if they love helping out kids who aren't their own why not volunteer for a different grade level?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

I don't even know which group my child is in and I have had extensive conversations with the teachers about her reading. I can only assume it's not the highest. I do know she's in the highest in math, but found out from another parent (you know the ones that volunteer in class and know way too much about other people's kids).

<Snort> Classroom volunteer speaking here. I didn't realize it was a problem that I attempt to help your child in class.

Do you really think volunteers do unpaid work so they can gossip about other people's kids?

To the PP who volunteers... I have been in your shoes exactly here on DCUM and the bitchiness sure did come out. Regardless of what crap you hear here, don't let it deter you from helping out in the classroom. Teachers obviously are happy to have help. The fact that a volunteer parent has eyes/ears and can make observations about the children in the class is treated as some sort of horrible atrocity. Yes, a volunteer is going to notice who is falling behind b/c those are the kids who need the extra help. Volunteers are entitled to their opinions (despite the DCUM thought police who will tell you differently on these threads).

Please ignore the haters who find a way to attack the wonderful parent volunteers who bother to help kids who are not their own.

Do the complainers about volunteers in a public school classroom understand that there isn't enough money to hire additional teachers to teach their children and how hard it is for a teacher to teach to the number of children in each classroom these days? I've seen how volunteers can help the children with specific skills including when I've volunteered myself. And I will always be grateful for the volunteer who helped my DS learn to read in preschool by reading a small book with him every week. As a volunteer I can sit with a small group of kids to help them more in depth and rotate each time with new children whereas the teacher has to oversee the whole class and doesn't get much one on one time with each child. Do you think this is the only way children and parents find out how well academically other children are doing in the class? If a volunteering parent does happen to get an idea where academically the other children are, they are mostly just using that knowlege to gage their own child's work, not others. Some parents seek out schools where volunteers are allowed. If you don't want volunteers helping your child just tell the teacher and I'm sure the volunteers will be happy to spend the time with the other children in the classroom.

what school does your son go to?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Wow, how many kids in an average Mclean K class start off reading? There were only two dc out of 28 who started K off already reading books in ds's class.

We're not in McLean, but in DS' class, there were 8 kids out of 20 reading when K started.

That's all?! In my DS' class, there were 18 kids out of 20 reading when K started!

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:How do you know how many kids could read, do you people ask your teacher this shit?
Annoying!

Ever talk to your kid? They know.

Yes I talk to my child, but I don't cross examine her to see what the other kids are doing and how she stacks up.

Anonymous wrote:How do you know how many kids could read, do you people ask your teacher this shit?
Annoying!

Ever talk to your kid? They know.

Anonymous wrote:How do you know how many kids could read, do you people ask your teacher this shit?
Annoying!

Genius Person, Kindergarten moms volunteer in their childrens classes constantly. It's very obvious who is reading and who isn't.

Why do you care anyway? You don't have a dog in this hunt, so stay home!

Yes, PP. I do. I think parents should only be allowed to volunteer in a classroom on a different grade level than their own children, except for field trips and parties -- I'm talking about the regular academic type of volunteering. Other parents should not be giving my child spelling tests, going over sight words with my child or reading with my child. You should not know my child's academic status. Sorry. I'd be willing to pay more taxes to actually hire professionals. I truly believe parents have no business in the classrooms on a regular basis.

Anonymous wrote:

I don't even know which group my child is in and I have had extensive conversations with the teachers about her reading. I can only assume it's not the highest. I do know she's in the highest in math, but found out from another parent (you know the ones that volunteer in class and know way too much about other people's kids).

<Snort> Classroom volunteer speaking here. I didn't realize it was a problem that I attempt to help your child in class.

Do you really think volunteers do unpaid work so they can gossip about other people's kids?

Back to the question asked, you will find that your kid fits right in with others in any public McLean K. Regarding straight academics, I don't think privates would be much different. But there are lots of non-academic variables to the consideration.

That's the way it should be. Parents are still hung up on their child's "rank" against other students b/c that is what they are used to from their time in school. Now students are measured against benchmarks which is the way it should be. I'm a teacher and I do tell parents what reading group they are in but only if they ask. I share their test scores with them but I have found that parents get way too hung up on where their child is as compared to everyone else. Parents want their kids to be in the highest groups even when their child cannot keep up with the pace of that group. My DS was one of the smart kids (and still is) but unless you want to home school, you have to remember that education is not individualized in public schools. Grouping is the best that schools can do when there is one teacher with 25+ students.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:How do you know how many kids could read

The teacher told us how many children were in DS' reading group when we attended the parent-teacher conference in November. I am a little surprised that some may be shocked that parents actually attend and communicate with the teacher at the parent-teacher conference.

We did attend the conference, and I communicate with the teacher regularly. About my own kid, not others. I know that there are four kids in my child's reading group, which is the highest one in the class, but how many there are in the other groups, and what are the levels of those groups I have no idea. And I wouldn't think to ask, and I'm sure if I did the teacher would tell me that my child is doing just fine, and leave it at that.

I don't even know which group my child is in and I have had extensive conversations with the teachers about her reading. I can only assume it's not the highest. I do know she's in the highest in math, but found out from another parent (you know the ones that volunteer in class and know way too much about other people's kids). Our school does not tell you where your child stacks up against other kids. They only tell you where child is with respect to the benchmarks for the year.

Anonymous wrote:but how many there are in the other groups, and what are the levels of those groups I have no idea.

Same here.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:How do you know how many kids could read

The teacher told us how many children were in DS' reading group when we attended the parent-teacher conference in November. I am a little surprised that some may be shocked that parents actually attend and communicate with the teacher at the parent-teacher conference.

We did attend the conference, and I communicate with the teacher regularly. About my own kid, not others. I know that there are four kids in my child's reading group, which is the highest one in the class, but how many there are in the other groups, and what are the levels of those groups I have no idea. And I wouldn't think to ask, and I'm sure if I did the teacher would tell me that my child is doing just fine, and leave it at that.