So I think I've already irritated PDG's teacher...

[BikeBookBread]

PDG started PS 1st yesterday - it was a whole 7 hours of wasted time of walking tours, getting know you stuff, etc. To think what I could have taught her during that time makes me want to cry. (I'm not going there...I'm not going there...)

 

Today I dropped her off and casually mentioned to her teacher (brand new, first assignment out of school and certification) that PDG is a very strong reader and speller, reading 250 page novels (thank you Phonics Pathways). She seemed a big taken aback, and then said that she will be dividing the readers into ability levels for reading instruction.

 

I then asked how they teach reading, and she said, "whole word studies". I almost gasped, but I didn't. You're kidding me, right? This is a very highly-regarded school district and they aren't teaching phonics!!!???

 

I replied back, "You're not teaching phonics?"

She said, "the school district isn't in that place right now." What does THAT mean?

 

I then replied, "'PDG' is such a strong reader and speller, I don't want her to fall backwards."

 

She said, "I'll make sure she is challenged." I replied something to the effect that phonics is a superior form of teaching reading, and I told her that I had taught her myself using PP last year...

 

and she AGAIN said, "the district isn't in that place right now." What bureaucracy-speak cr*p is that? I'm FUMING right now. (I don't swear....but I'm so hot under the collar right now...)

 

I immediately called DH on the walk home and told him. I'm hoping that this will pull another thread weakening the PS argument. I want her home schooled SO BADLY I was teary walking home. :crying:

 

Please tell me it's going to be okay...

[Remudamom]

Dang, I must have missed why/when/where you're putting her in.

[BikeBookBread]

Dang, I must have missed why/when/where you're putting her in.

 

Oh long, yucky story involving MIL and DH getting starry-eyed over the supposedly AMAZING school district we moved to, a spanish immersion program for science and math, super high quality arts and culture instruction... I was never convinced, but to be honest, I deferred. He knows I'm not in agreement, and he had stated that if it is a bomb, he'll pull her quickly. I hope that day comes SOON. I'm already researching.

[Pamela H in Texas]

I'm sorry PDG is in school when you don't want her there. If she's reading at a 4th-ish grade level, it is unlikely she's going to end up terribly messed up because they focus on a few sight words, especially considering she probably already knows all the 1st grade sight words by sight anyway.

 

Of course, if you're concerned, you can reiterate phonics from home. It would take just a few minutes per day to continue working through a program.

[ma23peas]

If your child is already reading, I wouldn't worry....I bought several options for reading when I was teaching it...I finally settled on "How to teach your child to read in 100 EZ lessons"....that's ALL we did! He recommends not even introducing the alphabet until using his book...and then only his way....we did 100 lessons, one each day even Sat/Sun b/c they loved it...so in 3 months they were reading chapter books, skipped right over the Bob books/easy readers...our approach wasn't 'conventional' or the accepted practice at the time, but it WORKED!! My 12 year old has probably read over 500 books in her short life, my 11 year old probably 200 and my 15 year old about 300....they read very very well, as long as your daughter is reading 30 minutes-an hour out loud, on her own, with you...nothing they can do will mess her up..it'll just be busy work.

 

Tara

[unsinkable]

PDG started PS 1st yesterday - it was a whole 7 hours of wasted time of walking tours, getting know you stuff, etc. To think what I could have taught her during that time makes me want to cry. (I'm not going there...I'm not going there...)

 

Today I dropped her off and casually mentioned to her teacher (brand new, first assignment out of school and certification) that PDG is a very strong reader and speller, reading 250 page novels (thank you Phonics Pathways). She seemed a big taken aback, and then said that she will be dividing the readers into ability levels for reading instruction.

 

I then asked how they teach reading, and she said, "whole word studies". I almost gasped, but I didn't. You're kidding me, right? This is a very highly-regarded school district and they aren't teaching phonics!!!???

 

I replied back, "You're not teaching phonics?"

She said, "the school district isn't in that place right now." What does THAT mean?

 

I then replied, "'PDG' is such a strong reader and speller, I don't want her to fall backwards."

 

She said, "I'll make sure she is challenged." I replied something to the effect that phonics is a superior form of teaching reading, and I told her that I had taught her myself using PP last year...

 

and she AGAIN said, "the district isn't in that place right now." What bureaucracy-speak cr*p is that? I'm FUMING right now. (I don't swear....but I'm so hot under the collar right now...)

