The teacher is not aware of my DD's reading level

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

My DD's teacher does not just rely on tests taken during the year - I'm surprised if yours is doing that. Doesn't your DD bring home books each week of varying levels? Do the levels seem to increase? (obviously except for this one case where she brought home a book too low)? I can tell from the books my DD brings home that the teacher is aware of progress. I don't feel like we are getting a full picture from OP - was this the ONLY book she has brought home all year?

No, she has not been bringing home varying levels of books. She has brought 3 books that are all too easy. Until I told the teacher these books are too easy, she's reading at a different level. Then the teacher sent a book of DRA 16.

To PP, also, no, they are not doing silent reading and comprehension in class.

What school does your DD attend that she has only brought home three books a year? Seems like you have a bigger problem than which books she brings home.

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:OP here. My presumptions about the teacher are correct. She said herself she doesn't listen to kids read because she doesn't have time. So, of course, she is at best only vaguely aware of their kevels.

I'm coming to strongly suspect you are the mother of my child's classmate. TC by any chance? I don't need an answer but if yes, give it a rest, you're making yourself look silly.

Not the OP but there are probably about 10,000 moms in exactly the same situation as the OP. Could be anyone. And she doesn't look silly she is frustrated and rightly so. The problem is when you write on here you get a majority of under-achievers who resent her position and aren't helpful or kind about it.

Is that you OP??

No I'm the poster whose DD skipped 1st grade and was called a liar for mentioning it.

I am the PP above who was the very advanced early reader. I suspect this will fall on deaf ears, but think carefully about how invested you are in your child's reading ("underachievers?" You really said that and admit it?). Please, for the sake of your child and coming from somebody who was a lot like your child from your description, just think about it.

Also, I read this whole thread and I didn't see anybody call you a liar, but this hypersensitiveness about any perceived slight to your child's intellectual abilities is something that is very, very familiar to me.

you sound insane.

I disagree. The bolded is what is really insane. I have an "underachiever". Well actually she is achieving at her ability so no she isn't "under" achieving. I can emphatically say I do not envy OP. First of all her school sounds awful. Second of all she is completely wacked out about her kids reading ability. SO MANY PARENTS think early reading or advanced reading means WAY more than it does. There is more to life. Thankfully I know that seeing as I have an "under" achiever.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP here. My presumptions about the teacher are correct. She said herself she doesn't listen to kids read because she doesn't have time. So, of course, she is at best only vaguely aware of their kevels.

I'm coming to strongly suspect you are the mother of my child's classmate. TC by any chance? I don't need an answer but if yes, give it a rest, you're making yourself look silly.

Not the OP but there are probably about 10,000 moms in exactly the same situation as the OP. Could be anyone. And she doesn't look silly she is frustrated and rightly so. The problem is when you write on here you get a majority of under-achievers who resent her position and aren't helpful or kind about it.

Then take some responsibility for your child's education. The books my kindergartner brings home seem to be way too easy as well, but I'm giving the teacher the benefit of the doubt that there's a reason (such as the intersection between recognizing words on a page, fluency and comprehension that people have been discussing). At home, I take him to the library and let him pick out what looks interesting to him (and he'll typically pick more challenging books) and we work on reading them together at home. It's not that hard.

This.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I wonder if it has occurred to any of you that if you are always demanding that your child be "challenged" when she reads, that she may learn to dislike reading.......

I was always an avid reader--still am. However, I sure don't always pick out books with the highest reading level when I want to relax. Once again, your child learns by reading. The more she reads--at any level--the more she will improve. She may be learning other things from books that appear to be "too easy". She may be picking up speed--which is also a skill. She may just like the pictures, or, she may want just want to read the book her friend reads.

DD constantly checked out the same book from the library when she was in first grade. (I was SICK of it). I would never have dreamed of telling my daughter not to check it out anymore. I think they couldn't check the same book out three times in a row--but, at every opportunity she checked it out again. At the end of the year, when the library was purging books, the librarian gave it to DD with a sweet note that she had noticed how much she liked it. Wonderful librarian.

When I was a kid - a librarian also gave me a book I used to take out over and over. Love it!!

[Anonymous]

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Not the OP but there are probably about 10,000 moms in exactly the same situation as the OP. Could be anyone. And she doesn't look silly she is frustrated and rightly so. The problem is when you write on here you get a majority of under-achievers who resent her position and aren't helpful or kind about it.

