Anonymous
Post 06/26/2012 17:11     Subject: Re:Question for teachers or parents of second/third grade advanced readers
NP here - also parent of rising 2nd grader at a MoCo elem school. How do you all know at which level your child is reading? I am staring at DC's report card (which is clearly an MCPS form) and there is no indication on it other than "above grade level" - where is the reading level written onto your DC's report card?
Anonymous
Post 06/25/2012 22:24     Subject: Question for teachers or parents of second/third grade advanced readers
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:New curriculum is putting more emphasis on writing. Did find with my now incoming 3rd grader that his reading was assessed far less in 2nd grade. (He was in a similar situation to your child, OP). Report card reading levels didn't change over several quarters during his 2nd grade school year. Final report card placed him at a level W. So, we've had a different experience than other posters about the level stagnating. Writing is supposed to be part of the assessment at all grades.

Here's the reading targets chart from MCPS: http://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/uploadedFiles/curriculum/english/elementary/ReadingTargets-KthruGrade5.pdf

Questions you should ask school are whether they are giving your child William & Mary reading curriculum. This is a curriculum that is supposed to be implemented for high-level readers that encourages/teaches critical thinking. Also, would be good for your own piece of mind to know that they have an appropriate reading group of multiple children at same level as yours. Without that, it's unlikely that your child will get appropriate resources that teach him. I did experience this year a situation in which my child told me that he rarely had reading group and was just told to read whatever he wanted on his own.Am hoping 3rd grade will be better...


This was our experience exactly. Our DC just completed 3rd grade and will be attending a HGC program next year. We found that the home school was spreading the kids who had the highest reading levels among the various 3rd grade classes, so that there really wasn't an adequate peer group in any one class. Our child would go for weeks without reading group.


I know that this varies by school. Our elementary school gathered a group of kids with high reading levels in the same class so they could have a cohort with similar skills for a reading group. Next year several of those kids will be heading off to a HGC. So the school definitely has leeway in grouping, and you can advocate for grouping them with peers of a similar level.
Anonymous
Post 06/25/2012 22:07     Subject: Question for teachers or parents of second/third grade advanced readers
We had troubles in kindergarten with not having adequate reading groups but first grade was great. There were like 4 or 5 groups. Kids in the highest group were working on appropriate books based on their writing level. There did not seem to be any cap. At anything level J and higher a written response is required.

Now, if only math were the same story with respect to the groupings and caps....
Anonymous
Post 06/25/2012 21:19     Subject: Question for teachers or parents of second/third grade advanced readers
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
New poster. Our child just completed second and did not have reading group, period, this year. If your child is a little advanced, they're not going to get reading instruction beyond first grade in my experience.


Honestly, I find that statement hard to stomach. I guess my child's school/teacher is just much better/organized. There were 4 reading groups in my child's class this year. From what I could tell based on the "groupings" board when I volunteered, my child was always in either the 2nd (earlier in the year) or 1st (later in the year) highest group.

Did you bring your concerns to the teacher or principal?


Early on I was concerned so I asked the teacher and was told that they were reading Junior Great Books. So that satisfied me, even though the stories were at a lower reading level than DC was on. But after they read the first story, DC never met with a reading group again. I'm certain because I asked about it regularly. I didn't think there was anything I could do about it, frankly.
Anonymous
Post 06/25/2012 20:30     Subject: Question for teachers or parents of second/third grade advanced readers
Anonymous wrote:
New poster. Our child just completed second and did not have reading group, period, this year. If your child is a little advanced, they're not going to get reading instruction beyond first grade in my experience.


Honestly, I find that statement hard to stomach. I guess my child's school/teacher is just much better/organized. There were 4 reading groups in my child's class this year. From what I could tell based on the "groupings" board when I volunteered, my child was always in either the 2nd (earlier in the year) or 1st (later in the year) highest group.

