Anonymous
Post 01/17/2015 16:31     Subject: Re:How Common Core is wrecking kindergartner -- with SPECIFIC examples
Anonymous wrote:




Anonymous wrote:http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/01/16/southern-education-foundation-children-poverty_n_6489970.html

Think these kids are all ready to read in K?


In many cases the poverty problem at home has a lot to do with a literacy problem at home as well. But, I guess you want to keep them in poverty, by not focusing on improving literacy?


Time would be much better spent developing vocabulary and enriching experiences. signed First grade and K teacher who has a number of years of experience and advanced degrees.



And, one of the best ways to do that is to provide them with the tools and skills for building vocabulary and to allow them to enrich themselves via building up reading skills, i.e. phonics, ability to dissect, decode and understand words. Which is precisely what the CC standards aim to do, and all the more why they make sense. The sooner kids start in with building blocks like phonics, the better. This is not new, it's not rocket science, this is how reading has been taught for generations - "See Spot Run", "Dick and Jane", McGuffey Readers, et cetera.
Anonymous
Post 01/17/2015 16:16     Subject: Re:How Common Core is wrecking kindergartner -- with SPECIFIC examples
The reality is that the old system was not working. The US is falling further and further behind and it is imperative that we try something new. Whether CC is it at the end of the day the jury is still out, but I haven't seen any great alternatives. BTW- I have an 8 and 5 year old so we are in the middle of this now.
Anonymous
Post 01/17/2015 16:14     Subject: Re:How Common Core is wrecking kindergartner -- with SPECIFIC examples
country we are never going to improve our academic standings compared to other developed democracies.


Most countries do not teach kids to read before six or seven.............it is counter productive. Why waste that time when they quickly catch up at 6 or 7 if they have been exposed to great experiences?
Anonymous
Post 01/17/2015 16:12     Subject: Re:How Common Core is wrecking kindergartner -- with SPECIFIC examples

It sounds as if you are frustrated because your son is not at the same reading level as his friend. In life there will always be someone better so now is an excellent time to teach him about doing the best he can and not focusing on others. That said, schools should demand better than average or as a country we are never going to improve our academic standings compared to other developed democracies. In contrast to the teacher who posted earlier, I think we used to expect too little of our kids academically so I am thrilled to hear we are now teaching what used to be taught in the 1st and 2nd grade. If that is the result of CC I am thrilled!


Glad you are thrilled. I am not. Can't help but think of the kids who plateau in first grade as a result of emphasis on decoding words instead of vocabulary building.




Anonymous
Post 01/17/2015 16:08     Subject: Re:How Common Core is wrecking kindergartner -- with SPECIFIC examples
It sounds as if you are frustrated because your son is not at the same reading level as his friend. In life there will always be someone better so now is an excellent time to teach him about doing the best he can and not focusing on others. That said, schools should demand better than average or as a country we are never going to improve our academic standings compared to other developed democracies. In contrast to the teacher who posted earlier, I think we used to expect too little of our kids academically so I am thrilled to hear we are now teaching what used to be taught in the 1st and 2nd grade. If that is the result of CC I am thrilled!
Anonymous
Post 01/17/2015 16:01     Subject: Re:How Common Core is wrecking kindergartner -- with SPECIFIC examples
I would much rather my child be exposed to good children's books that are interesting and have great vocabulary, than to be taught early to read.
Anonymous
Post 01/17/2015 15:57     Subject: Re:How Common Core is wrecking kindergartner -- with SPECIFIC examples
What you are describing sounds like the level A readers that my K student can read right now. He can also do some level Bs with help (but not all). However, the expectation is that he will be at a high degree of aptitude at level C or the beginning of level D by the end of this year, which is considerably more difficult than what you are describing. He's mentioned several times how upset he is that his friend is a level C now and he isn't, and how he isn't good at reading, even though his teacher says he is progressing on grade level. I can definitely say that this system is not helping him to develop a love of reading.


I'm not familiar with those books and levels. Are they interesting?


