Is teaching reading no longer school’s responsibility?

[Anonymous]

Joe Judge chose his coaching staff by asking each candidate to teach him to make a PBJ sandwich. Would teachers excel at something like that? How would anyone teach reading?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Part of the reason kids get to high school and only read at a 4th or 5th grade level is because they don't read at home for pleasure. I teach 2nd grade and my students who read a lot are usually 2-4 grade levels ahead of grade level. My students, all who have gotten VERY strong phonics instruction in our school, who do not read at home? They are typically about a year behind already. That's a parenting issue, not a school issue.

The above is an issue that is very frustrating as a parent. Teachers who make blanket statements and won't adjust for kids who are reading at home and just aren't getting it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Part of the reason kids get to high school and only read at a 4th or 5th grade level is because they don't read at home for pleasure. I teach 2nd grade and my students who read a lot are usually 2-4 grade levels ahead of grade level. My students, all who have gotten VERY strong phonics instruction in our school, who do not read at home? They are typically about a year behind already. That's a parenting issue, not a school issue.

The above is an issue that is very frustrating as a parent. Teachers who make blanket statements and won't adjust for kids who are reading at home and just aren't getting it.

I have turned myself inside out accommodating, modifying, double reading groups, individualized homework, making sight word games, making phonics games for my students. So don't tell me I don't adjust for kids. But the reality is, the kid who reads 10 hours a week is always going to be way ahead of the kid who reads 0 hours a week outside of school. I offer ALL my low kids double reading groups. That means my high kids get less time because I'm giving my time to my low kids. But that doesn't make up for all the time at home not reading. It's like learning a musical instrument. The kid who practices for an hour at home each night is going to do way better than the kid who only "practices" during music lessons. No matter how good the teacher or the instruction is, no one overcomes that.

And yes, there are a small percentage of bad schools. Yep. A fraction that don't teach phonics. A fraction that don't teach explicit comprehension strategies. But when I send home INDIVIDUALIZED books right at kids' levels, so they can practice at home ON TOP of all we do at school and I find, 3 months later that in 50% of my students' backpacks that no one has ever even taken those booklets out of the backpack EVER? That's a parenting issue. Not a teacher issue.

Now, if you are reading this, and you have a 1st or 2nd grader and you are reading to them and they are reading to you at least 3-4 hours a week at home at night and they are still not making progress? Then it's time to investigate and see a) what is going on at school and b) if there is a learning disability.

[Anonymous]

Same issue at my school. Half of my class has folders that are never emptied. Nobody signs anything (report cards, progress reports, field trip slips, etc). Beyond frustrating. This is a parent issue.

[Anonymous]

The reading specialist at our school didn’t bother to review the DRA during the recent PT conference. She is so disconnected from working with students and parents. This is a well regarded school... on the surface.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The reading specialist at our school didn’t bother to review the DRA during the recent PT conference. She is so disconnected from working with students and parents. This is a well regarded school... on the surface.

That's not good. I'm the teacher poster from above and I always have detailed info on kids' F&P scores, sight words, comprehension strengths and weaknesses, fluency rates, and exactly where they lie on the primary spelling inventory from Words Their Way so parents can see exactly which phonetical encoding portion we are working on and where their child lies in relation to where they should be. It takes forever, but all the teachers at my low income, not well regarded school because our students are brown and black and the rest of the neighborhood is racist and won't send their kids there.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Part of the reason kids get to high school and only read at a 4th or 5th grade level is because they don't read at home for pleasure. I teach 2nd grade and my students who read a lot are usually 2-4 grade levels ahead of grade level. My students, all who have gotten VERY strong phonics instruction in our school, who do not read at home? They are typically about a year behind already. That's a parenting issue, not a school issue.

The above is an issue that is very frustrating as a parent. Teachers who make blanket statements and won't adjust for kids who are reading at home and just aren't getting it.

I have turned myself inside out accommodating, modifying, double reading groups, individualized homework, making sight word games, making phonics games for my students. So don't tell me I don't adjust for kids. But the reality is, the kid who reads 10 hours a week is always going to be way ahead of the kid who reads 0 hours a week outside of school. I offer ALL my low kids double reading groups. That means my high kids get less time because I'm giving my time to my low kids. But that doesn't make up for all the time at home not reading. It's like learning a musical instrument. The kid who practices for an hour at home each night is going to do way better than the kid who only "practices" during music lessons. No matter how good the teacher or the instruction is, no one overcomes that.

And yes, there are a small percentage of bad schools. Yep. A fraction that don't teach phonics. A fraction that don't teach explicit comprehension strategies. But when I send home INDIVIDUALIZED books right at kids' levels, so they can practice at home ON TOP of all we do at school and I find, 3 months later that in 50% of my students' backpacks that no one has ever even taken those booklets out of the backpack EVER? That's a parenting issue. Not a teacher issue.