 

I immediately called DH on the walk home and told him. I'm hoping that this will pull another thread weakening the PS argument. I want her home schooled SO BADLY I was teary walking home. :crying:

 

Please tell me it's going to be okay...

 

:grouphug:

 

It will be OK.

 

I'd keep doing a phonics/spelling program at home.

 

I am sorry for your pain.

[Melinda in VT]

and she AGAIN said, "the district isn't in that place right now." What bureaucracy-speak cr*p is that? I'm FUMING right now. (I don't swear....but I'm so hot under the collar right now...)

 

I immediately called DH on the walk home and told him. I'm hoping that this will pull another thread weakening the PS argument. I want her home schooled SO BADLY I was teary walking home. :crying:

 

Please tell me it's going to be okay...

 

I think that's bureaucracy-speak for "I don't get to pick the curriculum so I can't change it."

 

She may not like it any more than you do. Or she may. It's hard to say.

 

I do think your daughter is probably safe. Strong speller, already reading 250-page novels? I don't think the school can mess that up. I would focus your energies on making sure she has appropriate books to read during free-reading time. The classroom probably won't have books at her level, so see if you can send a book with her every day. That's what I did for my early/advanced readers in the early grades.

 

:grouphug:

[Julie in Austin]

Former teacher here . . . I would be shocked if she had any control whatsoever over the situation, so please don't be mad at her . . . that's like taking it out on your waitress if your steak was undercooked . . .

[Laurie4b]

Your daughter won't fall backwards.

 

To translate what your dd's teacher said, she is probably not allowed to teach phonics right now because it isn't district policy. More experienced teachers will sometimes sneak it in but I wouldn't expect a new teacher to do that.

 

I'm really sorry about dh/mil's decision; it would have broken my heart. However, it's really important that you not take it out on the teacher. Your beef is with your dh and mil. I would work on repairing the relationship with the teacher in case dh doesn't decide to pull dd out. If you put yourself in her shoes, you told her she didn't know what she is doing and your way is superior. It doesn't matter if she *isn't* teaching the way you would, I think it's really important not to criticise her, KWIM? You don't want to be the mother she doesn't want to see coming, the one she avoids, the one she prefers not to volunteer in her class. It would be different if she was out-and-out a mean teacher or a lazy teacher. Right now, there is only a difference in teaching philosophy. (For most kids, research shows that it doesn't matter how they are taught to read: they learn to read fine anyway. Phonemic awareness and phonics is really, really critical for about 20% of kids who can't learn using whole words.) This is not a fight I would choose for a kid who is already reading. And this woman is the one who will be directly impacting your daughter for this critical first year of school. I know that you want that woman to be you. :grouphug: And that must hurt so much, but get on her good side.

 

To make up for it, I would suggest complimenting her every.single.thing that is right about the classroom. To dh, you can mention the things that aren't right, but not to the teacher. Check into gifted programs at the school and see if your dd qualifies. After-school.

 

You don't want to put your dd in the position of being torn between you and her dad, either. If you really want her at home, fight for it now---with dh, not the teacher. Otherwise, become the very best public school parent you can be. I'm really sorry for the position you're in and I'm posting this in empathy, but also feel that if you have to do this, you want to set yourself up to be welcomed in dd's class.

Edited September 8, 2010 by Laurie4b

[vonfirmath]

 

Please tell me it's going to be okay...

 

It will be okay.

 

As long as you stay involved in her education, it will be fine. It will not be the same education PDG would get homeschooled -- I expect, over time, you will discover some parts to be better and some to be worse. But it will be okay. Just stay involved.

[jujsky]

Former teacher here . . . I would be shocked if she had any control whatsoever over the situation, so please don't be mad at her . . . that's like taking it out on your waitress if your steak was undercooked . . .

 

Me too, and I agree! She may feel exactly the same way you do about this method of teaching, but especially as a first-year teacher has no say about it.

[BikeBookBread]

Thank you thank you thank you thank you everyone. I needed your words of reason and encouragement. PDG already really likes her teacher. I'm not going to mess that up. :grouphug:

[Snickerdoodle]

Former teacher here . . . I would be shocked if she had any control whatsoever over the situation, so please don't be mad at her . . . that's like taking it out on your waitress if your steak was undercooked . . .

 

Me too, and I agree! She may feel exactly the same way you do about this method of teaching, but especially as a first-year teacher has no say about it.

 

Off topic but I can't help but wonder how this fits into all the talk of merit pay for teachers. If teachers have little say about what happens in their classrooms, how can we make them take the brunt of responsibility for children not doing well on standardized tests? Or is merit pay really just a way to make sure teachers "toe the line" ?