OMG. O.M.G.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

I disagree. The bolded is what is really insane. I have an "underachiever". Well actually she is achieving at her ability so no she isn't "under" achieving. I can emphatically say I do not envy OP. First of all her school sounds awful. Second of all she is completely wacked out about her kids reading ability. SO MANY PARENTS think early reading or advanced reading means WAY more than it does. There is more to life. Thankfully I know that seeing as I have an "under" achiever.

I'm not "wacked out" about her reading ability. I just have concerns that she is not being challenged in school. It's not like I'm pushing for her to read Harry Potter, but I don't want her to be in a lazy environment either.

I don't think it means anything. It's a result of work, no magic here. I read to hear every day since she was an infant. Then I asked her to read a little every day. The levels rose gradually.
I don't want our work to go to waste because her teacher is too busy.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

I disagree. The bolded is what is really insane. I have an "underachiever". Well actually she is achieving at her ability so no she isn't "under" achieving. I can emphatically say I do not envy OP. First of all her school sounds awful. Second of all she is completely wacked out about her kids reading ability. SO MANY PARENTS think early reading or advanced reading means WAY more than it does. There is more to life. Thankfully I know that seeing as I have an "under" achiever.

I'm not "wacked out" about her reading ability. I just have concerns that she is not being challenged in school. It's not like I'm pushing for her to read Harry Potter, but I don't want her to be in a lazy environment either.

I don't think it means anything. It's a result of work, no magic here. I read to hear every day since she was an infant. Then I asked her to read a little every day. The levels rose gradually.
I don't want our work to go to waste because her teacher is too busy.

How, specifically, would your work go to waste? Will she forgot how to read unless the kindergarten teacher sends home an advanced book?

[Anonymous]

I don't want our work to go to waste because her teacher is too busy.

Go to waste? You think she will never make progress? The teacher has not put up a wall that says "STOP! DO NOT ENTER!"

I'm sure they do a lot of reading in class. I taught Kindergarten. I wrote everything we did on the board and we talked about it every day. I had the kids read it together, separately, etc. They all learned to read each other's names because I called roll every day with name cards. I am confident that the teacher is working on sounds and the words that go with them. I used to have the kids dictate stories to go with their paintings and have them read them back. We wrote stories on the board together and read them. ETC. ETC.
Sure, a teacher should listen to the kids read books. But, just because she doesn't sit down with your daughter and listen to her read a book as frequently as you would like, does not mean she is not working on reading with her.

And, once again, if your child is reading she will improve--no matter what the teacher does.

[Anonymous]

OP again.

OK, could you please help me assess whether we should stick with the same school?

Because I've been supplementing at home, like reading, I can't tell how much exactly she's learning from school. She brings 1 book a week from a library for us to read together. So far has brought only 3 books that the teacher assigned to her to read. They don't have a reading group. They do stations and when I'm there to volunteer I'm at the reading station and do listen to them read. I'm not sure the teacher does.

I volunteer and when I'm in class and the teacher has energy she's really good. But over the year she has taken a lot of sick leave. Sometimes their subs don't show up so they split up the classes and nothing gets done that day because they can't manage so many kids. Also, she has not been able to control the class and has been sending e-mail cries for help to parents saying that they don't listen to her and don't behave.

There is not help from parents. Only I volunteer at this point.

How can I assess whether the school is good?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OK, could you please help me assess whether we should stick with the same school?

Since you asked -- I think that you'd be happier homeschooling.

[Anonymous]

Since you asked -- I think that you'd be happier homeschooling

Absolutely.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP again.

OK, could you please help me assess whether we should stick with the same school?

Because I've been supplementing at home, like reading, I can't tell how much exactly she's learning from school. She brings 1 book a week from a library for us to read together. So far has brought only 3 books that the teacher assigned to her to read. They don't have a reading group. They do stations and when I'm there to volunteer I'm at the reading station and do listen to them read. I'm not sure the teacher does.

I volunteer and when I'm in class and the teacher has energy she's really good. But over the year she has taken a lot of sick leave. Sometimes their subs don't show up so they split up the classes and nothing gets done that day because they can't manage so many kids. Also, she has not been able to control the class and has been sending e-mail cries for help to parents saying that they don't listen to her and don't behave.

There is not help from parents. Only I volunteer at this point.

How can I assess whether the school is good?

So you were the volunteer who sent home a book that was too easy for your dd? When did that happen?

Maybe this teacher is having some issues. Who can say? Have you discussed you concerns directly with her or with the principal?

Seriously though, in order to assess the school you need to discuss your concerns directly with the teacher and with the principal. They should be taking you seriously. I wouldn't be so worried about the reading level. It's only K, and you are reading with her at home. It doesn't seem to me that she is doing without.

