Reply to Anyone observe math or reading in elementary this year?

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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]

This bothers me too.  My child is so bored and spends most of her time in groups explaining to kids who aren't nearly as strong, what to do.  I mean are they differentiating them so the kids can now teach?  I am all for helping here and there but to constantly group the highest with the lowest is basically a child who is asking to become a teacher's aide.  Why they can not just track these kids and keep them in like classes so the teachers don't have to constantly do groups, is beyond me.  [/quote]'

This is exactly what I have observed.  At our school, they have made it clear that 'working together in groups' is a priority.  So, this is what goes on.  The kids who are stronger in a subject (usually reading/math) are helping out the kids who are not as strong.  I think there IS a place for that, because you do learn by teaching others.  But, it goes on daily.

Yesterday, we observed the teacher give the kids an activity while she pulled the 5 (FIVE!!) reading groups up to her desk.  The activity was way over some of the kids' heads.  The kids who did understand what needed to be done were able to complete it quickly and then just spent the rest of the time helping the other kids (who didn't seem to grasp the point of it anyway).

Each reading group only got about 15 minutes of direct instruction, if that.

If the point of K-2nd grade is to get the kids reading, then they should group the classrooms by reading levels.  2 or 3 reading levels in a class.  So there is still room for advancement/movement.  But, the teacher isn't trying to squeeze in 5 reading groups during an hour or 75 minute block of time.

They kids are evaluated anyway, and it would be easy to place them in 1st and 2nd grade based on what their reading level was the previous year.  [/quote]

I agree but the reason they don't do this is because of diversity.  Because most of the lower range kids would be the ESOL and FARMS students.  Mostly hispanic and black.  And then they would cry racism.  So they keep the classes looking uniform.  Split between gender, race and level.  It benefits no one but the parents who think it looks good.  The teachers are scrambling.

[/quote]

I don't really care about the ESOL or FARMS students.  I was an ESOL kid.  Took me some time to catch up, but then it was fine.  However, at my school (different state), the ESOL kids were taught completely separate, in their own classroom, with their own ESOL teacher.  At my DD's school, they are thrown in with the other K/1st graders and pulled out for ESOL time.

And, even if there were no ESOL/FARMS students, there will always be kids at different levels.

I still feel that there should be differentiated classrooms.  Meaning, the whole classroom should have a max of 2 or 3 different reading groups.  This whole business of 5 different reading groups is just ridiculous.  It benefits noone.  [/quote]

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