[Impish]

Off topic but I can't help but wonder how this fits into all the talk of merit pay for teachers. If teachers have little say about what happens in their classrooms, how can we make them take the brunt of responsibility for children not doing well on standardized tests? Or is merit pay really just a way to make sure teachers "toe the line" ?

I vote toe the line. Good obedient sheep get extra feed.

[MariannNOVA]

:grouphug:

 

It will be OK.

 

I'd keep doing a phonics/spelling program at home.

 

I am sorry for your pain.

 

:iagree: And, you can always bring her home, you know.

 

Fyi, we also moved to ffx county and everyone was ga-ga about the school system. Well, I could not have been less impressed with the school system and it told me ALOT about the folks who were impressed with it.

 

And, fwiw, when dd11 was in K (in a highly regarded private school), her K teacher (and I taught there as well) kept telling me 'she will read when she is ready.' I would respond, 'Uh, she IS reading, and quite well.' I would rattle off some of the titles. The teacher would respond 'she will read when she is ready.' I would have thought that I ws imagining it but one day the teacher and I had that specific interchange and a friend of mine was standing there - the friend was incredulous.

 

I decided to ignore the K teacher for most of the year (which I did) - dd and I did our own thing - it was fine.

 

The friend that I mentioned above (against her better judgement) enrolled her little boy in the k with that teacher - and to this day (he is in 5th grade) says she should have just lit a match and burned the tuition money.

 

imo, probably the teacher is not going to pay THAT much attention to what you tell her -- it's a public school - that's the long and short of it.

 

I'm sorry you are upset about this -- :grouphug:

[ElizabethB]

I would find out what sight words they are teaching when and go over them phonetically at home, if she is reading well it will only take a few minutes a day. I have actually seen a fair number of students reading that well that did regress with sight words. You could also do a bit of nonsense words a few times a week to counteract the whole language influences.

 

http://www.thephonicspage.org/On%20Reading/sightwords.html

:grouphug::grouphug:

[LibraryLover]

It will be OK. You remain her thoughtful and engaged parents.

 

If it doesn't work well, your dh will see that.

Edited September 8, 2010 by LibraryLover

[Julie in Austin]

Off topic but I can't help but wonder how this fits into all the talk of merit pay for teachers. If teachers have little say about what happens in their classrooms, how can we make them take the brunt of responsibility for children not doing well on standardized tests? Or is merit pay really just a way to make sure teachers "toe the line" ?

 

I hadn't really thought about that, but, yes, you make a good point.

[Chris in VA]

I hear you, BBB--dropped off Nature Girl yesterday. She told me they had a lot of rules--she astutely told me the rules in PE were the same as in 3rd grade, only written in a different color on a different sheet of poster board. :D

 

I'm glad they had some "get to know you" stuff in the classroom, because that's helpful in building community.

 

Miss her, tho.

 

I found myself irritable this am as she was getting ready. I'm really ok with her going, just wish I had the best of both worlds, as usual.

 

Hugs to you.:grouphug:

[Whereneverever]

:grouphug:

[cougarmom4]

It will be okay! I know what it's like to have your heart full of the desire to homeschool, but not have it be reality. Really, I get it. :grouphug:

 

I agree with the comment to 'brown-nose' the teacher a bit...by saying wonderful things about as much as you can. Then ask if there is anything you can do to help. Then I find it helpful to play dumb & let her think she knows a lot more than me (even if she doesn't...)...Hmm, little Susie seems to know all of her spelling words at the pretest...do you have any ideas of something we can do to challenge her a little bit more?

 

As far as the first few days of going over rules and routines...I can see how it would seem pointless and a waste of time to you...but think of herding cats. That's what it's like...if you have a classroom full of kids going all different directions all the time...she won't be able to get any teaching done. Establishing routine right at the beginning is actually a VERY good thing, imo. Of course, it takes a little time in the beginning, but in the long run, it means the class will be more structured and the teacher will be more able to TEACH rather than herd cats all day. :D

[EmilyK]

It will be fine.

 

I had a similar child (my older son) and he *loved* first grade. Wonderful teacher who accommodated him with harder books. I agree with those who say she's trying to signal she doesn't get to set the curriculum. Even if she isn't accommodated, she is already such a strong reader she will be fine -she's over the hump and can read recreationally. The best approach is to be her number one fan and support structure. The times I bonded with the teacher tended to be my kids' best years.