"Accelerated kindergarten standards"
anna7602
member
I am having a mild panic attack at an email message I just received summarizing local parents' thoughts on the different kindergarten options available to us when we return to New York.
I realize it's still over a year away, but I am getting anxious about throwing DD back into the New York public system. Here are some snippets:
"Although I think the kindergarten curriculum should be more play based and less academic, the school does a good job with the new accelerated kindergarten standards."
"I think there is far too much homework for kindergarten."
etc. etc. etc.
Is this a nationwide thing or just NY? I remember someone questioning me on here about the ability to read by the start of Kindergarten. But I've confirmed that in NY, kids are expected to have at least a very basic level at the start and to end the year reading independently.
The more I read about standards and testing, the more I am leaning toward DH's Montessori proposal...
Re: "Accelerated kindergarten standards"
All I have to say is, I live in FL, and I am very jealous. The grass is always greener on the other side...
It's like that around here too.
Would you be able to sit in on a classroom sometime next year, to get a feel of what the day is like? I know around here, while the standards are in K what they were in 1st grade a few years ago, it is still very much play-based. They just switched to full day K starting next year and that was so that the kids have more play/free time! It was too hard to cram the curriculum in 1/2 day K and that was not allowing for much play time at all.
I have to say, I used to be a teacher, and I'm all about public school education, but I do wish I had gone w/ Montessori for Preschool. Not sure about it for elementary age and later, but I haven't looked into that much to really have an opinion. Though I can tell you that I absolutely hate hate hate standardized testing!
BFP 5/07 - Kylie born 2/08. BPF 2/09 - Alexandra born 10/09.
TTC since 8/13 - diagnosed difficulty conceiving due to LP defect. Took vitamin B and Vitex Berry to help lengthen.
BFP 2/14 - Missed M/C found at 8.5 weeks. D&C at 9w2d. Partial Molar Pregnancy.
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As for this part, I can tell you that most likely, you have nothing to worry about. Yes, it sounds daunting, but it is amazing how quickly these kids develop at that age! A very basic level would mean knowing letters and some letter sounds. Knowing how to hold a book and turn the pages correctly (meaning that if you hand them a book backwards and upside down, they'll know to turn it around in the right direction and that you turn pages from right to left...). I can't think of a single 4 y/o I know who doesn't already know that. They get into that environment and, for most, it's this new exciting thing and they start reading environmental print (McDonald's sign for example), recognizing lettings in their name and finding them in other words, etc... That wouldn't concern me at all.
That said, some kids certainly will enter K at much "lower" levels of reading than others. But if you're on here already worrying and questioning the school system, I'm fairly certain that you're also at home reading to your DD. That alone is putting her at an advantage
BFP 5/07 - Kylie born 2/08. BPF 2/09 - Alexandra born 10/09.
TTC since 8/13 - diagnosed difficulty conceiving due to LP defect. Took vitamin B and Vitex Berry to help lengthen.
BFP 2/14 - Missed M/C found at 8.5 weeks. D&C at 9w2d. Partial Molar Pregnancy.
BFP 11/14
My Pregnancy(ies) Blog
just from the smattering I know about you, your DD from here, I'm sure your LO will be fine in public kindergarten in NYC.
Assuming you guys read regularly, your daughter expresses herself appropriately, she can answer questions about books/stories, predict endings w/ some accuracy (i.e.a story about mermaids will end w/ water, not random farm animals?), she knows how to hold a crayon, can write a line, a circle, etc.
I really wouldn't worry about this.
When I went to Kindergarten it was play, abc, 123, naps and snacks. Now they are reading, doing math and science. Its almost like all the grades have skipped up one step. Preschool is Kindergarten, Kindergarten is 1st grade and so on. I hope when my DD goes to Kindergarten Preview in two weeks she passes with flying colors.
Lack of so much desk time, lack of standardized tests, lack of what I am perceiving as inflexibility and the desire to pigeonhole every child in the room from an early age. Also, I am afraid the focus on all these tests and standards will just make learning a generally joyless and dreadful experience, instead of an exciting one.
Sigh.
But from a practical perspective, Montessori is expensive and would be far from us if we return to our same home in NY.
Anyway, thanks for all your thoughts, ladies.
Where are you moving? Are you looking into NYC private or public schools? I am in NYC and am a teacher in the public schools (middle school, but certified K-12) so if I can be of any help, let me know.
Also, am looking into Kindergarten options for my daughter who will go to K in the 2013-14 school year.
