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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]Comprehension poster- you might want to check the research on “comprehension strategies” as they’ve been taught in recent years. It looks like they are a lot less effective than an actual content-rich curriculum which is also part of the shifts being encouraged by the supporters of the science of reading work.[/quote]

This. The county should be making sure ES students have daily SS/Science blocks instead of sharing 40 mins. Background knowledge is so important with reading comprehension. [/quote]

There are multiple posters discussing limits of the phonics curriculum for advanced readers.  I am all for a content-rich curriculum with more SS/Science as well as literature.  I just wish they would test in K-1 phonemic awareness and provide an alterative LA curriculum for those who have already mastered what is being taught--ideally one with lots of reading at their level and some instruction at their level.  Everyone says there will be reading groups, but what are the advanced readers doing during the whole group LA instruction?  And how much time is spent in reading groups? And are there targeted growth areas for advanced readers?

I'm well-versed in educational and psychological literature and advocate for the science of reading.  However I am also aware that to get the effects researchers will always turn towards what helps the lower group and the middle group--the lower group has the most room to grow and the middle group has the largest numbers of students.  If you break out the advanced group and control for dyslexia, there is zero or very limited growth from these evidence-based curriculum--and that's when they are done with great fidelity during research studies.  FCPS is rich enough and large enough that it could have a plan and a curriculum for this likely sizeable group in K-2.  This is an important time for child development--it's just not wise to have a whole group of kids who showed early aptitude for reading learn to dislike it and school because they have to spend a lot of time every day working on something they don't need with for several years.  If those who didn't need phonics from multiple classes were pooled together, there could be a single teacher supporting them while then the kids who did need it (likely the majority, but those numbers may diminish by 2nd grade) could have more targeted support.[/quote]

Honestly, the top reading groups probably do not get much attention from the Teacher because the Teacher needs to be working the kids who are below grade level or just at grade level. Even with the support of a reading specialist, classes today have too wide a divide n kids skills ability so the higher level groups, in reading or math, are far less likely to get much attention from the Teacher. Also, asking Teachers to apply a different type of curriculum for 5-7 groups in their classroom is asking far too much of the Teacher. That means a separate lesson plan for too many groups. The wide gaps in most classrooms is crushing Teachers because of the extra planning that they have to do for all the different groups.

I do wish there was more time for Science and Social Studies. Both would provide opportunities to work on reading comprehension if there was work done to integrate them into the LA curriculum. But again, the planning time has to be hard on Teachers.

I do wish there was more of an effort to group kids into classes based on ability so that Teachers had to deal with smaller ranges of abilities and could do more for the different groups. I know that some people hate this idea but I think that the wide gaps are causing far too much work for Teachers and leading to more gaps in learning for kids because the Teachers are stretched to thin trying to provide lessons that are meaningful for kids who are below grade level, on grade level, and above grade level. We are asking too much and it is hurting the adults and the kids. [/quote]

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