic functions and abilities are taught and practiced. Values, behavior, and living skills are in the process of forming and the child's environment and the examples of parents weight so heavily in this very delicate balance of becoming a fully functioning adult.

When a child matures and reaches the age of attending school, something magical takes place. Interests expand, social skills are just beginning to blossom, and imagination and creativity are being explored and tested. Whether a child attends a home school or a local school (public or private) the next vital components in development are being put to the "max."

Science, math, language, history, and all the other subjects that make up a curriculum are vying for the attention and abilities of the child. From printing their name for the first time to solving a complicated math process all add to the qualities and essence that will evolve, expand, and let them become a wonderful asset to the entire world. No longer is it correct to assume that this boy/girl should only fit in comfortably and capably in the goegraphical area he/she calls home, but with the advance of computers and other technological achievements, this child is most definitely a citizen of every other continent and country, and in the future, possibly of other galaxies and planets.

With the approach of a new upcoming school year, may all the teachers (parents, educators, neighbors, writers, etc.) brace themselves for the wonderful task at hand. To further the education of any child is the richest, most rewarding experience in life. There can be no more noble undertaking than to lead a child to investigating, challenging themselves and their surroundings, attempting, and succeeding at skills and subjects that will let this child open doors to his/her future. From a parent giving an example of honesty, a neighbor pointing out the beauty of a newly born kitten, a teacher who brings a subject or book to life, and a writer who paints a "word" picture of a sunset, all these individuals play such an important role in the formation and the future of this child.

When a child's environment is rich with caring, loving people who want only to bring the sunshine of knowledge and capability into this child's world, then the possibilities are endless, the potential without limit. A book contains written words, a fanciful tale, the recorded experiences of an individual, or the peculiarities of a location, but a "teacher" can infuse life and reality into the material. History becomes a wealth of evolvement and ancestry, science is a world of not-yet-discovered solutions, and the realm of language is transformed into building blocks to reach the stars.

To a wonderful new school year ENJOY! ©Arleen M. Kaptur 2002 August