Questions about AAP curriculum

[Anonymous]

For parents of kids in AAP grades 3-8:

1) Do your kids get assigned novels to read? If so, how many and which ones? What grades are these assigned?
2) Do your kids discuss novels they've read in class?
3) Is Caesars vocabulary effective?
4) Do your kids learn any history outside of American history or Native American history? If so, what history do they learn and which grade(s)?

Thank you!

[Anonymous]

My kid is just finishing 3rd so can only answer for that.
1. No.
2. Informally.
3. I am not even aware of whether they use this.
4. Yes, ancient civilizations.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My kid is just finishing 3rd so can only answer for that.
1. No.
2. Informally.
3. I am not even aware of whether they use this.
4. Yes, ancient civilizations.

Thank you.

[Anonymous]

Bump

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My kid is just finishing 3rd so can only answer for that.
1. No.
2. Informally.
3. I am not even aware of whether they use this.
4. Yes, ancient civilizations.

+1

[Anonymous]

For parents of kids in AAP grades 3-8:

1) Do your kids get assigned novels to read? If so, how many and which ones? What grades are these assigned?
2) Do your kids discuss novels they've read in class?
3) Is Caesars vocabulary effective?
4) Do your kids learn any history outside of American history or Native American history? If so, what history do they learn and which grade(s)?

3rd Grade:
1) My daughter doesn't remember
2) No
3) Not taught
4) can't remember

4th Grade:
1) Yes - They had to choose but my daughter read Fever 1793
2) Yes
3) No Caesers english in 4th grade
4) No

5th
1) Yes - also had several books to choose from. She read Where the Red Fern Grows, The Abracadabra Kid, and The Moon and I. The school also has a Battle of the Books that 5th and 6th graders participate. However, this is open to all classes not just AAP. Each class sends a certain number of participants and they battle each other to see who can answer the most questions about the books. I think there are 5 books.
2) Yes
3) yes
4) Yes, the year started out with The Dig. Group project where they created their own civilization and created a time capsule that the other kids could dig up. The school has ended with the Global Awareness Technology Project. Another group presentation comparing/contrastng different cultures, governments, etc.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:For parents of kids in AAP grades 3-8:

1) Do your kids get assigned novels to read? If so, how many and which ones? What grades are these assigned?
2) Do your kids discuss novels they've read in class?
3) Is Caesars vocabulary effective?
4) Do your kids learn any history outside of American history or Native American history? If so, what history do they learn and which grade(s)?

Thank you!

My kids are older, but this is what I remember:
1) Yes, there was normally novels assigned - anywhere from 2-5 a year. Novels were normally older books, written between 1960 and 2000.
2) Yes, novels were talked about in class with the teacher or with assigned "book clubs."
3) Mine didn't always enjoy Caesar's English (grades 4-5), but I thought it was a good review. They disliked Word Within a Word even more, it was a lot of work.
4) American History in grades 4, 6, 7 and Civics in 8. Ancient and outside US history in grades 3 and 5.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:For parents of kids in AAP grades 3-8:

1) Do your kids get assigned novels to read? If so, how many and which ones? What grades are these assigned?
2) Do your kids discuss novels they've read in class?
3) Is Caesars vocabulary effective?
4) Do your kids learn any history outside of American history or Native American history? If so, what history do they learn and which grade(s)?

Thank you!

It depends on the school and the individual teachers.

My 4th AAP students definitely get assigned novels to read and discuss in book clubs. (They do have choice when it comes to titles.)

Some like Caesar's English and some don't, but learning the Latin stems and roots is useful.

4th grade covers Virginia history. I cover some American history in order to give the kids a broader context, but the focus is Virginia Studies.

[Anonymous]

3rd and 5th grade cover ancient civilizations, but it isn't something specific to AAP. All FCPS students study ancient civilizations in those grades.

[Anonymous]

Just in case it matters, the kids in Gen Ed also read novels.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Just in case it matters, the kids in Gen Ed also read novels.

That can’t possibly be true, right? I thought they were still working with letter puzzles and preparing for their ultimate goal of community college.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Just in case it matters, the kids in Gen Ed also read novels.

That can’t possibly be true, right? I thought they were still working with letter puzzles and preparing for their ultimate goal of community college.

"What's wrong with community college and why is there so much negativity around it? I'd like to know the source of that negativity "

-- question from my high-performing, level-headed, wise beyond his years 8th grader as he finishes up with FCPS AAP.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Just in case it matters, the kids in Gen Ed also read novels.

DC1 in the highest reading group in 3rd grade gen ed read the exact same novel (4th-5th grade reading level) that DC2's AAP class read in 3rd grade. I know it's hard for people on this forum to imagine, but there are some kids in gen ed doing about the same level of work as the kids in AAP.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Just in case it matters, the kids in Gen Ed also read novels.

It doesn’t. We are talking about AAP.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Just in case it matters, the kids in Gen Ed also read novels.

DC1 in the highest reading group in 3rd grade gen ed read the exact same novel (4th-5th grade reading level) that DC2's AAP class read in 3rd grade. I know it's hard for people on this forum to imagine, but there are some kids in gen ed doing about the same level of work as the kids in AAP.

That’s really not the point of this thread. Go away.