Re: [MOSAIC] Rigor of Common Core in Kindergarten
Developmental appropriateness of print/letter formation -- this is the big fight in our neighbourhood. Well, not fight, since now we have full day Kgt. (in BC, Canada, so no Common Core) -- and it seems *all* the K. teachers are following the misguided recommendations of one district psychologist (big on alphabet printing etc.). I see incorrect formation (some of the time), as well as kids getting an early impression that they aren't good at it and don't like it, that sort of thing. (I could put this in a more harsh manner but I am trying to be polite!) We lack ECE influence in our K. programs! Linda Rightmire SD #73, Kamloops, BC On Mon, Oct 1, 2012 at 4:14 PM, CAG cag...@myfairpoint.net wrote: Have we talked about the developmental appropriateness of print / letter formation? Us oldtimers are horrified at the insistence that these clumsy little hands (boys often) are made to work at printing (incorrect form, often, too), just so we can press on with learning of the alphabet etc. Marilyn Chapman of University of British Columbia headed up the new full day curriculum -- and I *know* that she is 'of my way of thinking' as to all this (and the worksheets). But teachers here have a lot of autonomy in our classrooms -- it's great. And not so great, too. ;/ Been a bit of a fight re this. We carry on. Thanks for any feedback on all this! Linda Rightmire SD # 73 Kamloops, BC __**_ Mosaic mailing list Mosaic@literacyworkshop.org To unsubscribe or modify your membership please go to http://literacyworkshop.org/**mailman/options/mosaic_** literacyworkshop.orghttp://literacyworkshop.org/mailman/options/mosaic_literacyworkshop.org Search the MOSAIC archives at http://snipurl.com/**MosaicArchivehttp://snipurl.com/MosaicArchive - No virus found in this message. Checked by AVG - www.avg.com Version: 2012.0.2221 / Virus Database: 2441/5302 - Release Date: 10/01/12 __**_ Mosaic mailing list Mosaic@literacyworkshop.org To unsubscribe or modify your membership please go to http://literacyworkshop.org/**mailman/options/mosaic_** literacyworkshop.orghttp://literacyworkshop.org/mailman/options/mosaic_literacyworkshop.org Search the MOSAIC archives at http://snipurl.com/**MosaicArchivehttp://snipurl.com/MosaicArchive ___ Mosaic mailing list Mosaic@literacyworkshop.org To unsubscribe or modify your membership please go to http://literacyworkshop.org/mailman/options/mosaic_literacyworkshop.org Search the MOSAIC archives at http://snipurl.com/MosaicArchive
Re: [MOSAIC] Rigor of Common Core in Kindergarten
I encountered a similar situation in a preschool -- a three-year-old boy who spoke very little. Much like the girl described by Pat in her post, below, Xavier would respond with body language and facial expressions, but he would't talk. This is such a great topic. For a few years (fifteen years ago), here in Kamloops, BC, some of us did multi-age on purpose -- three of us taught K-1-2s; occasionally sharing kids but not mostly. We had great buy-in from parents (but that's a different story -- how we achieved this with a 'captive audience' method ;-) ). Anyway, because of that setting I was able to observe this. Running a play-oriented morning (with the K's), one year super shy Alex arrived, and would only hunker down under one of the desks near to the morning circle, etc. He joined in the play okay, but didn't really talk to anyone. From his mom (and the home visit, yes we used to do these, those of us with ECE training), I knew he *did* talk, could, etc., but was the classic shy kid. I let him continue in this way, but would just some of the time turn to make sure he could also see the picture in the story, or just sometimes add his name in my conversation etc. All mild, all fun (enough). Because of having the K-1-2 setting, I was able to not only watch this boy slowly integrate, but by grade two he was definitely a class leader and so on. I was fortunate too -- his mom wrote me a letter when he was in grade 12 to thank me on what a great early start he had. ;-) Of course, we know we have 'made a difference' for many -- but don't so often get any pats on the shoulder, this way. ;-) Re the Common Core -- the relevance of your discussion to our programs in BC is this -- I observe that suddenly now that we've gone to full day K, there are worksheets -- and sometimes worksheets galore. Also, few of the K teachers have had ECE, though that's changing bit. Us oldtimers are horrified at the insistence that these clumsy little hands (boys often) are made to work at printing (incorrect form, often, too), just so we can press on with learning of the alphabet etc. Marilyn Chapman of University of British Columbia headed up the new full day curriculum -- and I *know* that she is 'of my way of thinking' as to all this (and the worksheets). But teachers here have a lot of autonomy in our classrooms -- it's great. And not so great, too. ;/ Been a bit of a fight re this. We carry on. Thanks for any feedback on all this! Linda Rightmire SD # 73 Kamloops, BC ___ Mosaic mailing list Mosaic@literacyworkshop.org To unsubscribe or modify your membership please go to http://literacyworkshop.org/mailman/options/mosaic_literacyworkshop.org Search the MOSAIC archives at http://snipurl.com/MosaicArchive
Re: [MOSAIC] Rigor of Common Core in Kindergarten
Patricia, sadly, though, today, you would have to give that poor little girl assessment tests, even though she won't talk. I think your relaxed approach is what got her to talk...the pressure of testing, I'm afraid, could make things worse for her. On 9/18/12, Patricia Kimathi pkima...@earthlink.net wrote: Years ago when I taught kindergarten. I had one young lady who would not talk. But I could see her brain working when we talked about things. She would smile or look up or light up. I just knew something was going on. She would perform simple task witht eh rest of the clas just would not talk. Her parents said she talked at home. I just waited and gave her the same attention as anyone else. Never changed the way I treaated her included her in every discussion. The other students of course followed my lead. One day I asked her something and she started talking in full complete sentences and did not stop until she went to first grade. It was an unbelievable experience. We never do know what is going on in a child's mind. PatK On Sep 17, 2012, at 8:46 PM, Beverlee Paul wrote: One difference between a child and an engine is that you can see into an engine as it makes its way down the assembly line and so you know exactly what has been done and what is left to do. We're just plain foolish if we thi PatK ___ Mosaic mailing list Mosaic@literacyworkshop.org To unsubscribe or modify your membership please go to http://literacyworkshop.org/mailman/options/mosaic_literacyworkshop.org Search the MOSAIC archives at http://snipurl.com/MosaicArchive ___ Mosaic mailing list Mosaic@literacyworkshop.org To unsubscribe or modify your membership please go to http://literacyworkshop.org/mailman/options/mosaic_literacyworkshop.org Search the MOSAIC archives at http://snipurl.com/MosaicArchive
Re: [MOSAIC] Rigor of Common Core in Kindergarten
I encountered a similar situation in a preschool -- a three-year-old boy who spoke very little. Much like the girl described by Pat in her post, below, Xavier would respond with body language and facial expressions, but he would't talk. For story time, I unrolled a scroll of Harold and the Purple Crayon. I had the children retell the story by taking turns doing picture walks -- real walks -- along the scroll. Xavier volunteered to go first. He used his fingers and body to communicate -- and he had a lot to say (without speaking, of course!). Of all the retells, his was the best. He really understood the big picture -- and how the details of the story went together to make a whole. With the scroll layed wide open and the whole story in full view, the children in that 3s class were able to communicate their thinking much more easily than they would have if we had been restricted to the fragmented display provided by the bound book version of this story. The result was real engagement and, at a three-year-old-appropriate level, some very sophisticated thinking (lots of questions, inferences, connections, etc). This was the kind of Mosaic-inspired book-talk that many on this listserve would recognize -- and it was quite rigorous, as well as hands-on, social, and lots of fun. Which leads me back to this thread, which is (mostly) about the Common Core and standardized testing, and to what it means to apply this level of rigor to kindergarten and preschool. The current stampede towards standardized testing is a disaster -- and it is not going away anytime soon. It is an ill-informed quick-fix-fantasy, fueled by politics and money. It will run it's course, if only because it can. It is a juggernaut. But the Common Core is, in my view, a very different animal. I like it -- or at least I like it in the early grades, which is the part of the CCCS that I have studied most carefully. I can't speak for Ellin Keene or Debbie Miller, Stephanie Harvey and Anne Goudvis, or Ruth Shagoury and Andie Cunningham, or any of the other authors who have inspired me and informed my thinking about reading, but I see in the Common Core their influence (even if indirect). I hope that this does not offend or horrify them. Assuming that I am right about this -- that the CCCS are, to put a simple label on them, Mosaic-friendly -- then here's my concern: If we don't take ownership of the CCCS, those who see testing as the solution will. They will hijack a good idea, and turn it into a bad one. I think that the Common Core Standards, as they now stand, get things mostly right. They see reading as thinking, as problem solving, as social interaction, and as hands on learning and exploration. Am I wrong? If so, gently, please: I am interested in reading your thoughts on this! Dave Middlebrook The Textmapping Project A resource for teachers improving reading comprehension skills instruction. www.textmapping.org | Please share this site with your colleagues! USA: (609) 771-1781 email: dmiddlebr...@textmapping.org facebook: http://www.facebook.com/textmapping linked in: http://www.linkedin.com/in/davemiddlebrook twitter: http://twitter.com/davemiddlebrook pinterest: http://pinterest.com/source/textmapping.org/ - Original Message - From: Patricia Kimathi pkima...@earthlink.net To: Mosaic: A Reading Comprehension Strategies Email Group mosaic@literacyworkshop.org Sent: Tuesday, September 18, 2012 1:18 AM Subject: Re: [MOSAIC] Rigor of Common Core in Kindergarten Years ago when I taught kindergarten. I had one young lady who would not talk. But I could see her brain working when we talked about things. She would smile or look up or light up. I just knew something was going on. She would perform simple task witht eh rest of the clas just would not talk. Her parents said she talked at home. I just waited and gave her the same attention as anyone else. Never changed the way I treaated her included her in every discussion. The other students of course followed my lead. One day I asked her something and she started talking in full complete sentences and did not stop until she went to first grade. It was an unbelievable experience. We never do know what is going on in a child's mind. PatK On Sep 17, 2012, at 8:46 PM, Beverlee Paul wrote: One difference between a child and an engine is that you can see into an engine as it makes its way down the assembly line and so you know exactly what has been done and what is left to do. We're just plain foolish if we thi PatK ___ Mosaic mailing list Mosaic@literacyworkshop.org To unsubscribe or modify your membership please go to http://literacyworkshop.org/mailman/options/mosaic_literacyworkshop.org Search the MOSAIC archives at http://snipurl.com/MosaicArchive ___ Mosaic mailing list Mosaic
Re: [MOSAIC] Rigor of Common Core in Kindergarten
to the Top trickle down to the early childhood years. (Carlsson-Paige, Levin, McLaughlin, 2012) If the current trend of creating and implementing national academic standards for early childhood education continues, more and more play-based pre-school programs will be replaced with teacher directed instruction, denying young children the advantage of learning and interacting within a developmentally appropriate setting. Instead more and more young children will be subjected to standardized testing, a practice regarded by educators and psychologists as opposed to research-based child development theories, under the mantel of teacher and program accountability. On Sun, Sep 16, 2012 at 11:04 AM, stephaniep...@aol.com wrote: I agree. Please publish this or let me know if I can find it on ERIC or?where I can read the whole report. I would love to read more of this.?I have taught 5 years in prek and now the last 10 in Kindergarten at a public school. In?my school (NYC? here) the expectation is that the children exit on an FP lev. of E- D with introduction and E without introduction. We?had done away with the handwriting program and now only use the Handwriting without tears program and fundations writing component??as an academic intervention in select classes.Yet??there is an expectation that?the children?have at minimum of 5 publishing parties a year for self generated writing units. While I agree that if the child is capable you should take them to their highest acamdemic heights it should not be at the cost of their childhood memories and creating authentic learning experiences. I've read articles about a headstart /pre k programs that did scantron bubble testing with 4 year olds. One principal removed blocks in the class for fear that they could? inflict injury and another principal wonder why there were so many toys and crayons in kindergarten!? It seemes to me that?many of ?the basic principals and opportunities?that introduce our youngest learners to problem solving, social interaction and hands on learning and exploration experiences, are suffocated and swapped out for activites that are in fact not developmental proven, appropriate and in fact seem designed to manufactor guided results NOT authentic learned responses or experiences. PLEASE publish this article! -Original Message- From: Mena lt;drmarinac...@aol.comgt; To: mosaic lt;mosaic@literacyworkshop.orggt; Sent: Sun, Sep 16, 2012 6:49 am Subject: Re: [MOSAIC] Rigor of Common Core in Kindergarten Ruth, You really need to publish your research. I would love for you to just share your introductory paragraph with the group! From, Mena Philomena Marinaccio-Eckel, Ph.D. Florida Atlantic University Dept. of Teaching and Learning College of Education 2912 College Ave. ES 214 Davie, FL 33314 Phone: 954-236-1070 Fax: 954-236-1050 -Original Message- From: Cathy lt;cag...@myfairpoint.netgt; To: Mosaic: A Reading Comprehension Strategies Email Group lt;mosaic@literacyworkshop.orggt; Sent: Sat, Sep 15, 2012 8:54 pm Subject: Re: [MOSAIC] Rigor of Common Core in Kindergarten Mena - can you cite your student's sources? Was her/his research on kindergarten or per-kindergarten programs? Thanks. Cathy Sent from my iPad On Sep 15, 2012, at 8:57 AM, Mena lt;drmarinac...@aol.comgt; wrote: gt; I have to quote one of my students who researched this topic: Controversyexists in early childhood education with the development and implementation ofskills-based standards and the necessary accompanying standardized tests. State and national early childhood standards were developed as a result of NoChild Left Behind, and more recently Race to the Top, both federal initiatives. The controversy lies in the incongruity between research-based developmentalpractices that have long been accepted for early childhood and the academicskills standards that are construed by many early childhood educators to bereplacing those. Further controversy erupts due to an increase instandardized testing of young children for program accountability. Critics argue that such testing has very low reliability, causes stressfor both children and teachers, causes major curriculum changes, and results inlarge amounts of teacher-directed instruction taking the place of moredevelopmentally appropriat e activities that are typical in play-based,child-centered preschools. Traditional child-initiated instruction inpreschool programs is thought to aid children in their social and emotionalgrowth, development that will be lacking as more teacher-directed curriculum isimposed on early childhood in an attempt to teach skills that are not, in manycases, age appropriate. The tendency toward standardized teaching andassessment practices for young children is not only an emotional issue, but atthe very core of determining how
