ELO is taught by MCPS regular teachers. There is no harm in trying out. Kids who are starting school in Fall get an opportunity to make some new friends, meet their teachers, even get familiar with the school they go to.

Some learning takes place - though when they are in K, even if they learn some basic class-room manners - raising their hands, taking turns, putting things back in place, using hand sanitizer - is enough.

Anonymous wrote:But it is free. It is kind of free childcare, no? If budget is a concern, I think it is not a shabby deal.

Again, what is your goal? Free childcare or learning something? I have heard so many bad things about these free programs. Since I am a SAHM, I do academic things with my kid sometimes, he does Kumon, and I send them to sports camps.

Your child is a lot younger. I say the best is finding a program that is small and tailored to your child's needs, or do it yourself. I would not put much faith in public programs.

PP, what do you know about the ELO, specifically?

Anonymous wrote:But it is free. It is kind of free childcare, no? If budget is a concern, I think it is not a shabby deal.

Again, what is your goal? Free childcare or learning something? I have heard so many bad things about these free programs. Since I am a SAHM, I do academic things with my kid sometimes, he does Kumon, and I send them to sports camps.

Your child is a lot younger. I say the best is finding a program that is small and tailored to your child's needs, or do it yourself. I would not put much faith in public programs.

Not the OP, but I don't think you're really aware of what ELO actually is. ELO is school. MCPS may offer some other "programs" but ELO specifically is offered at Title I schools as real school, taught by regular teachers. A lot of times the students have the same ELO teacher that they will have in the fall. There's no choosing between free childcare and learning something. ELO does offer a place to put your kid for half a day for a month, but it IS learning.

But it is free. It is kind of free childcare, no? If budget is a concern, I think it is not a shabby deal.

Again, what is your goal? Free childcare or learning something? I have heard so many bad things about these free programs. Since I am a SAHM, I do academic things with my kid sometimes, he does Kumon, and I send them to sports camps.

Your child is a lot younger. I say the best is finding a program that is small and tailored to your child's needs, or do it yourself. I would not put much faith in public programs.

OP here.

DS's school is Title I, yes. I think he's ready for K, skill-wise, but hasn't been in a program with school-like formatting before. I can't find much wrong with the idea of sending him to the program, which is what makes me think there's something fishy about it.

I'm not expecting it to turn him into an astrophysicist in one summer. Just hoping it might be a fun introduction to "real school."

ELO is free- the summer schools that charge go by a different name, I think.
http://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/departments/titleone/includes/elo.shtm
I have an entering kindergartner that's signed up for ELO at our local title I school. I am hesitant about the school, so I'm treating ELO as a preview. I've talked to a friend who was a former ELO teacher, and a parent whose kids have gone to ELO, and the feedback from actual participants has been good. Feedback from people who have not gone have been poor. Class sizes will be smaller in ELO, and sometimes the kids have a higher chance of being with a teacher they may have in the Fall. That depends on many factors, but our principal told me that its more likely to happen this summer.
If any other parents that have kids entering ELO or kindergarten going to Clopper Mill, I'd love to chat. adeleb1011@gmail.com

Is your son going to a Title I school? My kids do, and have done ELO every summer since K (Title I schools offer it free for everyone) and have enjoyed it. It is a preview of the next grade level, not remediation or special ed, and a great opportunity for the kids to meet teachers and classmates. It's like free camp, and seems especially beneficial for incoming K students.

Not sure if all ELOs are the same, though, which is why I specified Title I. I know there are some other summer programs that are not free and not Title I affiliated.

I think its pretty spot on. We used infants and toddlers through the county and private therapy based on recs that the county was sub par. The advice turned out to be 100% true. The county services are very poor. We have 2 kids in MCPS and the curriculum is a huge disappointment. There is a pattern where the county and MCPS offer lots of program but don't do a very good job with any of them.

If cost is not an option, I would not trust MCPS to provide a good summer learning experience for kids who need help. They just aren't very good across the board and worse with special needs kids.

Anonymous wrote:Unless its free, I would pass. The MCPS curriculum is so poor, basic, and easy there would be no value in doing one of their summer programs.

PP, the OP said, "Has anyone sent their child to the Extended Learning Opportunities summer program in MCPS?...I'd like to know more about it..."

How does your comment address the OP's comment?

I would post in the special needs section. I don't know much about the program but you are more likely to find someone who does there.. I know it is for kids who have very emerging skills that may be lost over the summer. I would think it could be very tailored to your child's needs different then regular summer school.

Unless its free, I would pass. The MCPS curriculum is so poor, basic, and easy there would be no value in doing one of their summer programs.

Has anyone sent their child to the Extended Learning Opportunities summer program in MCPS? DS will be in K next year, and was offered a spot in this program starting in July. I'd like to know more about it before I accept the spot.