Hi! So, here's a little about me in convenient list form:

* I live in Indianapolis.
* I have a 2-yr old daughter and a husband.
* I speak English and Japanese, have a basic knowledge of Portuguese and Spanish and am studying French.
* I graduated from Indiana State Univ. in 2002 with a degree in music (and a minor in linguistics).
* I volunteer with Partners of the Americas.
* I finished writing a reference book on the Japanese language, but I'm having a hard time finding a literary agent to take it on.
* I'm currently writing a book on an important historical figure (I'm keeping it a secret for right now!).
* I'm a news junkie: I usually watch the news at 12, 5, 530, 6, the Nightly New with Brian Williams at 630, the local news again at 11, read the news online at CNN throughout the day and subscribe to Time magazine.
* I love to play classical piano.
* I'm an avid reader: I have a list of 824 books, mostly classics with a few others mixed in. So far, I've read 183.
* We have a custom truck that we take to car shows. We've won a few awards for best graphics. My husband did it all himself.
* I love music of all kinds, including classic rock, modern rock, punk, hip-hop, R&B, ska, reggae, house/ techno/trance/dance, jazz, blues, classical, Latin, J-rock.
* My favorite food is sushi. And I could always go for a Killians or a Kirin Ichiban.
* My favorite game show is Jeopardy! (Dare anyone to challenge?)

My passion is ...

reading and writing and equality

I know too much about ...

geography, language, literature and how to cook without MSG

My parents always told me ...

Always learn as much as you can. You'll never know when you'll need that info.

My childhood ambition ...

I wanted to be a singer. Now I want to teach writing.

My favorite memory ...

I met my husband on an Amtrak train running between Chicago and Indianapolis. (We sat next to each other.)

Why I write ...

I know someone out there feels the same as I do and can learn something from me.

What I am reading/watching/listening to ...

reading: "The Fellowship of the Ring" by J.R.R. Tolkien; watching: my daughter; listening to: Bob Marley

My first job ...

helping my dad deliver the Sunday edition of the Indianapolis Star newspaper

My best moment ...

perhaps when my daughter was born. (I'm so glad for epidurals!)

My inspiration ...

the great leaders of history

Education > Early Childhood Ed Should school systems move to full-day kindergarten programs?

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Traditionally, kindergarten was kept to a half-day, citing the reason being that kindergarten is a transition year to first grade, and that their intention spans don't last that long. (I know high school students who don't have that long of attention spans either.) But recent studies show that there are many benefits to full-day kindergarten, and yes, the children can handle it.

According to the Indiana Department of Education, students who attend full-day kindergarten generally show higher academic progress. Literacy, math and general learning skills are some of the skills where pr...

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