Question for teachers or parents of second/third grade advanced readers

[Anonymous]

17:11 -- Most of DC's teachers have put the reading level in their comments.

[Anonymous]

@17:11 - OP here. Our school uses the new standards-based report cards, so the reading level is printed right in the lower right hand corner each quarter.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:New curriculum is putting more emphasis on writing. Did find with my now incoming 3rd grader that his reading was assessed far less in 2nd grade. (He was in a similar situation to your child, OP). Report card reading levels didn't change over several quarters during his 2nd grade school year. Final report card placed him at a level W. So, we've had a different experience than other posters about the level stagnating. Writing is supposed to be part of the assessment at all grades.

Here's the reading targets chart from MCPS: http://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/uploadedFiles/curriculum/english/elementary/ReadingTargets-KthruGrade5.pdf

Questions you should ask school are whether they are giving your child William & Mary reading curriculum. This is a curriculum that is supposed to be implemented for high-level readers that encourages/teaches critical thinking. Also, would be good for your own piece of mind to know that they have an appropriate reading group of multiple children at same level as yours. Without that, it's unlikely that your child will get appropriate resources that teach him. I did experience this year a situation in which my child told me that he rarely had reading group and was just told to read whatever he wanted on his own.Am hoping 3rd grade will be better...

This was our experience exactly. Our DC just completed 3rd grade and will be attending a HGC program next year. We found that the home school was spreading the kids who had the highest reading levels among the various 3rd grade classes, so that there really wasn't an adequate peer group in any one class. Our child would go for weeks without reading group.

I know that this varies by school. Our elementary school gathered a group of kids with high reading levels in the same class so they could have a cohort with similar skills for a reading group. Next year several of those kids will be heading off to a HGC. So the school definitely has leeway in grouping, and you can advocate for grouping them with peers of a similar level.

I guess we've been fortunate, too. My child's classes have had four or five reading groups each year and she's luckily had regular reading groups at her level (1.5 - 2 or more years ahead).

[Anonymous]

Brief Constructed Response that is meant to assess reading comprehension

We phased them out at the secondary level a few years ago. So I don't see why they're still in use as the elementary level.

Anonymous wrote:PP, what is BCR?

I am the parent of a rising 3rd grader. To the OP, your child will be grouped with kids reading similarly in 2nd grade and will be assessed through MCLASS each quarter (as he likely was this past year). Groupings may change based on each MCLASS assessment based on both written and oral comprehension. (For the first quarter, we got a "reading is (X) for oral comprehension, but (X-1) for written." Can't remember the letters, but written is the ultmate "level" assigned.)

As others have said, up until 3rd grade, everything is "learning to read." But beginning in 3rd grade, it becomes more "reading to learn."

Level P is fantastic for the end of the year for 1st grade. Feel proud of your child! But I do expect it will even out over time. Reading levels do go much beyond P.

You should feel confident that your child will be grouped with other children reading above grade level next year.

[Anonymous]

BCRs assess reading comprehension.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:PP, what is BCR?

I am the parent of a rising 3rd grader. To the OP, your child will be grouped with kids reading similarly in 2nd grade and will be assessed through MCLASS each quarter (as he likely was this past year). Groupings may change based on each MCLASS assessment based on both written and oral comprehension. (For the first quarter, we got a "reading is (X) for oral comprehension, but (X-1) for written." Can't remember the letters, but written is the ultmate "level" assigned.)

As others have said, up until 3rd grade, everything is "learning to read." But beginning in 3rd grade, it becomes more "reading to learn."

Level P is fantastic for the end of the year for 1st grade. Feel proud of your child! But I do expect it will even out over time. Reading levels do go much beyond P.

You should feel confident that your child will be grouped with other children reading above grade level next year.
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Not the PP but a BCR is a "Brief Constructed Response." My DD just finished third grade. I believe BCRs are basically paragraph essay answers. They practice them a lot as they are also on the MSA standardized tests in third grade.

[Anonymous]

Our experience was that dc tested as "above grade level" in K-2nd grade. Then suddenly in third grade we realized (thanks to dc's MAP-R score) that dc was a very advanced reader. The reading specialist in K-2 grades stopped testing reading level once dc hit the above grade level benchmark. The MAP-R score is an "out of level" test so the computer keeps giving them harder and harder questions until they start to struggle.
So in K-2, dc was one of several students in our high performing school who was reading above grade level. Dc was always in the highest reading group but did not have a true peer group until dc started attending a HGC. In our old school, the best readers were spread out instead of being grouped together. I did speak to the principal several times about this and each time was assured that dc would be guaranteed at least one (!) child at dc's level. this was the main reason we left our home school to go to a HGC. MCPS is doing these kids a great disservice by spreading them out and not allowing them the benefit of a large peer group.
I am already very worried about sending dc to our home middle school (the magnets are just not a practical option for our family).
MCPS loves test results but I am not convinced they put those results to good use - at least not for the advanced learners.

[Anonymous]

Reviving this thread - should I be concerned that my child has not progressed from his second grade reading to third grade - even though he is far advanced of everyone in his class. Is it that he's not getting instruction so he's stagnating, or is he having other issues? I just don't know if I should be concerned.

[Anonymous]

PP--my third grader was a Q at the end of second and is still there now. I'm not concerned. He said they have read a few R and even one S book so far in group this year.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Reviving this thread - should I be concerned that my child has not progressed from his second grade reading to third grade - even though he is far advanced of everyone in his class. Is it that he's not getting instruction so he's stagnating, or is he having other issues? I just don't know if I should be concerned.

I think the MAP-R scores should help you assess his progress--starting in 3rd grade, they test kids 3x a year.

[Anonymous]

My second grader entered this year reading at an R. He is receiving no reading at his level. The next highest level in the class is an O but most groups are only reading at M. Should I be concerned? We read a lot at home, all different styles of books, but i'm no educator. Will his ability increase without targeted instruction?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My second grader entered this year reading at an R. He is receiving no reading at his level. The next highest level in the class is an O but most groups are only reading at M. Should I be concerned? We read a lot at home, all different styles of books, but i'm no educator. Will his ability increase without targeted instruction?

Yes.

[Anonymous]

What is the William & Mary reading curriculum for 2nd and 3rd graders?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:What is the William & Mary reading curriculum for 2nd and 3rd graders?

http://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/curriculum/enriched/staff/curriculum-resources/william-and-mary.aspx

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Reviving this thread - should I be concerned that my child has not progressed from his second grade reading to third grade - even though he is far advanced of everyone in his class. Is it that he's not getting instruction so he's stagnating, or is he having other issues? I just don't know if I should be concerned.

They drop kids back a bit from 2nd to 3rd, 1st to 2nd. For example, my 1st grader was on a Level O (example, I really can't remember the actual levels) for the 4th quarter of last year. Now she's on a Level M. Her teacher said, she is an independent reader and can read anything. We are now focusing on her writing. She can write above grade level, but her teacher wants her to put more detail into the sentences. I'd encourage you to talk to the teacher for better guidance.