Anonymous
08/06/2013 15:15
Subject: How much play-based learning in K-2 in MoCo?
I don't recall any in our close-in K.
Anonymous
08/06/2013 09:09
Subject: How much play-based learning in K-2 in MoCo?
9:06 here - I agree with 8:52 - the day is short (5 1/2 hours), and there are plenty of opportunities for "play-based learning" before and after school in drama/sports/science/yoga etc. which are offered by outside providers through the PTA and are not expensive - and are certainly less expensive than sending a child to private school.
Anonymous
08/06/2013 09:06
Subject: How much play-based learning in K-2 in MoCo?
My experience at a close-in MCPS elementary school. There are worksheets during Math/Reading Blocks (which my son loathes but adversity builds character, or at least that's what I tell myself). There is also group learning on a rug in front of the teacher during those same blocks and group interaction. There is also "morning work" which is also more free form prior to actual class starting. There is also a block for "special" each day - which is PE/Art/Music/Counselor/Something else, then there is 30 minute recess, then there is 20 minutes of play center, and there is 20 minutes "DEER time" after recess - which is "Drop Everything and Read" but translates to Quiet time at centers.
Hope this helps your decision. Only you can decide what is right for your child. I have found that our teachers have been responsive and will help you if your child is having problems with attention, boredom, etc.
Hope this helps your decision. Only you can decide what is right for your child. I have found that our teachers have been responsive and will help you if your child is having problems with attention, boredom, etc.
Anonymous
08/06/2013 08:56
Subject: How much play-based learning in K-2 in MoCo?
PP again. I think it makes sense that no school can meet your child's every need. It's our job as parents to fill in the gaps or to supplement our kids' interests - drama, sports, etc.
Anonymous
08/06/2013 08:52
Subject: Re:How much play-based learning in K-2 in MoCo?
Anonymous wrote:I think your question is really more about moco public school in general rather than a particular school. For us, the answer was not much play based learning during the hours between 9 am and 3 PM - the official school day is largely academic time.
On the other hand, the school day is well kinda short. We found lots of ways to supplement the academic focus of the school year. For example, the after school classes offered at school coupled with a nice after care provided a lot of unexpected play based learning. Whether acting class, art class, or various "clubs" in the aftercare - we got more than enough play based learning. The reality is that the school day is relatively short - and the school year itself has lots of days off and of course summer is forever. So, you can find lots of ways to add in play based learning, arts and crafts, and extra gymnastics/physical activity during the school week and/or weekends. It means really thinking about what your kid needs to grow, but such is life.
If we did not have the funds for these extras, i would be concerned about the overall learning environment.
I wish the school day was longer to provide more time for the extras we pay out of pocket and also that the school year was longer to provide sessions focused on drama or music or other important developmental activities. Long story short = no public school provides enough of anything but if you have money and an inquiring mind, you can probably supplement a lot in the younger years.
Not the OP, but thanks for this perspective. Rings true.
Anonymous
08/05/2013 23:53
Subject: Re:How much play-based learning in K-2 in MoCo?
I think your question is really more about moco public school in general rather than a particular school. For us, the answer was not much play based learning during the hours between 9 am and 3 PM - the official school day is largely academic time.
On the other hand, the school day is well kinda short. We found lots of ways to supplement the academic focus of the school year. For example, the after school classes offered at school coupled with a nice after care provided a lot of unexpected play based learning. Whether acting class, art class, or various "clubs" in the aftercare - we got more than enough play based learning. The reality is that the school day is relatively short - and the school year itself has lots of days off and of course summer is forever. So, you can find lots of ways to add in play based learning, arts and crafts, and extra gymnastics/physical activity during the school week and/or weekends. It means really thinking about what your kid needs to grow, but such is life.
If we did not have the funds for these extras, i would be concerned about the overall learning environment.
I wish the school day was longer to provide more time for the extras we pay out of pocket and also that the school year was longer to provide sessions focused on drama or music or other important developmental activities. Long story short = no public school provides enough of anything but if you have money and an inquiring mind, you can probably supplement a lot in the younger years.
On the other hand, the school day is well kinda short. We found lots of ways to supplement the academic focus of the school year. For example, the after school classes offered at school coupled with a nice after care provided a lot of unexpected play based learning. Whether acting class, art class, or various "clubs" in the aftercare - we got more than enough play based learning. The reality is that the school day is relatively short - and the school year itself has lots of days off and of course summer is forever. So, you can find lots of ways to add in play based learning, arts and crafts, and extra gymnastics/physical activity during the school week and/or weekends. It means really thinking about what your kid needs to grow, but such is life.
