what can do do to help my advanced KG girl in reading?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:how do you know your child is the top reader? i volunteer in my child's classroom and only have a sense of who is in what broad category. that is, who's still learning the alphabet and who can read pretty fluently but no idea who is the "highest" reader or the "lowest."

I was wondering that too; plus how on earth do you know what is going on in your child's classroom all day? Are you there or are you actually believing that your child is giving you an accurate picture of the whole day? I'd talk to the teacher before concluding that she is just coloring all day. In the mean time, read to her and discuss what you are reading. It builds vocabulary and comprehension.

I am not the OP, but was given this information at the first parent conference. The teacher told me that my kid is the top reader and they dont have any other kid close to his reading ability in the class. Then she explained how they are challenging him. They have formed a group of top readers from all kindergarten classes. This group gets together to work on higher level stuff when rest of the classes are going through alphabet and basic sound study.

Prior to teacher telling me about his ability, I had no idea where he stood in terms of his reading ability in his class. However I knew that he was a good reader for his age.

[Anonymous]

Op here - the teacher told me that my DD was the highest reader among all the KG students. She scored at an end- of- first grade level in the reading/writing test they do at the beginning of the year.

I volunteer about once a week in the classroom. The work is quite easy for her and she blazes through and then draws pictures (I think of "coloring" meaning using crayons, not coloring in pre- printed pages - sorry!). The "work" is also very repetitive. She's done the same rhyming worksheet a few dozen times already.

I've really appreciated all the input and advice here! Thanks! We started Roahl Dahl and that's been a big hit.

[Anonymous]

Op here - the teacher told me that my DD was the highest reader among all the KG students. She scored at an end- of- first grade level in the reading/writing test they do at the beginning of the year.

I volunteer about once a week in the classroom. The work is quite easy for her and she blazes through and then draws pictures (I think of "coloring" meaning using crayons, not coloring in pre- printed pages - sorry!). The "work" is also very repetitive. She's done the same rhyming worksheet a few dozen times already.

I've really appreciated all the input and advice here! Thanks! We started Roahl Dahl and that's been a big hit.

Hate to say this OP, but the same rhyming sheet? The teacher told you she had the highest score? Very unprofessional of the teacher. She should never have been that specific.

[Anonymous]

ps. as a former K teacher, I would have said that your daughter scored at the top of the group--not "the" top. The reason is that some parents would go bragging to other parents and that creates problems.

[Anonymous]

chances are some other kid got the same top of the class talk- since not professional teacher would say this- so this one uses it freely.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:chances are some other kid got the same top of the class talk- since not professional teacher would say this- so this one uses it freely.

And we got the talk every year from k to 2 until DC got into AAP- but never did I think/was told DC was the top and maxed out- DC was in a group of top students as described by each teacher through those grades.

[Anonymous]

This is all rather ridiculous. What to do to "help" your daughter who is already advanced? Obviously give her challenging reading materials at home and make sure her school is giving her challenging material. I feel like starting a thread for those of us whose kids struggle with reading. They actually need "help".

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:ps. as a former K teacher, I would have said that your daughter scored at the top of the group--not "the" top. The reason is that some parents would go bragging to other parents and that creates problems.

NP here. My teacher doesn't have to tell me that my kid is the top of the class with reading. He's the only kid in his class -- actually the entire school -- who is reading fluently and reading complex chapter books. No one else in his class is reading anywhere close to where he is. those of us who have kids with exceptional abilities are quite aware of them.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:ps. as a former K teacher, I would have said that your daughter scored at the top of the group--not "the" top. The reason is that some parents would go bragging to other parents and that creates problems.

NP here. My teacher doesn't have to tell me that my kid is the top of the class with reading. He's the only kid in his class -- actually the entire school -- who is reading fluently and reading complex chapter books. No one else in his class is reading anywhere close to where he is. those of us who have kids with exceptional abilities are quite aware of them.

how do you know every kid's reading ability in the whole school???