You spend time in the school. What do you see while you are there, outside of your DD's classroom? When I'm at the school I notice how other teachers are with the kids and can get an overall feel for the school.

OP. set up a time to discuss your concerns with the teacher. Talk to the principal. Then you can decide what you think over all. If things just aren't sitting right then it may be worth your while to make a change for next year.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP again.

OK, could you please help me assess whether we should stick with the same school?

Because I've been supplementing at home, like reading, I can't tell how much exactly she's learning from school. She brings 1 book a week from a library for us to read together. So far has brought only 3 books that the teacher assigned to her to read. They don't have a reading group. They do stations and when I'm there to volunteer I'm at the reading station and do listen to them read. I'm not sure the teacher does.

I volunteer and when I'm in class and the teacher has energy she's really good. But over the year she has taken a lot of sick leave. Sometimes their subs don't show up so they split up the classes and nothing gets done that day because they can't manage so many kids. Also, she has not been able to control the class and has been sending e-mail cries for help to parents saying that they don't listen to her and don't behave.

There is not help from parents. Only I volunteer at this point.

How can I assess whether the school is good?

It does not sound very good for kindergarten. It's hard to judge the rest of the school though. Each year is different.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP again.

OK, could you please help me assess whether we should stick with the same school?

Because I've been supplementing at home, like reading, I can't tell how much exactly she's learning from school. She brings 1 book a week from a library for us to read together. So far has brought only 3 books that the teacher assigned to her to read. They don't have a reading group. They do stations and when I'm there to volunteer I'm at the reading station and do listen to them read. I'm not sure the teacher does.

I volunteer and when I'm in class and the teacher has energy she's really good. But over the year she has taken a lot of sick leave. Sometimes their subs don't show up so they split up the classes and nothing gets done that day because they can't manage so many kids. Also, she has not been able to control the class and has been sending e-mail cries for help to parents saying that they don't listen to her and don't behave.

There is not help from parents. Only I volunteer at this point.

How can I assess whether the school is good?

I'd be careful to make too big of a deal about the school in kindergarten. Use the time that you're not fretting about your child keeping up to make your own observations and decide for yourself about the school's quality.

So you were the volunteer who sent home a book that was too easy for your dd? When did that happen?

Maybe this teacher is having some issues. Who can say? Have you discussed you concerns directly with her or with the principal?

Seriously though, in order to assess the school you need to discuss your concerns directly with the teacher and with the principal. They should be taking you seriously. I wouldn't be so worried about the reading level. It's only K, and you are reading with her at home. It doesn't seem to me that she is doing without.

You spend time in the school. What do you see while you are there, outside of your DD's classroom? When I'm at the school I notice how other teachers are with the kids and can get an overall feel for the school.

OP. set up a time to discuss your concerns with the teacher. Talk to the principal. Then you can decide what you think over all. If things just aren't sitting right then it may be worth your while to make a change for next year.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP again.

OK, could you please help me assess whether we should stick with the same school?

Because I've been supplementing at home, like reading, I can't tell how much exactly she's learning from school. She brings 1 book a week from a library for us to read together. So far has brought only 3 books that the teacher assigned to her to read. They don't have a reading group. They do stations and when I'm there to volunteer I'm at the reading station and do listen to them read. I'm not sure the teacher does.

I volunteer and when I'm in class and the teacher has energy she's really good. But over the year she has taken a lot of sick leave. Sometimes their subs don't show up so they split up the classes and nothing gets done that day because they can't manage so many kids. Also, she has not been able to control the class and has been sending e-mail cries for help to parents saying that they don't listen to her and don't behave.

There is not help from parents. Only I volunteer at this point.

How can I assess whether the school is good?

So you were the volunteer who sent home a book that was too easy for your dd? When did that happen?

Maybe this teacher is having some issues. Who can say? Have you discussed you concerns directly with her or with the principal?

Seriously though, in order to assess the school you need to discuss your concerns directly with the teacher and with the principal. They should be taking you seriously. I wouldn't be so worried about the reading level. It's only K, and you are reading with her at home. It doesn't seem to me that she is doing without.

You spend time in the school. What do you see while you are there, outside of your DD's classroom? When I'm at the school I notice how other teachers are with the kids and can get an overall feel for the school.

OP. set up a time to discuss your concerns with the teacher. Talk to the principal. Then you can decide what you think over all. If things just aren't sitting right then it may be worth your while to make a change for next year.

I'd be careful to make too big of a deal about the school in kindergarten. Use the time that you're not fretting about your child keeping up to make your own observations and decide for yourself about the school's quality.