Gifted Issues Discussion homepage Forums Learning Environments What's happening in early education in my district

Thanks, Cricket3. I will.

It has happened in my school district too and is happening in a lot of school districts. In my school district they use a program worse than 'Journeys' called 'Treasures', all in the name of implementing the Common Core. These programs are only useful if you have inexperienced and weak teachers in your school district that need a script to teach. A really good school with strong teachers will design its own curriculum to meet the Common Core from various sources including in house resources.

Okay. I've done some cursory reading and now I understand more where this latest trend is coming from and why: an extention of Headstart so that the achievement gap between the disadvantaged and the rest of the population can narrow (or as some wishful thinkers hope, close).

But once again, if we don't deal with the effects of poverty directly, such as safety and nutrition and parenting education, we are just throwing the latest trend at the issue hoping it will stick. Meanwhile, closing the gap means, whether intentional or not, lowering the ceiling because how else is the data going to justify all the money and energy spent to do so?

My apologies for any typos--on my phone.

Yep, programs like Journeys and Treasures lower the ceiling in a scary way for all children, but especially for gifted readers in the classrooms. The so called "above level' basal books in these programs are too easy for gifted readers, which results in gifted kids and advanced learners being left behind.

I think my kids are using Journeys. No wonder DD isn't doing too great on Reading achievement test scores.

My ds is older. Last year he was in 5th grade and his teacher was required to use Journeys, but I think at that grade level there is more opportunity for differentiation.

Fortunately I didn't see any of that scripted teaching in his classes last year. And now that he's in middle school, I'm assuming he'll be free of it.

I hope the parents you know with kids in those kindergarten classes are pulling them out, banding together and making life hard for the principal and the district.