S/O Amplify ELA Curriculum

[Anonymous]

I haven't done the training yet, but teach 4th in a Title 1 school with almost all students significantly below grade level and english the second language for almost all. Will my students have any chance?

[Anonymous]

You’ll probably end up reading all of the texts aloud to students. My district uses Wit & Wisdom and that’s what the teachers do since the texts are at or above grade level. Then everyone wonders why the students perform poorly on state testing. It’s not rocket science. The spend little time actually reading in class. They can’t read on grade level and they have no reading stamina at all.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You’ll probably end up reading all of the texts aloud to students. My district uses Wit & Wisdom and that’s what the teachers do since the texts are at or above grade level. Then everyone wonders why the students perform poorly on state testing. It’s not rocket science. The spend little time actually reading in class. They can’t read on grade level and they have no reading stamina at all.

Wit and Wisdom, and Amplify, are at grade level, not above grade level.

[Anonymous]

Not true. 7th graders read The Canterbury Tales which is above their level and 8th graders read All Quiet on the Western Front which is also above.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Not true. 7th graders read The Canterbury Tales which is above their level and 8th graders read All Quiet on the Western Front which is also above.

Is there a list of books that MCPS normally uses or asks kids to read at certain grades per curriculum requirement? We are big readers, and I want to avoid buying those books to keep at home.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Not true. 7th graders read The Canterbury Tales which is above their level and 8th graders read All Quiet on the Western Front which is also above.

Is there a list of books that MCPS normally uses or asks kids to read at certain grades per curriculum requirement? We are big readers, and I want to avoid buying those books to keep at home.

Unless your child is in ELC or CES there are very few books/novels that students actually read independently in the CKLA curriculum as it is written. They read excepts and readers in ES and primarily excerpts in MS. I'm not sure ELC will be an option after this year, so keep reading novels at home.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Not true. 7th graders read The Canterbury Tales which is above their level and 8th graders read All Quiet on the Western Front which is also above.

Is there a list of books that MCPS normally uses or asks kids to read at certain grades per curriculum requirement? We are big readers, and I want to avoid buying those books to keep at home.

This really varies by school. I would talk to the ELA specialist at the school to ask. We realized that in our ES some of the books the kids read were different from the books other ES in our cluster read when we got to MS.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Not true. 7th graders read The Canterbury Tales which is above their level and 8th graders read All Quiet on the Western Front which is also above.

Are these books part of the new curriculum or books that an MCPS teacher has assigned in the past?

The Canterbury Tales aren’t particularly difficult, but some of them are pretty bawdy, and not what I’d expect for a 7th grade assignment. Do they read the whole book or just some selected (milder) tales?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Not true. 7th graders read The Canterbury Tales which is above their level and 8th graders read All Quiet on the Western Front which is also above.

Are these books part of the new curriculum or books that an MCPS teacher has assigned in the past?

The Canterbury Tales aren’t particularly difficult, but some of them are pretty bawdy, and not what I’d expect for a 7th grade assignment. Do they read the whole book or just some selected (milder) tales?

Neither. That post is about a different curriculum, not one MCPS has adopted.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Not true. 7th graders read The Canterbury Tales which is above their level and 8th graders read All Quiet on the Western Front which is also above.

Is there a list of books that MCPS normally uses or asks kids to read at certain grades per curriculum requirement? We are big readers, and I want to avoid buying those books to keep at home.

This will depend on grade, program and school. The K-5 curriculum is new this fall. Generally speaking novels are not assigned to students until upper elementary years as the lower ES are foundational reading years. Kids do get time to choose books to read independently either from teachers room library or school library. Teachers also read stories aloud. Below is the curriculum guide for the new curriculum which includes the books relevant for the grade.

https://amplify.com/caregiver-hub/amplify-ckla/

ELC/ CES for selected students in 4th/5th grade uses a different curriculum and different books.

MS is supposed to read at least one novel per waiter that aligns with the major writing assignment for that quarter. There a several books teachers/students can choose from.

https://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/curriculum/english/ms

Novel studies have been created for advanced learners. We’ll see how implementation of such goes in the coming year.

