Language arts new curriculumn for K-6th

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Dear teachers - Would you please share some info and insights about the new LA curriculum? How does this compare to the current way of teaching? I applied my children to private schools for the fall because of their weak reading and writing. I'm very interested in understanding the new requirements.

Where can we find the information about the new curriculum? Will FCPS go back to textbooks?

This is from the company. Feel free to click around.
https://www.benchmarkeducation.com/benchmark-advance-adelante

This is the presentation to the school board about it:
https://go.boarddocs.com/vsba/fairfax/Board.nsf/files/D34UCR7B7109/$file/Elementary%20Language%20Arts%20Basal%20Resource%20Adoption%20Final%203_7_24%20-%20UPDATED.pdf

I wasn’t able to see anything on the company website unless I was willing to put my name and info in. Disappointing.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am all for it. While there are a lot of negatives such of lack of choice and teacher autonomy there are many pluses. The main one is that it will equalize the quality of teaching across the county. Your student will get the same reading instruction if they are being taught by a 30 year veteran teacher in a rich area or are be being taught by a teacher trainee or long term sub in a title one, the book literally tells you what to say. Right now there is reading “curriculum” but it is strongly suggested and many schools don’t even use the phonics lessons and use something else and the writing plans are minimal . The new curriculum is all inclusive and had reading comprehension , writing, grammar, and small group instruction.

Do the kids actually read any novels in the upper grades with this new curriculum, or is it all short passages to train them or the SOL? I’m not holding my breath.

What are you taking about? My kids have had book clubs starting in 3rd grade. They have read novels 3-6th. Then in MS and HS MANY are required.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am all for it. While there are a lot of negatives such of lack of choice and teacher autonomy there are many pluses. The main one is that it will equalize the quality of teaching across the county. Your student will get the same reading instruction if they are being taught by a 30 year veteran teacher in a rich area or are be being taught by a teacher trainee or long term sub in a title one, the book literally tells you what to say. Right now there is reading “curriculum” but it is strongly suggested and many schools don’t even use the phonics lessons and use something else and the writing plans are minimal . The new curriculum is all inclusive and had reading comprehension , writing, grammar, and small group instruction.

Do the kids actually read any novels in the upper grades with this new curriculum, or is it all short passages to train them or the SOL? I’m not holding my breath.

What are you taking about? My kids have had book clubs starting in 3rd grade. They have read novels 3-6th. Then in MS and HS MANY are required.

That’s YOUR school. Every school is different. Kids at OUR school don’t get any novels until 5th grade. Why are you so surprised by this?

[Anonymous]

The new curriculum appears to just be doing short passages from novels. I watched some of the online videos. They also incorporate nonfiction.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am all for it. While there are a lot of negatives such of lack of choice and teacher autonomy there are many pluses. The main one is that it will equalize the quality of teaching across the county. Your student will get the same reading instruction if they are being taught by a 30 year veteran teacher in a rich area or are be being taught by a teacher trainee or long term sub in a title one, the book literally tells you what to say. Right now there is reading “curriculum” but it is strongly suggested and many schools don’t even use the phonics lessons and use something else and the writing plans are minimal . The new curriculum is all inclusive and had reading comprehension , writing, grammar, and small group instruction.

Do the kids actually read any novels in the upper grades with this new curriculum, or is it all short passages to train them or the SOL? I’m not holding my breath.

What are you taking about? My kids have had book clubs starting in 3rd grade. They have read novels 3-6th. Then in MS and HS MANY are required.

I’m asking about the new curriculum they just adopted. Try to keep up. The new curriculum is mainly passages, not full novels as far as I can tell.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Dear teachers - Would you please share some info and insights about the new LA curriculum? How does this compare to the current way of teaching? I applied my children to private schools for the fall because of their weak reading and writing. I'm very interested in understanding the new requirements.

Where can we find the information about the new curriculum? Will FCPS go back to textbooks?

This is from the company. Feel free to click around.
https://www.benchmarkeducation.com/benchmark-advance-adelante

This is the presentation to the school board about it:
https://go.boarddocs.com/vsba/fairfax/Board.nsf/files/D34UCR7B7109/$file/Elementary%20Language%20Arts%20Basal%20Resource%20Adoption%20Final%203_7_24%20-%20UPDATED.pdf

I wasn’t able to see anything on the company website unless I was willing to put my name and info in. Disappointing.

