Anonymous wrote:A school we were at did try to change and the teachers ran the head of school out. The problem is that teaching with Lucy at private schools “works” because parents are paying private tutors to teach their kids to read.

Yes it’s a lazy way to “teach”.
No phonics, no grammar, no homework or worksheets, no spelling.

Just keep guessing and maybe in a few years they can “read.” A graphic comic “novel” of snarky dialogs. What a vocab!

If you’re at a private and have ever been told your child is “behind” in reading this is likely why. Happened to my child at an area private and I had no idea what to advocate for until I was faced with it- if you have a pre-k or K child push for change now.

the amount of money the updated Calkins curriculum requires of these schools is also so offensive - legit money down the drain

A school we were at did try to change and the teachers ran the head of school out. The problem is that teaching with Lucy at private schools “works” because parents are paying private tutors to teach their kids to read.

Anonymous wrote:The drawbacks of the Lucy Caulkins curriculum have been reported on ad nauseam since 2019. It's depressing to me that independent schools feel fine being so out of the loop on discourse in the field. It's like that doctor who's prescribing the same painkillers since 1989. Always a tradeoff with independent schools.

2019... right when GDS lower school added it, in addition to their whole language / balanced literature look at the pictures fun.

Anonymous wrote:Yes Beauvoir has not phased it out publicly and her name was featured prominently as of late last school year. But they’re not the only one - all DC privates still are holding on. None have officially changed!

DC yes, DMV no

Yes Beauvoir has not phased it out publicly and her name was featured prominently as of late last school year. But they’re not the only one - all DC privates still are holding on. None have officially changed!

Anonymous wrote:Beauvoir does not use that curriculum, thank goodness.

Beauvoir absolutely uses a Lucy Calkins-inspired approach. Key words: "guided reading" and "workshop model."

Just because they claim to teach phonics explicitly, doesn't mean they're using a research-based approach.

Just so you know, the doctor who was prescribing the same painkillers help his patients avoid opioid addictions so I’m not sure that’s the best analogy.

The drawbacks of the Lucy Caulkins curriculum have been reported on ad nauseam since 2019. It's depressing to me that independent schools feel fine being so out of the loop on discourse in the field. It's like that doctor who's prescribing the same painkillers since 1989. Always a tradeoff with independent schools.

My kid's school officially dumped it this year. I'm glad they finally moved to something else but I'd be happier if they had spent more than a week before school started learning how to use it. Back to school night was an endless parade of people (admins, teachers, board members) all saying versions of "we are learning this curriculum alongside your children..." which didn't fill me with confidence.

I don't know. Have you asked your kids' school about it?

Anonymous wrote:Beauvoir does not use that curriculum, thank goodness.

I thought that they did. Do they use Reggio Emilio?

Beauvoir does not use that curriculum, thank goodness.

This is a question all LS families should be asking to make sure that their children are taught reading using evidence-based methods

“ https://gothamist.com/news/columbia-university-dissolves-program-behind-literacy-curriculum-used-in-nyc-public-schools”

Even Columbia University now is acknowledging that the Readers Workshop curriculum and Writer Workshop curriculum do not work and teach bad habits to school children. Both were driven by Lucy Calkins at Columbia U, who now is on an “indefinite sabbatical” from Columbia U.

Many top local privates are still using both of these. When will these schools switch to curricula that actually are effective for most students ?