I've been thinking about J's IRI test scores this evening. Why do the scores only go up to 3? It's because the state doesn't care if a kid is doing well, they only care if they're not.
I have searched in vain for any sort of program, support group, or even a teacher resource for children who are above grade level. The school system (and the government) is so worried about leaving a child behind that they don't even pay attention to the kids who are ahead!
It's as if they think that a smart child can figure things out for themselves. Sure, a gifted kindergartner can read, so he ought to know how to walk down to the library by himself and choose a more challenging book that his teacher has the other kids reading?? Not likely!
I can't remember where I read this, but it really stuck with me. Maybe it was a book, maybe a web site. The government spends millions of dollars to make sure a child of below-average intelligence gets all the help he needs to become a minimum-wage worker. They start these programs at the preschool level. But where are the programs for the children who will one day cure cancer? The kids who will become physicists and physicians and engineers and who knows what else? Those programs don't start until 2nd or 3rd grade, and with the economic downturn, many programs are being cut altogether.
Excellence in early childhood is not rewarded.
This is a confusing topic, because I don't really want the government's fingers in everything. I understand that some children who don't get help with reading will end up illiterate and on welfare instead of pulling in a steady minimum wage. And I know all too well that everybody feels passionate about the issues that they face personally, and not so much about others. This is an issue that perhaps few people are passionate about.
It just seems so screwed up, ya know?
Monday, September 28, 2009
IRI Testing
I got a note from J's kindergarten teacher. The kids were all given the Idaho Reading Initiative test last week. They evidently pulled each child out into the hall and asked them to identify letters and letter sounds. The letter sounds weren't graded and reported, but they will be when the children are re-tested in the Spring.
Proficiency levels were reported as 1 (below grade level), 2 (slightly below grade level), and 3 (grade level for kindergarten in the Fall.) To receive a 3, the children had to name 11 letters in one minute's time.
J named 58 letters in one minute, as well as 33 letter sounds (the tester obviously repeated letters to fill the one minute.)
Too bad the proficiency levels only go up to 3!
The teacher wrote a little note next to his results, "I will be challenging him."
Proficiency levels were reported as 1 (below grade level), 2 (slightly below grade level), and 3 (grade level for kindergarten in the Fall.) To receive a 3, the children had to name 11 letters in one minute's time.
J named 58 letters in one minute, as well as 33 letter sounds (the tester obviously repeated letters to fill the one minute.)
Too bad the proficiency levels only go up to 3!
The teacher wrote a little note next to his results, "I will be challenging him."
Thursday, September 24, 2009
Back-To-School Night
I had the chance to speak with J's kindergarten teacher after her Back-To-School Night presentation. I wanted to discuss his reading, mostly to let her know what he's capable of.
I told her that J is reading the Magic Tree House series, but she'd never heard of them. When I explained that they're short chapter books, with about 10 chapters each, and that he reads through one book in about an hour, her eyebrows went up a little and her mouth became an "o." She said, "We'll have to do something about that."
At first I thought it odd that she'd never heard of those books, but as I thought about the rest of her presentation and that she'd asked for donations for an ABC rug to help the kids learn their letters, I realized that most kids she teaches aren't ready for these books. So I looked up the books on Scholastic.com and discovered that they rate the books on grade levels. Magic Treehouse books are rated between grade 2.1 and 3.5!!! I had no idea! It's no wonder a kindergarten teacher has never heard of them!
I told her that J is reading the Magic Tree House series, but she'd never heard of them. When I explained that they're short chapter books, with about 10 chapters each, and that he reads through one book in about an hour, her eyebrows went up a little and her mouth became an "o." She said, "We'll have to do something about that."
At first I thought it odd that she'd never heard of those books, but as I thought about the rest of her presentation and that she'd asked for donations for an ABC rug to help the kids learn their letters, I realized that most kids she teaches aren't ready for these books. So I looked up the books on Scholastic.com and discovered that they rate the books on grade levels. Magic Treehouse books are rated between grade 2.1 and 3.5!!! I had no idea! It's no wonder a kindergarten teacher has never heard of them!