Did you bring your concerns to the teacher or principal?
Anonymous
Post 06/25/2012 16:45     Subject: Question for teachers or parents of second/third grade advanced readers
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:New curriculum is putting more emphasis on writing. Did find with my now incoming 3rd grader that his reading was assessed far less in 2nd grade. (He was in a similar situation to your child, OP). Report card reading levels didn't change over several quarters during his 2nd grade school year. Final report card placed him at a level W. So, we've had a different experience than other posters about the level stagnating. Writing is supposed to be part of the assessment at all grades.

Here's the reading targets chart from MCPS: http://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/uploadedFiles/curriculum/english/elementary/ReadingTargets-KthruGrade5.pdf

Questions you should ask school are whether they are giving your child William & Mary reading curriculum. This is a curriculum that is supposed to be implemented for high-level readers that encourages/teaches critical thinking. Also, would be good for your own piece of mind to know that they have an appropriate reading group of multiple children at same level as yours. Without that, it's unlikely that your child will get appropriate resources that teach him. I did experience this year a situation in which my child told me that he rarely had reading group and was just told to read whatever he wanted on his own.Am hoping 3rd grade will be better...


This was our experience exactly. Our DC just completed 3rd grade and will be attending a HGC program next year. We found that the home school was spreading the kids who had the highest reading levels among the various 3rd grade classes, so that there really wasn't an adequate peer group in any one class. Our child would go for weeks without reading group.


New poster. Our child just completed second and did not have reading group, period, this year. If your child is a little advanced, they're not going to get reading instruction beyond first grade in my experience.
Anonymous
Post 06/25/2012 15:27     Subject: Question for teachers or parents of second/third grade advanced readers
Anonymous wrote:New curriculum is putting more emphasis on writing. Did find with my now incoming 3rd grader that his reading was assessed far less in 2nd grade. (He was in a similar situation to your child, OP). Report card reading levels didn't change over several quarters during his 2nd grade school year. Final report card placed him at a level W. So, we've had a different experience than other posters about the level stagnating. Writing is supposed to be part of the assessment at all grades.

Here's the reading targets chart from MCPS: http://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/uploadedFiles/curriculum/english/elementary/ReadingTargets-KthruGrade5.pdf

Questions you should ask school are whether they are giving your child William & Mary reading curriculum. This is a curriculum that is supposed to be implemented for high-level readers that encourages/teaches critical thinking. Also, would be good for your own piece of mind to know that they have an appropriate reading group of multiple children at same level as yours. Without that, it's unlikely that your child will get appropriate resources that teach him. I did experience this year a situation in which my child told me that he rarely had reading group and was just told to read whatever he wanted on his own.Am hoping 3rd grade will be better...


This was our experience exactly. Our DC just completed 3rd grade and will be attending a HGC program next year. We found that the home school was spreading the kids who had the highest reading levels among the various 3rd grade classes, so that there really wasn't an adequate peer group in any one class. Our child would go for weeks without reading group.
Anonymous
Post 06/24/2012 22:24     Subject: Question for teachers or parents of second/third grade advanced readers
Anonymous wrote:PP, what is BCR?

I am the parent of a rising 3rd grader. To the OP, your child will be grouped with kids reading similarly in 2nd grade and will be assessed through MCLASS each quarter (as he likely was this past year). Groupings may change based on each MCLASS assessment based on both written and oral comprehension. (For the first quarter, we got a "reading is (X) for oral comprehension, but (X-1) for written." Can't remember the letters, but written is the ultmate "level" assigned.)

As others have said, up until 3rd grade, everything is "learning to read." But beginning in 3rd grade, it becomes more "reading to learn."

Level P is fantastic for the end of the year for 1st grade. Feel proud of your child! But I do expect it will even out over time. Reading levels do go much beyond P.