Right now, our closest options to our home in NY would be PS 222 (bilingual Eng-Span. program, which I love the idea of), PS 212 and PS 69. I *think* PS 153 (I might be getting the number wrong) will still be offering a bilingual French program, but it's a couple of neighborhoods over and it would be low on our list because of that. Transportation would be an issue.
And yes, this is for the 2013-14 school year. I realize I'm getting way ahead of myself!
I don't think you are getting ahead of yourself. Most people I know with children who are 3 are now planning for kindergarten. Are you planning to have her take the OLSAT for G & T application?
So you are in Brooklyn? I don't know anything about those schools, sorry. Do you know about insideschools.com? I recommend visiting all schools you are interested in- that's how I have been getting a feeling for if they might be a good fit for my daughter.
Good luck to you!
I currently live in NJ and we are facing the same issues here. Kindergarten is far more advanced and far more STRESSFUL than we ever remember it! I was a teacher in NYC for 10 years before I moved here, and in NYC it is the same, if not worse. The children are expected to write a NARRATIVE in the third week of school!! Granted, it may be any string of letters/words/inventive spelling that they can do on their own...but I was always bothered by the fact that they have actual lessons on narratives and their "writing style" so early in the school year. I think it's insane.
I can say without hesitation that in my 10 years as a teacher there (8 as a first grade teacher), that it became so much worse after NCLB came into play. Kindergarten became the new 1st grade, because they had to be ready to jump right into 1st running, so that test scores would start high and stay high. The pressure and rigors have only increased since then and I was very thankful to leave the school system a few years ago when I moved, because it made me very sad to see what was expected of the first graders I was teaching. I am all for pushing them, as they are definitely sponges at that age, but HOW they were pushing them was my problem. I don't like the fact that they are expected to sit so long at a time. They don't socialize anymore. "Centers" (blocks/kitchen/free play/board games/art etc, etc) were all cancelled to give teachers more time for small group instruction. Recess was 10 minutes after lunch. Nap time was 10 minutes of heads on desk, to fulfill the legal requirement of rest, but not relaxing enough for them to ever actually rest. I could go on and on...but I won't.
What I will say is that thankfully it is a BIT less restrictive here in NJ, but not by much. I heard that they are starting 4x a year testing on computers for the kindergartens for "data driven instruction". That alone is making me think long and hard about private school for DD. They claim it will be "fun" and the kids won't know it's a test, but I've already heard my neighbor's kids talking about it (1st grade) and my older son has been talking about it (6th). (They will do it in all the grades.) This is on top of yearly mandated testing. This is not what I want her education to be like and I'm very disappointed.
As of now, our K program is half day, but they are pushing for it to be a full day. I know they tried this year to tell parents that it was also so that there would be MORE time for free play/socializing etc and not just academics....but I can speak from experience when I say that the more time they are there, the more they will fit in in terms of academics and testing. Our neighboring district accepted full day K this year, the parents had the same promise of more play etc and the letter they got home said "we welcome this opportunity to help your child meet the state regulated curriculum". More work.
I'm sorry to ramble here....but this is such a sore point with me. I long for the days where teachers were allowed to teach according to their students' needs and they were allowed to let the children act and learn in an age appropriate manner. I want academic success for my child, but not at the risk of her becoming a stressed out mess as her educational career goes on. I'm glad you're thinking of this now, and good luck with your decision! I'm glad I'm not the only one considering other options.
For my daughter's K all she is required to know her upper and lower letters, and recognizing letters in her name. Now in saying that her PreK has taught her how to right her name.
I do Hooked On Phonics (HOP) at home so I go over sounds, sight words, and have taught her how to read one-syllable words. She is on K Lv 1 and will be able to read (most) Indie readers books. Now of course this isnt required by her K...actually she is probably ahead of most of her Pre-K classmates. Though she isnt ahead of her cousin who is also in PreK (a different school).
The only reason I taught her was because she wants to know. She wants to be like her older cousin (8) who can read big words.
Her PreK class as taken a trip to a local elementary school to show the kids what they will be doing next yr and she is very much ready. They go over a lesson, do the class work, and when they get done they can go to the area they wish. She loves the idea. I am truly hoping the elementary she is going to next yr follows the same concept.
I wouldnt worry too much about public school...your daughter will (more than likely) thrive.
OK, I'm relieved to hear it's just that and not actual reading! The OP scared me a little.
(Not that we live in NY.)
I hear you, I want to keep DS in Montessori and it would be 10k to send two of them and just too much.