Monday, September 21, 2009
Kindergarten
J started kindergarten. We're in week 3 now, and he is having lots of fun.
The first week and a half were all about rules and how to be at school. That is definitely something that J needs to learn, so things are going well. He gets homework every Monday, and while he needs some encouragement and reminding to get it done, he's very capable of doing it. He is being challenged by all the writing he's supposed to do. He taught himself to write, and now has to learn to form the letters the correct way, always starting at the top of the letter.
The schoolwork he brings home is about what you'd expect, I guess. They have a "letter of the week," and each week they have practice sheets where they write that letter many times. They also make some sort of paper craft involving the letter. He brought home a paper with macaroni glued in the shape of an M, and a paper S decorated to be a snake. They've made little books and such, too.
But when he shows me his work, he usually says how great it will be to teach Z with. Because frankly, the stuff they're doing (except for the writing) would be perfect for Z!
I'm very happy that he's having fun, and there are no signs of boredom yet. It's fun to be with other kids his age and do art projects, and his school keeps them busy with music, engineering, computer, library, and P.E. classes.
The first week and a half were all about rules and how to be at school. That is definitely something that J needs to learn, so things are going well. He gets homework every Monday, and while he needs some encouragement and reminding to get it done, he's very capable of doing it. He is being challenged by all the writing he's supposed to do. He taught himself to write, and now has to learn to form the letters the correct way, always starting at the top of the letter.
The schoolwork he brings home is about what you'd expect, I guess. They have a "letter of the week," and each week they have practice sheets where they write that letter many times. They also make some sort of paper craft involving the letter. He brought home a paper with macaroni glued in the shape of an M, and a paper S decorated to be a snake. They've made little books and such, too.
But when he shows me his work, he usually says how great it will be to teach Z with. Because frankly, the stuff they're doing (except for the writing) would be perfect for Z!
I'm very happy that he's having fun, and there are no signs of boredom yet. It's fun to be with other kids his age and do art projects, and his school keeps them busy with music, engineering, computer, library, and P.E. classes.
Friday, August 7, 2009
Been a while
Busy life detracts from blogging sometimes!
Two nights ago, as I tucked J in bed, we were listening to the crickets chirping through the open window. Or rather, J was listening and I was oblivious to the racket until he said, "Mom? Are crickets nocturnal? Because I don't hear them during the day."
Nocturnal, huh? That's a big word to remember!
I can't believe I'm doing what I'm doing right now! I'm filling out J's wall calendar with the first day of school and days off, etc. from the school calendar. I'm quite nervous about sending him to school. I worry that he'll be bored, get into trouble for goofing off, and about his attitude of superiority that he often wields. I had trouble in school when I could see several ways to interpret instructions, or especially when I'd already learned something at a higher level and didn't understand why a teacher wanted me to do it a certain, preliminary way. I expect the same problems will pop up for J. I think I could give him some pointers, thankfully!
He has already expressed a concern that the books in his classroom will probably be too easy for him. We got him some Level 1 & 2 easy reader books at the library, and he scorned them as too easy. They really are. He decided that when we go back to the library, he'll look for Level 3.
I also worry about social things. I don't know what's "cool" for a kindergarten kid to be into. J still plays Little People with his little brother. On the other hand, he's decided that Thomas the Tank Engine is for babies, although I know many older children still like him. Maybe the real issue here is that I'm going to just have to leave him on his own, to like what he likes and dislike what he doesn't, and possibly get teased for it. Until now, I've tried to expose him only to things that I feel are appropriate, but now, I can't control what he's exposed to for several hours a day. He's just growing up, I guess!
Two nights ago, as I tucked J in bed, we were listening to the crickets chirping through the open window. Or rather, J was listening and I was oblivious to the racket until he said, "Mom? Are crickets nocturnal? Because I don't hear them during the day."
Nocturnal, huh? That's a big word to remember!
