How happy are you with MCPS elementary curriculum?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP here, thanks for the insights. I guess I also meant the activities they do, not just the curriculum itself - I don't need him learning rocket science yet, I just want learning activities to foster exploration and curiosity, not just be about cutting and coloring worksheets or playing games on the laptop. Is that very teacher-dependent?

That said, I'm super curious about the Benchmark and RGR discussions - I don't see either yet, but maybe because it starts in grade 1? Are all Moco elementary schools moving to RGR next year?

I don't mind what I see from the Eureka workbook thus far. Again, I just hope it's being supplemented in class with something other than additional worksheets.

You’re probably not seeing much for Benchmark or RGR because there is no formal workbook for at home like Eureka has. I’d ask the teacher what they are working on in school. But as someone else mentioned it will be replaced next year.

[Anonymous]

The ELC for students who need enriched work at the home elementary school is inadequate. Sad.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The ELC for students who need enriched work at the home elementary school is inadequate. Sad.

It’s also irrelevant to the question because OP has a kindergartener. ELC doesn’t start until 4th grade

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Is there any play in Kindergarten in MCPS? Any toys, blocks, centers, dramatic play stations etc.? Are the kids expected to sit at tables most of the day?

Some teachers will work times for play into the day/week, but it’s certainly not the majority of the day.

[Anonymous]

I'd say the curriculum is... meh. ELC is excellent in grades 4 and 5 if and only if you have a great teacher with high expectations who wants a lot of very refined argumentative writing. Eureka math has terrific potential for a narrow slice of highly talented and truly curious kids: for the others, they just seem to come out worse at calculating. I know absolutely nothing about science because it seems to happen kind of rarely and my DCs don't care about it at all. They do, however, report disappointment in social studies, where they are curious about various things in history or culture that aren't included in a given unit or year. Believe it or not, PE is good at our ES. The music and art teachers are beloved, but not demanding.

But you know, I'm just not that worried about it. We share a lot of our own interests with DCs and are trying to cultivate in them (with varying degrees of success) basic executive functioning, a love of reading, good writing skills, a decent work ethic, a sense of curiosity, some healthy self-esteem, and a sensitivity to the needs of others. If they get to HS with those things and with the required technical capacities to do what they need to do in STEM areas, I'm OK with what comes next.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
I can promise you that private and public curricula are ALL incredibly boring at the elementary level. What you need to do is teach what you want at home, no matter how strenuously teachers ask you not to teach math differently. Most children of educated parents are ready to do more, and should do more, to be better prepared for advanced tracks in middle and high school.

My kids are in high school and college now. This is what we did.

+1

[Anonymous]

My child's K experience was also meh. Lots of screen time watching movies. With 26 kids in the class, I'm not sure what else the teacher could do.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My child's K experience was also meh. Lots of screen time watching movies. With 26 kids in the class, I'm not sure what else the teacher could do.

Wow, like anything else? That sucks.

[Anonymous]

Supplement at home, no curriculum will save mcps

[Anonymous]

MCPS curriculums aren’t great. Made even worse when there isn’t a teacher. Severe shortages in this district for a reason.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
I can promise you that private and public curricula are ALL incredibly boring at the elementary level. What you need to do is teach what you want at home, no matter how strenuously teachers ask you not to teach math differently. Most children of educated parents are ready to do more, and should do more, to be better prepared for advanced tracks in middle and high school.

My kids are in high school and college now. This is what we did.

Then your information is extremely dated. You have no idea how it has devolved in 15 years.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My child's K experience was also meh. Lots of screen time watching movies. With 26 kids in the class, I'm not sure what else the teacher could do.

Are you serious? Talk about the bar of low expectations.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
I can promise you that private and public curricula are ALL incredibly boring at the elementary level. What you need to do is teach what you want at home, no matter how strenuously teachers ask you not to teach math differently. Most children of educated parents are ready to do more, and should do more, to be better prepared for advanced tracks in middle and high school.

My kids are in high school and college now. This is what we did.

+1. I’m not sure why people expect generally that ES is a place of intense rigor. The goal of primary education is ensure all kids a foundational level of education and skills from which to build upon. Some student attain these levels and skills faster others slower. Most schools are not setup to keep moving kids forward farther and farther based on their individual level in a specific subject/topic.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:MCPS curriculums aren’t great. Made even worse when there isn’t a teacher. Severe shortages in this district for a reason.

so glad MCPS has a glut of applicants