Reading questions

[_huckelberry]

Sorry not to be exactly who you wished to hear from but I did learn to read once upon a time.In fact as a child I came to love reading. The contribution from teachers I remember is that in my beginning experiences in school the teacher took time to read to us. She read entire books that were a real door opening to the belief that reading was an adventure.

benchmarks for kindergarten? Being not yet quite totally dead in the interest department.

[_Jersey Girl]

I'm almost done. I just do need to get this out of my head and kid myself into thinking that anyone has the interest to hear it and know what I'm talking about.

Parents, please, learn about your child's development. When you were pregnant, you likely read books and periodicals about development in utero. You likely took birthing classes to assist in your birth experience.

DON'T STOP THERE!

We often hear parents say "well, these kids don't come with owner's manuals".

YES THEY DO!

There are child development classes in most community colleges and universities. You know more about how your playstation works than you do your child. Does it disturb you in the least that you and your wallet are being taken for a ride by politicians who are unwilling to put into your child what they are taking out of your wallet?

You're being scammed! The only effective consumer is an educated consumer. Take a class and learn to follow your child's development so you know what is right and best practice for them in the learning environment.


Drill 'em and kill 'em.

Every educator worth their salt understands that phrase and this is what the American public is forcing on it's educators and in turn, on YOUR child.

No educator worth their salt, wants that for your child.

The question I have, is what do YOU want for your child and how much of your time are you willing to invest learning about what your child needs to ensure that your school district is meeting those needs?

Before you throw hard earned money at education, why not throw yourself into learning about your child's learning processes?

I might be done now. I wouldn't count on it though.

Hand that rocks the cradle....how about rocking it?

[_Jersey Girl]

To me, it looks like someone placed a buisness model into the education system that allows higher ups to easily quantify results. When test scores are up, it allows high level administrators and politicans so point to the numbers and say, " See? Look at what my educational policy does!" and if the numbers are not whats expected, they can blame the actual teachers.

The whole scheme is enforced by people who like to compare test scores of American kids to kids in Taiwan and marvel about how far our children are behind. It seems that the only method used to gauge the quality of education is via standardized tests and the ends always justify the means when it comes to making those numbers.

I think the whole thing will change once enough people get mad about it and it becomes a political boon to be the one to do so.

In our area school districts, the issue of testing scores is being knitted together with teacher contracts. The proposal on the table is three years of demostrated succcess based on test scores.

At the same time, our area school districts are looking at cutting teacher jobs.

What that means, is the pledge is going to hinge on doing more with less teachers!

I ask you, where is the child?

[_Jersey Girl]

Just one more thing. I read a website about a local early childhood program that promises children age 4 will learn 70 phonograms and 52 letters by the end of their pre-K class. That's a nine month program, folks. They also promise that their classes are teacher directed not child directed and make a big deal about that.

At what point is a child permitted to learn self direction? Are we emphasizing stuffing information INTO pre-academic children instead of nurtuing the emergence of skills, concepts and abilities? Dictating to children what they will engage in at the cost of their losing the natural curiosity and self esteem that initiates all learning? Are we so engaged in the business of leading children that we forget to allow children to form and pursue their own ideas?

Do you want a robot or thinker?

One of the most glorious phrases I ever hear in the early childhood environment is "Hey! I have an idea!" And then watch the child pursue it.

This is the difference between convergent and divergent thinking. Don't we want our children to learn to engage in invention? Doesn't the future of society as a whole depend on inventive thinkers?

Don't you see the value in that early on?

I think I'm done now. No promises. I want you all to know that this is what educator frustration looks like. What an advocate for children looks like knowing that our education systems are going to hell and our children's interest and good self image with it.

And somehow or another, I will walk back into my classroom in August and keep doing what I believe is best for children.

This is the miracle that is me.

:-D

[_Jersey Girl]

I will try to walk away from this now. You just had the privilege of watching me go almost completely nuts and recover on the screen.

Lucky you.
;-)

[_beastie]

To me, it looks like someone placed a buisness model into the education system that allows higher ups to easily quantify results. When test scores are up, it allows high level administrators and politicans so point to the numbers and say, " See? Look at what my educational policy does!" and if the numbers are not whats expected, they can blame the actual teachers.

