Actually you may be. The majority of kids do not actually have dyslexia. The kids with dyslexia are the kids that need a specialized private as well as additional help outside of school to address their issues. Sadly too many parents don’t realize this and rely on the schools only. |
Twenty percent of kids in the US have dyslexia. Are you really saying that we need specialized schools for 20% of kids in the US? That doesn't include the kids who are simply struggling with learning to read. The methods used to teach kids with dyslexia to read are legitimate methods to teach all kids to read. It is not like these methods only work for kids with dyslexia and the other 80% of the population is going to be held back or not learn to read. http://dyslexiahelp.umich.edu/parents/learn-about-dyslexia/what-is-dyslexia/debunking-common-myths-about-dyslexia The issue that some kids/parents are having right now is that their kids are in late ES so this change feels problematic because some of what the kids are doing is catching up on skills that they may understand and feels remedial. There are plenty of kids, not just the kids with dyslexia, that are not finding the word study remedial and will gain from the practice. I do wish that FCPS did more to develop classes that were ability based so that there was less of a divide between the groups of kids in the class which would allow for classes to move at paces that make more sense for all kids. The practice of mixing such wildly divergent ability levels is problematic for the kids who are on grade level and ahead of grade level. The Teachers focus their attention on the kids who are behind or struggling, which makes sense. But the kids who can move more quickly or need to be challenged end up doing more independent work and don't receive the instruction that they could benefit from. But I don't have a problem with moving to a phonics based LA program or the fact that my 5th grader is finally doing word studies and learning how to spell properly and the like. It is a long time coming. |
Nope. The kids with dyslexia need the public schools to teach their kids to read! If they are capable of understanding and funding private school/tutoring (and I am/do), then great (although not fair) for them! But that's not a plan and parents not realizing anything is not the sad part. That sets up those who are disadvantaged and/or un-remediated dyslexics for failure. Do you have any idea how hard it is to navigate the world as a dyslexic? I'm not dyslexic but spouse is. It's awful. Then throw in people working multiple jobs to literally make ends meet (not DCUM style, like actually struggling for food/shelter) and/or immigrants with language issues. Oh goodness, it makes me so angry. Plus dyslexia parents are being set up for failure when the teachers keep saying just read to them. And don't listen when some of us point out the very issues that indicate dyslexia. Parents (and students) should be able to "rely on the schools only." That's the whole issue!! |
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Oh honey. No one in their right mind relies on solely the school to educate their child, or their child will be hopelessly behind. |
+1 And parents of kids who are early readers aren't doing it just so their kids can get 'more advanced'--we want our kids to learn to work in school, learn that school is associated with growth and challenge. When kids who are advanced don't get appropriate instruction they understandably develop poor work habits that can affect them for their lifetime. They also develop false attitudes that are hard to counter like other kids are "dumb" and school is "boring." This helps no one. No one is saying that children don't need instruction to help them read, but that it should be matched to their level. Advanced kids should not have to ride it out until 3rd grade when they can go to AAP if they qualify. By then a lot of damage has been done on their basic relationship to school/work/learning. There are some kids who don't need the K-2 level of phonics, plenty of kids who can 'get' the phonics/word study very quickly and a subset of about 20% who will need a lot of intensive instruction. Does everyone have to take as long on it as those who need it most? That seems ludicrous. |
Entitled parents like you are why AAP exist and why so many people put their kids in private until 3rd grade. Please go join them. |
Really? The point is some people have no choice but to do so, and they should be able to rely on school for a basic like reading. Do I rely solely on schools given their current state? No, but I'm privileged and educated and can afford remediation. Many parents have none of those in their favor. |
So basically teaching to the lowest common denominator? No wonder so many parents want AAP. |
I have been posting in support of word study and the new phonics based program in forum but parents whose kids are on grade level or who are advanced have every right to want to see that their kids are challenged. Every parent should be advocating for their child to receive as strong an education as they can. I think that we have to find a way to provide better supports for kids with LDs and other learning issues. At the same time, I think that we need programs like AAP, or at the very least, classes that are tracked so that kids who are ahead also have an environment where they can succeed. There is no reason why there cannot be room for both groups of kids to succeed. That should also give 2E kids a place to move to when they figure out how to compensate for their learning issues and are in a place to be move more quickly. DS is benefiting from the new word study. He is ahead in LA but we can see that the word study will benefit him. We gave up on FCPS math doing much for him and started to send him to RSM in 3rd grade so that he has some place to go that will challenge him in math. Advanced Math was a joke in 3-4 and 5th grade Advanced Math is not proving to be much better. We cannot afford private, and to be frank, private does not seem to do better with math any way, so we use RSM. DS reads books that are ahead of his grade level at home and we discuss them with him. Realistically speaking, we figure that the current structure of public schools means that there is not going to be much for him in ES. Hopefully MS Honors classes will be more challenging. |
+1 |
Dyslexia families should seek outside help to supplement what the schools are doing. It requires a specialized approach that shcools cannot possibly deal with in a mainstreamed class. It’s no different than if a child had a complex medical issues. Families should use all their resources possible to help their child. Relying solely on schools is lazy and a disservice to the child. |
We should all demand better. |