There's information you can view here:

https://www.benchmarkadvance.com/virginia/

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am all for it. While there are a lot of negatives such of lack of choice and teacher autonomy there are many pluses. The main one is that it will equalize the quality of teaching across the county. Your student will get the same reading instruction if they are being taught by a 30 year veteran teacher in a rich area or are be being taught by a teacher trainee or long term sub in a title one, the book literally tells you what to say. Right now there is reading “curriculum” but it is strongly suggested and many schools don’t even use the phonics lessons and use something else and the writing plans are minimal . The new curriculum is all inclusive and had reading comprehension , writing, grammar, and small group instruction.

T

That sounds kind of awful for teachers. But I will admit that my older DC was taught to read with "Good readers look at the pictures" three-cueing, while my younger DC has gotten a decent amount of phonics. And neither of them have a strong grasp of grammar and sentence structure, or have any grasp at all of formal writing. Lucy Calkins has a lot to answer for.

Unless there is an older teacher sneaking those methods in three cueing is unheard of now. Most new teachers wouldn’t even be able to tell you what that is because colleges don’t teach it anymore.

It was only 3 years ago. I know that FCPS has really changed their reading curriculum, for the better. If they change their writing curriculum, I'll be happy. I 'm not sure an entirely scripted all-inclusive reading and writing program is needed - I guess we'll see how it is. What our teachers need more of is autonomy, not more scripts.

Not anymore. The current crop of inexperienced or burned out teachers don’t make good use of autonomy. Those days are over.

Most teachers at my school are happy about it because it cuts way down on planning. The workload has to come down to keep teachers. I would argue that work load is the bigger problem than the pay. If this basal goes successfully, I think a Math curriculum won’t be far behind.

They've had several math curriculums. What was wrong with the previous ones?

There has been no math curriculum for at least the last 8 years. We teachers at each school create EVERYTHING. The county puts together some slides that have ONE MATH PROBLEM for the entire instruction.

We have Origo to supplement. It’s all online for teachers, doesn’t align with what we teach in Virginia, uses terminology unheard of in the US and was complete and utter crap. No one uses it.

They had Envision for Elementary till about five years ago when they switched to Origo. Both are curriculums. Envision lasted about than 5 years. I remember when it came out and when it ended. I don't get FCPS. I don't understand why these programs keep switching. Meanwhile at the private schools they keep the same one and just switch out slightly each year.

Envision was defunct around 2017-18, but I know schools were using it against guidance for probably a few years after that.

My kid is a senior and they had it through his 6th grade year at least. It was approved during I think his 3rd grade year. So they had it six years ago. It was a great program, and it was a big deal at the time. They also had standards for each grade at that time which had on target, above target, and below target standards to align teaching to. Why did FCPS get rid of it? Why do they only keep any curriculum around for five years?

It’s because the state math standards change every 8 years or so and when they change, FCPS needs to evaluate if they’re going to spend money on the current product or invest in a new one.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am all for it. While there are a lot of negatives such of lack of choice and teacher autonomy there are many pluses. The main one is that it will equalize the quality of teaching across the county. Your student will get the same reading instruction if they are being taught by a 30 year veteran teacher in a rich area or are be being taught by a teacher trainee or long term sub in a title one, the book literally tells you what to say. Right now there is reading “curriculum” but it is strongly suggested and many schools don’t even use the phonics lessons and use something else and the writing plans are minimal . The new curriculum is all inclusive and had reading comprehension , writing, grammar, and small group instruction.

T

That sounds kind of awful for teachers. But I will admit that my older DC was taught to read with "Good readers look at the pictures" three-cueing, while my younger DC has gotten a decent amount of phonics. And neither of them have a strong grasp of grammar and sentence structure, or have any grasp at all of formal writing. Lucy Calkins has a lot to answer for.

Unless there is an older teacher sneaking those methods in three cueing is unheard of now. Most new teachers wouldn’t even be able to tell you what that is because colleges don’t teach it anymore.

It was only 3 years ago. I know that FCPS has really changed their reading curriculum, for the better. If they change their writing curriculum, I'll be happy. I 'm not sure an entirely scripted all-inclusive reading and writing program is needed - I guess we'll see how it is. What our teachers need more of is autonomy, not more scripts.

100% agree with you. My current 5th grader was taught with the Lucy Calkins method and it took two years of tutoring to get her up to the appropriate reading level (one of those years was online due to Covid), but her writing is still atrocious and she doesn't know any grammar and she can't spell.

