Gifted Issues Discussion homepage Forums General Discussion Reading Level Capped

Yes, when we grade accelerated DD from K to 1, there were so many advanced readers in the class that at first I wondered if we made a mistake accelerating her. Probably 1/3 of the class was already reading chapter books. I asked the teacher if this was "normal" and that I didn't think most first graders (early in the year) were already reading books like this and she said that it was an unusual group and when you have a group of advanced kids together they "feed" off each other and want to read what the others are reading. What a concept, let kids read as high as they want to go. If it's too complicated/difficult/mature for them, they're not going to do it. DS has a different first grade teacher but I know the one DD had is still trying to move kids up, assessing their reading, etc. I asked DS's teacher when is the last time his reading was assessed, and she won't answer any of my questions. If it's a situation where she simply CAN'T give him a higher level assessment due to some sort of bizarre school or district policy requiring a cap or celiling, then fine. Let me know. But don't just avoid/ignore the questions.
She did respond to my email where I told her I'm sending in harder level books and said that sounds like a good idea. So the main problem is the instructional level.

My question (and I think Blackcat's question also) is how do we deal with this? I'm interested in knowing what should I do and say to the school to deal with this situation. Like a script to help us not start ranting. Because my DS is not happy staying reading the same books at the lower level. Nor am I happy about it. It may not affect other children's learning but it certainly does affect my DS's learning. When he is not permitted to read higher level books his reading level does not move up. He loses out on vocabularly, reading skills, comprehension... not to mention he misses out on challenge (that he loves so much) and growing as a reader. The more he reads and the more he is permitted to move up at his own rate the more he grows as a reader.

So, at present, we are in a situation where he was beyond the end of 2nd grade in the beginning of the year (he's in 2nd). Teacher placed him at that level - the last level for second grade and is leaving him there. If she says in our meeting in 10 days "I can't move him up to where he really is because we cap it. That's where he has to stay," what can I say/do to make this a better situation for DS? Should I just say "look, then I am sending in books whether you like it or not. period." ? To be clear that is what we do now - except now DS puts a red sticker on the book so it appears to others that the book is a book from the "basket" at his designated level so he doesn't get told on or noticed. WE, both DS and I, want to just be able to do this (send in books on his level)legitimately so he doesn't have the constant underlying stress of breaking the rules and basically lying every day.

Also I am concerned about what is he getting instructed on in reading if recognizing his true instructional level is not permitted?

Here are some links you might find helpful...

http://www.thudscave.com/~lamplighter/reading.htm

http://www.csun.edu/~hda75098/BalancedReading/Levels.html

http://em.synergiesprairies.ca/index.php/em/article/download/41/16

This is different then I thought. The accelerated reader program I was referring to was not regular classroom instructed reading. My ds when in 2nd grade was going to 4th for reading and also was in a 4th grade novel group 2 times a week.

I see the difference.

Thanks for the links. I'm going to dig around and try to find more info on the BAS ceiling and why it even exists.

One thing I do know about these guided reading assessments--they are not simple to give and it would take a lot of time to give assessment after assessment to find the right level. Say you start at a Level B or C where you think a first grader should be. And if they pass that level, you go onto the next assessment. If you tested them all the way to a Q or R when they might start struggling, you would be there literally all day. I am actually liking the idea of computerized testing now, which unfortunately doesn't start til second grade. The test adapts itself based on what the child is answering right or wrong. If they answer right it gets harder, if they answer wrong, it gets easier. When they miss a certain number of questions in a row, the test ends. I think DS would do a lot better on that, than being asked to read a story aloud and answer questions like "what is the main idea of this story."

Here in our district we have "coaches" . There is a math coach and a literacy (reading and writing)coach and an intervention coach and so on. They don't have a classroom of their own. These coaches have proved themselves to be master teachers in certain areas of the curriculum. The put on workshops for the teachers, supervise some of the paraprofessionals, observe a teacher with a lesson and provide feedback. But they also can take the outliers and take them and assess them for the teacher.

Here is another clued for the teacher...if you have an outside test that already gives you some sort of reading level or just saw the kid finish the last Harry potter book...don't start him with the test level for the grade he is in....estimate where you think he is and drop down one would be better than wasting time.

You have described NWEA MAP testing. But even then teachers don't follow the RIT scores and where a child should be at. DS should be at a F&P level "U"(according to RIT and Lexile scores) and instead his teacher has him at a RAZ-kids "R" which is f&P "N".

Yes, it's not MAP but something similar. And that test isn't perfect either and I have complained about wildly fluctuating scores. But it can be given in 45 minutes (or in my DD's case more like 2 hours, lol) to all the kids at the same time, it gets something that's (hopefully) at least somewhat close to the right level, and it's done. The problem is the teachers don't seem to use it to plan curriculum for specific kids anyway. They just want to see the scores go up from fall to winter and from winter to spring. Actually, I think the only reason they use it is to catch the kids who are under the 10th percentile or so, because those kids can be pulled out for intervention services.

Okay, so this is rapidly becoming an issue again for us too. DS's teacher told him today that they are not permitted to go above a certain level. That, for example, third graders stay on level "white" for pretty much the entire year. (she specifically said that to him). Hence why she hasn't been testing him or moving him up - because second grade is suppose to get to and stay at level "double red." So, yes my school's policy appears to be one where they cap at a year ahead. Teacher also gave him some crap about how they "have to make sure he is understanding what he is reading." The woodcock johnson testing my son had recently indicate that anything under a reading grade level of 3rd grade would be too easy for him. His WJ-III and a Wiat subtest have his comprehension in the 95th percentile. As it stands now, I have been sending in books for reading. We had an argument in the beginning of the year wherein I took her head off for punishing my son for reading the books I sent in for him at 100 book challenge. She has noticed and she knows that he's again bringing in books that are not "from the basket." She has not punished DS (b/c she knows I will hit the roof if she does) and she has not said anything to me yet but I fear she plans to say something at our upcoming meeting. What can I say to get the message across that I don't care about their "basket rule" and that the WJ-III and Wiat testing I have tell me what level my son is (not her and her 100 book challenge assessment with it's ceiling) and I am sending in books based on that and his interest level whether like they or not. In a relatively nice but firm way. Otherwise, like Blackcat, I fear the obscenities that may come out of my mouth if I don't have a set response.

BY the way, the WJ-III Ach Broad Reading scores put him at a grade equivalent of 3.6. The report says he will "get the most gains by being presented with reading instruction from early 3rd to early 4th grade range" and that "anything under 2.9 will be QUITE EASY form him."