Reading instruction in DCPSs Kindergarten classes

[Anonymous]

Do DCPSs teach reading kindergarten? What methods, series do the schools use in K? Do they have the resources and energy to handle "advanced" readers in K? I am curious about all DCPS but any specifics about Key, Mann, and Janney would be particularly welcome. Thank you.

[Anonymous]

I suspect that some of the well-regarded DCPS schools do a good job working with children who arrive in preK or K with strong reading skills, and I'd love to hear from parents who can report such successes.

I can only report on our own experience, which was not so good. Our neighborhood DCPS (normally one of the top 10, score-wise, but not one that you mentioned) seemed completely unprepared to deal with our reader when we were researching preK possibilities. The preK teacher suggested that our child might "sneak" up to a higher grade level during the reading portion of the day. The idea of a 4-year-old sneaking around school plus the realization that reading instruction would be a large chunk of day (spending half the day with third graders at age 4?) led us to seek out other options for our child, who is now in private school.

This was a few years ago, and things may have improved. Also, as I mentioned earlier, other schools may encounter this situation more often and thus be better equipped to deal with it.

[Anonymous]

We also had an extremely bad experience with our upper NW DCPS school (also top 10) and reading teaching. It didn't happen until 1st grade. Our child was ready in preK, identified by the teacher for xtra "above grade" reading help and promised such, but never received it because there were other "more needy" children.

Fortunately, I could & did teach DC to read in preK, after the teacher failed to fulfill her promise of the help.

Unfortunately, I saw many children who complied with the DCPS system at the time and "waited" until first grade to learn to read. By then, those who had problems were much harder to help and their poor reading affected other areas of academics.

From preK to 2nd grade there was absolutely no support for strong readers, except to let them read at their desk if they finished their reading early.

Boring, boring, boring.....

[Anonymous]

At our DCPS school our child, who was an early reader was pulled out for additional enrichment with the reading specialist in K. The same experience in first grade. Our teacher worked with us to create a reading list for her. They also participate in the Accelerated Reader program as well where kids can take quizzes after they have completed a book. She is now entering 2nd grade and has continued to read several grades ahead.

[Anonymous]

22:05, can I ask which school this good experience was at?

[Anonymous]

Lafayette

[Anonymous]

All DCPS Kindergarten teachers are supposed have a degree in early childhood education; I think that is why reading is not always taught in Kindergarten. The focus is on what is developmentally appropriate. Most children are ready to learn to read in 1st grade. In Kindergarten, the focus should be on reading readiness. And a child will not fall hopelessly behind if he/she learns to read in 1st grade. Of course, some kids are ready to read in pre-K or in K, but if you look at some research, it is not the norm because it is not developmentally appropriate.

[Anonymous]

PP, that would be fine with me, if instead of reading instruction in K, teachers did something else that was developmentally approrpriate for all the children. But if they will be spending an hour a day on "prereading activities" including worksheets and drill on matching letters and pictures, which early readers already can do -- then there's a significant amount of time the early reading child is basically just sitting around, waiting to get to something she hasn't learned already.

If it is just 15 minutes per day, no harm no foul; you don't always get excitement and new content in school. But if a good hour and a half or more each day is spent on reading activities that the chld has already mastered -- that's a problem.

[Anonymous]

My child learned to read and write in K at Oyster a number of years ago (2001-2002).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:All DCPS Kindergarten teachers are supposed have a degree in early childhood education; I think that is why reading is not always taught in Kindergarten. The focus is on what is developmentally appropriate. Most children are ready to learn to read in 1st grade. In Kindergarten, the focus should be on reading readiness. And a child will not fall hopelessly behind if he/she learns to read in 1st grade. Of course, some kids are ready to read in pre-K or in K, but if you look at some research, it is not the norm because it is not developmentally appropriate.

Why is reading taught in MCPS then? I read somewhere that by the end of K, MCPS students are expected to read at least 28 words.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:PP, that would be fine with me, if instead of reading instruction in K, teachers did something else that was developmentally approrpriate for all the children. But if they will be spending an hour a day on "prereading activities" including worksheets and drill on matching letters and pictures, which early readers already can do -- then there's a significant amount of time the early reading child is basically just sitting around, waiting to get to something she hasn't learned already.

