Silver Spring elementary schools + reading above grade level

[Anonymous]

I'm at a Focus school in Silver Spring and they will always find a reading group of peers for your child even if it's pulling kids from other K classes to join her. I've found being advanced at math a little more challenging for the schools to appropriately enrich.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My oldest is at a Focus school in SS, and was reading at a third grade level by the end of K. She was in a pull-out group with a few other kids. She's in first now and probably at a fourth grade level, and also does a pull-out group for reading. She had 16 kids in both her K and 1st grade classes, which really allowed for personalized attention.

How often does the pullout group happen. It was offered one year for my daughter, but ended up not even happening once per week.

Weekly, in both K and First.

[Anonymous]

If you are lucky enough to get a spot through the immersion lottery, I think it's a great opportunity, especially for kids who are already advanced in language and reading.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I am amazed at how many people know the reading levels of other kids in your kids class. I volunteer at my 1st graders school once a week in the classroom so am there when they are in reading groups. I do hear the kids reading but couldnt tell you what " level" they are. I know my kid is a grade ahead because the teacher told us. I assume the other 4 kids in her group are her level. But the other kids, no idea aside from " lower" than my kid.

If you want to know, just look at the title of the book the kids are reading then Google it's reading level. Seriously, it doesn't take Sherlock Holmes to figure this out.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am amazed at how many people know the reading levels of other kids in your kids class. I volunteer at my 1st graders school once a week in the classroom so am there when they are in reading groups. I do hear the kids reading but couldnt tell you what " level" they are. I know my kid is a grade ahead because the teacher told us. I assume the other 4 kids in her group are her level. But the other kids, no idea aside from " lower" than my kid.

If you want to know, just look at the title of the book the kids are reading then Google it's reading level. Seriously, it doesn't take Sherlock Holmes to figure this out.

Seriously why do you care what level other kids are? It seems kind of crazy to look up everyone's level.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am amazed at how many people know the reading levels of other kids in your kids class. I volunteer at my 1st graders school once a week in the classroom so am there when they are in reading groups. I do hear the kids reading but couldnt tell you what " level" they are. I know my kid is a grade ahead because the teacher told us. I assume the other 4 kids in her group are her level. But the other kids, no idea aside from " lower" than my kid.

If you want to know, just look at the title of the book the kids are reading then Google it's reading level. Seriously, it doesn't take Sherlock Holmes to figure this out.

Seriously why do you care what level other kids are? It seems kind of crazy to look up everyone's level.

DP

Personally, I don’t really care, but most teachers have boxes for the kids and the boxes are labeled according to reading levels. Also, kids talk about it. Especially the boys, for some reason. And, if your kid moves up and down in groups, you know that way. Not really rocket science to figure out reading levels. And, it’s not unreasonable to be interested in how your kid is doing compared to others. Especially since MCPS does not provide much info.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My daughter attends a focus school in eastern Silver Spring. They allow children to move between grades to accommodate their reading levels when necessary.

This is definitely not typical, and I agree with others, that it seems like it would be logistically difficult to schedule around differing lunch periods and specials. How does your school work the scheduling? Others may be able to ask admin at their own elementary schools to implement.

I would love it if this was an option. Especially for Math. Parents have tried at our ES, but it is truly impossible to make it work. They tried a pull out group for Math two years ago, but that met a few times and then was scrapped.

MCPS is just over-extended. It’s tough to have the staff needed for pull out groups, etc. There really is not much enrichment offered in early ES. Or at least, that has been our experience.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am amazed at how many people know the reading levels of other kids in your kids class. I volunteer at my 1st graders school once a week in the classroom so am there when they are in reading groups. I do hear the kids reading but couldnt tell you what " level" they are. I know my kid is a grade ahead because the teacher told us. I assume the other 4 kids in her group are her level. But the other kids, no idea aside from " lower" than my kid.

If you want to know, just look at the title of the book the kids are reading then Google it's reading level. Seriously, it doesn't take Sherlock Holmes to figure this out.

Seriously why do you care what level other kids are? It seems kind of crazy to look up everyone's level.

I actually don't care, but the PP asked how you would know...

[Anonymous]

New poster here, and another person with kids at a Silver Spring Focus School. I just want to echo what the others are saying about assessed reading level in MCPS.

My kids are "advanced" readers, but were only a little above grade level at writing in the early grades. As a result, their assessed reading level was always below what they read for pleasure.

Once I understood that many kids have a gap between their assessed level and what they read for fun, I worried a lot less about whether my kids were at the "right" reading level and learned to trust the my child's teachers weren't deliberately juicing the numbers (as folks on DCUM would've had me believe).

[Anonymous]

If everyone's child is reading above grade level than it sounds like there might be some "reading level inflation" just like the "grade inflation" that's been written about a lot lately. I was wondering how all of a sudden every other kid was getting straight "A"s. Its sure not the way it was when I was in school here in MCPS many years ago.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If everyone's child is reading above grade level than it sounds like there might be some "reading level inflation" just like the "grade inflation" that's been written about a lot lately. I was wondering how all of a sudden every other kid was getting straight "A"s. Its sure not the way it was when I was in school here in MCPS many years ago.

The bar is set REALLY low in MCPS. Especially for K-2. There are lots of kids coming into the school system who have not attended pre-school, or who do not speak much English.

I believe (could be wrong), but the Expected Reading level at the end of K is Level 4. That is pretty basic for most kids who have attended a quality preschool. Our ES set the Level at 6, but even that is pretty basic.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If everyone's child is reading above grade level than it sounds like there might be some "reading level inflation" just like the "grade inflation" that's been written about a lot lately. I was wondering how all of a sudden every other kid was getting straight "A"s. Its sure not the way it was when I was in school here in MCPS many years ago.

The MCPS "benchmarks" are where they would like to see all kids at. If all kids can reach the benchmark, then of course there will also be a lot of kids above the benchmark. Also, there is a TON of variation in reading readiness and reading level in K and 1st grade. A kid who comes in not knowing how to hold a book or English letter sounds may need help getting to a 6. A kid with lots of exposure to letters and English language may be reading simple books pretty fluidly by the end of K. Or may not. And with this age group, the differences between fall birthday kids and late summer kids can still be substantial. So there is a very wide range in K and 1st and it is not surprising you can find 20-30 people on DCUM whose kids are "above grade level."

Also, when I went to MCPS K-2 at least was graded O, S and N, not A, B, C, D. I think all the way through elementary was O, S, N. Grade inflation may certainly be an issue, but I don't think it's an issue for K. K should be graded on effort and behavior in my opinion, not on mastery. They are 5-6 years old and making them feel like they are "bad at school" or not a good student is more detrimental to their education than whatever their reading level may be.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If everyone's child is reading above grade level than it sounds like there might be some "reading level inflation" just like the "grade inflation" that's been written about a lot lately. I was wondering how all of a sudden every other kid was getting straight "A"s. Its sure not the way it was when I was in school here in MCPS many years ago.

The bar is set REALLY low in MCPS. Especially for K-2. There are lots of kids coming into the school system who have not attended pre-school, or who do not speak much English.

I believe (could be wrong), but the Expected Reading level at the end of K is Level 4. That is pretty basic for most kids who have attended a quality preschool. Our ES set the Level at 6, but even that is pretty basic.

According to the report card, Level 6 is expected by the end of K.
https://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/uploadedFiles/info/grading/SBRC_2018_2019_GrK.pdf

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am amazed at how many people know the reading levels of other kids in your kids class. I volunteer at my 1st graders school once a week in the classroom so am there when they are in reading groups. I do hear the kids reading but couldnt tell you what " level" they are. I know my kid is a grade ahead because the teacher told us. I assume the other 4 kids in her group are her level. But the other kids, no idea aside from " lower" than my kid.

If you want to know, just look at the title of the book the kids are reading then Google it's reading level. Seriously, it doesn't take Sherlock Holmes to figure this out.

Seriously why do you care what level other kids are? It seems kind of crazy to look up everyone's level.

Right! I am the PP. When I am in the classroom helping I am not going to be looking at what books he kids are reading just to see the reading level. My kid is happy at school and is in a group for her level so im all good.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If everyone's child is reading above grade level than it sounds like there might be some "reading level inflation" just like the "grade inflation" that's been written about a lot lately. I was wondering how all of a sudden every other kid was getting straight "A"s. Its sure not the way it was when I was in school here in MCPS many years ago.

For starters when you were a kid they used leaded gas. Kids today are smarter. Just ask Mark Zuckerberg.