MS Humanities Magnet students will do a completely different set of selections.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Not true. 7th graders read The Canterbury Tales which is above their level and 8th graders read All Quiet on the Western Front which is also above.

Are these books part of the new curriculum or books that an MCPS teacher has assigned in the past?

The Canterbury Tales aren’t particularly difficult, but some of them are pretty bawdy, and not what I’d expect for a 7th grade assignment. Do they read the whole book or just some selected (milder) tales?

This is from the Wit and Wisdom curriculum which a PP insisted that all of the books are on grade level. That’s incorrect.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Pulling this out of the other thread. MCPS is moving to Amplify next year (https://amplify.com/programs/amplify-core-knowledge-language-arts/). I’m familiar with science of reading and such but I’m wondering what folks have heard about this curriculum in particular, especially for kids who are already strong readers.

I have a rising third grader who was separated into an advanced readers group last year under Benchmark. Their spelling is awful though and I’m hoping Amplify has more of a direct focus on that…. And less boring magazine readers

Good luck with your advanced reader in third grade. Take a look at the materials for CKLA https://amplify.com/programs/amplify-core-knowledge-language-arts/whats-included-3-5/.

Notice what's missing? Actual books! No novels only readers and activity books.

CKLA has books.

In 3rd, they read the Wind in the Willows. https://amplify.com/pdf/uploads/2021/03/CKLA_G3_Scope_and_Sequence.pdf

In 4th, they read Treasure Island.
https://amplify.com/pdf/uploads/2021/03/CKLA_G3_Scope_and_Sequence.pdf

In 5th, they read a Midsummer Night's Dream. https://amplify.com/pdf/uploads/2021/03/CKLA_G5_Scope_and_Sequence.pdf

Regardless, MCPS can add on to it. The StudySync ELA curriculum in MS has no books, but MCPS has added on one novel per quarter in whole group, plus teachers can add lit circles.

The challenge with CKLA is that it is going to be much more rigorous than what MCPS has been doing. This will require a shift for both teachers and students. I imagine next year is going to be rough for both. Much higher expectations.

Amplify CKLa and StudySync both have books. Studysync even has novel studies. MCPS has also created 6-8 novel studies.

What novel studies are included in Study Sync? I am only aware of the ones that MCPS added on.

Look in the library. They add new titles every year, though they should add more novel studies along with the titles.

https://www.studysync.com/blog/new-novel-study-guides

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Not true. 7th graders read The Canterbury Tales which is above their level and 8th graders read All Quiet on the Western Front which is also above.

Are these books part of the new curriculum or books that an MCPS teacher has assigned in the past?

The Canterbury Tales aren’t particularly difficult, but some of them are pretty bawdy, and not what I’d expect for a 7th grade assignment. Do they read the whole book or just some selected (milder) tales?

My DD went to Robert Frost Middle School for 7th grade and never read a single book the entire year. In her 6th grade year (private school), her class read 6 novels. I don’t understand MCPS’ aversion to books.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Not true. 7th graders read The Canterbury Tales which is above their level and 8th graders read All Quiet on the Western Front which is also above.

Are these books part of the new curriculum or books that an MCPS teacher has assigned in the past?

The Canterbury Tales aren’t particularly difficult, but some of them are pretty bawdy, and not what I’d expect for a 7th grade assignment. Do they read the whole book or just some selected (milder) tales?

My DD went to Robert Frost Middle School for 7th grade and never read a single book the entire year. In her 6th grade year (private school), her class read 6 novels. I don’t understand MCPS’ aversion to books.

Why do people make these public to private comparisons as though they are remotely the same. Private school pick their kids, public’s schools unless magnet program do not. Most kids in private school are on level. Kids in public school are a range for a variety of reasons. Private school class sizes are smaller public are larger. Private schools parents pay whatever they think the education is worth, public is funded by tax dollars that people keep wanting to be lower despite the population and need increasing. Can we stop comparing mangoes to grapes and wondering why they don’t operate the same.

[Anonymous]

One kid of mine reads whatever books I buy, and he can read chapter books by himself at a young age. What novels or book collectiom are worth buying? That is for his summer reading, and he reads for hours when he is bored. He is early ES age, but I am shopping for upper ES kid or early MS kid equivalent reading level as long as it is fun to read.