I can't believe I'm doing what I'm doing right now! I'm filling out J's wall calendar with the first day of school and days off, etc. from the school calendar. I'm quite nervous about sending him to school. I worry that he'll be bored, get into trouble for goofing off, and about his attitude of superiority that he often wields. I had trouble in school when I could see several ways to interpret instructions, or especially when I'd already learned something at a higher level and didn't understand why a teacher wanted me to do it a certain, preliminary way. I expect the same problems will pop up for J. I think I could give him some pointers, thankfully!
He has already expressed a concern that the books in his classroom will probably be too easy for him. We got him some Level 1 & 2 easy reader books at the library, and he scorned them as too easy. They really are. He decided that when we go back to the library, he'll look for Level 3.
I also worry about social things. I don't know what's "cool" for a kindergarten kid to be into. J still plays Little People with his little brother. On the other hand, he's decided that Thomas the Tank Engine is for babies, although I know many older children still like him. Maybe the real issue here is that I'm going to just have to leave him on his own, to like what he likes and dislike what he doesn't, and possibly get teased for it. Until now, I've tried to expose him only to things that I feel are appropriate, but now, I can't control what he's exposed to for several hours a day. He's just growing up, I guess!
Sunday, May 3, 2009
Harry Potter
Last night, a Harry Potter movie was playing on tv. I figured J was old enough to handle it, and maybe enjoy it. I figured we'd at least try it. Both boys were very attentive, which is extraordinary for any film that is not animated. After all, they are preschoolers.
Today, I toyed with the idea of reading the books with J. Yes, it's a huge jump from The Berenstein Bears to Harry Potter, skipping all the beginner chapter books. But I thought I'd offer. J responded, "I dunno. The words are pretty small. In grown up books, the letters usually start off big, but then they get small." I think he's referring to the customarily oversized first letter of each chapter?
I offered to give it a try, and if he doesn't like it, we'll stop. J agreed, and immediately got ants in his pants. I told him we'd have to wait until after our meal was over. As soon as he was done, he ran to the living room and pulled the first Harry Potter book off our shelves. I didn't realize he knew which books they were!
He read the first paragraph on his own, stumbling on "Privet" and "involved," but sailing through "mysterious" as though it were nothing. But I could tell his comprehension was lacking. I took over and began to read with as much gusto as I could muster, and my best British and Scottish accents. As I read, I became aware of the immense vocabulary J.K. Rowling employed. Yikes! How could a 5 year old understand these words? I cautiously waited for J to give up or show signs of boredom or overload.
Half-way through the first chapter, I felt his attention wane. I asked if he'd like to take a break, but he shook his head. We did take a break a few pages later, but he asked to return to reading later that evening. We were almost done with chapter 2 when he needed another break, but said he'd like to read more for his bedtime story.
At bedtime, we finished chapter 2 and he begged to go on to chapter 3. He read the first paragraph to show his willingness. When I closed the book and said we'd have leave it there for the night, he began to cry. "I didn't get enough story! Only 4 pages!" Remember, boy, those words are small! Four pages is a lot!
I think he likes it.
Today, I toyed with the idea of reading the books with J. Yes, it's a huge jump from The Berenstein Bears to Harry Potter, skipping all the beginner chapter books. But I thought I'd offer. J responded, "I dunno. The words are pretty small. In grown up books, the letters usually start off big, but then they get small." I think he's referring to the customarily oversized first letter of each chapter?
I offered to give it a try, and if he doesn't like it, we'll stop. J agreed, and immediately got ants in his pants. I told him we'd have to wait until after our meal was over. As soon as he was done, he ran to the living room and pulled the first Harry Potter book off our shelves. I didn't realize he knew which books they were!
He read the first paragraph on his own, stumbling on "Privet" and "involved," but sailing through "mysterious" as though it were nothing. But I could tell his comprehension was lacking. I took over and began to read with as much gusto as I could muster, and my best British and Scottish accents. As I read, I became aware of the immense vocabulary J.K. Rowling employed. Yikes! How could a 5 year old understand these words? I cautiously waited for J to give up or show signs of boredom or overload.
