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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]See what kind of - as far as I can tell meh - curriculum FCPS is looking at here: https://www.fcps.edu/node/36853

Weigh in your strong support of anything that's backed by the science of reading (according to Colorado it's not Benchmark, which is what FCPS plans to buy), clear and specific instruction on letter formation in K-2, grammar, real spelling based on phonics, and all the other good stuff here: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSe6jNE_7EAHKbjvUoFDIVhT735SCnsUX9MdBYqHs6_dUyxOtA/viewform. [/quote]

I also want materials that help ground and sustain a lifelong interest in reading and develop ongoing critical reflection/comprehension.  My kids could both read before K--I want options that don't bore them to death.  That's not reflected in the science. [/quote]

You should consider home schooling. Your children aren't going to be reading Dickens in Kindergarten, PP.[/quote]

I don't need them to read Dickens (they would hate that!), just something roughly at their level and not have to endure phonics lessons they don't need and get some meaningful instruction at their level between K-2 in language arts.  They LIKE age appropriate books (current K kid  is devouring Ivy+Bean and Borrowers' series right now)--just have seen how my older kid who was similarly advanced in reading suffered through reading instruction in K-2 and dreading what it will be like for my younger one if they add even more phonics in and remove more of the writer's workshops/readers' workshops which were the only thing he liked.  I wish there was more differentiation in K-2 as that's where the developmental differences in reading really show up and that's where kids form their attitudes towards school, learning etc.[/quote]

I can understand how it would be frustrating if your kid was reading Borrowers (which is not a kindergarten book by any stretch, main character is 13 and it's more an upper ES book though content-appropriate for any age). However have a little thought for the 60% of kids who will be at risk of not reading well (with a huge gradient of what "not well" means) if they don't get phonics instruction. I had to work like crazy to get one of my kids out of the habit of "look at the picture and guess" so she didn't end up with an incorrect dyslexia label down the road.

Writer's workshop is horrible for actually teaching writing. Maybe your kid is as good at intuiting sentence structure, paragraph structure, spelling, and the like as they are at reading complex material, but your kid is not the norm. You're basically asking for multiplication in kindergarten, but from language arts.[/quote]

I absolutely support some phonics instruction and agree that it's needed and important for reading.  But there are a diversity of kids' abilities  in K-2, with a fairly high percentage of strong readers in FCPS, and given all the tests/screeners they are given there could be meaningful differentiation based on results. I don't think they have to meet exactly at my kids' level, but at least just let them read and talk about books with other readers and do open-ended writing prompts with feedback etc. while others are doing phonics support.  I think it's just as important to develop voice, expression of ideas early on as it is to spell accurately and write grammatically.  The latter are important and easier to measure, but the former need to be supported also.  It's easy to get overly reductive with reading/writing instruction.  [/quote]

They ARE doing this. They have independent reading time, and they have "reading buddies" and reading groups, even in Kindergarten. Maybe your child hasn't told you about this, but it's happening.[/quote]

No, I know they are doing this (I have a 4th grade kid too so I've been through it before also).  I was just advocating that this kind of differentiation continue--and even expand--with the consideration of new curriculum, because it's the only thing that keeps the advanced readers hanging on through K-2. I think people think advanced readers are okay with anything--but we have to fight them getting an early anti-school attitude.  [/quote]

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