Re: [MOSAIC] Rigor of Common Core in Kindergarten
Patricia, I truly miss the grassroots activism that gave us so much hope in those days. It is only because of wonderful students like Ruth that I have hope for the future. Mena Philomena Marinaccio-Eckel, Ph.D. Florida Atlantic University Dept. of Teaching and Learning College of Education 2912 College Ave. ES 214 Davie, FL 33314 Phone: 954-236-1070 Fax: 954-236-1050 -Original Message- From: Patricia Kimathi pkima...@earthlink.net To: Mosaic: A Reading Comprehension Strategies Email Group mosaic@literacyworkshop.org Sent: Sun, Sep 16, 2012 6:26 pm Subject: Re: [MOSAIC] Rigor of Common Core in Kindergarten Ruth, Please send me a copy. As I have said before when I started teaching, in the 60s, I started as an EC teacher and later became an EC administrator on a college campus. In those days EC activist believed that within the next ten years or so all children would have a free developmentally correct EC experience. No way could you have made me believe that knowing the benefits of EC learning that this country would not have created free EC for all children. I was so naive. I thought with hard work and education the benefits would be so obvious that it would become a reality. I cannot believe that now I see us not only not providing quality care for all children, but a threat against what we know is developmentally correct for EC learning has now been put into place. I would love to read your paper. I need to have a better understanding what is happening. Thank you for writing it. I can't wait to read it. Patricia Kimathi On Sep 16, 2012, at 10:29 AM, Ruth Weil wrote: Okay, Dr. M! =) This is the Introduction. If anyone wants the whole thing, I'll be happy to email it to you Early Childhood Standards and Assessment At the Redlands Christian Migrant Association (RCMA) Child Development Center in Delray Beach, FL, a lively, child-centered four and five year old room is filled with a variety of blocks, numerous art supplies, colorful student work displays, a dress up and pretend center, a plentiful supply of “table toys,” computers, shelves of books, three teachers, and 18 cheerful children from impoverished, Spanish-speaking homes. Voluntary Prekindergarten (VPK) teacher, Maria, sits at a table with one of her students, Diane. She shows Diane a card with a picture on it, and says, “This is a side-walk, say side-walk without walk.” Diane is expected to respond by answering, “side.” Another picture card shows a little girl. “This is a sis-ter,” says Maria, “say sis-ter without -ter,” to which Diane is supposed to respond, “Sis.” This explicit instruction in phonological awareness is required to prepare Diane for her post-VPK tests which will be given when she enters kindergarten at a public school this fall. These tests will be used to evaluate the program at RCMA, giving it a score with which it will be compared with all of the other VPK providers in Palm Beach County (T. Mims, personal communication, June 25, 2012). The RCMA Center director, Susan Wilfond, has two big concerns about her students taking these tests, the reason behind Maria’s explicit teaching of these skills in what is otherwise a child-centered classroom. First, all of the students enrolled in the program are English language learners (ELL) who speak only Spanish at home. Second, the teachers in the classroom, while they teach in English, are also native Spanish speakers who have extremely heavy accents and weak English grammar. These two factors signify that most of the children rarely speak English with native English speakers, creating an enormous disadvantage on the mandatory assessments (S. Wilfond, personal communication, June 18, 2012). The VPK tests given in the fall are required for accountability of the programs that are implemented in both public and private schools. These tests evaluate skills based upon “The Florida Early Learning and Developmental Standards for Four-Year-Olds,” a document listing the standards and specific academic benchmarks expected of children who complete the VPK program. Standards like these are being implemented in every state as the requirements of No Child Left Behind (NCLB) and now Race to the Top trickle down to the early childhood years. (Carlsson-Paige, Levin, McLaughlin, 2012) If the current trend of creating and implementing national academic standards for early childhood education continues, more and more play-based pre-school programs will be replaced with teacher directed instruction, denying young children the advantage of learning and interacting within a developmentally appropriate setting. Instead more and more young children will be subjected to standardized testing, a practice regarded by educators and psychologists as opposed to research-based child development theories, under the mantel of teacher and program accountability. On Sun
Re: [MOSAIC] Rigor of Common Core in Kindergarten
I wonder are there other people in this group who remember the activism of those days. Looking back at a few articles that helped to develop our view of what was necessary for Early Childhood Education makes me wonder how we have gone so wrong. For the past 13 years, before retirement this year I have taught gifted students in a gifted magnet. This school also had a prek program, the majority of our gifted students that were on target came from this or a similar prek program. The difference in these children was like night and day. Exposure to a developmentally appropriate program made all of the difference. With all of the budget cuts this program was cut last year. We really do know what is necessary to educate our children. Pat Kimathi On Sep 17, 2012, at 3:45 AM, Mena wrote: Patricia, I truly miss the grassroots activism that gave us so much hope in those days. It is only because of wonderful students like Ruth that I have hope for the future. Mena Philomena Marinaccio-Eckel, Ph.D. Florida Atlantic University Dept. of Teaching and Learning College of Education 2912 College Ave. ES 214 Davie, FL 33314 Phone: 954-236-1070 Fax: 954-236-1050 -Original Message- From: Patricia Kimathi pkima...@earthlink.net To: Mosaic: A Reading Comprehension Strategies Email Group mosaic@literacyworkshop.org Sent: Sun, Sep 16, 2012 6:26 pm Subject: Re: [MOSAIC] Rigor of Common Core in Kindergarten Ruth, Please send me a copy. As I have said before when I started teaching, in the 60s, I started as an EC teacher and later became an EC administrator on a college campus. In those days EC activist believed that within the next ten years or so all children would have a free developmentally correct EC experience. No way could you have made me believe that knowing the benefits of EC learning that this country would not have created free EC for all children. I was so naive. I thought with hard work and education the benefits would be so obvious that it would become a reality. I cannot believe that now I see us not only not providing quality care for all children, but a threat against what we know is developmentally correct for EC learning has now been put into place. I would love to read your paper. I need to have a better understanding what is happening. Thank you for writing it. I can't wait to read it. Patricia Kimathi On Sep 16, 2012, at 10:29 AM, Ruth Weil wrote: Okay, Dr. M! =) This is the Introduction. If anyone wants the whole thing, I'll be happy to email it to you Early Childhood Standards and Assessment At the Redlands Christian Migrant Association (RCMA) Child Development Center in Delray Beach, FL, a lively, child-centered four and five year old room is filled with a variety of blocks, numerous art supplies, colorful student work displays, a dress up and pretend center, a plentiful supply of “table toys,” computers, shelves of books, three teachers, and 18 cheerful children from impoverished, Spanish-speaking homes. Voluntary Prekindergarten (VPK) teacher, Maria, sits at a table with one of her students, Diane. She shows Diane a card with a picture on it, and says, “This is a side-walk, say side-walk without walk.” Diane is expected to respond by answering, “side.” Another picture card shows a little girl. “This is a sis-ter,” says Maria, “say sis-ter without -ter,” to which Diane is supposed to respond, “Sis.” This explicit instruction in phonological awareness is required to prepare Diane for her post-VPK tests which will be given when she enters kindergarten at a public school this fall. These tests will be used to evaluate the program at RCMA, giving it a score with which it will be compared with all of the other VPK providers in Palm Beach County (T. Mims, personal communication, June 25, 2012). The RCMA Center director, Susan Wilfond, has two big concerns about her students taking these tests, the reason behind Maria’s explicit teaching of these skills in what is otherwise a child-centered classroom. First, all of the students enrolled in the program are English language learners (ELL) who speak only Spanish at home. Second, the teachers in the classroom, while they teach in English, are also native Spanish speakers who have extremely heavy accents and weak English grammar. These two factors signify that most of the children rarely speak English with native English speakers, creating an enormous disadvantage on the mandatory assessments (S. Wilfond, personal communication, June 18, 2012). The VPK tests given in the fall are required for accountability of the programs that are implemented in both public and private schools. These tests evaluate skills based upon “The Florida Early Learning and Developmental Standards for Four-Year-Olds,” a document listing the standards and specific academic benchmarks expected
Re: [MOSAIC] Rigor of Common Core in Kindergarten
Aah, Pat, isn't that the hardest? We DO know what it takes and are ready, willing, and able to do that. Our library para, a brilliant woman, said it best when we were talking about non-educators making all the decisions. She said, Isn't it a lot like the blind leading the sighted?!! Indeed. Sent from my iPad On Sep 17, 2012, at 9:28 AM, Patricia Kimathi pkima...@earthlink.net wrote: I wonder are there other people in this group who remember the activism of those days. Looking back at a few articles that helped to develop our view of what was necessary for Early Childhood Education makes me wonder how we have gone so wrong. For the past 13 years, before retirement this year I have taught gifted students in a gifted magnet. This school also had a prek program, the majority of our gifted students that were on target came from this or a similar prek program. The difference in these children was like night and day. Exposure to a developmentally appropriate program made all of the difference. With all of the budget cuts this program was cut last year. We really do know what is necessary to educate our children. Pat Kimathi On Sep 17, 2012, at 3:45 AM, Mena wrote: Patricia, I truly miss the grassroots activism that gave us so much hope in those days. It is only because of wonderful students like Ruth that I have hope for the future. Mena Philomena Marinaccio-Eckel, Ph.D. Florida Atlantic University Dept. of Teaching and Learning College of Education 2912 College Ave. ES 214 Davie, FL 33314 Phone: 954-236-1070 Fax: 954-236-1050 -Original Message- From: Patricia Kimathi pkima...@earthlink.net To: Mosaic: A Reading Comprehension Strategies Email Group mosaic@literacyworkshop.org Sent: Sun, Sep 16, 2012 6:26 pm Subject: Re: [MOSAIC] Rigor of Common Core in Kindergarten Ruth, Please send me a copy. As I have said before when I started teaching, in the 60s, I started as an EC teacher and later became an EC administrator on a college campus. In those days EC activist believed that within the next ten years or so all children would have a free developmentally correct EC experience. No way could you have made me believe that knowing the benefits of EC learning that this country would not have created free EC for all children. I was so naive. I thought with hard work and education the benefits would be so obvious that it would become a reality. I cannot believe that now I see us not only not providing quality care for all children, but a threat against what we know is developmentally correct for EC learning has now been put into place. I would love to read your paper. I need to have a better understanding what is happening. Thank you for writing it. I can't wait to read it. Patricia Kimathi On Sep 16, 2012, at 10:29 AM, Ruth Weil wrote: Okay, Dr. M! =) This is the Introduction. If anyone wants the whole thing, I'll be happy to email it to you Early Childhood Standards and Assessment At the Redlands Christian Migrant Association (RCMA) Child Development Center in Delray Beach, FL, a lively, child-centered four and five year old room is filled with a variety of blocks, numerous art supplies, colorful student work displays, a dress up and pretend center, a plentiful supply of “table toys,” computers, shelves of books, three teachers, and 18 cheerful children from impoverished, Spanish-speaking homes. Voluntary Prekindergarten (VPK) teacher, Maria, sits at a table with one of her students, Diane. She shows Diane a card with a picture on it, and says, “This is a side-walk, say side-walk without walk.” Diane is expected to respond by answering, “side.” Another picture card shows a little girl. “This is a sis-ter,” says Maria, “say sis-ter without -ter,” to which Diane is supposed to respond, “Sis.” This explicit instruction in phonological awareness is required to prepare Diane for her post-VPK tests which will be given when she enters kindergarten at a public school this fall. These tests will be used to evaluate the program at RCMA, giving it a score with which it will be compared with all of the other VPK providers in Palm Beach County (T. Mims, personal communication, June 25, 2012). The RCMA Center director, Susan Wilfond, has two big concerns about her students taking these tests, the reason behind Maria’s explicit teaching of these skills in what is otherwise a child-centered classroom. First, all of the students enrolled in the program are English language learners (ELL) who speak only Spanish at home. Second, the teachers in the classroom, while they teach in English, are also native Spanish speakers who have extremely heavy accents and weak English grammar. These two factors signify that most of the children rarely speak English with native English speakers, creating an enormous disadvantage