I retired last year after 30 years with FCPS. Somehow I never learned much about Lucy Calkins. I remember a few years before I retired (perhaps around 2019 or so) hearing a reading specialist refer to "Lucy" during a CT meeting. I kept thinking, "Who is this Lucy she keeps referencing?". Then perhaps two years ago they started talking about how "Lucy" was on it's way out.

So funny, me too. I would see a few other teachers use the materials, but several members on my team didn’t use it and we were never asked about it.

Same. A few years ago we had one teacher on our ES grade team that seemed to dabble in it.

The workshop/center model and the idea of teaching writing first without instruction or correction come from Lucy Calkins. If you have had writer's workshop in your classroom, then that's where it came from.

I also didn’t do writers workshop. Not an effective tool considering the time allotted for writing - 20 min/day.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am all for it. While there are a lot of negatives such of lack of choice and teacher autonomy there are many pluses. The main one is that it will equalize the quality of teaching across the county. Your student will get the same reading instruction if they are being taught by a 30 year veteran teacher in a rich area or are be being taught by a teacher trainee or long term sub in a title one, the book literally tells you what to say. Right now there is reading “curriculum” but it is strongly suggested and many schools don’t even use the phonics lessons and use something else and the writing plans are minimal . The new curriculum is all inclusive and had reading comprehension , writing, grammar, and small group instruction.

T

That sounds kind of awful for teachers. But I will admit that my older DC was taught to read with "Good readers look at the pictures" three-cueing, while my younger DC has gotten a decent amount of phonics. And neither of them have a strong grasp of grammar and sentence structure, or have any grasp at all of formal writing. Lucy Calkins has a lot to answer for.

Unless there is an older teacher sneaking those methods in three cueing is unheard of now. Most new teachers wouldn’t even be able to tell you what that is because colleges don’t teach it anymore.

It was only 3 years ago. I know that FCPS has really changed their reading curriculum, for the better. If they change their writing curriculum, I'll be happy. I 'm not sure an entirely scripted all-inclusive reading and writing program is needed - I guess we'll see how it is. What our teachers need more of is autonomy, not more scripts.

I disagree. My two children have been at two elementary schools two years apart and the curriculum has been completely different across teachers and schools.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am all for it. While there are a lot of negatives such of lack of choice and teacher autonomy there are many pluses. The main one is that it will equalize the quality of teaching across the county. Your student will get the same reading instruction if they are being taught by a 30 year veteran teacher in a rich area or are be being taught by a teacher trainee or long term sub in a title one, the book literally tells you what to say. Right now there is reading “curriculum” but it is strongly suggested and many schools don’t even use the phonics lessons and use something else and the writing plans are minimal . The new curriculum is all inclusive and had reading comprehension , writing, grammar, and small group instruction.

Do the kids actually read any novels in the upper grades with this new curriculum, or is it all short passages to train them or the SOL? I’m not holding my breath.

What are you taking about? My kids have had book clubs starting in 3rd grade. They have read novels 3-6th. Then in MS and HS MANY are required.

And this is why curriculum needs to be standardized across all of FCPS because your children get book clubs and mine don't get anything.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am all for it. While there are a lot of negatives such of lack of choice and teacher autonomy there are many pluses. The main one is that it will equalize the quality of teaching across the county. Your student will get the same reading instruction if they are being taught by a 30 year veteran teacher in a rich area or are be being taught by a teacher trainee or long term sub in a title one, the book literally tells you what to say. Right now there is reading “curriculum” but it is strongly suggested and many schools don’t even use the phonics lessons and use something else and the writing plans are minimal . The new curriculum is all inclusive and had reading comprehension , writing, grammar, and small group instruction.

T

That sounds kind of awful for teachers. But I will admit that my older DC was taught to read with "Good readers look at the pictures" three-cueing, while my younger DC has gotten a decent amount of phonics. And neither of them have a strong grasp of grammar and sentence structure, or have any grasp at all of formal writing. Lucy Calkins has a lot to answer for.

Unless there is an older teacher sneaking those methods in three cueing is unheard of now. Most new teachers wouldn’t even be able to tell you what that is because colleges don’t teach it anymore.

It was only 3 years ago. I know that FCPS has really changed their reading curriculum, for the better. If they change their writing curriculum, I'll be happy. I 'm not sure an entirely scripted all-inclusive reading and writing program is needed - I guess we'll see how it is. What our teachers need more of is autonomy, not more scripts.

I disagree. My two children have been at two elementary schools two years apart and the curriculum has been completely different across teachers and schools.