You should feel confident that your child will be grouped with other children reading above grade level next year.
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Not the PP but a BCR is a "Brief Constructed Response." My DD just finished third grade. I believe BCRs are basically paragraph essay answers. They practice them a lot as they are also on the MSA standardized tests in third grade.
Anonymous
Post 06/24/2012 15:13     Subject: Question for teachers or parents of second/third grade advanced readers
At my ES writing began to be assessed after the second grade reading levels were met..whatever year that was. So, to get to a P, this child's writing would already have been assessed.
Anonymous
Post 06/24/2012 11:38     Subject: Question for teachers or parents of second/third grade advanced readers
New curriculum is putting more emphasis on writing. Did find with my now incoming 3rd grader that his reading was assessed far less in 2nd grade. (He was in a similar situation to your child, OP). Report card reading levels didn't change over several quarters during his 2nd grade school year. Final report card placed him at a level W. So, we've had a different experience than other posters about the level stagnating. Writing is supposed to be part of the assessment at all grades.

Here's the reading targets chart from MCPS: http://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/uploadedFiles/curriculum/english/elementary/ReadingTargets-KthruGrade5.pdf

Questions you should ask school are whether they are giving your child William & Mary reading curriculum. This is a curriculum that is supposed to be implemented for high-level readers that encourages/teaches critical thinking. Also, would be good for your own piece of mind to know that they have an appropriate reading group of multiple children at same level as yours. Without that, it's unlikely that your child will get appropriate resources that teach him. I did experience this year a situation in which my child told me that he rarely had reading group and was just told to read whatever he wanted on his own.Am hoping 3rd grade will be better...
Anonymous
Post 06/24/2012 09:58     Subject: Question for teachers or parents of second/third grade advanced readers
PP, what is BCR?

I am the parent of a rising 3rd grader. To the OP, your child will be grouped with kids reading similarly in 2nd grade and will be assessed through MCLASS each quarter (as he likely was this past year). Groupings may change based on each MCLASS assessment based on both written and oral comprehension. (For the first quarter, we got a "reading is (X) for oral comprehension, but (X-1) for written." Can't remember the letters, but written is the ultmate "level" assigned.)

As others have said, up until 3rd grade, everything is "learning to read." But beginning in 3rd grade, it becomes more "reading to learn."

Level P is fantastic for the end of the year for 1st grade. Feel proud of your child! But I do expect it will even out over time. Reading levels do go much beyond P.

You should feel confident that your child will be grouped with other children reading above grade level next year.
Anonymous
Post 06/24/2012 09:45     Subject: Question for teachers or parents of second/third grade advanced readers
Anonymous wrote:And for first grade the reading level is all about reading fluency. Once you hit second, comprehension and writing come into play. My kid was above level as a first grader, but was on level at the end of second since he struggled with the writing components. No worries, the school will continue to challenge your child, but don't be surprised if it tapers off a bit when comprehension and writing become the primary focus.


Great explanation. By third grade, the focus is reading to learn and kids are expected to know how to read and to e able to read fluently. Also, if I'm not mistaken, it is third grade when they learn to write BCRs, at least in the pre 2.0 curriculum.
Anonymous
Post 06/24/2012 09:41     Subject: Question for teachers or parents of second/third grade advanced readers
And for first grade the reading level is all about reading fluency. Once you hit second, comprehension and writing come into play. My kid was above level as a first grader, but was on level at the end of second since he struggled with the writing components. No worries, the school will continue to challenge your child, but don't be surprised if it tapers off a bit when comprehension and writing become the primary focus.
Anonymous
Post 06/23/2012 22:07     Subject: Question for teachers or parents of second/third grade advanced readers
I think the chart goes through Z. Definitely passed P. While P is quite high for 1st grade, the rate of increase slows down eventually.
Anonymous
Post 06/23/2012 21:50     Subject: Question for teachers or parents of second/third grade advanced readers
DC just finished first grade at a public MC school. We received DC's final report card and it indicates reading level "P" at the very top of the chart. The report card also states this is the chart they will use through the end of third grade. So, what happens with readers like these in second grade and beyond? I'm hoping the school will continue to advance the kids through the next stages. Or, is this the ceiling of levels for two more years and there is just a bigger focus on writing and comprehension in second and third grade? TIA!