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:she's the highest reader in her public school KG (entirely a product of her wonderful montessori preschool) and i am finding that there are so many children in teh room who are lower readers that they get tons of attention and help while DD is done with her "work" very quickly and spends a lot of time coloring. While coloring is absolutely wonderful, I just want to knwo what you would suggest I do at home to keep her engaged and interested in reading. I am also going to ask her old montessori teachers.

We read a ton at home - both me to her and her to me. And she reads to her brother.

Any thing else?

i have tried to start journals with her a million times over, but she is not a fan of anything that seems like "work."

DO NOT PUSH HER. Seriously. It will backfire. You don't have to keep her engaged and interested, other than having a wide variety of interesting things to read around. Let her develop on her own and at home you should emphasize play rather than academics. She's the highest now, and if she isn't next year or the year after it won't be because you didn't make her do journal entries or whatever.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:she's the highest reader in her public school KG (entirely a product of her wonderful montessori preschool) and i am finding that there are so many children in teh room who are lower readers that they get tons of attention and help while DD is done with her "work" very quickly and spends a lot of time coloring. While coloring is absolutely wonderful, I just want to knwo what you would suggest I do at home to keep her engaged and interested in reading. I am also going to ask her old montessori teachers.

We read a ton at home - both me to her and her to me. And she reads to her brother.

Any thing else?

i have tried to start journals with her a million times over, but she is not a fan of anything that seems like "work."

DO NOT PUSH HER. Seriously. It will backfire. You don't have to keep her engaged and interested, other than having a wide variety of interesting things to read around. Let her develop on her own and at home you should emphasize play rather than academics. She's the highest now, and if she isn't next year or the year after it won't be because you didn't make her do journal entries or whatever.

+1

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:ps. as a former K teacher, I would have said that your daughter scored at the top of the group--not "the" top. The reason is that some parents would go bragging to other parents and that creates problems.

NP here. My teacher doesn't have to tell me that my kid is the top of the class with reading. He's the only kid in his class -- actually the entire school -- who is reading fluently and reading complex chapter books. No one else in his class is reading anywhere close to where he is. those of us who have kids with exceptional abilities are quite aware of them.

how do you know every kid's reading ability in the whole school???

The school is small - there are less than 15 kids older than my child.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:ps. as a former K teacher, I would have said that your daughter scored at the top of the group--not "the" top. The reason is that some parents would go bragging to other parents and that creates problems.

NP here. My teacher doesn't have to tell me that my kid is the top of the class with reading. He's the only kid in his class -- actually the entire school -- who is reading fluently and reading complex chapter books. No one else in his class is reading anywhere close to where he is. those of us who have kids with exceptional abilities are quite aware of them.

how do you know every kid's reading ability in the whole school???

The school is small - there are less than 15 kids older than my child.

I see. The Kindergarten at our school is around 125 kids so you can see where I'd be confused!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This is all rather ridiculous. What to do to "help" your daughter who is already advanced? Obviously give her challenging reading materials at home and make sure her school is giving her challenging material. I feel like starting a thread for those of us whose kids struggle with reading. They actually need "help".

Every child could use help, regardless of the level they are currently at. Its statements like yours that people use to justify defunding gifted services, implying that differentiated instruction is only appropriate for students who are below grade expectations. All kids need and deserve support to do advance, no matter where they are starting. Otherwise, why require advanced kids to go to school?

I do agree with the rest of your post--give the kid more challenging things to read, and discuss them with her.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:ps. as a former K teacher, I would have said that your daughter scored at the top of the group--not "the" top. The reason is that some parents would go bragging to other parents and that creates problems.

NP here. My teacher doesn't have to tell me that my kid is the top of the class with reading. He's the only kid in his class -- actually the entire school -- who is reading fluently and reading complex chapter books. No one else in his class is reading anywhere close to where he is. those of us who have kids with exceptional abilities are quite aware of them.

how do you know every kid's reading ability in the whole school???

The school is small - there are less than 15 kids older than my child.

Still, why do you know every child's reading level? My child was reading chapter books in preschool, and I can guarantee you know other parent knew that.