Inspired Teaching's Learning Showcase

[Anonymous]

PS family here. I think that ITDS preschool is less academic than others -- say Appletree. That is one thing I like about it. There's plenty of play and fun!

[Anonymous]

Agree with PP. We are a ps family and love the play based activities. Morning centers consists of various centers (hospital, restaurant, science center, railroad, blocks, art/painting etc. they do songs and dances for morning role call and a song before lunch. I this PS class emphasizes the "Inquiry" model a lot. They can turn a walk to the park into a nature inquiry discovering spider webs and spiders and then the whole next week could be lessons based on spiders with spider books, stories, art and songs. It is certainly play based but very deliberate.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:PS family here. I think that ITDS preschool is less academic than others -- say Appletree. That is one thing I like about it. There's plenty of play and fun!

I agree-- my child was at Appletree and they really pushed literacy/math. Now former Appletree parents that I have spoke to are complaining that their kids are not doing enough literacy! I am okay with a model in between play-based and academic focused for PS/PK years. Depends on what you want for your child. I want my child to learn letters, numbers, etc. but not at the expense of liking school. I am not knocking Appletree (I think what they are doing does work for most kids that do not experience an enriched environment at home) but my child honestly didn't like school and complained last year even though he was considered advanced by Appletree's assessments (he also responded negatively to their discipline system). Now he is happy and learning, but on his time. Yes, he would probably be ahead if we stayed at AppleTree, but I want him to love going to school. I'm happy that we have options for different models of learning in DC!

[Anonymous]

IT PS3 parent here. My DS turned 3 in July and so is one of the younger (and more immature) members of his class. He has not the slightest interest in learning his letters or writing his name, and his teachers are not pushing him to do this. Some of the 4's in his class already know their letters and numbers and can write their names, and they can choose the literacy center if they wish. DS usually chooses to play with trains or make car tracks, and that's ok with the teachers.

DS also loves taking part in the engineering projects and playing math games. Last week the children read a story about driving elephants over the Brooklyn Bridge and they had to guess if the bridge was strong enough to take the elephants' weight. They then formed groups and built bridges and used plastic elephants to test the strength of their bridges. This is what I love about IT.

[Anonymous]

16:22 again. Wanted to apologize for typos above, was using phone to type. Also wanted to add that I am very impressed that what we see happening in the classrooms is what was described to us as far as the "vision" at the open houses. I know it all sounds too good to be true and we have yet to see how this will transfer to test scores, but the excitement for learning (in all grades) is very visible.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I toured it recently and thought that there was too much emphasis on literacy in the 3 year old room and barely any evidence of great play-based materials and activities. Can anyone comment on this? Perhaps it is just that the school has very few materials yet as it is new? I noticed this in other rooms as well--this was a weekend tour so I only saw the rooms, no people. I feel that there is no need to begin formal reading at age 3, but perhaps this is just a philosophical difference. I was surprised by what I saw as I was expecting a more play-based, progressive classroom based on what I have heard about the school.

I think it's important to remember that every child develops differently, and the teachers must therefore differentiate according to the needs in their classrooms. The work samples that we saw at the Learning Showcase were a good indication of this. It seems that some children in PS3 are already writing better than some in PK or even K. These kids would need a great deal of literacy in their rooms in order to continue to progress at a steady pace. On the other hand, the classrooms are very play based, and as a PP said, the teachers don't force children to do what they are not ready to do. I believe the literacy learning is just emphasized through print around the room, songs, games and play centers (and in my experience, there can never be 'too much literacy,' even for children younger than 3.)

Not every school set-up and philosophy is right for everyone, but we have been thrilled with our experience here.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:16:22 again. Wanted to apologize for typos above, was using phone to type. Also wanted to add that I am very impressed that what we see happening in the classrooms is what was described to us as far as the "vision" at the open houses. I know it all sounds too good to be true and we have yet to see how this will transfer to test scores, but the excitement for learning (in all grades) is very visible.

When I attended an open House, Zoe pretty much guaranteed they wouldn't have "the best test scores in the city" and she was completely okay with that.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:16:22 again. Wanted to apologize for typos above, was using phone to type. Also wanted to add that I am very impressed that what we see happening in the classrooms is what was described to us as far as the "vision" at the open houses. I know it all sounds too good to be true and we have yet to see how this will transfer to test scores, but the excitement for learning (in all grades) is very visible.

When I attended an open House, Zoe pretty much guaranteed they wouldn't have "the best test scores in the city" and she was completely okay with that.

They don't have to be the best in the city, just good enough to attract more families, especially when the middle school time comes.

[Anonymous]

What is the messaging on that? The scores will be average?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:What is the messaging on that? The scores will be average?

No. It's that they're not teaching to a test. Scores will be strong by virtue of the education they're receiving, but they're not aiming for that to be the only measure of a student from IT.

[Anonymous]

But if test scores are low, it will hurt the school.

[Anonymous]

But this year's test scores will be the result of kids that are coming in after having been at other schools for several years. So I don't think the test scores will mean much. Not much weight should be put on them, IMO.

[Anonymous]

Yes, I wouldn't put much weight on the test scores from this year, but others (like PP) will. It's probably OK if some people are turned off by scores that aren't the best in the city; there are plenty of people who aren't.

Personally, I don't want too much of my kid's time being taken up taught to test OR the teachers being evaluated based on their ability to teach kids to test well (IMPACT). It's one of the biggest reasons we opted for a charter over a local DCPS.

[Anonymous]

Of course there is a balance. High test scores show achievement, but aren't the be all end all. However, once you start looking at middling or below average scores one questions what is going on in the classroom. Hence the need to be somewhere in between.

[Anonymous]

How many 3rd graders does IT have? Can anyone other than PS parent comment? Don't mean to be cynical, but what I've heard at PS level is not hugely different than what my kids got in small PS classes. It's easy for first time parents and founding families to be wowed. BTDT. Other than dance classes, which I wish one of mine had!, it's kind of tough to get a read on the school beyond PS.