Re: [MOSAIC] Rigor of Common Core in Kindergarten
In relation to my earlier comment about, basically, we know better, why aren't we doing better? : Embedded in our frustrations about educational decisions being made by knuckleheads, is the most ironic misrepresentations of a word ever--RIGOR! As much as I try to talk myself into a more productive, minimally emotional response, I end up wanting to wrestle troops of what appear to be normal, intelligent people to the ground while I scream, Seriously, are you KIDDING ME? REALLY? How can you look at a child who has learned the intricate, fickle English language, the properties of magnets, how to manipulate grandpa without having grandma catch on, that patterns repeat, what you can do with water and glasses to change pitches, how to skip and jump rope, how to make secondary colors while painting (and on and on), and TELL ME that you demand RIGOR such as responding correctly to What do you say if you take the 'i' out of 'idiot'? I wonder are there other people in this group who remember the activism of those days. Looking back at a few articles that helped to develop our view of what was necessary for Early Childhood Education makes me wonder how we have gone so wrong. For the past 13 years, before retirement this year I have taught gifted students in a gifted magnet. This school also had a prek program, the majority of our gifted students that were on target came from this or a similar prek program. The difference in these children was like night and day. Exposure to a developmentally appropriate program made all of the difference. With all of the budget cuts this program was cut last year. We really do know what is necessary to educate our children. Pat ___ Mosaic mailing list Mosaic@literacyworkshop.org To unsubscribe or modify your membership please go to http://literacyworkshop.org/mailman/options/mosaic_literacyworkshop.org Search the MOSAIC archives at http://snipurl.com/MosaicArchive
Re: [MOSAIC] Rigor of Common Core in Kindergarten
Hear, hear! I so agree! The blind leading the sightedlove that quote! =) On Mon, Sep 17, 2012 at 5:40 PM, Beverlee paul beverleep...@gmail.comwrote: In relation to my earlier comment about, basically, we know better, why aren't we doing better? : Embedded in our frustrations about educational decisions being made by knuckleheads, is the most ironic misrepresentations of a word ever--RIGOR! As much as I try to talk myself into a more productive, minimally emotional response, I end up wanting to wrestle troops of what appear to be normal, intelligent people to the ground while I scream, Seriously, are you KIDDING ME? REALLY? How can you look at a child who has learned the intricate, fickle English language, the properties of magnets, how to manipulate grandpa without having grandma catch on, that patterns repeat, what you can do with water and glasses to change pitches, how to skip and jump rope, how to make secondary colors while painting (and on and on), and TELL ME that you demand RIGOR such as responding correctly to What do you say if you take the 'i' out of 'idiot'? I wonder are there other people in this group who remember the activism of those days. Looking back at a few articles that helped to develop our view of what was necessary for Early Childhood Education makes me wonder how we have gone so wrong. For the past 13 years, before retirement this year I have taught gifted students in a gifted magnet. This school also had a prek program, the majority of our gifted students that were on target came from this or a similar prek program. The difference in these children was like night and day. Exposure to a developmentally appropriate program made all of the difference. With all of the budget cuts this program was cut last year. We really do know what is necessary to educate our children. Pat ___ Mosaic mailing list Mosaic@literacyworkshop.org To unsubscribe or modify your membership please go to http://literacyworkshop.org/mailman/options/mosaic_literacyworkshop.org Search the MOSAIC archives at http://snipurl.com/MosaicArchive ___ Mosaic mailing list Mosaic@literacyworkshop.org To unsubscribe or modify your membership please go to http://literacyworkshop.org/mailman/options/mosaic_literacyworkshop.org Search the MOSAIC archives at http://snipurl.com/MosaicArchive
Re: [MOSAIC] Rigor of Common Core in Kindergarten
Another thing that bothers me so much is that children are not parts which run down an assembly line in the same way at the same speed, and, you know what, teaching isn't always efficient. How many times have you seen a child make no apparent progress in, say, identifying the names of the letters for one, two, maybe three months and then, in what appears to be one week, masters the task quickly and efficiently and to our liking? One difference between a child and an engine is that you can see into an engine as it makes its way down the assembly line and so you know exactly what has been done and what is left to do. We're just plain foolish if we think we know what all is going on inside a child's head at all times. On Mon, Sep 17, 2012 at 7:00 PM, Ruth Weil weilruth...@gmail.com wrote: Hear, hear! I so agree! The blind leading the sightedlove that quote! =) On Mon, Sep 17, 2012 at 5:40 PM, Beverlee paul beverleep...@gmail.com wrote: In relation to my earlier comment about, basically, we know better, why aren't we doing better? : Embedded in our frustrations about educational decisions being made by knuckleheads, is the most ironic misrepresentations of a word ever--RIGOR! As much as I try to talk myself into a more productive, minimally emotional response, I end up wanting to wrestle troops of what appear to be normal, intelligent people to the ground while I scream, Seriously, are you KIDDING ME? REALLY? How can you look at a child who has learned the intricate, fickle English language, the properties of magnets, how to manipulate grandpa without having grandma catch on, that patterns repeat, what you can do with water and glasses to change pitches, how to skip and jump rope, how to make secondary colors while painting (and on and on), and TELL ME that you demand RIGOR such as responding correctly to What do you say if you take the 'i' out of 'idiot'? I wonder are there other people in this group who remember the activism of those days. Looking back at a few articles that helped to develop our view of what was necessary for Early Childhood Education makes me wonder how we have gone so wrong. For the past 13 years, before retirement this year I have taught gifted students in a gifted magnet. This school also had a prek program, the majority of our gifted students that were on target came from this or a similar prek program. The difference in these children was like night and day. Exposure to a developmentally appropriate program made all of the difference. With all of the budget cuts this program was cut last year. We really do know what is necessary to educate our children. Pat ___ Mosaic mailing list Mosaic@literacyworkshop.org To unsubscribe or modify your membership please go to http://literacyworkshop.org/mailman/options/mosaic_literacyworkshop.org Search the MOSAIC archives at http://snipurl.com/MosaicArchive ___ Mosaic mailing list Mosaic@literacyworkshop.org To unsubscribe or modify your membership please go to http://literacyworkshop.org/mailman/options/mosaic_literacyworkshop.org Search the MOSAIC archives at http://snipurl.com/MosaicArchive -- Many men go fishing all of their lives without knowing that it is not fish they are after. Henry David Thoreau ___ Mosaic mailing list Mosaic@literacyworkshop.org To unsubscribe or modify your membership please go to http://literacyworkshop.org/mailman/options/mosaic_literacyworkshop.org Search the MOSAIC archives at http://snipurl.com/MosaicArchive
Re: [MOSAIC] Rigor of Common Core in Kindergarten
Years ago when I taught kindergarten. I had one young lady who would not talk. But I could see her brain working when we talked about things. She would smile or look up or light up. I just knew something was going on. She would perform simple task witht eh rest of the clas just would not talk. Her parents said she talked at home. I just waited and gave her the same attention as anyone else. Never changed the way I treaated her included her in every discussion. The other students of course followed my lead. One day I asked her something and she started talking in full complete sentences and did not stop until she went to first grade. It was an unbelievable experience. We never do know what is going on in a child's mind. PatK On Sep 17, 2012, at 8:46 PM, Beverlee Paul wrote: One difference between a child and an engine is that you can see into an engine as it makes its way down the assembly line and so you know exactly what has been done and what is left to do. We're just plain foolish if we thi PatK ___ Mosaic mailing list Mosaic@literacyworkshop.org To unsubscribe or modify your membership please go to http://literacyworkshop.org/mailman/options/mosaic_literacyworkshop.org Search the MOSAIC archives at http://snipurl.com/MosaicArchive
Re: [MOSAIC] Rigor of Common Core in Kindergarten
Ruth, You really need to publish your research. I would love for you to just share your introductory paragraph with the group! From, Mena Philomena Marinaccio-Eckel, Ph.D. Florida Atlantic University Dept. of Teaching and Learning College of Education 2912 College Ave. ES 214 Davie, FL 33314 Phone: 954-236-1070 Fax: 954-236-1050 -Original Message- From: Cathy cag...@myfairpoint.net To: Mosaic: A Reading Comprehension Strategies Email Group mosaic@literacyworkshop.org Sent: Sat, Sep 15, 2012 8:54 pm Subject: Re: [MOSAIC] Rigor of Common Core in Kindergarten Mena - can you cite your student's sources? Was her/his research on kindergarten or per-kindergarten programs? Thanks. Cathy Sent from my iPad On Sep 15, 2012, at 8:57 AM, Mena drmarinac...@aol.com wrote: I have to quote one of my students who researched this topic: Controversyexists in early childhood education with the development and implementation ofskills-based standards and the necessary accompanying standardized tests. State and national early childhood standards were developed as a result of NoChild Left Behind, and more recently Race to the Top, both federal initiatives. The controversy lies in the incongruity between research-based developmentalpractices that have long been accepted for early childhood and the academicskills standards that are construed by many early childhood educators to bereplacing those. Further controversy erupts due to an increase instandardized testing of young children for program accountability. Critics argue that such testing has very low reliability, causes stressfor both children and teachers, causes major curriculum changes, and results inlarge amounts of teacher-directed instruction taking the place of moredevelopmentally appropriat e activities that are typical in play-based,child-centered preschools. Traditional child-initiated instruction inpreschool programs is thought to aid children in their social and emotionalgrowth, development that will be lacking as more teacher-directed curriculum isimposed on early childhood in an attempt to teach skills that are not, in manycases, age appropriate. The tendency toward standardized teaching andassessment practices for young children is not only an emotional issue, but atthe very core of determining how children in the United States will best learnin order to be competent adults in our global society. This literaturereview investigates this multi-faceted problem which involves young children,their parents, their teachers, as well as government agencies and educationaltheorists. Philomena Marinaccio-Eckel, Ph.D. Florida Atlantic University Dept. of Teaching and Learning College of Education 2912 College Ave. ES 214 Davie, FL 33314 Phone: 954-236-1070 Fax: 954-236-1050 -Original Message- From: Mlredcon mlred...@aol.com To: mosaic mosaic@literacyworkshop.org Sent: Fri, Sep 14, 2012 7:44 pm Subject: Re: [MOSAIC] Rigor of Common Core in Kindergarten The best way is to do on demand informal assessments using running records so kids can move up when they are ready and lots of interactive read aloud for high level comprehension. Take a look at the website-readingwritingproject.com Maxine In a message dated 9/14/2012 3:56:30 P.M. Eastern Daylight Time, adamst...@pleasval.k12.ia.us writes: Hi! In Iowa, we are busy aligning to Iowa Core in Kindergarten - a close spin off Common Core. We are experiencing some tripedation as we look to the rigor of getting students to an F P level D by the end of Kindergarten. I am a reading specialist that wants to support the Core, but more importantly, help my teachers get comfortable and do the right thing at the right time in the most developmentaly appropriate way. I ___ Mosaic mailing list Mosaic@literacyworkshop.org To unsubscribe or modify your membership please go to http://literacyworkshop.org/mailman/options/mosaic_literacyworkshop.org Search the MOSAIC archives at http://snipurl.com/MosaicArchive ___ Mosaic mailing list Mosaic@literacyworkshop.org To unsubscribe or modify your membership please go to http://literacyworkshop.org/mailman/options/mosaic_literacyworkshop.org Search the MOSAIC archives at http://snipurl.com/MosaicArchive
Re: [MOSAIC] Rigor of Common Core in Kindergarten
I agree. Please publish this or let me know if I can find it on ERIC or?where I can read the whole report. I would love to read more of this.?I have taught 5 years in prek and now the last 10 in Kindergarten at a public school. In?my school (NYC? here) the expectation is that the children exit on an FP lev. of E- D with introduction and E without introduction. We?had done away with the handwriting program and now only use the Handwriting without tears program and fundations writing component??as an academic intervention in select classes.Yet??there is an expectation that?the children?have at minimum of 5 publishing parties a year for self generated writing units. While I agree that if the child is capable you should take them to their highest acamdemic heights it should not be at the cost of their childhood memories and creating authentic learning experiences. I've read articles about a headstart /pre k programs that did scantron bubble testing with 4 year olds. One principal removed blocks in the class for fear that they could? inflict injury and another principal wonder why there were so many toys and crayons in kindergarten!? It seemes to me that?many of ?the basic principals and opportunities?that introduce our youngest learners to problem solving, social interaction and hands on learning and exploration experiences, are suffocated and swapped out for activites that are in fact not developmental proven, appropriate and in fact seem designed to manufactor guided results NOT authentic learned responses or experiences. PLEASE publish this article! -Original Message- From: Mena lt;drmarinac...@aol.comgt; To: mosaic lt;mosaic@literacyworkshop.orggt; Sent: Sun, Sep 16, 2012 6:49 am Subject: Re: [MOSAIC] Rigor of Common Core in Kindergarten Ruth, You really need to publish your research. I would love for you to just share your introductory paragraph with the group! From, Mena Philomena Marinaccio-Eckel, Ph.D. Florida Atlantic University Dept. of Teaching and Learning College of Education 2912 College Ave. ES 214 Davie, FL 33314 Phone: 954-236-1070 Fax: 954-236-1050 -Original Message- From: Cathy lt;cag...@myfairpoint.netgt; To: Mosaic: A Reading Comprehension Strategies Email Group lt;mosaic@literacyworkshop.orggt; Sent: Sat, Sep 15, 2012 8:54 pm Subject: Re: [MOSAIC] Rigor of Common Core in Kindergarten Mena - can you cite your student's sources? Was her/his research on kindergarten or per-kindergarten programs? Thanks. Cathy Sent from my iPad On Sep 15, 2012, at 8:57 AM, Mena lt;drmarinac...@aol.comgt; wrote: gt; I have to quote one of my students who researched this topic: Controversyexists in early childhood education with the development and implementation ofskills-based standards and the necessary accompanying standardized tests. State and national early childhood standards were developed as a result of NoChild Left Behind, and more recently Race to the Top, both federal initiatives. The controversy lies in the incongruity between research-based developmentalpractices that have long been accepted for early childhood and the academicskills standards that are construed by many early childhood educators to bereplacing those. Further controversy erupts due to an increase instandardized testing of young children for program accountability. Critics argue that such testing has very low reliability, causes stressfor both children and teachers, causes major curriculum changes, and results inlarge amounts of teacher-directed instruction taking the place of moredevelopmentally appropriat e activities that are typical in play-based,child-centered preschools. Traditional child-initiated instruction inpreschool programs is thought to aid children in their social and emotionalgrowth, development that will be lacking as more teacher-directed curriculum isimposed on early childhood in an attempt to teach skills that are not, in manycases, age appropriate. The tendency toward standardized teaching andassessment practices for young children is not only an emotional issue, but atthe very core of determining how children in the United States will best learnin order to be competent adults in our global society. This literaturereview investigates this multi-faceted problem which involves young children,their parents, their teachers, as well as government agencies and educationaltheorists. gt; gt; gt; gt; gt; Philomena Marinaccio-Eckel, Ph.D. gt; Florida Atlantic University gt; Dept. of Teaching and Learning gt; College of Education gt; 2912 College Ave. ES 214 gt; Davie, FL 33314 gt; Phone: 954-236-1070 gt; Fax: 954-236-1050 gt; gt; gt; gt; gt; -Original Message- gt; From: Mlredcon lt;mlred...@aol.comgt; gt; To: mosaic lt;mosaic@literacyworkshop.orggt; gt; Sent: Fri
Re: [MOSAIC] Rigor of Common Core in Kindergarten
...@aol.comgt; To: mosaic lt;mosaic@literacyworkshop.orggt; Sent: Sun, Sep 16, 2012 6:49 am Subject: Re: [MOSAIC] Rigor of Common Core in Kindergarten Ruth, You really need to publish your research. I would love for you to just share your introductory paragraph with the group! From, Mena Philomena Marinaccio-Eckel, Ph.D. Florida Atlantic University Dept. of Teaching and Learning College of Education 2912 College Ave. ES 214 Davie, FL 33314 Phone: 954-236-1070 Fax: 954-236-1050 -Original Message- From: Cathy lt;cag...@myfairpoint.netgt; To: Mosaic: A Reading Comprehension Strategies Email Group lt;mosaic@literacyworkshop.orggt; Sent: Sat, Sep 15, 2012 8:54 pm Subject: Re: [MOSAIC] Rigor of Common Core in Kindergarten Mena - can you cite your student's sources? Was her/his research on kindergarten or per-kindergarten programs? Thanks. Cathy Sent from my iPad On Sep 15, 2012, at 8:57 AM, Mena lt;drmarinac...@aol.comgt; wrote: gt; I have to quote one of my students who researched this topic: Controversyexists in early childhood education with the development and implementation ofskills-based standards and the necessary accompanying standardized tests. State and national early childhood standards were developed as a result of NoChild Left Behind, and more recently Race to the Top, both federal initiatives. The controversy lies in the incongruity between research-based developmentalpractices that have long been accepted for early childhood and the academicskills standards that are construed by many early childhood educators to bereplacing those. Further controversy erupts due to an increase instandardized testing of young children for program accountability. Critics argue that such testing has very low reliability, causes stressfor both children and teachers, causes major curriculum changes, and results inlarge amounts of teacher-directed instruction taking the place of moredevelopmentally appropriat e activities that are typical in play-based,child-centered preschools. Traditional child-initiated instruction inpreschool programs is thought to aid children in their social and emotionalgrowth, development that will be lacking as more teacher-directed curriculum isimposed on early childhood in an attempt to teach skills that are not, in manycases, age appropriate. The tendency toward standardized teaching andassessment practices for young children is not only an emotional issue, but atthe very core of determining how children in the United States will best learnin order to be competent adults in our global society. This literaturereview investigates this multi-faceted problem which involves young children,their parents, their teachers, as well as government agencies and educationaltheorists. gt; gt; gt; gt; gt; Philomena Marinaccio-Eckel, Ph.D. gt; Florida Atlantic University gt; Dept. of Teaching and Learning gt; College of Education gt; 2912 College Ave. ES 214 gt; Davie, FL 33314 gt; Phone: 954-236-1070 gt; Fax: 954-236-1050 gt; gt; gt; gt; gt; -Original Message- gt; From: Mlredcon lt;mlred...@aol.comgt; gt; To: mosaic lt;mosaic@literacyworkshop.orggt; gt; Sent: Fri, Sep 14, 2012 7:44 pm gt; Subject: Re: [MOSAIC] Rigor of Common Core in Kindergarten gt; gt; gt; The best way is to do on demand informal assessments using running records gt; so kids can move up when they are ready and lots of interactive read aloud gt; for high level comprehension. Take a look at the gt; website-readingwritingproject.com gt; Maxine gt; gt; gt; In a message dated 9/14/2012 3:56:30 P.M. Eastern Daylight Time, gt; adamst...@pleasval.k12.ia.us writes: gt; gt; Hi! In Iowa, we are busy aligning to Iowa Core in Kindergarten - a close gt; spin off Common Core. We are experiencing some tripedation as we look gt; to the rigor of getting students to an F P level D by the end of gt; Kindergarten. I am a reading specialist that wants to support the Core, gt; but more importantly, help my teachers get comfortable and do the right gt; thing at the right time in the most developmentaly appropriate way. I ___ Mosaic mailing list Mosaic@literacyworkshop.org To unsubscribe or modify your membership please go to http://literacyworkshop.org/mailman/options/mosaic_literacyworkshop.org Search the MOSAIC archives at http://snipurl.com/MosaicArchive ___ Mosaic mailing list Mosaic@literacyworkshop.org To unsubscribe or modify your membership please go to http://literacyworkshop.org/mailman/options/mosaic_literacyworkshop.org Search the MOSAIC archives at http://snipurl.com/MosaicArchive ___ Mosaic mailing list Mosaic@literacyworkshop.org To unsubscribe or modify your membership please go to http://literacyworkshop.org/mailman/options
Re: [MOSAIC] Rigor of Common Core in Kindergarten
Philomena and Stephanie's comments, below, struck a real cord for me. As some of you know, I've been working on a book for an embarrassingly-long time. The working title is Unrolling the Book. It has grown from a single book, into a series (and I have grown older as my ideas and experiments and drafts have accumulated ...) I have spent the past several years working mostly in Pre-K classrooms, and I am closing in on a completed draft on the first book in the series. It covers Pre-K through grade 1, and very specifically focuses on how unrolled scrolls of picture books can be used to during story time -- and on an ongoing basis, throughout the day and over a number of days -- to engage very young children in authentic experiences with reading-as-thinking: problem solving, social interaction, hands on learning and exploration. Like so many of you, I was really bowled over by Mosaic of Thought, and by the many books that have followed from Ellin Keene and Susan Zimmermann and their colleagues at PEBC. When I began my work at the Kindergarten level, Andie Cunningham and Ruth Shagoury's Starting with Comprehension was a great inspriation. These books -- and the conversations on this listserv -- have really shaped my thinking. So I guess my comment is this: Testing and measurable skills have a place -- there is value in them -- but they have become a juggernaut driven by politics and money. That juggernaut is not a good thing. It is important to keep our eyes on the prize -- which is the kind of teaching and learning that people such as Elllin Keene, Debbie Miller, Andie Cunningham, Ruth Shagoury, and some of the members of this listserve have written about in great detail. They have shown us the way. It is important not to lose sight of reading-as-thinking, as problem solving, social interaction, hands on learning and exploration. I see the juggernaut reaching back into Kindergarten. Let's take Mosaic back there, too! Let's take it all the way back to preschool! Dave Middlebrook The Textmapping Project A resource for teachers improving reading comprehension skills instruction. www.textmapping.org | Please share this site with your colleagues! USA: (609) 771-1781 email: dmiddlebr...@textmapping.org facebook: http://www.facebook.com/textmapping linked in: http://www.linkedin.com/in/davemiddlebrook twitter: http://twitter.com/davemiddlebrook pinterest: http://pinterest.com/source/textmapping.org/ - Original Message - From: stephaniep...@aol.com To: mosaic@literacyworkshop.org Sent: Sunday, September 16, 2012 11:04 AM Subject: Re: [MOSAIC] Rigor of Common Core in Kindergarten I agree. Please publish this or let me know if I can find it on ERIC or?where I can read the whole report. I would love to read more of this.?I have taught 5 years in prek and now the last 10 in Kindergarten at a public school. In?my school (NYC? here) the expectation is that the children exit on an FP lev. of E- D with introduction and E without introduction. We?had done away with the handwriting program and now only use the Handwriting without tears program and fundations writing component??as an academic intervention in select classes.Yet??there is an expectation that?the children?have at minimum of 5 publishing parties a year for self generated writing units. While I agree that if the child is capable you should take them to their highest acamdemic heights it should not be at the cost of their childhood memories and creating authentic learning experiences. I've read articles about a headstart /pre k programs that did scantron bubble testing with 4 year olds. One principal removed blocks in the class for fear that they could? inflict injury and another principal wonder why there were so many toys and crayons in kindergarten!? It seemes to me that?many of ?the basic principals and opportunities?that introduce our youngest learners to problem solving, social interaction and hands on learning and exploration experiences, are suffocated and swapped out for activites that are in fact not developmental proven, appropriate and in fact seem designed to manufactor guided results NOT authentic learned responses or experiences. PLEASE publish this article! -Original Message- From: Mena lt;drmarinac...@aol.comgt; To: mosaic lt;mosaic@literacyworkshop.orggt; Sent: Sun, Sep 16, 2012 6:49 am Subject: Re: [MOSAIC] Rigor of Common Core in Kindergarten Ruth, You really need to publish your research. I would love for you to just share your introductory paragraph with the group! From, Mena Philomena Marinaccio-Eckel, Ph.D. Florida Atlantic University Dept. of Teaching and Learning College of Education 2912 College Ave. ES 214 Davie, FL 33314 Phone: 954-236-1070 Fax: 954-236-1050 -Original Message- From: Cathy lt;cag...@myfairpoint.netgt; To: Mosaic: A Reading Comprehension Strategies Email Group lt;mosaic@literacyworkshop.orggt
Re: [MOSAIC] Rigor of Common Core in Kindergarten