Now, if you are reading this, and you have a 1st or 2nd grader and you are reading to them and they are reading to you at least 3-4 hours a week at home at night and they are still not making progress? Then it's time to investigate and see a) what is going on at school and b) if there is a learning disability.

Oh goodness- have you ever considered that your “low” kids likely have dyslexia? And they need specialized instruction that is multisensory, explicit and structured and more than just double reading groups of F&P?

Dyslexia can be reliably identified in kindergarten and any child with unexpected difficulties should be screened. Early intervention is best.

And if you don’t know which 20% of your students are dyslexic, you aren’t paying attention. Please refer them for help now.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The reading specialist at our school didn’t bother to review the DRA during the recent PT conference. She is so disconnected from working with students and parents. This is a well regarded school... on the surface.

The same would be true about my well regarded school except that the reading specialist do not ever attend parent teacher conferences that I know of.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Same issue at my school. Half of my class has folders that are never emptied. Nobody signs anything (report cards, progress reports, field trip slips, etc). Beyond frustrating. This is a parent issue.

So what can we do to help struggling parents? Because people generally love their kids and want them to succeed. Most parents won’t care if their kid isn’t on the Straight A Honor Roll or doesn’t get into a magnet, but I’ve never encountered a parent who wanted their child to be illiterate and face humiliation in school over being in the lowest reading group.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Part of the reason kids get to high school and only read at a 4th or 5th grade level is because they don't read at home for pleasure. I teach 2nd grade and my students who read a lot are usually 2-4 grade levels ahead of grade level. My students, all who have gotten VERY strong phonics instruction in our school, who do not read at home? They are typically about a year behind already. That's a parenting issue, not a school issue.

The above is an issue that is very frustrating as a parent. Teachers who make blanket statements and won't adjust for kids who are reading at home and just aren't getting it.

I have turned myself inside out accommodating, modifying, double reading groups, individualized homework, making sight word games, making phonics games for my students. So don't tell me I don't adjust for kids. But the reality is, the kid who reads 10 hours a week is always going to be way ahead of the kid who reads 0 hours a week outside of school. I offer ALL my low kids double reading groups. That means my high kids get less time because I'm giving my time to my low kids. But that doesn't make up for all the time at home not reading. It's like learning a musical instrument. The kid who practices for an hour at home each night is going to do way better than the kid who only "practices" during music lessons. No matter how good the teacher or the instruction is, no one overcomes that.

Yeah, I use an Orton Gillingham approach in my classroom. For low kids, I give one reading group the regular way and then the second group is run according to OG principles. I am about as structured as they come. So is my entire K-3 team.

And yes, there are a small percentage of bad schools. Yep. A fraction that don't teach phonics. A fraction that don't teach explicit comprehension strategies. But when I send home INDIVIDUALIZED books right at kids' levels, so they can practice at home ON TOP of all we do at school and I find, 3 months later that in 50% of my students' backpacks that no one has ever even taken those booklets out of the backpack EVER? That's a parenting issue. Not a teacher issue.

Now, if you are reading this, and you have a 1st or 2nd grader and you are reading to them and they are reading to you at least 3-4 hours a week at home at night and they are still not making progress? Then it's time to investigate and see a) what is going on at school and b) if there is a learning disability.

Oh goodness- have you ever considered that your “low” kids likely have dyslexia? And they need specialized instruction that is multisensory, explicit and structured and more than just double reading groups of F&P?

Dyslexia can be reliably identified in kindergarten and any child with unexpected difficulties should be screened. Early intervention is best.

And if you don’t know which 20% of your students are dyslexic, you aren’t paying attention. Please refer them for help now.

[Anonymous]

I don't know why it posted like that above. When I double dose a kid on reading groups, I always use a regular F&P guided reading group (on a leveled book and or a strategy group) and then the second group, I use Orton Gillingham techniques. I, along with my entire K-3 team, are OG trained. We are quite literally doing every possible thing we can. And we know FOR SURE that our lowest kids aren't reading at home because parents come into conferences and TELL US SO. I'm not sure what the heck else I can do that is within my power. Yes, I refer kids as needed. But some things are NOT in my power.

I'm sure you are reading with your kid every single night and having them read to you and having them see you read for pleasure a lot. Most educated, not living in poverty parents, are doing that. It is also clear that you are in an area with questionable schools. I'm sorry about that. I can also hear that it is hard when your kid has dyslexia. I wish you the very best.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Same issue at my school. Half of my class has folders that are never emptied. Nobody signs anything (report cards, progress reports, field trip slips, etc). Beyond frustrating. This is a parent issue.

