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    Joined: Jan 2008
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    Originally Posted by questions
    ....
    Anyone old enough here to remember SRA reading? Our 4th or 5th grade class would have reading and each child would go up to the front of the room and grab their color-coded reading pamphlet, answer the comprehension questions and move on the next one and to the next level. Different levels in one room with one teacher. Hmmmm, maybe the answer is in the curriculum thing? Like the Aleks approach to math?

    Yes, I enjoyed it. GS9's school uses AR, Accelerated Reading through Renaissance Learning. Same principle, but the comprehension tests are done on the computer. It's a fantastic program, imo. They also have an accelerated math program but the school considers it too costly.

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    Yes, I too remember the SRA reading, although I didn't remember the name until you described the color-coded readers. It was wonderful to be able to read at a level that was interesting and challenging. I would have hated school if I had been required to read "See spot run" all day.

    My DS's school boast that they have differentiated reading groups that allow a child to read at their appropriate level. But I remember in first grade being absolutely stunned by what they considered appropriate reading material. Even though my son was testing on the computer-based Accelerated Reading (AR) program at a level of 3.4 (4th month into third grade), he was still given very simplistic books to read in class. They were not challenging at all, and were nowhere near as complex as what he read at home. The teacher just kind of shrugged and said that the books that she was assigning him were as advanced as she could get in first grade. So the school's differentiated reading groups meant that he was placed in the highest reading group that was reading on a level of 1.9 to 2.2. I would say that differentiation does not work for HG+ kids.

    On a different note... I was wondering about getting someone like Bill Gates involved in speaking for gifted kids, and I had an idea. I know that when I started reading about gifted kids, their identifying characteristic, and their struggles in school, I recognized many of the concepts from my own childhood. I wonder if Bill Gates would become passionate about supporting gifted educational reform if he saw himself in some of the stories about gifted kids in books like "Genius Denied" (or other books). A letter might get lost in the shuffle... but who can resist picking up a book and leafing through it?


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    Maybe the co-authors of Genius Denied, Bob and Jan Davidson, as fellow self-made philanthropists, could send him a copy!

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    That was along the same lines as I was thinking, Debbie. Although for $24 (hardback), I wouldn't mind mailing a copy off to Bill myself. grin

    It's the enticing letter to accompany it that I would struggle with. (and a mailing address that would actually reach the man and not a secretary, of course.)


    Mom to DS12 and DD3
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    I agree that the entire educational system needs to be revamped so all kids are accommodated at their own ability levels. Has anyone else been reading the No Child Left Behind Chatboard on teachers.net?

    The only chance my son has at a good education is if I do it myself.

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    no lori can you provide a link?

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    You are all aware that Bill Gates passion/mission is more health related than education related? His foundation's main goal seems to be to work with health organizations to bring vaccines to third world countries. It would be great if someone could convince him to shift his focus, but at this point I don't think gifted education is in his radar.

    Last edited by bianc850a; 07/29/08 09:21 AM.
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    Quote
    But the OP has an idea that I've toyed with for a while. We have band boosters and the sports booster clubs, why don't we form academic booster clubs? We could raise funds for academic competitions in the schools, don't limit participation to only the top kids unless there is a limit on how many can participate in any particular event. Then there could be try-outs to pick out who goes.

    Geography Bee and Mathcounts are two excellent examples of how an academic competition does not limit participation. And they both resemble regular athletic meets the most. They also tend to appeal to different group of kids.

    Quote
    Originally Posted By: questions
    ....
    Anyone old enough here to remember SRA reading? Our 4th or 5th grade class would have reading and each child would go up to the front of the room and grab their color-coded reading pamphlet, answer the comprehension questions and move on the next one and to the next level. Different levels in one room with one teacher. Hmmmm, maybe the answer is in the curriculum thing? Like the Aleks approach to math?

    Yes, I enjoyed it. GS9's school uses AR, Accelerated Reading through Renaissance Learning. Same principle, but the comprehension tests are done on the computer. It's a fantastic program, imo. They also have an accelerated math program but the school considers it too costly.

    My both kids disliked AR they were forced to do in early grades.The selection of books(and tests) was limited and the program kind of forces you to read what is on an AR list.



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    Originally Posted by Ania
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    My both kids disliked AR they were forced to do in early grades.The selection of books(and tests) was limited and the program kind of forces you to read what is on an AR list.
    ...


    Really? There must be different purchase options for the quizzes.
    For GS, I went out to AR quizzes and searched for the level, topic, fiction/nonfiction, etc., and got a list of books that met my specs. Then I looked for that book(online) at our library and checked it out. Then GS could read it & take the quiz.
    His teacher also kept baskets of books, separated by level, in the classroom, although GS went through everything she had and exceeded the level available in the classroom. The school library also coded the books by AR level to help kids make their selections.
    Anyway, there are tens of thousands of books/quizzes available. It does get limited to several thousand if you're searching for high level(middle school and up)/lower interest(middle school and down). It's also limited if you are searching for books not written in English.
    I have heard of some teachers limiting the child to the selection of books within the classroom, is that what happened with your kids?

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    I think AR was good for my kids early-on (maybe until about 4th grade). It made them read or they didn't make their goals. After 3rd grade, their reading levels were too high, so that the books were either gigantic (and they'd forget a lot by the time they finished & tried to test), old-fashioned/difficult to read,inappropriate, etc. It took the joy out of reading. Then the goals became drudgery. One of the boys favorite thing about going to the charter middle school is that they DON'T have AR. The public schools here have AR through 8th grade.

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