Freaking Out Parent Stuff

[arm_chair_rebel]

our posse has been put in effect--at the p/t conferences i was put on notice that carter only reads/recognizes 29/222 dolch words and he should be at 60 words by this point. He is also not writing sentences yet. The teachers made this sound dire

Comments

[frankintheswamp]

There's always the circus...

I wouldn't worry either, one of the things is that many of the gains that some kids get at that age (from head-start or fancy tutoring) aren't noticable by 4th or 5th grade anyway.

You are providing them an environment where books are important, and even the amount of reading in video games these days helps that.

If you can add a little more focus without turning the kid off reading, probably won't hurt, but no need to for the "Where there's a Will, There's and A" tapes yet.

[viscero]

I'm sure the teacher means well, but I think she is the one with the problem, not Carter. The current educational trend, of pushing academics ever earlier, is wrong. (I'm not normally one for absolute statements like that, but I feel that strongly about it.) It does no good and can cause harm. It should be clear to anyone that kids mature in academic readiness at different rates, just as the grow physically at different rates.

[arm_chair_rebel]

thankfully he is not my first or even my second child or I would probably be freaking out.

Harry and Ellyn's first grade teacher basically said the same thing you said, just like some kids will be able to ride a bike sooner or later than others some kids will read sooner and some will read later.

I have read enough about early literacy to not be too worried as well. All the stuff they say to have a book-focused house we do.

I do think it is in a large part connected to the whole new child left behind. the only way to judge educational achievement is through standardized, objective tests. The focus is thus on stated goals such as should be reading 60 of 222 words.

but it is clear that carter would benefit from more practice at home so we are working on that.

on a positive note his teachers say he has a wonderful attitude.