I wonder what Canadian scores are like. According to experts, children aged 4-7 are at the best age to learn to read. My daughter is in JK and still hasn't even brought home a library book. Lucky for her, she has a mother interested in reading. As far as I can see from the curriculum in Ontario, they don't actually start reading until grade 1. My daughter will be turning 7 during that year. I'm not waiting a year or two for her.
I was gonna say. She should be reading up a storm, by then, if you get her started early.
I got in trouble in first grade, because they had a mini-library of books rated for different difficulties. You were supposed to pick one of the lowest difficulty, read it, record that you'd read it, and show the teacher, and she'd let you read the next category up once she was satisfied that you could handle them.
I thought this was a stupid idea, since all the books in the bottom categories were glorified picture books, and so I never recorded any books at all on my list. The teacher thought I was illiterate and slacking until she realised I was sitting in her classes carefully hiding books I "wasn't supposed to be reading" in her class because they didn't come off her shelves - things like Forgotten Realms D&D novels and the like.
I was a big fan of those when I was six.
My teacher was shocked - 300+ page books with no pictures? the first grade "library" didn't even have anything like it.
I bought her this set of "Bob books" last week. She's read me two books so far (several times), and loves them. Of course I help her through, and they only have three-letter words. But still.
And her reward for reading? Me reading her a "big girl" book. Yes, I'm sneaky as hell.
I remember a system like that in fourth grade. After my teacher realized I read fast and a lot, I was only allowed to read the books with the purple dot on the spine - the "difficult" and "advanced" ones. A month later, I was like - "Okay, what do I do now?" - having read them all. She was NOT happy. Man, I loathed that teacher.
Schools FCAT scores a mixed bag Middle school reading scores improve, but fourth- and 10th-graders are not making strong gains, results show. By RON MATUS, Times Staff Writer Published May 23, 2006
After years of only tiny gains, reading scores for Florida's middle school students rose dramatically this year, according to test results released Tuesday.
Statewide, 64 percent of sixth-graders and 61 percent of seventh-graders are now reading at grade level, up 8 points from last year, the Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test results show.
The one-year gain is the biggest ever for both grades.
The same pattern unfolded in all five West Central Florida districts, with sixth- and seventh-graders in Hernando County making the biggest leaps - 12 and 14 percentage points, respectively.
Middle school math scores also were up statewide.
Tuesday's release included math and reading scores for grades 4 through 10. Third grade results were released earlier this month.
Gov. Jeb Bush and state education officials have long promised that their intense focus on reading in elementary school would eventually pulse upward as those younger students entered middle school. But until this year, that had not happened.
Another possible factor: The placement of hundreds of reading coaches in middle schools two years ago to better train teachers. This year was the first year those teachers used that training to help students.
FCAT scores determine whether third graders are retained and high school seniors graduate. They are also used to assign letter grades to each school, with the best performers earning "school recognition" money that can be used for teacher bonuses or school projects. School grades are due next month.
Tuesday's FCAT release wasn't totally glowing.
Tenth grade scores were again stagnant, with only 32 percent reading at grade level, a decline of 5 percent since 2001.
And fourth grade scores dropped unexpectedly, falling in every West Central Florida district and five percentage points statewide.
"The drop-off could bring renewed attention to the state's portfolio policy for low-scoring third-graders, which allows those students to avoid retention if they can prove through a body of work that they deserve to be promoted to fourth grade."
Translation:
If your parents bitch enough, you get to go to 4th grade whether or not you can read, or even tie your own shoe.
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(no subject)
Date: 2006-05-24 04:53 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2006-05-24 05:16 pm (UTC)I got in trouble in first grade, because they had a mini-library of books rated for different difficulties. You were supposed to pick one of the lowest difficulty, read it, record that you'd read it, and show the teacher, and she'd let you read the next category up once she was satisfied that you could handle them.
I thought this was a stupid idea, since all the books in the bottom categories were glorified picture books, and so I never recorded any books at all on my list. The teacher thought I was illiterate and slacking until she realised I was sitting in her classes carefully hiding books I "wasn't supposed to be reading" in her class because they didn't come off her shelves - things like Forgotten Realms D&D novels and the like.
I was a big fan of those when I was six.
My teacher was shocked - 300+ page books with no pictures? the first grade "library" didn't even have anything like it.
(no subject)
Date: 2006-05-24 06:01 pm (UTC)And her reward for reading? Me reading her a "big girl" book. Yes, I'm sneaky as hell.
(no subject)
Date: 2006-05-25 04:38 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2006-05-24 06:24 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2006-05-24 06:28 pm (UTC)Those who don't get started at that stage (and don't practice) are in deep shit in their teens.
(no subject)
Date: 2006-05-24 05:20 pm (UTC)--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Schools
FCAT scores a mixed bag
Middle school reading scores improve, but fourth- and 10th-graders are not making strong gains, results show.
By RON MATUS, Times Staff Writer
Published May 23, 2006
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
After years of only tiny gains, reading scores for Florida's middle school students rose dramatically this year, according to test results released Tuesday.
Statewide, 64 percent of sixth-graders and 61 percent of seventh-graders are now reading at grade level, up 8 points from last year, the Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test results show.
The one-year gain is the biggest ever for both grades.
The same pattern unfolded in all five West Central Florida districts, with sixth- and seventh-graders in Hernando County making the biggest leaps - 12 and 14 percentage points, respectively.
Middle school math scores also were up statewide.
Tuesday's release included math and reading scores for grades 4 through 10. Third grade results were released earlier this month.
Gov. Jeb Bush and state education officials have long promised that their intense focus on reading in elementary school would eventually pulse upward as those younger students entered middle school. But until this year, that had not happened.
Another possible factor: The placement of hundreds of reading coaches in middle schools two years ago to better train teachers. This year was the first year those teachers used that training to help students.
FCAT scores determine whether third graders are retained and high school seniors graduate. They are also used to assign letter grades to each school, with the best performers earning "school recognition" money that can be used for teacher bonuses or school projects. School grades are due next month.
Tuesday's FCAT release wasn't totally glowing.
Tenth grade scores were again stagnant, with only 32 percent reading at grade level, a decline of 5 percent since 2001.
And fourth grade scores dropped unexpectedly, falling in every West Central Florida district and five percentage points statewide.
"The drop-off could bring renewed attention to the state's portfolio policy for low-scoring third-graders, which allows those students to avoid retention if they can prove through a body of work that they deserve to be promoted to fourth grade."
Translation:
If your parents bitch enough, you get to go to 4th grade whether or not you can read, or even tie your own shoe.