This year’s mid-term election campaigns have played out not only on television and in the newspapers, but on playgrounds and in classrooms as well.

Experts said children pick up on what’s going on and that elections, even the most contentious, are excellent learning opportunities and the best way to grow engaged little citizens and possible future politicians.

“They’re much more savvy than we give them credit for, as far as knowing what’s going on,” said Tony Talbert, associate professor of social education and qualitative research in the School of Education at Baylor University.

Lake Waco Montessori Magnet School eighth-graders Alyssa Castillo and Paul Garcia hold up campaign fliers that were used in their social studies class to work on critical thinking skills.
Rod Aydelotte / Waco Tribune-Herald

Talbert said children are fascinating barometers during elections because they mostly repeat what their parents say and will even say the things their parents won’t in polite company.

Talbert said it’s not strange at all for elementary school students to choose political sides and face off on the playground. The playground is like the office watercooler, Talbert said, and kids are just mimicking their parents.

Even when the mimicked political arguments on the playground end up polarizing students, they just create an opportunity to teach conflict resolution and good sportsmanship, Talbert said — “The essence of democracy.”

“It’s not only healthy, it’s exciting to me — the fact children are talking about politics and governance,” Talbert said.

TV campaign ads, nestled between segments of favorite shows are a good place for parents to instigate political conversation with their children, Talbert said. He suggests asking something simple such as, “What do you think about that?”

“Where we drop the ball is when we fail to continue that conversation in the classroom,” he said.

Elections enter the curriculum in early elementary school, but it’s around fifth grade that students are old enough to understand the concepts involved in campaigning, said Kitt Andrews, coordinator of social studies and gifted and talented for Midway Independent School District.

When first-year teacher Caitlin Collins got campaign ads in her mail, she knew they were a perfect conversation and lesson starter for her eighth-grade social studies class at Lake Waco Montessori Magnet School.

“What are the associations they’re trying to get you to make here?” Collins said.

She and her students discussed the green and gold lettering used in one ad, likely to elicit a connection with Baylor, and a stark and spooky reverse photo in another ad, that may have been used to arouse fear.

“I wanted them to think for themselves. I didn’t want to just explain it to them,” Collins said. “They may not know the issues, but they’re media-savvy enough.”

Her students were given a homework assignment to watch and listen to political ads.

Talbert said analyzing the campaign material with students helps teach them critical thinking skills. And Collins has used the campaign material to tell her class why reading is so important — because if you can’t read and find out for yourself what someone stands for, you can get fooled by an ad.

Collins’ students got hung up on the negative tone of the ads they have been reading and seeing on TV.

“I think it’s childish because they should be acting their age,” said eighth-grader Miriam Quetz about some candidates.

Most of the students said, if they were running for office, they would nix the mudslinging.

“I wouldn’t talk mean to the other people running because I want people to trust me,” Paul Garcia said.

Instead, Alyssa Castillo said she would, “Pay attention and care for (her) constituents.”

The youths have formed their own opinions about campaigning and elections and they’re keen to know Collins’ opinions as well. But she doesn’t share.

Lake Waco Montessori Magnet School teacher Caitlin Collins talks to her students about campaign ads that they used in class to work on critical thinking skills.
Rod Aydelotte / Waco Tribune-Herald

“They keep asking if I’m Democrat or Republican and I say I can’t tell them because I want to teach them how to think, not what to think,” Collins said.

Andrews said that’s a fine line that any teacher discussing elections in class walks. She said some Midway seventh-grade teachers used an exercise to get students thinking beyond the politically charged labels.

They had students look at two sets of beliefs that typify Democrats and Republicans, without actually using those monikers. They asked which beliefs they agreed and disagreed with and which they felt were most aligned with their own beliefs. Andrews said this kind of approach takes some of the bias out of defining the two main parties for students.

Outside of the drive to make sure students can pass the state social studies test, Andrews said, there’s another, less data-driven, hope.

Teachers have to have faith, she said, that having these discussion with students and exposing them to ideas and experiences may cause a spark that creates a discriminating voter or maybe even hook a future state representative.

Despite the good classroom discussions, Collins doesn’t fool herself. Her 13- and 14-year-old students aren’t that excited about the mid-term elections.

But they have their own reasons for being anxious for this Election Day to end.

“I think they have a little too much commercials and stuff on TV. It’s insane,” eighth-grader Chyenne McGehee said.

wgragg@wacotrib.com

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