If we did not have the funds for these extras, i would be concerned about the overall learning environment.
I wish the school day was longer to provide more time for the extras we pay out of pocket and also that the school year was longer to provide sessions focused on drama or music or other important developmental activities. Long story short = no public school provides enough of anything but if you have money and an inquiring mind, you can probably supplement a lot in the younger years.
Anonymous
08/05/2013 22:09
Subject: How much play-based learning in K-2 in MoCo?
Anonymous wrote:Years ago (and still in many, many private schools), K was half-day, play-based - with the goal of "socializing" kids and getting them acclimated to a school environment.
It is highly academic now, especially with the implementation of Curriculum 2.0.
Having said that, however, I don't know if you can fight it - or if you'd want to fight it if this is where we're headed.
Personally, I like 2.0 and having worked with the Common Core at the secondary level, I appreciate how rigor is built into these standards. They are indeed complex and comprehensive - with a focus on critical thinking, as the curriculum tends to backmap from IB.
Now, that does mean that K is much more rigorous than it was in the past. But a good teacher can always make learning fun. And much of 2.0 includes discourse, which often translates into structured, truly collaborative group work.
Again, it's how the teacher approaches 2.0 and scaffolds lessons to meet the needs of his/her students.
19:13's comments seem a bit outdated. Curriculum 2.0 does not emphasize the use of worksheets. It emphasizes problem solving.
Really? It must be differently implemented in different schools then. We've not noticed any let up in the onslaught of worksheets in the past 2 years of Curriculum 2.0. Hoping that changes next year in a HGC, as we've been promised it will. Our child who loves to learn has come to hate school largely because of all the mind-numbing worksheets.
Anonymous
08/05/2013 06:19
Subject: How much play-based learning in K-2 in MoCo?
Your private school is doing what ALL schools do - teaching inference skills (". . . but being able to comprehend the subtleties of the character's feelings, the point of the story, understanding exaggerations, sarcasm etc.").
This is common practice in MCPS. We teach inference skills EVERY year to our high school students by building upon skills from the previous years and increasing text complexity. no brainer there
For ELA, Common Core has several areas carried out from K-12. K- 2 is a little different because these are the building years. The framework includes reading literature, reading informational text, reading FOUNDATIONAL skills, writing, speaking & listening, language.
And the areas are not taught in isolation. They are integrated. You can't teach reading w/o hearing sounds. You can't teach writing w/o learning the components of language (s-v agreement, for example). And you certainly can't teach inferences w/o introducing vocabulary.
Part of the problem is ignorance. Everyone is a master at education b/c EVERYONE has gone to school . . . well, most people in this area! So it's highly offensive to read "advice" from posters who don't even have the resourcefulness to examine CC standards first before expressing opinions.
This is common practice in MCPS. We teach inference skills EVERY year to our high school students by building upon skills from the previous years and increasing text complexity. no brainer there
For ELA, Common Core has several areas carried out from K-12. K- 2 is a little different because these are the building years. The framework includes reading literature, reading informational text, reading FOUNDATIONAL skills, writing, speaking & listening, language.
And the areas are not taught in isolation. They are integrated. You can't teach reading w/o hearing sounds. You can't teach writing w/o learning the components of language (s-v agreement, for example). And you certainly can't teach inferences w/o introducing vocabulary.
Part of the problem is ignorance. Everyone is a master at education b/c EVERYONE has gone to school . . . well, most people in this area! So it's highly offensive to read "advice" from posters who don't even have the resourcefulness to examine CC standards first before expressing opinions.
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Actually, now that you mention it, from the article "Kindergarten students are being forced to write words, sentences, and paragraphs before having a grasp of oral language...."
I don't get it. I thought oral language means speaking. Kindergarten students are being forced to write words, sentences, and paragraphs before they can talk? Before they understand how to talk? What does this mean?
Having a grasp of oral language is different from speaking. It means having true comprehension. There are many children learning to read today who don't truly comprehend what they're reading and wouldn't be able to paraphrase to explain what they read. At our private school, heavy emphasis is placed on comprehension- not only knowing the story, but being able to comprehend the subtleties of the character's feelings, the point of the story, understanding exaggerations, sarcasm etc. I think this type of learning is missed when you're just testing kids to make sure they can read the words written.