I totally agree with you. My 6th grader has not been assigned a single book by the English teacher.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am all for it. While there are a lot of negatives such of lack of choice and teacher autonomy there are many pluses. The main one is that it will equalize the quality of teaching across the county. Your student will get the same reading instruction if they are being taught by a 30 year veteran teacher in a rich area or are be being taught by a teacher trainee or long term sub in a title one, the book literally tells you what to say. Right now there is reading “curriculum” but it is strongly suggested and many schools don’t even use the phonics lessons and use something else and the writing plans are minimal . The new curriculum is all inclusive and had reading comprehension , writing, grammar, and small group instruction.

Do the kids actually read any novels in the upper grades with this new curriculum, or is it all short passages to train them or the SOL? I’m not holding my breath.

What are you taking about? My kids have had book clubs starting in 3rd grade. They have read novels 3-6th. Then in MS and HS MANY are required.

And this is why curriculum needs to be standardized across all of FCPS because your children get book clubs and mine don't get anything.

And now no one will get book clubs. Standardized to the lowest level.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am all for it. While there are a lot of negatives such of lack of choice and teacher autonomy there are many pluses. The main one is that it will equalize the quality of teaching across the county. Your student will get the same reading instruction if they are being taught by a 30 year veteran teacher in a rich area or are be being taught by a teacher trainee or long term sub in a title one, the book literally tells you what to say. Right now there is reading “curriculum” but it is strongly suggested and many schools don’t even use the phonics lessons and use something else and the writing plans are minimal . The new curriculum is all inclusive and had reading comprehension , writing, grammar, and small group instruction.

Do the kids actually read any novels in the upper grades with this new curriculum, or is it all short passages to train them or the SOL? I’m not holding my breath.

What are you taking about? My kids have had book clubs starting in 3rd grade. They have read novels 3-6th. Then in MS and HS MANY are required.

And this is why curriculum needs to be standardized across all of FCPS because your children get book clubs and mine don't get anything.

And now no one will get book clubs. Standardized to the lowest level.

+1 that’s one thing I don’t like. There will be no more novels or book clubs with this new heavy curriculum.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Dear teachers - Would you please share some info and insights about the new LA curriculum? How does this compare to the current way of teaching? I applied my children to private schools for the fall because of their weak reading and writing. I'm very interested in understanding the new requirements.

Where can we find the information about the new curriculum? Will FCPS go back to textbooks?

This is from the company. Feel free to click around.
https://www.benchmarkeducation.com/benchmark-advance-adelante

This is the presentation to the school board about it:
https://go.boarddocs.com/vsba/fairfax/Board.nsf/files/D34UCR7B7109/$file/Elementary%20Language%20Arts%20Basal%20Resource%20Adoption%20Final%203_7_24%20-%20UPDATED.pdf

MCPS, after their failed curriculum 2.0, switched to Benchmark in 2018 (or so?) and are now switching to a different LA curriculum. Teachers and parents weren't happy with it.

I seem to remember people from MCPS complaining that it was rote, which as was discussed on the first page is bad for experienced teachers but great for everyone else. Is that not right?

Benchmark has had some big updates apparently over the last few years according to some groups I’m in. I’ve never used either, so I can’t say personally if it has improved.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am all for it. While there are a lot of negatives such of lack of choice and teacher autonomy there are many pluses. The main one is that it will equalize the quality of teaching across the county. Your student will get the same reading instruction if they are being taught by a 30 year veteran teacher in a rich area or are be being taught by a teacher trainee or long term sub in a title one, the book literally tells you what to say. Right now there is reading “curriculum” but it is strongly suggested and many schools don’t even use the phonics lessons and use something else and the writing plans are minimal . The new curriculum is all inclusive and had reading comprehension , writing, grammar, and small group instruction.

Do the kids actually read any novels in the upper grades with this new curriculum, or is it all short passages to train them or the SOL? I’m not holding my breath.

What are you taking about? My kids have had book clubs starting in 3rd grade. They have read novels 3-6th. Then in MS and HS MANY are required.

And this is why curriculum needs to be standardized across all of FCPS because your children get book clubs and mine don't get anything.

And now no one will get book clubs. Standardized to the lowest level.

+1 that’s one thing I don’t like. There will be no more novels or book clubs with this new heavy curriculum.

I have the same concern. I’m also not convinced that instruction will be adapted to meet students’ needs. It seems a lot of people will be happy simply with the fact that it’s a “textbook” series.