Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Jesus DCUM. Just stop this insanity.

Amen.

Thank you both for making me feel less alone. Holy moly.

Get a good second grade teacher for your kid.

Seriously.

A good teacher will see that a quiet kid is quiet because he is thinking about an in-depth extension of the topic. A good teacher will see that a kid is checked-out because she races through (and does poorly on) grade-level assignments but would thrive when given an added challenge.

When that form comes around - usually right about now - asking for parent input, you want to ask for the teacher who is skilled at differentiation. You want the teacher known for providing appropriate challenge to each kid. If that form doesn't come around at your school, send an email to the principal saying that.

Those teachers will do the job of instilling a love of learning, making sure your kid has good work samples, AND knowing how to write a good GBRS for your kid. Win-win-win.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:volunteer to be a room mom- there is never more competition than second grade. Use and occasion you can to kiss the teacher's ass, again welcome to second grade in FCPS

This is so silly. That is just not the way things work here. SMH

And get on the PTA board and make friends with the AART and Principal.

I think quite a few of the posts have definite merit. Especially having your child read. That's the best thing any parent can do for their elementary student. All things being equal, like above, the 4th grader who read 15 million words in a year will be just as well off as any AAP kid. Hopefully parents just don't teach and prep for a test but instill a love of learning in their child.

Anonymous wrote:So if your child is doing well and has high test scores, assume GBRS will be fine right?

Hahaha that’s the catch. GBRS is subjective, so all factors aligned together also doesn’t mean GBRS will be high. What is the minimum GBRS to be on the safe side?

Anonymous wrote:For summer (and beyond) Star Reading is great, not so much for the quizzes and diagnostics, but it tracks how many books and even words that your child read.

Having a third or fourth grader surpass 15 million words in a school year will do wonders for the child's vocabulary and comprehension. Have them read fiction, nonfiction, easy reading books, adult books, whatever they can read, have them read.

Thank you!
https://www.renaissance.com/products/star-reading/
I don’t see how a parent can use this at home to practice. Each schools Renaissance website address is different, I read in login help. Do I need to ask school for login info? Can I create an account and use it?

So if your child is doing well and has high test scores, assume GBRS will be fine right?

Anonymous wrote:Do you think it is the exception, not the rule, that no score is safe?

If your child isn't doing well in class, they assume the high score was prepped. And in many cases, that is true -- there is tons of prepping in FCPS, which is why they are downplaying the importance of the tests and relying more on the GBRS.

Anonymous wrote:volunteer to be a room mom- there is never more competition than second grade. Use and occasion you can to kiss the teacher's ass, again welcome to second grade in FCPS

This is so silly. That is just not the way things work here. SMH

But some of the kids really should be in it, and this forum is making parents think that natural ability isn’t enough...hence the question.

Anonymous wrote:Jesus DCUM. Just stop this insanity.

Well, no one is forcing to read anything! This is a public forum and there are some good points on this thread!

But I have to agree that parents are obsessed about AAP and want to get in anyway possible. May be being in AAP is a status symbol for parents. We need to let kids be kids! Don't force them into something they are not interested or beyond their natural abilities.

Anonymous wrote:Jesus DCUM. Just stop this insanity.

Amen.

Jesus DCUM. Just stop this insanity.

For summer (and beyond) Star Reading is great, not so much for the quizzes and diagnostics, but it tracks how many books and even words that your child read.

Having a third or fourth grader surpass 15 million words in a school year will do wonders for the child's vocabulary and comprehension. Have them read fiction, nonfiction, easy reading books, adult books, whatever they can read, have them read.

Many good tips above. Also, have your kid do Khan academy math. They have progressions where your kid could get to Algebra I in short order. Most gifted kids can get through a year's general ed elementary math in a couple of months. Don't wait for the school to do all the teaching. Enrich your kid.