Low MAP reading score of a bookworm

[Anonymous]

Something is wrong. Check how fast she is completing test.
Also talk to her about what she has read at home. Ask questions.

[Anonymous]

Does she have a late spring or early summer birthday? That makes a huge difference in years before high school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Does she have a late spring or early summer birthday? That makes a huge difference in years before high school.

Not really.

[Anonymous]

Ask her if she's answering all the questions.

If it's not that, it must be because she's not paying enough attention to the questions, and she's answering inaccurately. Even though you have the impression she's understanding her books correctly when you guys discuss them at home, the MAP texts and questions might be a lot more precise, and require more close reading and a higher-level vocab than she's used to. The books you cited aren't exactly towering works of literature for children, OP.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Something's not adding up. Even 85th percentile, for a bookworm with good reading comprehension, isn't top notch. My kids were always at the 99th percentile for reading. Is she reporting the score she's seeing on her own screen? That way there's not risk of administrative error.

This. My bookworm, early reader , reading above grade level, was rarely below the 99th percentile. I think once or twice he was 96-97th. Something is up with your child and this test.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If you ask the teacher, they can share a detailed breakdown that shows what areas she's struggling in and what areas she's getting right.

What does this mean, what kind of specifics are given? The score sheet I was given does great down the lexile range and gives individual scores for categories like “informational text.”

The school year is over so I hesitate to contact the teacher if the info won’t be useful.

The teacher has a breakdown into many more categories. It's crazy that the full report is hidden from the student/family.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:That's a serious concern, because the scores have been low for several tests in a row and they are used to assess placement in reading groups and later on, advanced English and Social Studies classes.

Does your child understand that they need to answer all questions correctly, and not skip any of them? Do they say they're running out of time (it's supposed to be an untimed test, but in practice, some schools just assign a timeframe to get it done)?

Do they have a reading disability, ADHD, low processing speed? When you say your kid is reading above grade level, is the grade level perhaps not very high?

You need to get to the bottom of it.

I wasn’t concerned until she dropped below average. I understand the national average is very low right?

They don’t have set books to read at school. At home I looked up reading lists at private schools and she has read books like Charlotte’s Web, Mouse and the Motorcycle and Wild Robot. She has no comprehension issues and we talk about characters and she asks about unfamiliar words.

It’s not a testing issue and I don’t think there’s a processing or ADHD issue because she scores in the 90 percentile consistently in math. She takes her time and doesn’t skip. She said school gives lots of time to finish the tests.

The teacher had said all year that she is reading above grade level and is doing great. She has a good understanding of the story and characters and no concerns at all.

My kids public school had their “middle” second grade reading group do charlottes web. So if that’s where she is at, yes, she should be around 80th percentile (which would be middle of the road for my kids school in second grade). It’s very possible that she is not synthesizing the info well.

[Anonymous]

OK, I hate to be that poster, but my kids read Harry Potter and similar in first grade. You don't need to read such long books as a young reader to get to the 99th percentile, but you do need a certain level of vocabulary, reading comprehension, and capacity for detail and attention.

Your child is not at that level, which explains the scores. And that would be fine... except that her scores have significantly decreased. I would be concerned about dyslexia, ADHD, and other impediments to reading comprehension.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:That's a serious concern, because the scores have been low for several tests in a row and they are used to assess placement in reading groups and later on, advanced English and Social Studies classes.

Does your child understand that they need to answer all questions correctly, and not skip any of them? Do they say they're running out of time (it's supposed to be an untimed test, but in practice, some schools just assign a timeframe to get it done)?

Do they have a reading disability, ADHD, low processing speed? When you say your kid is reading above grade level, is the grade level perhaps not very high?

You need to get to the bottom of it.

I wasn’t concerned until she dropped below average. I understand the national average is very low right?

They don’t have set books to read at school. At home I looked up reading lists at private schools and she has read books like Charlotte’s Web, Mouse and the Motorcycle and Wild Robot. She has no comprehension issues and we talk about characters and she asks about unfamiliar words.

It’s not a testing issue and I don’t think there’s a processing or ADHD issue because she scores in the 90 percentile consistently in math. She takes her time and doesn’t skip. She said school gives lots of time to finish the tests.

The teacher had said all year that she is reading above grade level and is doing great. She has a good understanding of the story and characters and no concerns at all.

My kids public school had their “middle” second grade reading group do charlottes web. So if that’s where she is at, yes, she should be around 80th percentile (which would be middle of the road for my kids school in second grade). It’s very possible that she is not synthesizing the info well.

I would not be concerned with 80th percentile. She most recently tested in the 40s. She read Charlotte's Web last year (end of 1st grade) and again this year. Most recently I would guess the hardest books she's been reading are Wild Robot and Harry Potter 1... I don't know what grade those are for but I would guess at least AT grade level for end of 2nd grade. Guilty reads I guess would be things like Boxcar Children mysteries and Diary of a Wimpy Kid. I don't push her to read what doesn't appeal to her but I try to keep books around that are recommended for her grade level or one level above, according to other schools' lists. Ours doesn't have any required or recommended reading. I am discouraged because I thought I was doing everything I could to encourage reading (and she loves to read!) but I am concerned if tests are showing she is below grade level.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:So it seems like people are generally in agreement here that 42 percentile is concerning?

Yes. Maybe ask school admin to see the more detailed report. They should have it on file someplace.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Something is wrong. Check how fast she is completing test.
Also talk to her about what she has read at home. Ask questions.

I have asked questions and she's understanding texts. She isn't rushing through the test. She talks to me about complex storylines she has read and runs through mysteries step by step, etc. I don't think it's a concentration or attention thing either, since she doesn't have classroom issues and also tests just fine on Math tests.

[Anonymous]

The drop in scores in concerning. Especially that it isn’t just a one-off bad score.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So it seems like people are generally in agreement here that 42 percentile is concerning?

Yes. Maybe ask school admin to see the more detailed report. They should have it on file someplace.

I asked the classroom teacher after the drop on the Winter report and she said it was not at all concerning and DD is above grade level, no concerns. I will ask again after this most recent drop, but given that school is over and she was very dismissive before I am not that optimistic that I will get any answers or suggestions.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The drop in scores in concerning. Especially that it isn’t just a one-off bad score.

That is what I was thinking. Would the teacher even know what specific gaps may be there? I can hire a tutor or do work at home, but we don't know what the issue is. When I asked in February, the classroom teacher was dismissive and I didn't really get a sense that she was given any more information. Do teachers have a separate MAP test portal with more data?

[Anonymous]

Do teachers have a separate MAP test portal with more data?

Yes. As a teacher I see a breakdown of 'Larla is ready to develop these skills...' based on their score range.