Afterthoughts from AAP orientation

[Anonymous]

The whole orientation and the projects that I saw were definitely very good. Could not stop wondering why can not the same medium of instructions be brought in regular classrooms. For example AAP does Ceaser English. I could not find anywhere that Ceaser English is meant only for kids with Cogat score greater than 132. Any student can take advantage of it as it is aimed at increasing vocabulary. I can understand that there are kids who need more help with learning than others, schools do have special ed teachers to help with that. It goes the same way to most of other projects and curriculum that was displayed at orientation. Just my two cents.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The whole orientation and the projects that I saw were definitely very good. Could not stop wondering why can not the same medium of instructions be brought in regular classrooms. For example AAP does Ceaser English. I could not find anywhere that Ceaser English is meant only for kids with Cogat score greater than 132. Any student can take advantage of it as it is aimed at increasing vocabulary. I can understand that there are kids who need more help with learning than others, schools do have special ed teachers to help with that. It goes the same way to most of other projects and curriculum that was displayed at orientation. Just my two cents.

I can't find anywhere that is says you must have a 132 on the cogat as the only way to be in aap.

[Anonymous]

One of the things we've noticed is that the AAP classroom has had more vocabulary work, but less reading and writing work. We are concerned with the lack of writing instruction. Has anyone noticed less reading and writing assignments in AAP than in general ed?

[Anonymous]

I have 1 in aap and 1 in GEnd Ed. For third grade, the Aap class wrote longer work for projects. The gen Ed class definitely did more grammar work and fundamentals of writing more frequently.

[Anonymous]

Gen Ed teachers can teach those additional things, like Caesars English, if they can fit it in. The idea is that AAP can move through the basic curriculum faster and can thereby go deeper into the subject and have more rigorous work. Gen Ed may not be able to get there because they move at a slower pace through the curriculum.

[Anonymous]

Some third graders are still working on connecting letters to the sounds they make, some are still working on reading fluency: these children would be overwhelmed by Caesar's English and need more time before it would be appropriate for them. Most teachers are doing their best to differentiate with the materials they have now.

Btw, not every AAP uses Caesar's English. A number if them use Wordly Wise instead. Both of these vocab programs are also widely used by homeschoolers, who can work at a pace customized to the child.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:One of the things we've noticed is that the AAP classroom has had more vocabulary work, but less reading and writing work. We are concerned with the lack of writing instruction. Has anyone noticed less reading and writing assignments in AAP than in general ed?

That may be the case in your child's particular AAP center or classroom but it wasn't at our center school. If your child is finishing third grade AAP right now, bear in mind that there should be increased writing each year, as they get the kids gradually ramped up to start middle school. I know my child did do a lot more vocabulary work in third but was soon doing more and more writing.

Is it possible that your child is doing more writing than you realize but it's being done in the classroom, so you don't see much of it coming home as homework?

Our center had plenty of writing assignments both in and out of class, and reading as well, and they increased year by year. For instance, there were small reading discussion groups in fourth and sixth grades (parents helped facilitate those). Sixth grade also had a designated writing teacher and a writing class as part of the sixth grade courses. The writing class was separate from the language arts/reading class, so writing got a lot of attention in that year before middle school.

If you feel your child's class still just isn't doing much writing, ask the teacher about it. Most are glad to explain the progression of courses. Talk to next year's teachers and ask about writing and reading expectations. But if your child is in third right now, you likely will find that there will be a lot more writing to come and more in-depth reading as well.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Some third graders are still working on connecting letters to the sounds they make, some are still working on reading fluency: these children would be overwhelmed by Caesar's English and need more time before it would be appropriate for them. Most teachers are doing their best to differentiate with the materials they have now.

Btw, not every AAP uses Caesar's English. A number if them use Wordly Wise instead. Both of these vocab programs are also widely used by homeschoolers, who can work at a pace customized to the child.