If it is just 15 minutes per day, no harm no foul; you don't always get excitement and new content in school. But if a good hour and a half or more each day is spent on reading activities that the chld has already mastered -- that's a problem.

This isn't necessarily any different than at a private school in the area. I've toured them all and my kids are in private. But nearly every K and 1st grade teacher I met at them during the fall open houses said "nearly all our students are reading by December of their first grade year." They acknowledged that many will read earlier, but the PreK and K focus is on reading readiness, which involves developing all the skills a child needs to be a successful reader. Early reading predicts...nothing. A "late" reader is not destined to be a poor reader. I have one early reader and one late reader. The early reader wasn't out smoking crack while the teachers were forcused on the "late" readers.

[Anonymous]

Perhaps reading is not the "norm" or "developmentally appropriate" for Kindergarteners in other parts of the country but, in WDC it certainly is. Beginning reading age is very much driven by socio-economics and parental education level, both of which are exceptionally high in this *general* area. WDC has one of the highest percentage of inhabitants with post graduate degrees in the nation. Many WDC area children read at 3 and 4, or PreK. In fact, I know very FEW children in WDC who are not at least beginning readers by the end of K.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:PP, that would be fine with me, if instead of reading instruction in K, teachers did something else that was developmentally approrpriate for all the children. But if they will be spending an hour a day on "prereading activities" including worksheets and drill on matching letters and pictures, which early readers already can do -- then there's a significant amount of time the early reading child is basically just sitting around, waiting to get to something she hasn't learned already.

If it is just 15 minutes per day, no harm no foul; you don't always get excitement and new content in school. But if a good hour and a half or more each day is spent on reading activities that the chld has already mastered -- that's a problem.

This isn't necessarily any different than at a private school in the area. I've toured them all and my kids are in private. But nearly every K and 1st grade teacher I met at them during the fall open houses said "nearly all our students are reading by December of their first grade year." They acknowledged that many will read earlier, but the PreK and K focus is on reading readiness, which involves developing all the skills a child needs to be a successful reader. Early reading predicts...nothing. A "late" reader is not destined to be a poor reader. I have one early reader and one late reader. The early reader wasn't out smoking crack while the teachers were forcused on the "late" readers.

OP here. I know PP that you are absolutely correct, that is the line all of the privates give here but, as a parent with one child a rising 3rd grader, and another soon to be in K, both at a DC private, that is not the reality. I am not sure why most privates spout that bit but, the kids who aren't beginning readers by mid to end of K are unusual and get intense focus from teachers. What is odd, I think, is that these same schools will not actually teach reading to Pre-Kers. Sure, they all do phonics/letter sounds, but none do actual reading. My youngest baldly announced to the head of school that making letters sounds and practicing writing single letters was "boring." At least, thank goodness, the head responded by asking DC what would be better. "Reading" DC announced, and so they started doing so with DC and occaisionally a few peers who also showed interest. Still, when parents asked about a Pre-K reading group they were told it was not appropriate. None of it really makes any sense. A friend with children at a DCPS I named told me the DCPS doesnt really teach reading until 1st but I have heard from other parents that is inaccurate. I was really wondering if we switched DC to a public (strictly for financial reasons, shocking that its been a tough year I know, ) would DC get the same level of instruction and focus as at the private? From posts above I am still unclear on that.

[Anonymous]

Perhaps reading is not the "norm" or "developmentally appropriate" for Kindergarteners in other parts of the country but, in WDC it certainly is. Beginning reading age is very much driven by socio-economics and parental education level, both of which are exceptionally high in this *general* area. WDC has one of the highest percentage of inhabitants with post graduate degrees in the nation. Many WDC area children read at 3 and 4, or PreK. In fact, I know very FEW children in WDC who are not at least beginning readers by the end of K.

In WDC, our children's brains develop quicker than in other parts of the country? Socio-economics and parental education levels play a part in reading readiness, but those factors don't play a huge role in brain development. Our kids' brains are not ready to read until about the age of 7 (some earlier and some later). Parents in WDC do lots to prepare our kids to read, but we shouldn't push are kids to read. They are not going to fall behind. Maybe if parents were more informed about brain development in children, they wouldn't pressure teachers to teach something to children that they are not developmentally ready for.

[Anonymous]

Right, but when so many of the K classes are actually 7 because of red-shirting, it becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy.