Originally Posted by CAMom
As for accepted cruelty, it has been my observation that as schools move towards more heavily scripted curriculum, more testing and more test driven curriculum, students' spirits are being crushed. It is heart-wrenching for anyone, including the teacher in the classroom, to watch 1st graders go through a scripted program like Open Court where you have to read in chorus and respond to a clicker like a dog for hours upon hours a day.

Open Court is a "direct instruction" (DI), and some research has found that DI helps students from disadvantaged backgrounds learn to read. DI may not be fun for teachers, but students spririts' are more likely to be "crushed" if they never learn to read. Different schools may need different curricula.


"To see what is in front of one's nose needs a constant struggle." - George Orwell