Anonymous
05/03/2022 19:52
Subject: Are there reading specialists in MCPS middle schools?
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:What reading interventions are available for middle schoolers in MCPS?
If reading isn't remediated before Middle School, do you have to go private?
Here’s the MCPS approach -
Before 3rd grade, if child is not meeting benchmarks then wait and see. By 3rd grade, everything starts to click and children who have been struggling all of a sudden can read. At least that’s what we were told at our elementary school.
After 3rd grade, still not reading to the point of comprehending short passages. School team said not quite sure what was going on but they didn’t suspect a disability so no evaluation was needed. Child still struggling with reading and starting to hate going to school. Reading specialist could not work with her because she didn’t have an IEP. So MCPS basically was doing nothing to teach her how to read.
What did it take to teach my child how to read? A comprehensive private evaluation and a private special education teacher who taught Lindamood Bell method with her for nine months.
The lack of reading specialists in middle school is not the problem. It’s the lack of evaluating children with disabilities that have an educational impact that’s the problem and school staff that passes children from grade to grade without basic skills. Middle schools needs more special education teachers who have skills to address dyslexia (reading) and dysgraphia (math).
OP here--I agree with you that we need better evaluation and intervention in ES. Also, reading specialists should ABSOLUTELY be working with both IEP and non-IEP students. That excuse is complete BS. MCPS does seem to be making a better effort to implement science of reading and earlier ID of reading issues, but there are definitely students (esp dyslexic ones) who will still need intervention and support in middle school.
The current interventions (Read180, System 44, etc) are decent, but often taught by people who are not experienced nor trained in the science of reading and are certainly not reading specialists.
Anonymous
05/02/2022 13:18
Subject: Are there reading specialists in MCPS middle schools?
Anonymous wrote:What reading interventions are available for middle schoolers in MCPS?
If reading isn't remediated before Middle School, do you have to go private?
Here’s the MCPS approach -
Before 3rd grade, if child is not meeting benchmarks then wait and see. By 3rd grade, everything starts to click and children who have been struggling all of a sudden can read. At least that’s what we were told at our elementary school.
After 3rd grade, still not reading to the point of comprehending short passages. School team said not quite sure what was going on but they didn’t suspect a disability so no evaluation was needed. Child still struggling with reading and starting to hate going to school. Reading specialist could not work with her because she didn’t have an IEP. So MCPS basically was doing nothing to teach her how to read.
What did it take to teach my child how to read? A comprehensive private evaluation and a private special education teacher who taught Lindamood Bell method with her for nine months.
The lack of reading specialists in middle school is not the problem. It’s the lack of evaluating children with disabilities that have an educational impact that’s the problem and school staff that passes children from grade to grade without basic skills. Middle schools needs more special education teachers who have skills to address dyslexia (reading) and dysgraphia (math).
Anonymous
05/02/2022 11:16
Subject: Are there reading specialists in MCPS middle schools?
What reading interventions are available for middle schoolers in MCPS?
If reading isn't remediated before Middle School, do you have to go private?
If reading isn't remediated before Middle School, do you have to go private?
Anonymous
04/29/2022 12:58
Subject: Are there reading specialists in MCPS middle schools?
Anonymous wrote:And if not, why not?
Reading is a key curriculum area in Elementary. In Middle and High it falls under Special Education and remediation.
Anonymous
04/29/2022 12:56
Subject: Are there reading specialists in MCPS middle schools?
Anonymous wrote:MCPS uses a very poor curriculum in Middle School for reading classes. If kids are in middle school and still not reading fluently they really need an interventional approach. Unfortunately that means either the specialized school or tutors.
Actually, this program was just announced on another board. It is a private school but not at all as expensive as the special needs schools.
https://www.springwell.school/enhanced-literacy
Anonymous
04/29/2022 12:03
Subject: Re:Are there reading specialists in MCPS middle schools?
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:There is a reading class some students take instead of an elective, focused on decoding and finding basic meaning. Largely populated by kids with IEP and 504 plans.
Like other classes, some kids really thrive in it. Some don't.
I'm aware of this actually. I am wondering WHY we don't also have reading specialists; someone who can diagnose reading issues and give PD on how to improve reading instruction.
