language arts in AAP--are they still reading full length books or just following benchmark?
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Anonymous
| I'm curious how language arts is going in AAP post-Benchmark. I know AAP still has to use Benchmark but are they really going deeper? Are kids reading actual books and discussing them together, going deeper? Are they still doing stuff like Latin roots of words? Are students using the online Benchmark materials a lot, or not very much? (I hope not...well the online games and quality of online books seems kind of lackluster from what I've seen for my younger kids) Would love to hear from both teachers and parents. Is there still Lexia? |
Anonymous
| (By actual books, I mean full-length books--reading the entire thing, vs just passages/excerpts) I hope kids are still doing SSR! |
Anonymous
|
I'm sure this varies by school/teacher, but on top of Benchmark my 3rd grader is required to read and log a minimum of 4 books a month (400+ page books count as two). They then have to write two short essays in response to critical thinking questions based on those books. The questions change every month and ask for some engagement with the ideas/structure of the text, not just a review or summary. They have some individual reading time in class, but also daily reading is required at home. A critical thinking response to their reading is also part of the weekly homework (question changes weekly), and in addition to that they also have to write a separate weekly journal entry and another short critical thinking response every week.
There is also time for the teacher to read aloud to the class and they discuss those books. Small group time varies, but I think is more often Benchmark focused. |
Anonymous
| Yes, my 5th grade AAP student has read several classic and modern popular books as part of book club. |
Anonymous
|
I don’t think my third-grader in AAP has done anything but Benchmark. However, I have been impressed with Benchmark, especially the writing that comes home.
He reads hours a day on his own at home (and I think during school, at least I assume), so whatever. But no whole-class novels to my knowledge. I don’t think my middle schooler (in honors) has read any novels either. |
Anonymous
Wow may I ask which school this is? My third grader barely gets through benchmark and lexia. Teacher has no time to read full length books in the class. Neither do students. Some writing, but its mostly just done in a hurry. Benchmark is taking up all the class time. |
Anonymous
| My 4th grader’s class read a whole book as a class, she read another book for smaller group book club discussion and they had mini book clubs on articles. |
Anonymous
| It's just benchmark for us. We read novels at home. 🙄 |
Anonymous
| My 6th-grader has read several full-length books in the classroom this year, but it’s because her teacher is wonderful, not because it’s part of the official curriculum. They’re also doing weekly vocab tests that include discussion of roots. |
Anonymous
| Benchmark + Lexia + book club novels + Caesar's English |
Anonymous
| My 3rd grader is reading and discussing a few novels in class. I get the impression that's thanks to her teacher and not because it's required by AAP standards. |
Anonymous
| My third grader just has had mainly Benchmark. I see some benchmark and iready worksheets coming home as enrichment. One socratic seminar. I've been really disappointed with lack of spelling instruction. I think it's maybe once a month. |
Anonymous
| It will vary by school because some principals are requiring you to follow Benchmark verbatim while others are more lax. While I try to fit AAP things in, it is much harder than previously. My kids did do book clubs cause I prioritized it. Fitting in some things like Socratic Seminar into SS/Science. The one thing I hope to change next year is Vocab cause Benchmark is not cutting it. |
Anonymous
OMG so had met NON-AAP 5th grader, WOW!!!!! |
Anonymous
ugh typos - SO HAS MY |