I think your first few sentences give a snapshot of the realit! Philomena Marinaccio-Eckel, Ph.D. Florida Atlantic University Dept. of Teaching and Learning College of Education 2912 College Ave. ES 214 Davie, FL 33314 Phone: 954-236-1070 Fax: 954-236-1050 -Original Message- From: Ruth Weil weilruth...@gmail.com To: Mosaic: A Reading Comprehension Strategies Email Group mosaic@literacyworkshop.org Sent: Sun, Sep 16, 2012 1:57 pm Subject: Re: [MOSAIC] Rigor of Common Core in Kindergarten Okay, Dr. M! =) This is the Introduction. If anyone wants the whole thing, I'll be happy to email it to you Early Childhood Standards and Assessment At the Redlands Christian Migrant Association (RCMA) Child Development Center in Delray Beach, FL, a lively, child-centered four and five year old room is filled with a variety of blocks, numerous art supplies, colorful student work displays, a dress up and pretend center, a plentiful supply of “table toys,” computers, shelves of books, three teachers, and 18 cheerful children from impoverished, Spanish-speaking homes. Voluntary Prekindergarten (VPK) teacher, Maria, sits at a table with one of her students, Diane. She shows Diane a card with a picture on it, and says, “This is a side-walk, say side-walk without walk.” Diane is expected to respond by answering, “side.” Another picture card shows a little girl. “This is a sis-ter,” says Maria, “say sis-ter without -ter,” to which Diane is supposed to respond, “Sis.” This explicit instruction in phonological awareness is required to prepare Diane for her post-VPK tests which will be given when she enters kindergarten at a public school this fall. These tests will be used to evaluate the program at RCMA, giving it a score with which it will be compared with all of the other VPK providers in Palm Beach County (T. Mims, personal communication, June 25, 2012). The RCMA Center director, Susan Wilfond, has two big concerns about her students taking these tests, the reason behind Maria’s explicit teaching of these skills in what is otherwise a child-centered classroom. First, all of the students enrolled in the program are English language learners (ELL) who speak only Spanish at home. Second, the teachers in the classroom, while they teach in English, are also native Spanish speakers who have extremely heavy accents and weak English grammar. These two factors signify that most of the children rarely speak English with native English speakers, creating an enormous disadvantage on the mandatory assessments (S. Wilfond, personal communication, June 18, 2012). The VPK tests given in the fall are required for accountability of the programs that are implemented in both public and private schools. These tests evaluate skills based upon “The Florida Early Learning and Developmental Standards for Four-Year-Olds,” a document listing the standards and specific academic benchmarks expected of children who complete the VPK program. Standards like these are being implemented in every state as the requirements of No Child Left Behind (NCLB) and now Race to the Top trickle down to the early childhood years. (Carlsson-Paige, Levin, McLaughlin, 2012) If the current trend of creating and implementing national academic standards for early childhood education continues, more and more play-based pre-school programs will be replaced with teacher directed instruction, denying young children the advantage of learning and interacting within a developmentally appropriate setting. Instead more and more young children will be subjected to standardized testing, a practice regarded by educators and psychologists as opposed to research-based child development theories, under the mantel of teacher and program accountability. On Sun, Sep 16, 2012 at 11:04 AM, stephaniep...@aol.com wrote: I agree. Please publish this or let me know if I can find it on ERIC or?where I can read the whole report. I would love to read more of this.?I have taught 5 years in prek and now the last 10 in Kindergarten at a public school. In?my school (NYC? here) the expectation is that the children exit on an FP lev. of E- D with introduction and E without introduction. We?had done away with the handwriting program and now only use the Handwriting without tears program and fundations writing component??as an academic intervention in select classes.Yet??there is an expectation that?the children?have at minimum of 5 publishing parties a year for self generated writing units. While I agree that if the child is capable you should take them to their highest acamdemic heights it should not be at the cost of their childhood memories and creating authentic learning experiences. I've read articles about a headstart /pre k programs that did scantron bubble testing with 4 year olds. One principal removed blocks in the class for fear that they could? inflict injury and another principal wonder why there were
Re: [MOSAIC] Rigor of Common Core in Kindergarten
learned responses or experiences. PLEASE publish this article! -Original Message- From: Mena lt;drmarinac...@aol.comgt; To: mosaic lt;mosaic@literacyworkshop.orggt; Sent: Sun, Sep 16, 2012 6:49 am Subject: Re: [MOSAIC] Rigor of Common Core in Kindergarten Ruth, You really need to publish your research. I would love for you to just share your introductory paragraph with the group! From, Mena Philomena Marinaccio-Eckel, Ph.D. Florida Atlantic University Dept. of Teaching and Learning College of Education 2912 College Ave. ES 214 Davie, FL 33314 Phone: 954-236-1070 Fax: 954-236-1050 -Original Message- From: Cathy lt;cag...@myfairpoint.netgt; To: Mosaic: A Reading Comprehension Strategies Email Group lt;mosaic@literacyworkshop.orggt; Sent: Sat, Sep 15, 2012 8:54 pm Subject: Re: [MOSAIC] Rigor of Common Core in Kindergarten Mena - can you cite your student's sources? Was her/his research on kindergarten or per-kindergarten programs? Thanks. Cathy Sent from my iPad On Sep 15, 2012, at 8:57 AM, Mena lt;drmarinac...@aol.comgt; wrote: gt; I have to quote one of my students who researched this topic: Controversyexists in early childhood education with the development and implementation ofskills-based standards and the necessary accompanying standardized tests. State and national early childhood standards were developed as a result of NoChild Left Behind, and more recently Race to the Top, both federal initiatives. The controversy lies in the incongruity between research-based developmentalpractices that have long been accepted for early childhood and the academicskills standards that are construed by many early childhood educators to bereplacing those. Further controversy erupts due to an increase instandardized testing of young children for program accountability. Critics argue that such testing has very low reliability, causes stressfor both children and teachers, causes major curriculum changes, and results inlarge amounts of teacher-directed instruction taking the place of moredevelopmentally appropriat e activities that are typical in play-based,child-centered preschools. Traditional child-initiated instruction inpreschool programs is thought to aid children in their social and emotionalgrowth, development that will be lacking as more teacher-directed curriculum isimposed on early childhood in an attempt to teach skills that are not, in manycases, age appropriate. The tendency toward standardized teaching andassessment practices for young children is not only an emotional issue, but atthe very core of determining how children in the United States will best learnin order to be competent adults in our global society. This literaturereview investigates this multi-faceted problem which involves young children,their parents, their teachers, as well as government agencies and educationaltheorists. gt; gt; gt; gt; gt; Philomena Marinaccio-Eckel, Ph.D. gt; Florida Atlantic University gt; Dept. of Teaching and Learning gt; College of Education gt; 2912 College Ave. ES 214 gt; Davie, FL 33314 gt; Phone: 954-236-1070 gt; Fax: 954-236-1050 gt; gt; gt; gt; gt; -Original Message- gt; From: Mlredcon lt;mlred...@aol.comgt; gt; To: mosaic lt;mosaic@literacyworkshop.orggt; gt; Sent: Fri, Sep 14, 2012 7:44 pm gt; Subject: Re: [MOSAIC] Rigor of Common Core in Kindergarten gt; gt; gt; The best way is to do on demand informal assessments using running records gt; so kids can move up when they are ready and lots of interactive read aloud gt; for high level comprehension. Take a look at the gt; website-readingwritingproject.com gt; Maxine gt; gt; gt; In a message dated 9/14/2012 3:56:30 P.M. Eastern Daylight Time, gt; adamst...@pleasval.k12.ia.us writes: gt; gt; Hi! In Iowa, we are busy aligning to Iowa Core in Kindergarten - a close gt; spin off Common Core. We are experiencing some tripedation as we look gt; to the rigor of getting students to an F P level D by the end of gt; Kindergarten. I am a reading specialist that wants to support the Core, gt; but more importantly, help my teachers get comfortable and do the right gt; thing at the right time in the most developmentaly appropriate way. I ___ Mosaic mailing list Mosaic@literacyworkshop.org To unsubscribe or modify your membership please go to http://literacyworkshop.org/mailman/options/mosaic_literacyworkshop.org Search the MOSAIC archives at http://snipurl.com/MosaicArchive ___ Mosaic mailing list Mosaic@literacyworkshop.org To unsubscribe or modify your membership please go to http://literacyworkshop.org/mailman/options/mosaic_literacyworkshop.org Search the MOSAIC archives at http://snipurl.com/MosaicArchive ___ Mosaic mailing list Mosaic@literacyworkshop.org To unsubscribe or modify your membership please go to http
Re: [MOSAIC] Rigor of Common Core in Kindergarten
at minimum of 5 publishing parties a year for self generated writing units. While I agree that if the child is capable you should take them to their highest acamdemic heights it should not be at the cost of their childhood memories and creating authentic learning experiences. I've read articles about a headstart /pre k programs that did scantron bubble testing with 4 year olds. One principal removed blocks in the class for fear that they could? inflict injury and another principal wonder why there were so many toys and crayons in kindergarten!? It seemes to me that?many of ?the basic principals and opportunities?that introduce our youngest learners to problem solving, social interaction and hands on learning and exploration experiences, are suffocated and swapped out for activites that are in fact not developmental proven, appropriate and in fact seem designed to manufactor guided results NOT authentic learned responses or experiences. PLEASE publish this article! -Original Message- From: Mena lt;drmarinac...@aol.comgt; To: mosaic lt;mosaic@literacyworkshop.orggt; Sent: Sun, Sep 16, 2012 6:49 am Subject: Re: [MOSAIC] Rigor of Common Core in Kindergarten Ruth, You really need to publish your research. I would love for you to just share your introductory paragraph with the group! From, Mena Philomena Marinaccio-Eckel, Ph.D. Florida Atlantic University Dept. of Teaching and Learning College of Education 2912 College Ave. ES 214 Davie, FL 33314 Phone: 954-236-1070 Fax: 954-236-1050 -Original Message- From: Cathy lt;cag...@myfairpoint.netgt; To: Mosaic: A Reading Comprehension Strategies Email Group lt;mosaic@literacyworkshop.orggt; Sent: Sat, Sep 15, 2012 8:54 pm Subject: Re: [MOSAIC] Rigor of Common Core in Kindergarten Mena - can you cite your student's sources? Was her/his research on kindergarten or per-kindergarten programs? Thanks. Cathy Sent from my iPad On Sep 15, 2012, at 8:57 AM, Mena lt;drmarinac...@aol.comgt; wrote: gt; I have to quote one of my students who researched this topic: Controversyexists in early childhood education with the development and implementation ofskills-based standards and the necessary accompanying standardized tests. State and national early childhood standards were developed as a result of NoChild Left Behind, and more recently Race to the Top, both federal initiatives. The controversy lies in the incongruity between research-based developmentalpractices that have long been accepted for early childhood and the academicskills standards that are construed by many early childhood educators to bereplacing those. Further controversy erupts due to an increase instandardized testing of young children for program accountability. Critics argue that such testing has very low reliability, causes stressfor both children and teachers, causes major curriculum changes, and results inlarge amounts of teacher-directed instruction taking the place of moredevelopmentally appropriat e activities that are typical in play-based,child-centered preschools. Traditional child-initiated instruction inpreschool programs is thought to aid children in their social and emotionalgrowth, development that will be lacking as more teacher-directed curriculum isimposed on early childhood in an attempt to teach skills that are not, in manycases, age appropriate. The tendency toward standardized teaching andassessment practices for young children is not only an emotional issue, but atthe very core of determining how children in the United States will best learnin order to be competent adults in our global society. This literaturereview investigates this multi-faceted problem which involves young children,their parents, their teachers, as well as government agencies and educationaltheorists. gt; gt; gt; gt; gt; Philomena Marinaccio-Eckel, Ph.D. gt; Florida Atlantic University gt; Dept. of Teaching and Learning gt; College of Education gt; 2912 College Ave. ES 214 gt; Davie, FL 33314 gt; Phone: 954-236-1070 gt; Fax: 954-236-1050 gt; gt; gt; gt; gt; -Original Message- gt; From: Mlredcon lt;mlred...@aol.comgt; gt; To: mosaic lt;mosaic@literacyworkshop.orggt; gt; Sent: Fri, Sep 14, 2012 7:44 pm gt; Subject: Re: [MOSAIC] Rigor of Common Core in Kindergarten gt; gt; gt; The best way is to do on demand informal assessments using running records gt; so kids can move up when they are ready and lots of interactive read aloud gt; for high level comprehension. Take a look at the gt; website-readingwritingproject.com gt; Maxine gt; gt; gt; In a message dated 9/14/2012 3:56:30 P.M. Eastern Daylight Time, gt; adamst...@pleasval.k12.ia.us writes: gt; gt; Hi! In Iowa, we are busy aligning to Iowa Core in Kindergarten - a close gt; spin off Common Core. We are experiencing some tripedation as we look gt; to the rigor
Re: [MOSAIC] Rigor of Common Core in Kindergarten
development theories, under the mantel of teacher and program accountability. On Sun, Sep 16, 2012 at 11:04 AM, stephaniep...@aol.com wrote: I agree. Please publish this or let me know if I can find it on ERIC or?where I can read the whole report. I would love to read more of this.?I have taught 5 years in prek and now the last 10 in Kindergarten at a public school. In?my school (NYC? here) the expectation is that the children exit on an FP lev. of E- D with introduction and E without introduction. We?had done away with the handwriting program and now only use the Handwriting without tears program and fundations writing component??as an academic intervention in select classes.Yet??there is an expectation that?the children?have at minimum of 5 publishing parties a year for self generated writing units. While I agree that if the child is capable you should take them to their highest acamdemic heights it should not be at the cost of their childhood memories and creating authentic learning experiences. I've read articles about a headstart /pre k programs that did scantron bubble testing with 4 year olds. One principal removed blocks in the class for fear that they could? inflict injury and another principal wonder why there were so many toys and crayons in kindergarten!? It seemes to me that?many of ?the basic principals and opportunities?that introduce our youngest learners to problem solving, social interaction and hands on learning and exploration experiences, are suffocated and swapped out for activites that are in fact not developmental proven, appropriate and in fact seem designed to manufactor guided results NOT authentic learned responses or experiences. PLEASE publish this article! -Original Message- From: Mena lt;drmarinac...@aol.comgt; To: mosaic lt;mosaic@literacyworkshop.orggt; Sent: Sun, Sep 16, 2012 6:49 am Subject: Re: [MOSAIC] Rigor of Common Core in Kindergarten Ruth, You really need to publish your research. I would love for you to just share your introductory paragraph with the group! From, Mena Philomena Marinaccio-Eckel, Ph.D. Florida Atlantic University Dept. of Teaching and Learning College of Education 2912 College Ave. ES 214 Davie, FL 33314 Phone: 954-236-1070 Fax: 954-236-1050 -Original Message- From: Cathy lt;cag...@myfairpoint.netgt; To: Mosaic: A Reading Comprehension Strategies Email Group lt;mosaic@literacyworkshop.orggt; Sent: Sat, Sep 15, 2012 8:54 pm Subject: Re: [MOSAIC] Rigor of Common Core in Kindergarten Mena - can you cite your student's sources? Was her/his research on kindergarten or per-kindergarten programs? Thanks. Cathy Sent from my iPad On Sep 15, 2012, at 8:57 AM, Mena lt;drmarinac...@aol.comgt; wrote: gt; I have to quote one of my students who researched this topic: Controversyexists in early childhood education with the development and implementation ofskills-based standards and the necessary accompanying standardized tests. State and national early childhood standards were developed as a result of NoChild Left Behind, and more recently Race to the Top, both federal initiatives. The controversy lies in the incongruity between research-based developmentalpractices that have long been accepted for early childhood and the academicskills standards that are construed by many early childhood educators to bereplacing those. Further controversy erupts due to an increase instandardized testing of young children for program accountability. Critics argue that such testing has very low reliability, causes stressfor both children and teachers, causes major curriculum changes, and results inlarge amounts of teacher-directed instruction taking the place of moredevelopmentally appropriat e activities that are typical in play-based,child-centered preschools. Traditional child-initiated instruction inpreschool programs is thought to aid children in their social and emotionalgrowth, development that will be lacking as more teacher-directed curriculum isimposed on early childhood in an attempt to teach skills that are not, in manycases, age appropriate. The tendency toward standardized teaching andassessment practices for young children is not only an emotional issue, but atthe very core of determining how children in the United States will best learnin order to be competent adults in our global society. This literaturereview investigates this multi-faceted problem which involves young children,their parents, their teachers, as well as government agencies and educationaltheorists. gt; gt; gt; gt; gt; Philomena Marinaccio-Eckel, Ph.D. gt; Florida Atlantic University gt; Dept. of Teaching and Learning gt; College of Education gt; 2912 College Ave. ES 214 gt; Davie, FL 33314 gt; Phone: 954
Re: [MOSAIC] Rigor of Common Core in Kindergarten
I suggest the book EssentialReadings in Early Literacy: Dorothy Strickland and her Podcast. Philomena Marinaccio-Eckel, Ph.D. Florida Atlantic University Dept. of Teaching and Learning College of Education 2912 College Ave. ES 214 Davie, FL 33314 Phone: 954-236-1070 Fax: 954-236-1050 -Original Message- From: Mlredcon mlred...@aol.com To: mosaic mosaic@literacyworkshop.org Sent: Fri, Sep 14, 2012 7:44 pm Subject: Re: [MOSAIC] Rigor of Common Core in Kindergarten The best way is to do on demand informal assessments using running records so kids can move up when they are ready and lots of interactive read aloud for high level comprehension. Take a look at the website-readingwritingproject.com Maxine In a message dated 9/14/2012 3:56:30 P.M. Eastern Daylight Time, adamst...@pleasval.k12.ia.us writes: Hi! In Iowa, we are busy aligning to Iowa Core in Kindergarten - a close spin off Common Core. We are experiencing some tripedation as we look to the rigor of getting students to an F P level D by the end of Kindergarten. I am a reading specialist that wants to support the Core, but more importantly, help my teachers get comfortable and do the right thing at the right time in the most developmentaly appropriate way. I am specifically interested in when you are benchmarking and how often you are meeting with Guided Groups in K. Thanks! Together in education, Teri Adams Cody's Reading Specialist adamst...@pleasval.k12.ia.us 563-332-0210 This message and any attachments are intended for the individual or entity named above. If you are not the intended recipient, please do not forward, copy, print, use or disclose this communication to others; also please notify the sender by replying to this message, and then delete it from your system. ___ Mosaic mailing list Mosaic@literacyworkshop.org To unsubscribe or modify your membership please go to http://literacyworkshop.org/mailman/options/mosaic_literacyworkshop.org Search the MOSAIC archives at http://snipurl.com/MosaicArchive ___ Mosaic mailing list Mosaic@literacyworkshop.org To unsubscribe or modify your membership please go to http://literacyworkshop.org/mailman/options/mosaic_literacyworkshop.org Search the MOSAIC archives at http://snipurl.com/MosaicArchive ___ Mosaic mailing list Mosaic@literacyworkshop.org To unsubscribe or modify your membership please go to http://literacyworkshop.org/mailman/options/mosaic_literacyworkshop.org Search the MOSAIC archives at http://snipurl.com/MosaicArchive
Re: [MOSAIC] Rigor of Common Core in Kindergarten
I agree that there is near total agreement in regard to ECE testing. However, there actually are some who feel that the standards can have benefit to ECE. See Camp, D. (2007). Where do standards come from? A phenomenological study of the development of national board early childhood/generalist standards. *Journal Of Research In Childhood Education*, *21*(4), 420. Goldstein, L. S. (2008). Teaching the standards is developmentally appropriate practice: Strategies for incorporating the sociopolitical dimension of DAP in early childhood teaching. *Early Childhood Education Journal*, *36*(3), 253-260. I believe the actual controversy lies within the whole of education, which would include the powers that be (government authorities) as well. I absolutely agree that MOST ECE teachers and experts are in agreement against the extreme testing that can come as a result of the standards. But the whole of education does not feel so strongly about it. So the controversy, in my mind, comes within the field of education and includes experts, teachers, those people who create the standards, government officials, etc. The literature review attempted to bring into focus the main issues at hand (standards and testing) and the responses to them by the many experts in ECE. If you'd like a copy, I'll be happy to send it to you. Thanks for your feedback! It's very helpful and great to think through all these issues. On Sat, Sep 15, 2012 at 11:49 AM, Beverlee Paul beverleep...@gmail.comwrote: Wonderfully said...butI think some of the language of the piece is in error, and it's a serious, powerful issue. I would agree with the writer with all points, EXCEPT I probably not have used the word controversy, which implies two or more opinions or points of view. Within the field of ECE, I do not see a controversy. As a matter of fact, I have never heard an early childhood expert speak positively about testing at that level. I think there is near-total agreement In the field and I personally would hesitate to represent the points of view as controversial. I think they are, in fact, highly consistent. It seems nit/picky to say this, but I think it's a good example of the importance of word choice and connotation. Of course, it could also be that I am just plain wrong--and there are indeed early childhood experts advocating for inappropriate testing..., On Sep 15, 2012, at 6:57 AM, Mena drmarinac...@aol.com wrote: emotional issue, but atthe very core of determining how children in the United States will ___ Mosaic mailing list Mosaic@literacyworkshop.org To unsubscribe or modify your membership please go to http://literacyworkshop.org/mailman/options/mosaic_literacyworkshop.org Search the MOSAIC archives at http://snipurl.com/MosaicArchive ___ Mosaic mailing list Mosaic@literacyworkshop.org To unsubscribe or modify your membership please go to http://literacyworkshop.org/mailman/options/mosaic_literacyworkshop.org Search the MOSAIC archives at http://snipurl.com/MosaicArchive
Re: [MOSAIC] Rigor of Common Core in Kindergarten
Mena - can you cite your student's sources? Was her/his research on kindergarten or per-kindergarten programs? Thanks. Cathy Sent from my iPad On Sep 15, 2012, at 8:57 AM, Mena drmarinac...@aol.com wrote: I have to quote one of my students who researched this topic: Controversyexists in early childhood education with the development and implementation ofskills-based standards and the necessary accompanying standardized tests. State and national early childhood standards were developed as a result of NoChild Left Behind, and more recently Race to the Top, both federal initiatives. The controversy lies in the incongruity between research-based developmentalpractices that have long been accepted for early childhood and the academicskills standards that are construed by many early childhood educators to bereplacing those. Further controversy erupts due to an increase instandardized testing of young children for program accountability. Critics argue that such testing has very low reliability, causes stressfor both children and teachers, causes major curriculum changes, and results inlarge amounts of teacher-directed instruction taking the place of moredevelopmentally appropriate activities that are typical in play-based,child-centered preschools. Traditional child-initiated instruction inpreschool programs is thought to aid children in their social and emotionalgrowth, development that will be lacking as more teacher-directed curriculum isimposed on early childhood in an attempt to teach skills that are not, in manycases, age appropriate. The tendency toward standardized teaching andassessment practices for young children is not only an emotional issue, but atthe very core of determining how children in the United States will best learnin order to be competent adults in our global society. This literaturereview investigates this multi-faceted problem which involves young children,their parents, their teachers, as well as government agencies and educationaltheorists. Philomena Marinaccio-Eckel, Ph.D. Florida Atlantic University Dept. of Teaching and Learning College of Education 2912 College Ave. ES 214 Davie, FL 33314 Phone: 954-236-1070 Fax: 954-236-1050 -Original Message- From: Mlredcon mlred...@aol.com To: mosaic mosaic@literacyworkshop.org Sent: Fri, Sep 14, 2012 7:44 pm Subject: Re: [MOSAIC] Rigor of Common Core in Kindergarten The best way is to do on demand informal assessments using running records so kids can move up when they are ready and lots of interactive read aloud for high level comprehension. Take a look at the website-readingwritingproject.com Maxine In a message dated 9/14/2012 3:56:30 P.M. Eastern Daylight Time, adamst...@pleasval.k12.ia.us writes: Hi! In Iowa, we are busy aligning to Iowa Core in Kindergarten - a close spin off Common Core. We are experiencing some tripedation as we look to the rigor of getting students to an F P level D by the end of Kindergarten. I am a reading specialist that wants to support the Core, but more importantly, help my teachers get comfortable and do the right thing at the right time in the most developmentaly appropriate way. I ___ Mosaic mailing list Mosaic@literacyworkshop.org To unsubscribe or modify your membership please go to http://literacyworkshop.org/mailman/options/mosaic_literacyworkshop.org Search the MOSAIC archives at http://snipurl.com/MosaicArchive
Re: [MOSAIC] Rigor of Common Core in Kindergarten
Here are some excellent and inspiring resources: http://deborahmeier.com/ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-7r-idxHixofeature=youtu.be http://www.allianceforchildhood.org/sites/allianceforchildhood.org/files/file/kindergarten_report.pdf http://www.readinghorizons.com/blog/post/2012/06/07/Increase-Student-Attention-Anticipation-Interest-During-a-Lesson.aspx http://www.ascd.org/publications/educational-leadership/summer07/vol64/num09/The-Neuroscience-of-Joyful-Education.aspx On Sat, Sep 15, 2012 at 8:57 AM, Mena drmarinac...@aol.com wrote: I have to quote one of my students who researched this topic: Controversyexists in early childhood education with the development and implementation ofskills-based standards and the necessary accompanying standardized tests. State and national early childhood standards were developed as a result of NoChild Left Behind, and more recently Race to the Top, both federal initiatives. The controversy lies in the incongruity between research-based developmentalpractices that have long been accepted for early childhood and the academicskills standards that are construed by many early childhood educators to bereplacing those. Further controversy erupts due to an increase instandardized testing of young children for program accountability. Critics argue that such testing has very low reliability, causes stressfor both children and teachers, causes major curriculum changes, and results inlarge amounts of teacher-directed instruction taking the place of moredevelopmentally appropriate activities that are typical in play-based,child-centered preschools. Traditional child-initiated instruction inpreschool programs is thought to aid children in their social and emotionalgrowth, development that will be lacking as more teacher-directed curriculum isimposed on early childhood in an attempt to teach skills that are not, in manycases, age appropriate. The tendency toward standardized teaching andassessment practices for young children is not only an emotional issue, but atthe very core of determining how children in the United States will best learnin order to be competent adults in our global society. This literaturereview investigates this multi-faceted problem which involves young children,their parents, their teachers, as well as government agencies and educationaltheorists. Philomena Marinaccio-Eckel, Ph.D. Florida Atlantic University Dept. of Teaching and Learning College of Education 2912 College Ave. ES 214 Davie, FL 33314 Phone: 954-236-1070 Fax: 954-236-1050 -Original Message- From: Mlredcon mlred...@aol.com To: mosaic mosaic@literacyworkshop.org Sent: Fri, Sep 14, 2012 7:44 pm Subject: Re: [MOSAIC] Rigor of Common Core in Kindergarten The best way is to do on demand informal assessments using running records so kids can move up when they are ready and lots of interactive read aloud for high level comprehension. Take a look at the website-readingwritingproject.com Maxine In a message dated 9/14/2012 3:56:30 P.M. Eastern Daylight Time, adamst...@pleasval.k12.ia.us writes: Hi! In Iowa, we are busy aligning to Iowa Core in Kindergarten - a close spin off Common Core. We are experiencing some tripedation as we look to the rigor of getting students to an F P level D by the end of Kindergarten. I am a reading specialist that wants to support the Core, but more importantly, help my teachers get comfortable and do the right thing at the right time in the most developmentaly appropriate way. I am specifically interested in when you are benchmarking and how often you are meeting with Guided Groups in K. Thanks! Together in education, Teri Adams Cody's Reading Specialist adamst...@pleasval.k12.ia.us 563-332-0210 This message and any attachments are intended for the individual or entity named above. If you are not the intended recipient, please do not forward, copy, print, use or disclose this communication to others; also please notify the sender by replying to this message, and then delete it from your system. ___ Mosaic mailing list Mosaic@literacyworkshop.org To unsubscribe or modify your membership please go to http://literacyworkshop.org/mailman/options/mosaic_literacyworkshop.org Search the MOSAIC archives at http://snipurl.com/MosaicArchive ___ Mosaic mailing list Mosaic@literacyworkshop.org To unsubscribe or modify your membership please go to http://literacyworkshop.org/mailman/options/mosaic_literacyworkshop.org Search the MOSAIC archives at http://snipurl.com/MosaicArchive ___ Mosaic mailing list Mosaic@literacyworkshop.org To unsubscribe or modify your membership please go to http://literacyworkshop.org/mailman/options/mosaic_literacyworkshop.org Search the MOSAIC archives at http://snipurl.com
Re: [MOSAIC] Rigor of Common Core in Kindergarten
I have to quote one of my students who researched this topic: Controversyexists in early childhood education with the development and implementation ofskills-based standards and the necessary accompanying standardized tests. State and national early childhood standards were developed as a result of NoChild Left Behind, and more recently Race to the Top, both federal initiatives. The controversy lies in the incongruity between research-based developmentalpractices that have long been accepted for early childhood and the academicskills standards that are construed by many early childhood educators to bereplacing those. Further controversy erupts due to an increase instandardized testing of young children for program accountability. Critics argue that such testing has very low reliability, causes stressfor both children and teachers, causes major curriculum changes, and results inlarge amounts of teacher-directed instruction taking the place of moredevelopmentally appropriate activities that are typical in play-based,child-centered preschools. Traditional child-initiated instruction inpreschool programs is thought to aid children in their social and emotionalgrowth, development that will be lacking as more teacher-directed curriculum isimposed on early childhood in an attempt to teach skills that are not, in manycases, age appropriate. The tendency toward standardized teaching andassessment practices for young children is not only an emotional issue, but atthe very core of determining how children in the United States will best learnin order to be competent adults in our global society. This literaturereview investigates this multi-faceted problem which involves young children,their parents, their teachers, as well as government agencies and educationaltheorists. Philomena Marinaccio-Eckel, Ph.D. Florida Atlantic University Dept. of Teaching and Learning College of Education 2912 College Ave. ES 214 Davie, FL 33314 Phone: 954-236-1070 Fax: 954-236-1050 -Original Message- From: Mlredcon mlred...@aol.com To: mosaic mosaic@literacyworkshop.org Sent: Fri, Sep 14, 2012 7:44 pm Subject: Re: [MOSAIC] Rigor of Common Core in Kindergarten The best way is to do on demand informal assessments using running records so kids can move up when they are ready and lots of interactive read aloud for high level comprehension. Take a look at the website-readingwritingproject.com Maxine In a message dated 9/14/2012 3:56:30 P.M. Eastern Daylight Time, adamst...@pleasval.k12.ia.us writes: Hi! In Iowa, we are busy aligning to Iowa Core in Kindergarten - a close spin off Common Core. We are experiencing some tripedation as we look to the rigor of getting students to an F P level D by the end of Kindergarten. I am a reading specialist that wants to support the Core, but more importantly, help my teachers get comfortable and do the right thing at the right time in the most developmentaly appropriate way. I am specifically interested in when you are benchmarking and how often you are meeting with Guided Groups in K. Thanks! Together in education, Teri Adams Cody's Reading Specialist adamst...@pleasval.k12.ia.us 563-332-0210 This message and any attachments are intended for the individual or entity named above. If you are not the intended recipient, please do not forward, copy, print, use or disclose this communication to others; also please notify the sender by replying to this message, and then delete it from your system. ___ Mosaic mailing list Mosaic@literacyworkshop.org To unsubscribe or modify your membership please go to http://literacyworkshop.org/mailman/options/mosaic_literacyworkshop.org Search the MOSAIC archives at http://snipurl.com/MosaicArchive ___ Mosaic mailing list Mosaic@literacyworkshop.org To unsubscribe or modify your membership please go to http://literacyworkshop.org/mailman/options/mosaic_literacyworkshop.org Search the MOSAIC archives at http://snipurl.com/MosaicArchive ___ Mosaic mailing list Mosaic@literacyworkshop.org To unsubscribe or modify your membership please go to http://literacyworkshop.org/mailman/options/mosaic_literacyworkshop.org Search the MOSAIC archives at http://snipurl.com/MosaicArchive
Re: [MOSAIC] Rigor of Common Core in Kindergarten
Having standards for early childhood education does not mean that one has to assess those standards with standardized tests. All children are different and progress at different rates. Developmentally appropriate education, to me, means finding and then working within the child's zone of proximal development. I've seen some folks use the words developmentally appropriate as a reason to hold all kids to the same expectations... In some cases holding kids back...! What if standards were goals for teachers instead of benchmarks for failure? Kids benefit from high expectations in conjunction with instruction that provides moderate challenge but not frustration. I think standards could provide goals for educators rather than benchmarks for students... And appropriate formative assessments rather than standardized tests would allow us to find that appropriate level of challenge that enables young children to reach even level C-D at the end of Kindergarten. My biggest concern with ECE is that we are often forgoing play time center time and physical education and that is most certainly not the way to get students to meet high standards ... Sent from my iPhone On Sep 15, 2012, at 3:59 PM, Ruth Weil weilruth...@gmail.com wrote: I agree that there is near total agreement in regard to ECE testing. However, there actually are some who feel that the standards can have benefit to ECE. See Camp, D. (2007). Where do standards come from? A phenomenological study of the development of national board early childhood/generalist standards. *Journal Of Research In Childhood Education*, *21*(4), 420. Goldstein, L. S. (2008). Teaching the standards is developmentally appropriate practice: Strategies for incorporating the sociopolitical dimension of DAP in early childhood teaching. *Early Childhood Education Journal*, *36*(3), 253-260. I believe the actual controversy lies within the whole of education, which would include the powers that be (government authorities) as well. I absolutely agree that MOST ECE teachers and experts are in agreement against the extreme testing that can come as a result of the standards. But the whole of education does not feel so strongly about it. So the controversy, in my mind, comes within the field of education and includes experts, teachers, those people who create the standards, government officials, etc. The literature review attempted to bring into focus the main issues at hand (standards and testing) and the responses to them by the many experts in ECE. If you'd like a copy, I'll be happy to send it to you. Thanks for your feedback! It's very helpful and great to think through all these issues. On Sat, Sep 15, 2012 at 11:49 AM, Beverlee Paul beverleep...@gmail.comwrote: Wonderfully said...butI think some of the language of the piece is in error, and it's a serious, powerful issue. I would agree with the writer with all points, EXCEPT I probably not have used the word controversy, which implies two or more opinions or points of view. Within the field of ECE, I do not see a controversy. As a matter of fact, I have never heard an early childhood expert speak positively about testing at that level. I think there is near-total agreement In the field and I personally would hesitate to represent the points of view as controversial. I think they are, in fact, highly consistent. It seems nit/picky to say this, but I think it's a good example of the importance of word choice and connotation. Of course, it could also be that I am just plain wrong--and there are indeed early childhood experts advocating for inappropriate testing..., On Sep 15, 2012, at 6:57 AM, Mena drmarinac...@aol.com wrote: emotional issue, but atthe very core of determining how children in the United States will ___ Mosaic mailing list Mosaic@literacyworkshop.org To unsubscribe or modify your membership please go to http://literacyworkshop.org/mailman/options/mosaic_literacyworkshop.org Search the MOSAIC archives at http://snipurl.com/MosaicArchive ___ Mosaic mailing list Mosaic@literacyworkshop.org To unsubscribe or modify your membership please go to http://literacyworkshop.org/mailman/options/mosaic_literacyworkshop.org Search the MOSAIC archives at http://snipurl.com/MosaicArchive ___ Mosaic mailing list Mosaic@literacyworkshop.org To unsubscribe or modify your membership please go to http://literacyworkshop.org/mailman/options/mosaic_literacyworkshop.org Search the MOSAIC archives at http://snipurl.com/MosaicArchive
Re: [MOSAIC] Rigor of Common Core in Kindergarten
Wonderfully said...butI think some of the language of the piece is in error, and it's a serious, powerful issue. I would agree with the writer with all points, EXCEPT I probably not have used the word controversy, which implies two or more opinions or points of view. Within the field of ECE, I do not see a controversy. As a matter of fact, I have never heard an early childhood expert speak positively about testing at that level. I think there is near-total agreement In the field and I personally would hesitate to represent the points of view as controversial. I think they are, in fact, highly consistent. It seems nit/picky to say this, but I think it's a good example of the importance of word choice and connotation. Of course, it could also be that I am just plain wrong--and there are indeed early childhood experts advocating for inappropriate testing..., On Sep 15, 2012, at 6:57 AM, Mena drmarinac...@aol.com wrote: emotional issue, but atthe very core of determining how children in the United States will ___ Mosaic mailing list Mosaic@literacyworkshop.org To unsubscribe or modify your membership please go to http://literacyworkshop.org/mailman/options/mosaic_literacyworkshop.org Search the MOSAIC archives at http://snipurl.com/MosaicArchive
Re: [MOSAIC] Rigor of Common Core in Kindergarten
I am so glad you did not mind my quoting you Ruth:) Philomena Marinaccio-Eckel, Ph.D. Florida Atlantic University Dept. of Teaching and Learning College of Education 2912 College Ave. ES 214 Davie, FL 33314 Phone: 954-236-1070 Fax: 954-236-1050 -Original Message- From: Ruth Weil weilruth...@gmail.com To: Mosaic: A Reading Comprehension Strategies Email Group mosaic@literacyworkshop.org Sent: Sat, Sep 15, 2012 4:45 pm Subject: Re: [MOSAIC] Rigor of Common Core in Kindergarten Here are some excellent and inspiring resources: http://deborahmeier.com/ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-7r-idxHixofeature=youtu.be http://www.allianceforchildhood.org/sites/allianceforchildhood.org/files/file/kindergarten_report.pdf http://www.readinghorizons.com/blog/post/2012/06/07/Increase-Student-Attention-Anticipation-Interest-During-a-Lesson.aspx http://www.ascd.org/publications/educational-leadership/summer07/vol64/num09/The-Neuroscience-of-Joyful-Education.aspx On Sat, Sep 15, 2012 at 8:57 AM, Mena drmarinac...@aol.com wrote: I have to quote one of my students who researched this topic: Controversyexists in early childhood education with the development and implementation ofskills-based standards and the necessary accompanying standardized tests. State and national early childhood standards were developed as a result of NoChild Left Behind, and more recently Race to the Top, both federal initiatives. The controversy lies in the incongruity between research-based developmentalpractices that have long been accepted for early childhood and the academicskills standards that are construed by many early childhood educators to bereplacing those. Further controversy erupts due to an increase instandardized testing of young children for program accountability. Critics argue that such testing has very low reliability, causes stressfor both children and teachers, causes major curriculum changes, and results inlarge amounts of teacher-directed instruction taking the place of moredevelopmentally appropriate activities that are typical in play-based,child-centered preschools. Traditional child-initiated instruction inpreschool programs is thought to aid children in their social and emotionalgrowth, development that will be lacking as more teacher-directed curriculum isimposed on early childhood in an attempt to teach skills that are not, in manycases, age appropriate. The tendency toward standardized teaching andassessment practices for young children is not only an emotional issue, but atthe very core of determining how children in the United States will best learnin order to be competent adults in our global society. This literaturereview investigates this multi-faceted problem which involves young children,their parents, their teachers, as well as government agencies and educationaltheorists. Philomena Marinaccio-Eckel, Ph.D. Florida Atlantic University Dept. of Teaching and Learning College of Education 2912 College Ave. ES 214 Davie, FL 33314 Phone: 954-236-1070 Fax: 954-236-1050 -Original Message- From: Mlredcon mlred...@aol.com To: mosaic mosaic@literacyworkshop.org Sent: Fri, Sep 14, 2012 7:44 pm Subject: Re: [MOSAIC] Rigor of Common Core in Kindergarten The best way is to do on demand informal assessments using running records so kids can move up when they are ready and lots of interactive read aloud for high level comprehension. Take a look at the website-readingwritingproject.com Maxine In a message dated 9/14/2012 3:56:30 P.M. Eastern Daylight Time, adamst...@pleasval.k12.ia.us writes: Hi! In Iowa, we are busy aligning to Iowa Core in Kindergarten - a close spin off Common Core. We are experiencing some tripedation as we look to the rigor of getting students to an F P level D by the end of Kindergarten. I am a reading specialist that wants to support the Core, but more importantly, help my teachers get comfortable and do the right thing at the right time in the most developmentaly appropriate way. I am specifically interested in when you are benchmarking and how often you are meeting with Guided Groups in K. Thanks! Together in education, Teri Adams Cody's Reading Specialist adamst...@pleasval.k12.ia.us 563-332-0210 This message and any attachments are intended for the individual or entity named above. If you are not the intended recipient, please do not forward, copy, print, use or disclose this communication to others; also please notify the sender by replying to this message, and then delete it from your system. ___ Mosaic mailing list Mosaic@literacyworkshop.org To unsubscribe or modify your membership please go to http://literacyworkshop.org/mailman/options/mosaic_literacyworkshop.org Search the MOSAIC archives at http://snipurl.com/MosaicArchive
Re: [MOSAIC] Rigor of Common Core in Kindergarten