OP here. I was using Caesar just as an example. But I am trying to say that if Schools implement the same way of teaching that they use in AAP in Gen Ed , it will help all the kids, as I believe and have noticed while volunteering in my Gen-Ed kid's class that almost more than 85% of students will be able to handle these instructions. I believe theresources are not available to Gen-Ed teachers.

[Anonymous]

The resources are definitely available GE teachers in many schools. Training, too.

You are projecting a solution based on your very limited anecdotal experience. Many kids are not ready and it creates too much pressure and stress. Let every child learn at their pace. That is what GE teachers are likely trying to do.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:One of the things we've noticed is that the AAP classroom has had more vocabulary work, but less reading and writing work. We are concerned with the lack of writing instruction. Has anyone noticed less reading and writing assignments in AAP than in general ed?

Yes, and I too am concerned with the lack of writing assignments. I think AAP, at least at DC's center, is woefully lacking in writing assignments.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The resources are definitely available GE teachers in many schools. Training, too.

You are projecting a solution based on your very limited anecdotal experience. Many kids are not ready and it creates too much pressure and stress. Let every child learn at their pace. That is what GE teachers are likely trying to do.

Np. How many gen ed teachers do you know who use Caesar's English? The problem is because it's not a part of the gen ed curriculum, most kids who can handle it in Gen Ed don't get access because the teacher is too busy working with the kids who "aren't ready." That's why so many people parent refer and appeal. Bright gen ed kids get screwed because the base gen ed curriculum is dumbed down for the kids who aren't ready. How about if they aren't ready, they can get remedial help? So tired of bright but not gifted kids getting the shaft because of political correctness.

[Anonymous]

So you'd prefer that gifted kids get shafted, huh? The line has to be drawn somewhere. People who just miss boundaries are always upset yet boundaries must be drawn.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The resources are definitely available GE teachers in many schools. Training, too.

You are projecting a solution based on your very limited anecdotal experience. Many kids are not ready and it creates too much pressure and stress. Let every child learn at their pace. That is what GE teachers are likely trying to do.

Np. How many gen ed teachers do you know who use Caesar's English? The problem is because it's not a part of the gen ed curriculum, most kids who can handle it in Gen Ed don't get access because the teacher is too busy working with the kids who "aren't ready." That's why so many people parent refer and appeal. Bright gen ed kids get screwed because the base gen ed curriculum is dumbed down for the kids who aren't ready. How about if they aren't ready, they can get remedial help? So tired of bright but not gifted kids getting the shaft because of political correctness.

Wouldn't the same be true of the kids in AAP in third, with regard to how they "got the shaft" k-2 when they were likely sitting hearing things for years they already knew?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The resources are definitely available GE teachers in many schools. Training, too.

You are projecting a solution based on your very limited anecdotal experience. Many kids are not ready and it creates too much pressure and stress. Let every child learn at their pace. That is what GE teachers are likely trying to do.

Np. How many gen ed teachers do you know who use Caesar's English? The problem is because it's not a part of the gen ed curriculum, most kids who can handle it in Gen Ed don't get access because the teacher is too busy working with the kids who "aren't ready." That's why so many people parent refer and appeal. Bright gen ed kids get screwed because the base gen ed curriculum is dumbed down for the kids who aren't ready. How about if they aren't ready, they can get remedial help? So tired of bright but not gifted kids getting the shaft because of political correctness.

Wouldn't the same be true of the kids in AAP in third, with regard to how they "got the shaft" k-2 when they were likely sitting hearing things for years they already knew?

No most of them were way too busy prepping for Nnat and cogat.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:One of the things we've noticed is that the AAP classroom has had more vocabulary work, but less reading and writing work. We are concerned with the lack of writing instruction. Has anyone noticed less reading and writing assignments in AAP than in general ed?

Yes. My DC definitely hasn't had as much writing instruction as I would have expected, in any level (AAP or GE). Lots of learning vocabulary but not as much writing. I think it's lopsided.