Not at all, IMO. It is so much easier to get my son to try to work on reading with the easier Dr. Seuss books (e.g., Hooray for eyes, the foot book) that at least try to be funny or cute. Though I think that the very beginner Dr. Seuss books are also easier because they have a lot more repetition of the same words over and over.
Anonymous
Post 01/17/2015 15:52     Subject: Re:How Common Core is wrecking kindergartner -- with SPECIFIC examples

What you are describing sounds like the level A readers that my K student can read right now. He can also do some level Bs with help (but not all). However, the expectation is that he will be at a high degree of aptitude at level C or the beginning of level D by the end of this year, which is considerably more difficult than what you are describing. He's mentioned several times how upset he is that his friend is a level C now and he isn't, and how he isn't good at reading, even though his teacher says he is progressing on grade level. I can definitely say that this system is not helping him to develop a love of reading.


I'm not familiar with those books and levels. Are they interesting?




Anonymous
Post 01/17/2015 15:49     Subject: Re:How Common Core is wrecking kindergartner -- with SPECIFIC examples
Most kindergarten parents I know would be upset if their child finished kindergarten NOT knowing how to read. I think Common Core is in alignment with most parents' expectations in regards to reading. And are you familiar with emergent reader texts? Just a few words to a sentence on each page, mostly sight words, with a few other words that children can use picture clues, phonics, and other strategies to figure out. This is what kindergarten kids are expected to read. We're not talking novels here.


What you are describing sounds like the level A readers that my K student can read right now. He can also do some level Bs with help (but not all). However, the expectation is that he will be at a high degree of aptitude at level C or the beginning of level D by the end of this year, which is considerably more difficult than what you are describing. He's mentioned several times how upset he is that his friend is a level C now and he isn't, and how he isn't good at reading, even though his teacher says he is progressing on grade level. I can definitely say that this system is not helping him to develop a love of reading.
Anonymous
Post 01/17/2015 15:45     Subject: Re:How Common Core is wrecking kindergartner -- with SPECIFIC examples
I taught school in a very, very poor environment. First grade. A handful had been to Head Start--but that does not make up for the lack of interaction and experience in the homes. No books in the home, etc. MTV-not Sesame St.
Anonymous
Post 01/17/2015 15:35     Subject: Re:How Common Core is wrecking kindergartner -- with SPECIFIC examples
K kids may learn to read but the CC requirements are ridiculous. Also, quite time consuming.
Anonymous
Post 01/17/2015 15:34     Subject: Re:How Common Core is wrecking kindergartner -- with SPECIFIC examples
I taught a diverse K class where almost all could read a little by the end of the year. This was done with music, games, play, etc. I gave a worksheet here and there--but very limited. NO formal reading instruction.
Anonymous
Post 01/17/2015 15:33     Subject: Re:How Common Core is wrecking kindergartner -- with SPECIFIC examples
Kindergarten should not be first grade. There are lots of things a K teacher can do to help kids learn to read through language development, etc. Should there be formal reading instruction in K? NO.
Anonymous
Post 01/17/2015 15:26     Subject: Re:How Common Core is wrecking kindergartner -- with SPECIFIC examples

In many cases the poverty problem at home has a lot to do with a literacy problem at home as well. But, I guess you want to keep them in poverty, by not focusing on improving literacy?


And, you think teaching them to "read" aka decode words in K is going to help them more than other experiences. Here's a clue: Those kids learn to call words--not read.




Anonymous
Post 01/17/2015 15:24     Subject: Re:How Common Core is wrecking kindergartner -- with SPECIFIC examples




Anonymous wrote:http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/01/16/southern-education-foundation-children-poverty_n_6489970.html

Think these kids are all ready to read in K?


In many cases the poverty problem at home has a lot to do with a literacy problem at home as well. But, I guess you want to keep them in poverty, by not focusing on improving literacy?


Time would be much better spent developing vocabulary and enriching experiences. signed First grade and K teacher who has a number of years of experience and advanced degrees.