Reply to Reading in county third grade classrooms is a three-alarm fire going unanswered

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Reply to "Reading in county third grade classrooms is a three-alarm fire going unanswered"

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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]Remember when mcps ditched phonics for a while?

Remember when they ditched spelling for a while?

Remember when they tossed out grammar completely and said not to worry because kids would magically absorb it through reading and busy work with their table mates as they entertained themselves while the [b]teacher raced through a half dozen reading groups ranging from super smart kids reading several grades ahead to omg these kids can’t even spell their own name?!?![/b]

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[b]And this is exactly why we’re saying basic skills should be on parents or they should be heavily involved and invested. [/b]

What do we expect teachers to do in K when 1/4 of the kids are reading and writing on par with mid 1st grade or beginning 2nd, 1/4 are just cracking reading, 1/4 only know some of the alphabet and can’t spell their name, and the final 1/4 don’t speak the language.  And within all of these fourths there is still going to be a range of skills and abilities.

To top it off parents are ridiculous.  If kids got grouped in class by ability folks would be screaming because their kid wasn’t in the highest class and getting the same assignments or projects.  But guess what little Johnny can’t read and Amari can.  And if we had the kids or teachers switch around there would be screams about classroom community, and knowing the teacher, etc etc.

It’s a no win situation.  Which is why school districts  and school buildings need to start setting boundaries, telling parents to pound sand, and create a model that actually works for kids.  It’s exactly what private schools do.[/quote]

As a parent, I'm willing to put in the work.  What was overwhelming to me was having to figure out WHAT work needed to be put in- what the school was/wasn't teaching, what the gaps were, what resources were needed to fill those gaps.  I am not an educator and have no background in education.  Surely there is a better way than expecting parents to embark on an endless Google chase to figure it out.  Why can't we expect the schools to select appropriate curricula, lay the foundation, and equip parents with some resources to reinforce at home?

(FWIW, I actually think MCPS does a decent job with ES math- there are Eureka workbooks to complete assignments at home and parent tip sheets)[/quote]

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