Anonymous
08/05/2013 06:01
Subject: How much play-based learning in K-2 in MoCo?
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Actually, now that you mention it, from the article "Kindergarten students are being forced to write words, sentences, and paragraphs before having a grasp of oral language...."
I don't get it. I thought oral language means speaking. Kindergarten students are being forced to write words, sentences, and paragraphs before they can talk? Before they understand how to talk? What does this mean?
Having a grasp of oral language is different from speaking. It means having true comprehension. There are many children learning to read today who don't truly comprehend what they're reading and wouldn't be able to paraphrase to explain what they read. At our private school, heavy emphasis is placed on comprehension- not only knowing the story, but being able to comprehend the subtleties of the character's feelings, the point of the story, understanding exaggerations, sarcasm etc. I think this type of learning is missed when you're just testing kids to make sure they can read the words written.
Agreed that being able to decode what you're reading doesn't mean you understand what you're reading -- but what does that have to do with oral language? Reading by definition is written language, not oral language.
Anonymous
08/05/2013 01:25
Subject: How much play-based learning in K-2 in MoCo?
Anonymous wrote:Actually, now that you mention it, from the article "Kindergarten students are being forced to write words, sentences, and paragraphs before having a grasp of oral language...."
I don't get it. I thought oral language means speaking. Kindergarten students are being forced to write words, sentences, and paragraphs before they can talk? Before they understand how to talk? What does this mean?
I am having difficulty understanding this.
For a very long time, language acquisition has been understand, speak, read then write.
Now, it's mostly read and write, with most of the reading being non-fiction.
My child came to the US from another country in the middle of 3rd grade. By the end of the first month, there was more writing than anything else. He was feeling miserable and this child who loved school felt like a fish out of water. It's been a constant battle as testing reading and writing is much more important than teaching the language. No wonder students remain in ESOL for years and still do not know the language.
Anonymous
08/04/2013 23:02
Subject: How much play-based learning in K-2 in MoCo?
My experience was that K had plenty of play time. There was some emphasis on learning to read, write, and do simple math. First grade there was very little play time with more assessments and higher expectations on behavior.
My son still has a love of learning but mostly that's because how he is. But they have not killed it yet anyways. Kindergarten was super fun for him but he did not learn anything academic (came in way ahead), and we were OK with that.
My son still has a love of learning but mostly that's because how he is. But they have not killed it yet anyways. Kindergarten was super fun for him but he did not learn anything academic (came in way ahead), and we were OK with that.
Anonymous
08/04/2013 22:42
Subject: Re:How much play-based learning in K-2 in MoCo?
Anonymous wrote:Why is it a sad thing to have 20 min if play time? The kids learn so much during this time about socialization and many do be edit from the oral language they use and hear. It's at the end of the day when most of them are tired of sitting and working.
It's sad that it's only 20 minutes. And at our school it was only 20 minutes once a week. We're talking about five year olds. How will they learn to think if they are stuck in a chair all day and not doing anything other than worksheets?
Anonymous
08/04/2013 21:47
Subject: How much play-based learning in K-2 in MoCo?
Benefit not be edit
Anonymous
08/04/2013 21:46
Subject: Re:How much play-based learning in K-2 in MoCo?
Why is it a sad thing to have 20 min if play time? The kids learn so much during this time about socialization and many do be edit from the oral language they use and hear. It's at the end of the day when most of them are tired of sitting and working.
Anonymous
08/04/2013 21:29
Subject: How much play-based learning in K-2 in MoCo?
Anonymous wrote:Actually, now that you mention it, from the article "Kindergarten students are being forced to write words, sentences, and paragraphs before having a grasp of oral language...."
I don't get it. I thought oral language means speaking. Kindergarten students are being forced to write words, sentences, and paragraphs before they can talk? Before they understand how to talk? What does this mean?
Having a grasp of oral language is different from speaking. It means having true comprehension. There are many children learning to read today who don't truly comprehend what they're reading and wouldn't be able to paraphrase to explain what they read. At our private school, heavy emphasis is placed on comprehension- not only knowing the story, but being able to comprehend the subtleties of the character's feelings, the point of the story, understanding exaggerations, sarcasm etc. I think this type of learning is missed when you're just testing kids to make sure they can read the words written.