No Textbooks in Elementary School; All of FCPS, or Just Schools Near Me?

[Anonymous]

So my kids in 2nd, 4th and 5th grades don't really have textbooks. Actually, I think the 4th grader has a social studies book, but that's it. Mostly, they're given articles to read online. Their teachers sometimes give them questions to answer based upon the articles online, but I've noticed that often, the assigned questions ask things that aren't answered in the assigned articles. It seems rather lazy to me, and I'm concerned there's something lost by not having textbooks to present an organized lesson containing questions closely assigned to the reading, and with successive lessons clearly building on prior instruction.
I graduated HS back in 1998, so it's been a while, but I remember having several textbooks from elementary through high school, often making book covers out of paper trashbags, ets.

At the risk of sounding like a total luddite:
Is having everything online an FCPS-wide thing?
Is this something that's happening at the middle and high school levels too?
Is this the new normal everywhere?

[Anonymous]

It’s FCPS wide. Rumor has it that you can ask for a text book in MS and HS classes. I say rumor because my kid is in ES and I have yet to give the text book ask a go.

[Anonymous]

I have taught grades 2-4. Other than the 4th grade social studies textbook I haven’t had any textbooks in years.

I believe a new language arts text is being adopted.

[Anonymous]

My high schooler has some books. Either she asked for them or they were given to her.

When my kids needed extra work they were sent home a math text and a Latin text to use at home.

[Anonymous]

My 4th grader does not have a social studies textbook

[Anonymous]

Nope, FCPS did away with textbooks years ago. They just get worksheets and other crap you have to print out.

[Anonymous]

I ask for a math textbook every year and have had no issues getting one. You should reach out to your kid’s teachers.

I don’t feel strongly about the the other subjects having a text. That’s not really how people learn anymore, from a single source, so I’m ok with the kids getting used to that early on.

[Anonymous]

Oh fun. Another thread about the outdated practice of using textbooks. You don't need textbooks to learn. They rarely match the actual curriculum being taught and are a waste of money. You must also have been really disappointed when encyclopedias went the way of the dodo bird.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Oh fun. Another thread about the outdated practice of using textbooks. You don't need textbooks to learn. They rarely match the actual curriculum being taught and are a waste of money. You must also have been really disappointed when encyclopedias went the way of the dodo bird.

Maybe you as an adult don't really need textbooks to learn, but young children definitely do. Most kids cannot learn well from a screen, especially when combined with the noise and distractions from other kids at school. Furthermore, the quality of the current programs leaves much to be desired, when compared with a good book.

As for the OP, yes, everything that you've feared is true. Books are almost completely phased out of schools, kids are more easily distracted and have behavior issues, which leads to admins phasing out more books in favor of tech ed computer programs, which creates more screen addiction, and this cycle feeds back on itself endlessly. Your best bet is to pick and purchase some high quality books for your kids and have them work on them at home under your guidance. It's the hard path because you have to be much more involved than usual, but unfortunately it is what it is, if you care about their education. In today's dumbed down K-12 educational system, this is likely the best outcome if you want your kids to be curious, motivated, and not completely addicted to screens.

[Anonymous]

More than just FCPS. We live in Howard County, MD and our ES kids have no textbooks. They have on-line reading assignments and paper and on-line worksheets and assigned reading, but no textbooks. There are books for augmented work, but no textbooks.

[Anonymous]

Textbooks are an outdated practice that are expensive, inflexible, and disliked by students. Schools across the country have stopped using them.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Textbooks are an outdated practice that are expensive, inflexible, and disliked by students. Schools across the country have stopped using them.

Is there any research that shows that kids learn better without books than with books?

[Anonymous]

Just wait until they get to college where you spend $250 on an ebook that expires when the semester ends.

At least back in my day after the semester ended, you got to sell that book back for a little something. And you had the opportunity to buy used books for cheaper.

There are no used ebooks. Neither DD or DS in college have purchased a book for their college classes and gotten to retain it after the class ends. Such a scam.

[Anonymous]

we have never had any textbooks in FCPS- currently in 8th grade.

[Anonymous]

Our kid had a physical copy of Our Virginia. The teacher told the class that they could have one if they wanted it, otherwise it was online