Half-way through the first chapter, I felt his attention wane. I asked if he'd like to take a break, but he shook his head. We did take a break a few pages later, but he asked to return to reading later that evening. We were almost done with chapter 2 when he needed another break, but said he'd like to read more for his bedtime story.
At bedtime, we finished chapter 2 and he begged to go on to chapter 3. He read the first paragraph to show his willingness. When I closed the book and said we'd have leave it there for the night, he began to cry. "I didn't get enough story! Only 4 pages!" Remember, boy, those words are small! Four pages is a lot!
I think he likes it.
Thursday, April 23, 2009
You Know Your Child Is Gifted When... Part Two
Verbal Proficiency (Words, Words, Words)
- Talk early (and never stop talking!)
Neither J nor Z spoke early. But they never stop talking! They may have spoken earlier if we had not taught them to sign, but we communicated with them much younger because we did. - Skip the period of grammatical errors ("I falled," "he gots") that most toddlers go through
J used adverbs correctly from the beginning. I don't really know how many mistakes most toddlers make, but J didn't make many. Z makes a few more, like saying, "There's ours house!" and "That hurted." It would almost be sad if he didn't, though. - Pronounce words correctly from the start
It seems like J & Z don't attempt words if they can't say them. We thought maybe Z didn't know the color orange, but he just couldn't say it right, so he didn't. I think they're definitely on the side of pronouncing things right off the bat more often than not. - Quickly develop a large and advanced vocabulary
J & Z's vocabularies are a source of great amusement to us. It's so funny to hear tiny voices say unexpectedly complex words. - Use complex sentence structure (conjunctions like "however" and "although")
If parents don't use words like "however," it's unlikely their children will. Ours use the word "but" instead, because we parents do. - Make up elaborate stories
Z is more of a story-teller, but neither really makes up stories. - Easily memorize poems and stories
We need to get Z on video reciting his two favorite books. They're quite complex, with phrases like, "Across that sea so wide banana tree she spied. 'How delectable,' she sighed!" - Enjoy reciting poems and rhymes
I had to dig back into the memories for this one. J used to recite nursery rhymes quite easily. Both of them like singing songs better now. - Prefer books with more words and fewer pictures
Z still likes picture books, but he's only 2. J prefers books that teach him a concept, non-fiction books, or complex stories. - Catch you if you skip parts of books you're reading aloud to him
Don't let Z catch you skipping a page of his favorites! - Teach himself to read by asking questions ("What's this letter?" "What's this word?"), watching TV, and/or hearing the same books read aloud several times
I suppose most of their letter learning came from Leap Frog videos, but they were both very interested in letters and wanted me to teach them. They love games involving "what's the first letter in..." or "can you see anything that starts with..." - Read early and progress rapidly
J began reading words at age 3 1/2, but he was afraid of reading big words and sentences. He finally overcame that fear around his 5th birthday, but watch out. He jumped past the See Jane Run kinds of books and reads books with several paragraphs per page, silently (in his head), just 2 months later. - Enjoy playing with words and inventing words
J & Z both like to change the first letter of each word they say. So instead of saying, "Mommy, can I have more lunch?" they say, "Bommy, ban I bav bore bunch?" And then they'll switch to another letter and repeat it over and over again. I think they get bored with plain old English. - Easily and spontaneously describe new experiences
I suppose so. They're hardly ever at a loss for words. - Give complex answers to questions (even simple questions)
Oh my, J is just like his mother this way! - Explain his ideas in complex and unusual ways
Sometimes, I suppose. I would need to hear an example to stir up my memories. - Have an early interest in printing letters, names, and words
Both J & Z love(d) to type messages to their dad on instant messengers. J learned to write rather early, but Z doesn't seem interested. He'd rather type. He spells Dad, Mom, and his name easily. He "wrote" his first word, Dad, in fridge magnets just after he turned 2. But they definitely both posess great interest in letters. Z knew the entire alphabet, upper and lower case, before his 2nd birthday.
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