First day of teaching, still no research backed curriculum for reading (phonics)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP, are you at a school that is piloting the "new and improved" Benchmark curriculum, or at one that is supposed to use Really Great Reading? Either way, you just inspired me to buy this book to help my kid learn to read this year in PK so we don't have to rely on MCPS. https://www.amazon.com/Teach-Your-Child-Read-Lessons/dp/0671631985

DP. How do we figure which of these is true of our elementary?

The schools piloting the new Benchmark Advanced curriculum this year are:

Ritchie Park (K-5)
Burnt Mills (K-5 Spanish Immersion Program only)
Candlewood (K-5)
JoAnn Leleck at Broad Acres (K-5)
Captain James E. Daly Jr. (K-5)
Rock Creek Forest (3-5) and (Spanish Immersion Program) (K-5)
Washington Grove (K-5)
Gaithersburg #8 (K-5)
Brown Station (K-2)
Woodfield ES (3-5)
Rosemary Hills (K- 2)
Oak View (3-5)

https://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/curriculum/office/

So the other schools get nothing? Great. What phonics program should the rest of us use at home?

I can't believe our W feeder isn't on the list. Who can I call at the central office?

Not at a W. I'm glad MCPS is finally shifting to structured literacy for the sake of my preschooler. But that doesn't help my 1st grader at a school relying solely on 1st gen benchmark. There is very little phonics in that, which is why MCPS is making changes. So again, what phonic program should I be using to supplement at home?

Do an OG training and then you’ll get all of the teacher’s guides and materials you need. My training was through IMSE.

[Anonymous]

Benchmark has phonics lessons every day. This is misinformation. And MCPS uses Really Great Reading for phonics as well.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP, are you at a school that is piloting the "new and improved" Benchmark curriculum, or at one that is supposed to use Really Great Reading? Either way, you just inspired me to buy this book to help my kid learn to read this year in PK so we don't have to rely on MCPS. https://www.amazon.com/Teach-Your-Child-Read-Lessons/dp/0671631985

DP. How do we figure which of these is true of our elementary?

The schools piloting the new Benchmark Advanced curriculum this year are:

Ritchie Park (K-5)
Burnt Mills (K-5 Spanish Immersion Program only)
Candlewood (K-5)
JoAnn Leleck at Broad Acres (K-5)
Captain James E. Daly Jr. (K-5)
Rock Creek Forest (3-5) and (Spanish Immersion Program) (K-5)
Washington Grove (K-5)
Gaithersburg #8 (K-5)
Brown Station (K-2)
Woodfield ES (3-5)
Rosemary Hills (K- 2)
Oak View (3-5)

https://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/curriculum/office/

So the other schools get nothing? Great. What phonics program should the rest of us use at home?

I can't believe our W feeder isn't on the list. Who can I call at the central office?

Not at a W. I'm glad MCPS is finally shifting to structured literacy for the sake of my preschooler. But that doesn't help my 1st grader at a school relying solely on 1st gen benchmark. There is very little phonics in that, which is why MCPS is making changes. So again, what phonic program should I be using to supplement at home?

Do an OG training and then you’ll get all of the teacher’s guides and materials you need. My training was through IMSE.

For dyslexia, you want OG, not phonics.

[Anonymous]

OG is systematic instruction of phonics in a very specialized way 🙄

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Benchmark has phonics lessons every day. This is misinformation. And MCPS uses Really Great Reading for phonics as well.

Which version of Benchmark Advance is MCPS using now? The state of Colorado has rejected earlier versions because they do not follow evidence-based methods, but has approved the 2021 and 2022 versions.

https://co.chalkbeat.org/2021/11/15/22783792/colorado-reading-curriculum-law-state-reversal

https://www.cde.state.co.us/coloradoliteracy/advisorylistofinstructionalprogramming2020

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Benchmark has phonics lessons every day. This is misinformation. And MCPS uses Really Great Reading for phonics as well.

Isn’t Really Great Reading only being used at the 12 pilot schools though?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Benchmark has phonics lessons every day. This is misinformation. And MCPS uses Really Great Reading for phonics as well.

Isn’t Really Great Reading only being used at the 12 pilot schools though?

It's being used in my kids' school. It's Title I, so my kids went to summer school and got a preview of it. I am a huuuuge fan of RGR from what I've seen so far (K and 1st graders).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Benchmark has phonics lessons every day. This is misinformation. And MCPS uses Really Great Reading for phonics as well.

Ok but it’s subpar, because otherwise they wouldn’t have needed to add RGR too. I literally don’t know a single teacher that likes Benchmark, but maybe the new version is improved.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Benchmark has phonics lessons every day. This is misinformation. And MCPS uses Really Great Reading for phonics as well.

Isn’t Really Great Reading only being used at the 12 pilot schools though?

Who knows. Maybe we’ll all find out at back to school night.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Benchmark has phonics lessons every day. This is misinformation. And MCPS uses Really Great Reading for phonics as well.

It's true but people love to complain and spread misinformation.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Long left MCPS, but had a child go through 8th grade. I remember very clearly his Kindergarten orientation, where my son read a few pages to the teacher from a book. The teacher was intrigued and I told her the phonics based method I used to teach him. The teacher then proceeded to tell me, that's not the way to teach reading anymore...we don't teach phonics. Was so glad I had the foresight to do it myself.

Yes, not every kid learns that way. In fact, for me, phonics just slowed me down. Forcing it on me wasn't helpful.

Yeah my kid prefers to look at the pictures to figure out a word than have to sound it out.

And what happens if there isn’t a relevant picture?

My kid just treated everything as a sight word, and it worked out fine.

[Anonymous]

Most schools are using benchmark 2018 with really great reading this year.
The pilot schools using benchmark 2022 has more systematic phonics embedded. RGR and OG will still used for interventions.