The whole scheme is enforced by people who like to compare test scores of American kids to kids in Taiwan and marvel about how far our children are behind. It seems that the only method used to gauge the quality of education is via standardized tests and the ends always justify the means when it comes to making those numbers.

I think the whole thing will change once enough people get mad about it and it becomes a political boon to be the one to do so.

There is a lot of truth in this.

Everyone in education knows how important it is to have high-quality teachers. The quality of the teacher is the greatest single effect on a child’s education. Yet no administrator can spend hours in each classroom in a way that would allow him/her (if they’re informed to begin with) to truly judge the quality of the teacher. They need a fast and dirty way to do it: scores.

Yes, I do anticipate that one day this current “bubble” will pop. I do view it as a sort of a group delusion that we’ve gotten into that creates a bubble not unlike past economic bubbles. When enough parents get fed up – and enough of the “right” parents (well informed and articulate enough to get attention), then politicians will start to listen.

Sorry not to be exactly who you wished to hear from but I did learn to read once upon a time.In fact as a child I came to love reading. The contribution from teachers I remember is that in my beginning experiences in school the teacher took time to read to us. She read entire books that were a real door opening to the belief that reading was an adventure.

benchmarks for kindergarten? Being not yet quite totally dead in the interest department.

A reading teacher’s most important job is to help develop a fascination and love with reading. Reading aloud is a great way to do that, as well as introducing different types of literature.

But what we have now is a system so enamored of multiple choice tests that is where the majority of teacher time must go. We have no choice. Our funding depends upon it.

Multiple choice testing hardly creates a love of literature. One of the greatest costs I see to our current system is that we’re creating children who do not truly enjoy reading. Once they get out of school, they will stop reading and some will become functionally illiterate as a result.

[_beastie]

I will try to walk away from this now. You just had the privilege of watching me go almost completely nuts and recover on the screen.

Lucky you.
;-)

Whew!

[_Jersey Girl]

I will try to walk away from this now. You just had the privilege of watching me go almost completely nuts and recover on the screen.

Lucky you.
;-)

Whew!

The preceeding rant was prompted by a strong belief in constructivism, the frustration that parents (the wallet) are not educating themselves and that our society is willing to give it's children everything except the time that they need to grow.

[_Mephitus]

Its always amazed me to no end that children are regularly unable to read at least their own grade level. I honestly don't comprehend it. But...ill admit im a bit of an anomaly as by the time i graduated grade school i was already testing as post-highschool (beyond the scope of regulated school testing) This wasn't even due to things that people try to ascribe to good reading skills, I honestly learned to read purposefully due to my interests in computers and videogames. If i couldn't read/understand the steps i was trying to implement, how was i to have any fun? I think its not just a matter of stronger education models, but that of getting children to read because they WANT to, not because they will be tested out if they don't.

[_Yoda]

More questions. I need to get this out of my gut some way.

Is anyone else here worried about the future reading success of our children in that we are setting the bar (benchmarks) so high they are beyond the developmental capabilities of our children, thus causing them to pseudo-fail to meet unrealistic expectations and in the process, are we failing miserably to make reading a meaningful experience for children and one that they look forward to instead of dreading it?

I agree with you, Jersey Girl. (Big surprise..LOL)

When I signed my son up for Kindergarten, the school gave us a list of things the Kindergartener was supposed to know before entering the classroom:

1. Count to 10.(At least)
2. Recognize colors.
3. Recite the alphabet. (preferably recognize letters and know how to write your name.)
4. Use scissors.
5. Tie shoes.
6. Color in the lines.
7. Know your telephone number.
8. Know your address.

This is a partial list.

I thought that the purpose of Kindergarten was to teach the alphabet and counting. I wasn't allowed to use scissors before going into Kindergarten.

The telephone number and address is wise for safety.

My son still can't tie his shoes.

The whole mentality of scores for everything really gets old. I don't think it promotes true learning.

I also think that children are more interested in reading when their parents are interested.

I bought "The Lord of the Rings" on blu ray over the weekend as a Mother's Day present to myself, and have been re-watching the movies. My 6 year old son has been fascinated with the series. I mentioned to him that the movies were based on a series of books, and he said, "Really? Do we have the books? Let's read them!"

So I'm reading Tolkein's "Fellowship of the Ring" to my 6 year old. LOL