So what can we do to help struggling parents? Because people generally love their kids and want them to succeed. Most parents won’t care if their kid isn’t on the Straight A Honor Roll or doesn’t get into a magnet, but I’ve never encountered a parent who wanted their child to be illiterate and face humiliation in school over being in the lowest reading group.

We do as much as we can at school but aside from abuse/neglect, these kids are stuck with their parents. Hell, my own mother comes into my school every week to read and practice sight words with my struggling students. Yes, it takes a village but parents are their child’s first and most important teacher. Part of your job as a parent is to support what goes on at school. I can’t imagine where I would be without my mom supporting my education.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I don't know why it posted like that above. When I double dose a kid on reading groups, I always use a regular F&P guided reading group (on a leveled book and or a strategy group) and then the second group, I use Orton Gillingham techniques. I, along with my entire K-3 team, are OG trained. We are quite literally doing every possible thing we can. And we know FOR SURE that our lowest kids aren't reading at home because parents come into conferences and TELL US SO. I'm not sure what the heck else I can do that is within my power. Yes, I refer kids as needed. But some things are NOT in my power.

I'm sure you are reading with your kid every single night and having them read to you and having them see you read for pleasure a lot. Most educated, not living in poverty parents, are doing that. It is also clear that you are in an area with questionable schools. I'm sorry about that. I can also hear that it is hard when your kid has dyslexia. I wish you the very best.

I really appreciate that your team is OG trained. But I have to tell you that for many dyslexic kids it will take an hour a day of one on one OG style instruction to really effectively close the gap. So they need more. And the unfortunate likelihood is that the school is not rushing to identify them as needing services. It is appalling how many kids with reading struggles are dismissed as behavior problems without checking for learning disabilities.

We left public school so that my dd could receive appropriate services. She now reads and writes above grade level after 6 years of daily intervention. And we started in kindergarten.

You should also consider the high likelihood that parents of dyslexic kids may themselves have limited literacy skills. I have seen some schools really do a good job of communicating via voicemails, emails (that can be read/ translated with tech tools) and even text.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Part of the reason kids get to high school and only read at a 4th or 5th grade level is because they don't read at home for pleasure. I teach 2nd grade and my students who read a lot are usually 2-4 grade levels ahead of grade level. My students, all who have gotten VERY strong phonics instruction in our school, who do not read at home? They are typically about a year behind already. That's a parenting issue, not a school issue.

The above is an issue that is very frustrating as a parent. Teachers who make blanket statements and won't adjust for kids who are reading at home and just aren't getting it.

I have turned myself inside out accommodating, modifying, double reading groups, individualized homework, making sight word games, making phonics games for my students. So don't tell me I don't adjust for kids. But the reality is, the kid who reads 10 hours a week is always going to be way ahead of the kid who reads 0 hours a week outside of school. I offer ALL my low kids double reading groups. That means my high kids get less time because I'm giving my time to my low kids. But that doesn't make up for all the time at home not reading. It's like learning a musical instrument. The kid who practices for an hour at home each night is going to do way better than the kid who only "practices" during music lessons. No matter how good the teacher or the instruction is, no one overcomes that.

And yes, there are a small percentage of bad schools. Yep. A fraction that don't teach phonics. A fraction that don't teach explicit comprehension strategies. But when I send home INDIVIDUALIZED books right at kids' levels, so they can practice at home ON TOP of all we do at school and I find, 3 months later that in 50% of my students' backpacks that no one has ever even taken those booklets out of the backpack EVER? That's a parenting issue. Not a teacher issue.

Now, if you are reading this, and you have a 1st or 2nd grader and you are reading to them and they are reading to you at least 3-4 hours a week at home at night and they are still not making progress? Then it's time to investigate and see a) what is going on at school and b) if there is a learning disability.

For me, as a parent, the problem is that my child is that kid and the school has nothing to offer. In the schools I went to a child who was a year + behind would be seeing the reading specialist. At my child's school, I was told: "Your child will never qualify for services at this school." I don't expect her classroom teachers to do everything AND I also don't know how we got to a place where it's acceptable not to offer additional services to children who can't read.

I pay for my child's tutoring and I buy her appropriate books at her level to read at school-because I was asking her about books she brought home from school and she would tell me "I don't know how to read that book at all" but she would sit quietly with the book she couldn't read during reading time so she wouldn't get in trouble. If I pay for her to learn to read and I pay for instructional materials what is a free public education?

[Anonymous]

I think most of us replying yes to the thread title are sending our kids to or teaching in dysfunctional schools. I'm thankful that not all schools are dysfunctional, but people don't minimize those of us who are sharing our experiences.