Well, the WHY is because the operating budget allocates a 1.0 FTE Reading Specialist position to each elementary school, and does not allocate any for middle or high schools.
They used to have it as at least .8, I think in 2013? I hope they consider adding it to the budget, as they are claiming to now be all about the science of reading.
Anonymous
04/29/2022 11:18
Subject: Re:Are there reading specialists in MCPS middle schools?
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:There is a reading class some students take instead of an elective, focused on decoding and finding basic meaning. Largely populated by kids with IEP and 504 plans.
Like other classes, some kids really thrive in it. Some don't.
I'm aware of this actually. I am wondering WHY we don't also have reading specialists; someone who can diagnose reading issues and give PD on how to improve reading instruction.
Well, the WHY is because the operating budget allocates a 1.0 FTE Reading Specialist position to each elementary school, and does not allocate any for middle or high schools.
Anonymous
04/29/2022 11:03
Subject: Re:Are there reading specialists in MCPS middle schools?
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Most reading specialists are only trained in balanced literacy approaches which means they are fairly useless in identifying kids who have reading issues and effective reading instruction. Our reading specialist was all about using the 3 cueing and cute “eagle eye” bookmarks to remind the kids to look at the pictures. SMH
Even if the reading specialists don't use 3 cueing (which I think they do), they aren't trained in (and they don't believe in) a systematic and sequential approach. So their work does not reflect best practices as per reading research. That said, I don't know if the MS English course is systematic or sequential either. MCPS Special Ed lags behind in terms of reading instruction.
But they COULD hire some that ARE! I happen to know someone who is trained in systematic, multi-sensory reading instruction and teaching students with dyslexia. Why can't this person be hired as a reading specialist for a middle school? Why are we just accepting that this is ok?
Anonymous
04/29/2022 10:17
Subject: Re:Are there reading specialists in MCPS middle schools?
Anonymous wrote:Most reading specialists are only trained in balanced literacy approaches which means they are fairly useless in identifying kids who have reading issues and effective reading instruction. Our reading specialist was all about using the 3 cueing and cute “eagle eye” bookmarks to remind the kids to look at the pictures. SMH
Even if the reading specialists don't use 3 cueing (which I think they do), they aren't trained in (and they don't believe in) a systematic and sequential approach. So their work does not reflect best practices as per reading research. That said, I don't know if the MS English course is systematic or sequential either. MCPS Special Ed lags behind in terms of reading instruction.
Anonymous
04/29/2022 10:02
Subject: Are there reading specialists in MCPS middle schools?
MCPS uses a very poor curriculum in Middle School for reading classes. If kids are in middle school and still not reading fluently they really need an interventional approach. Unfortunately that means either the specialized school or tutors.
Anonymous
04/29/2022 09:58
Subject: Re:Are there reading specialists in MCPS middle schools?
Most reading specialists are only trained in balanced literacy approaches which means they are fairly useless in identifying kids who have reading issues and effective reading instruction. Our reading specialist was all about using the 3 cueing and cute “eagle eye” bookmarks to remind the kids to look at the pictures. SMH
Anonymous
04/29/2022 09:54
Subject: Re:Are there reading specialists in MCPS middle schools?
Anonymous wrote:There is a reading class some students take instead of an elective, focused on decoding and finding basic meaning. Largely populated by kids with IEP and 504 plans.
Like other classes, some kids really thrive in it. Some don't.
I'm aware of this actually. I am wondering WHY we don't also have reading specialists; someone who can diagnose reading issues and give PD on how to improve reading instruction.
Anonymous
04/29/2022 08:46
Subject: Re:Are there reading specialists in MCPS middle schools?
There is a reading class some students take instead of an elective, focused on decoding and finding basic meaning. Largely populated by kids with IEP and 504 plans.
Like other classes, some kids really thrive in it. Some don't.
Like other classes, some kids really thrive in it. Some don't.
Anonymous
04/29/2022 01:41
Subject: Re:Are there reading specialists in MCPS middle schools?
No. There are reading teachers in middle schools.
Anonymous
04/28/2022 21:30
Subject: Are there reading specialists in MCPS middle schools?
And if not, why not?