What a wonderful paper!! I truly appreciate your sharing and I love your knowledge and your writing. Gives me hope, makes me dream On Sat, Sep 15, 2012 at 6:22 PM, Ruth Weil weilruth...@gmail.com wrote: My research was on pre-k and kindergarten. I emailed you a copy of the lit review with sources. It was pretty interesting to study and very relevant. On Sat, Sep 15, 2012 at 3:56 PM, Cathy cag...@myfairpoint.net wrote: Mena - can you cite your student's sources? Was her/his research on kindergarten or per-kindergarten programs? Thanks. Cathy Sent from my iPad On Sep 15, 2012, at 8:57 AM, Mena drmarinac...@aol.com wrote: I have to quote one of my students who researched this topic: Controversyexists in early childhood education with the development and implementation ofskills-based standards and the necessary accompanying standardized tests. State and national early childhood standards were developed as a result of NoChild Left Behind, and more recently Race to the Top, both federal initiatives. The controversy lies in the incongruity between research-based developmentalpractices that have long been accepted for early childhood and the academicskills standards that are construed by many early childhood educators to bereplacing those. Further controversy erupts due to an increase instandardized testing of young children for program accountability. Critics argue that such testing has very low reliability, causes stressfor both children and teachers, causes major curriculum changes, and results inlarge amounts of teacher-directed instruction taking the place of moredevelopmentally appropriate activities that are typical in play-based,child-centered preschools. Traditional child-initiated instruction inpreschool programs is thought to aid children in their social and emotionalgrowth, development that will be lacking as more teacher-directed curriculum isimposed on early childhood in an attempt to teach skills that are not, in manycases, age appropriate. The tendency toward standardized teaching andassessment practices for young children is not only an emotional issue, but atthe very core of determining how children in the United States will best learnin order to be competent adults in our global society. This literaturereview investigates this multi-faceted problem which involves young children,their parents, their teachers, as well as government agencies and educationaltheorists. Philomena Marinaccio-Eckel, Ph.D. Florida Atlantic University Dept. of Teaching and Learning College of Education 2912 College Ave. ES 214 Davie, FL 33314 Phone: 954-236-1070 Fax: 954-236-1050 -Original Message- From: Mlredcon mlred...@aol.com To: mosaic mosaic@literacyworkshop.org Sent: Fri, Sep 14, 2012 7:44 pm Subject: Re: [MOSAIC] Rigor of Common Core in Kindergarten The best way is to do on demand informal assessments using running records so kids can move up when they are ready and lots of interactive read aloud for high level comprehension. Take a look at the website-readingwritingproject.com Maxine In a message dated 9/14/2012 3:56:30 P.M. Eastern Daylight Time, adamst...@pleasval.k12.ia.us writes: Hi! In Iowa, we are busy aligning to Iowa Core in Kindergarten - a close spin off Common Core. We are experiencing some tripedation as we look to the rigor of getting students to an F P level D by the end of Kindergarten. I am a reading specialist that wants to support the Core, but more importantly, help my teachers get comfortable and do the right thing at the right time in the most developmentaly appropriate way. I ___ Mosaic mailing list Mosaic@literacyworkshop.org To unsubscribe or modify your membership please go to http://literacyworkshop.org/mailman/options/mosaic_literacyworkshop.org Search the MOSAIC archives at http://snipurl.com/MosaicArchive ___ Mosaic mailing list Mosaic@literacyworkshop.org To unsubscribe or modify your membership please go to http://literacyworkshop.org/mailman/options/mosaic_literacyworkshop.org Search the MOSAIC archives at http://snipurl.com/MosaicArchive -- Many men go fishing all of their lives without knowing that it is not fish they are after. Henry David Thoreau ___ Mosaic mailing list Mosaic@literacyworkshop.org To unsubscribe or modify your membership please go to http://literacyworkshop.org/mailman/options/mosaic_literacyworkshop.org Search the MOSAIC archives at http://snipurl.com/MosaicArchive
Re: [MOSAIC] Rigor of Common Core in Kindergarten
My research was on pre-k and kindergarten. I emailed you a copy of the lit review with sources. It was pretty interesting to study and very relevant. On Sat, Sep 15, 2012 at 3:56 PM, Cathy cag...@myfairpoint.net wrote: Mena - can you cite your student's sources? Was her/his research on kindergarten or per-kindergarten programs? Thanks. Cathy Sent from my iPad On Sep 15, 2012, at 8:57 AM, Mena drmarinac...@aol.com wrote: I have to quote one of my students who researched this topic: Controversyexists in early childhood education with the development and implementation ofskills-based standards and the necessary accompanying standardized tests. State and national early childhood standards were developed as a result of NoChild Left Behind, and more recently Race to the Top, both federal initiatives. The controversy lies in the incongruity between research-based developmentalpractices that have long been accepted for early childhood and the academicskills standards that are construed by many early childhood educators to bereplacing those. Further controversy erupts due to an increase instandardized testing of young children for program accountability. Critics argue that such testing has very low reliability, causes stressfor both children and teachers, causes major curriculum changes, and results inlarge amounts of teacher-directed instruction taking the place of moredevelopmentally appropriate activities that are typical in play-based,child-centered preschools. Traditional child-initiated instruction inpreschool programs is thought to aid children in their social and emotionalgrowth, development that will be lacking as more teacher-directed curriculum isimposed on early childhood in an attempt to teach skills that are not, in manycases, age appropriate. The tendency toward standardized teaching andassessment practices for young children is not only an emotional issue, but atthe very core of determining how children in the United States will best learnin order to be competent adults in our global society. This literaturereview investigates this multi-faceted problem which involves young children,their parents, their teachers, as well as government agencies and educationaltheorists. Philomena Marinaccio-Eckel, Ph.D. Florida Atlantic University Dept. of Teaching and Learning College of Education 2912 College Ave. ES 214 Davie, FL 33314 Phone: 954-236-1070 Fax: 954-236-1050 -Original Message- From: Mlredcon mlred...@aol.com To: mosaic mosaic@literacyworkshop.org Sent: Fri, Sep 14, 2012 7:44 pm Subject: Re: [MOSAIC] Rigor of Common Core in Kindergarten The best way is to do on demand informal assessments using running records so kids can move up when they are ready and lots of interactive read aloud for high level comprehension. Take a look at the website-readingwritingproject.com Maxine In a message dated 9/14/2012 3:56:30 P.M. Eastern Daylight Time, adamst...@pleasval.k12.ia.us writes: Hi! In Iowa, we are busy aligning to Iowa Core in Kindergarten - a close spin off Common Core. We are experiencing some tripedation as we look to the rigor of getting students to an F P level D by the end of Kindergarten. I am a reading specialist that wants to support the Core, but more importantly, help my teachers get comfortable and do the right thing at the right time in the most developmentaly appropriate way. I ___ Mosaic mailing list Mosaic@literacyworkshop.org To unsubscribe or modify your membership please go to http://literacyworkshop.org/mailman/options/mosaic_literacyworkshop.org Search the MOSAIC archives at http://snipurl.com/MosaicArchive ___ Mosaic mailing list Mosaic@literacyworkshop.org To unsubscribe or modify your membership please go to http://literacyworkshop.org/mailman/options/mosaic_literacyworkshop.org Search the MOSAIC archives at http://snipurl.com/MosaicArchive
Re: [MOSAIC] Rigor of Common Core in Kindergarten
Beverlee, you would really enjoy this speech by Christopher Clouder of the Waldorf Schools. It's very inspiring and hopeful! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-7r-idxHixofeature=youtu.be On Sat, Sep 15, 2012 at 9:29 PM, Beverlee Paul beverleep...@gmail.comwrote: What a wonderful paper!! I truly appreciate your sharing and I love your knowledge and your writing. Gives me hope, makes me dream On Sat, Sep 15, 2012 at 6:22 PM, Ruth Weil weilruth...@gmail.com wrote: My research was on pre-k and kindergarten. I emailed you a copy of the lit review with sources. It was pretty interesting to study and very relevant. On Sat, Sep 15, 2012 at 3:56 PM, Cathy cag...@myfairpoint.net wrote: Mena - can you cite your student's sources? Was her/his research on kindergarten or per-kindergarten programs? Thanks. Cathy Sent from my iPad On Sep 15, 2012, at 8:57 AM, Mena drmarinac...@aol.com wrote: I have to quote one of my students who researched this topic: Controversyexists in early childhood education with the development and implementation ofskills-based standards and the necessary accompanying standardized tests. State and national early childhood standards were developed as a result of NoChild Left Behind, and more recently Race to the Top, both federal initiatives. The controversy lies in the incongruity between research-based developmentalpractices that have long been accepted for early childhood and the academicskills standards that are construed by many early childhood educators to bereplacing those. Further controversy erupts due to an increase instandardized testing of young children for program accountability. Critics argue that such testing has very low reliability, causes stressfor both children and teachers, causes major curriculum changes, and results inlarge amounts of teacher-directed instruction taking the place of moredevelopmentally appropriate activities that are typical in play-based,child-centered preschools. Traditional child-initiated instruction inpreschool programs is thought to aid children in their social and emotionalgrowth, development that will be lacking as more teacher-directed curriculum isimposed on early childhood in an attempt to teach skills that are not, in manycases, age appropriate. The tendency toward standardized teaching andassessment practices for young children is not only an emotional issue, but atthe very core of determining how children in the United States will best learnin order to be competent adults in our global society. This literaturereview investigates this multi-faceted problem which involves young children,their parents, their teachers, as well as government agencies and educationaltheorists. Philomena Marinaccio-Eckel, Ph.D. Florida Atlantic University Dept. of Teaching and Learning College of Education 2912 College Ave. ES 214 Davie, FL 33314 Phone: 954-236-1070 Fax: 954-236-1050 -Original Message- From: Mlredcon mlred...@aol.com To: mosaic mosaic@literacyworkshop.org Sent: Fri, Sep 14, 2012 7:44 pm Subject: Re: [MOSAIC] Rigor of Common Core in Kindergarten The best way is to do on demand informal assessments using running records so kids can move up when they are ready and lots of interactive read aloud for high level comprehension. Take a look at the website-readingwritingproject.com Maxine In a message dated 9/14/2012 3:56:30 P.M. Eastern Daylight Time, adamst...@pleasval.k12.ia.us writes: Hi! In Iowa, we are busy aligning to Iowa Core in Kindergarten - a close spin off Common Core. We are experiencing some tripedation as we look to the rigor of getting students to an F P level D by the end of Kindergarten. I am a reading specialist that wants to support the Core, but more importantly, help my teachers get comfortable and do the right thing at the right time in the most developmentaly appropriate way. I ___ Mosaic mailing list Mosaic@literacyworkshop.org To unsubscribe or modify your membership please go to http://literacyworkshop.org/mailman/options/mosaic_literacyworkshop.org Search the MOSAIC archives at http://snipurl.com/MosaicArchive ___ Mosaic mailing list Mosaic@literacyworkshop.org To unsubscribe or modify your membership please go to http://literacyworkshop.org/mailman/options/mosaic_literacyworkshop.org Search the MOSAIC archives at http://snipurl.com/MosaicArchive -- Many men go fishing all of their lives without knowing that it is not fish they are after. Henry David Thoreau ___ Mosaic mailing list Mosaic
[MOSAIC] Rigor of Common Core in Kindergarten
Hi! In Iowa, we are busy aligning to Iowa Core in Kindergarten - a close spin off Common Core. We are experiencing some tripedation as we look to the rigor of getting students to an F P level D by the end of Kindergarten. I am a reading specialist that wants to support the Core, but more importantly, help my teachers get comfortable and do the right thing at the right time in the most developmentaly appropriate way. I am specifically interested in when you are benchmarking and how often you are meeting with Guided Groups in K. Thanks! Together in education, Teri Adams Cody's Reading Specialist adamst...@pleasval.k12.ia.us 563-332-0210 This message and any attachments are intended for the individual or entity named above. If you are not the intended recipient, please do not forward, copy, print, use or disclose this communication to others; also please notify the sender by replying to this message, and then delete it from your system. ___ Mosaic mailing list Mosaic@literacyworkshop.org To unsubscribe or modify your membership please go to http://literacyworkshop.org/mailman/options/mosaic_literacyworkshop.org Search the MOSAIC archives at http://snipurl.com/MosaicArchive
Re: [MOSAIC] Rigor of Common Core in Kindergarten
The best way is to do on demand informal assessments using running records so kids can move up when they are ready and lots of interactive read aloud for high level comprehension. Take a look at the website-readingwritingproject.com Maxine In a message dated 9/14/2012 3:56:30 P.M. Eastern Daylight Time, adamst...@pleasval.k12.ia.us writes: Hi! In Iowa, we are busy aligning to Iowa Core in Kindergarten - a close spin off Common Core. We are experiencing some tripedation as we look to the rigor of getting students to an F P level D by the end of Kindergarten. I am a reading specialist that wants to support the Core, but more importantly, help my teachers get comfortable and do the right thing at the right time in the most developmentaly appropriate way. I am specifically interested in when you are benchmarking and how often you are meeting with Guided Groups in K. Thanks! Together in education, Teri Adams Cody's Reading Specialist adamst...@pleasval.k12.ia.us 563-332-0210 This message and any attachments are intended for the individual or entity named above. If you are not the intended recipient, please do not forward, copy, print, use or disclose this communication to others; also please notify the sender by replying to this message, and then delete it from your system. ___ Mosaic mailing list Mosaic@literacyworkshop.org To unsubscribe or modify your membership please go to http://literacyworkshop.org/mailman/options/mosaic_literacyworkshop.org Search the MOSAIC archives at http://snipurl.com/MosaicArchive ___ Mosaic mailing list Mosaic@literacyworkshop.org To unsubscribe or modify your membership please go to http://literacyworkshop.org/mailman/options/mosaic_literacyworkshop.org Search the MOSAIC archives at http://snipurl.com/MosaicArchive
