My DS's K teacher told me yesterday that she had tested him using the first grade San Diego Quick and that he scored at a second grade level in reading and is the highest reader in the class.
Does anyone know anything about this test? I am wondering about ceilings since I am pretty sure he reads at a higher level than that--roughly third grade is my estimate.
Cathy
I found the same link as acs and also this that I think explains the findings a bit better:
The San Diego Quick Assessment
The list in which a student misses no more than one of the ten words is the level at which he/she can read independently.
Two errors indicate his/her instructional level.
Three or more errors identify the level at which reading material will be too difficult for him/her.
Thanks! I just tried them on DS. He read all of the second grade list without hesitation. He missed 3 on the third grade list. So does that mean his instructional reading level is 2nd or 3rd? I guess he's somewhere in between. I'm a bit confused by the scoring!
Cathy - just out of curiosity, does your DS read chapter books and have you looked up the lexile counts or levels on any of those books? I just wonder really how accurate that method of leveling is. The word lists seem kind of arbitrary and GT kids do tend to be very good at deriving meaning from surrounding text.
DS was most recently assessed at 6th grade reading level in 1st grade. But I know he regularly picks up stuff beyond that level and seems to get good comprehension. I also kind of wonder if the teacher in our case is motivated to "fully" assess him. DS said he gets a couple paragraphs to read aloud and then declares him reading at that level without attempting to get to something he can't get through as comfortably. I think she just lets him climb a grade level every time she assess him. My DS is also the highest reader in his class.
Yes, he reads simple chapter books like Secrets of Droon and Magic Treehouse. These are 2nd or 3rd grade level. He also reads Berenstain Bears first time books which are mid 3rd grade.
Cathy
DS is just starting to read for pleasure. It's like he wasn't interested until he got to a level where he could read books that he likes. He spent his Christmas money on a novelization of the first three Star Wars episodes. Probably not a common choice among Kindergarteners
I am trying to tread carefully with the school, letting them "discover" his abilities. It seems to work better than me going in there and saying, DS can do x and y. They don't really believe me. I have been careful not to mention that he started reading when he was 2 1/2--I don't think that would go over well, either.
I just flashed back to DS walking into pre-school at about 3 or 4. There was a note up for parents, "Shhh, don't tell the kids. Santa will be here on Friday. It's a surprise!" and DS saying to the teachers, "If it's a surprise, why did you write it up on the board where we can see it?"
acs - that is such a cute story! Hope you got it in his baby book.
Dottie - that is our experience too - anyone above grade level is grouped together. Which in our case is 5 kids reading 2nd grade level and above. But in our case, the only reason I know my DS is the top reader is from volunteering during reading time and being nosy, not from the teacher.
So Cathy - if your teacher told you DS is the best reader in the class, that's something anyway! Your son sounds like he's doing great! I always feel like they don't want to tell you that your kid's ahead of curve at our school. We get these worthless report cards that lists every skill for DS as "As Expected".
Well, I suppose it's not really all that important. It's just that they've been promising levelled reading groups since the beginning of the school year. They only just got around to testing... It would be nice if he was actually given appropriate material
Have they done STAR testing? That is what they test reading levels with here. Honestly, the San Diego Quick doesn't look all that accurate to me either. Until they get him into an appropriate group, maybe you could just keep giving him the books he is enjoying. As my DS10 has gotten older I've realized how much more important it is for them to enjoy reading regardless of what level they are reading on. My DS likes to read books below where he should be but he is enjoying them so much I don't want to stop him and force something else on him just because it is "on his level". kwim??? So if your DS has found books he enjoys, I'd say just keep on with that. It sounds like you're doing a great job finding what he likes!
Agreed. It's so hard to find books that are appropriately challenging but also appropriate in terms of subject matter! If they're happy with what they're reading--even if it's "easy," then I think that's what really counts.
After all, we can probably all read a grad school textbook, but we probably all pick up something significantly easier to read for pleasure from time to time, don't we? I don't see why our kids should be any different!
That's the first assessment they've done for your son? Wow! That seems kind of slow, but maybe typical for kindergarten? DS has done at least 3 thus far in grade 1 .
Maybe ask your teacher if you could send some books from home? We do that often.
My DS also loves to devour books "below level" for him too. It's like brain candy. Like Geronimo Stilton or Goosebumps.
They don't do STAR testing until second grade. I don't think the Kindergarteners are expected to read at all so it was kind of an extra thing that she tested some of them. She borrowed the test from a first grade teacher.
There are about four kids in his class who can read at all (out of 20). Half the kids can't count to 40 or recognize all the letters of the alphabet. 1/4 are ESL students who speak Spanish, Chinese, Hindi or Farsi. It is very difficult for the teacher to find time to do anything for my DS.
I volunteer every Friday for 3 1/2 hours--I teach at the science station and help the teacher. She had me help her with assessments last week--that's how I know how many kids can count, etc. (Not sure I like the idea of parents assessing the kids, but she asked me to do it...so I did.)
Cathy
I've been assessing kids during my volunteer time for the past 6 years. The kids and I have gotten a great bond because of all the one on one time. Coming from health care, it freaked me out a bit at first because I never was instructed that these scores should be kept private. I do make sure I don't tell anyone else how individual kids did, but no one ever told me not to, which still seems odd.
So much of our poor teachers' time is taken up with testing, I was glad to be able to take the testing off their hands so they could TEACH.
My DS did take the star test when he was in K, but that was because the K teacher wanted to get him started on higher level books. She took him down to a second grade classroom and had him made an honorary member of the class so he could log onto that computer. If you are on good terms with the teacher, you might mention that you wondered how he would do on a STAR test. Maybe you could escort him to wherever he needs to go to get it done during your volunteer time.
Not that I actually think its all that great a test--it's a fill in the blank multiple choice vocabulary test. One of the higher level words my DS got was "narcotics." I think he was in first grade at the time and I just kept thinking what kind of twisted home would my 6yo be from if he actually knew the word narcotics LOL. I was very pleased he got it wrong, actually!
They let your son do the STAR test? They are so strict about the testing protocol here, I would be shocked if they agreed to something like that. The teachers are VERY stressed about STAR testing--which is not good for my sensitive DD
I've also done assessments on children in DS's classroom with small passages and sight words. I do definitely feel like I have info I shouldn't have!
It does sound like your teacher has her hands full! We do have a number of ESL kids at our school. My son had 2 ESL students in his class last year that were so sharp (and I suspect hothoused!). They were better readers than most of the children in the class and were good buddies with DS. Unfortunately, both of them moved away this year.
Good luck! Hope they find something for your DS to engage him.
Probably no one told the teacher that the info should be private, and that's why volunteers are doing assessments without even being instructed to keep it to themselves.
Sad!
It bothers me because the assessments are the only time the kids get one-on-one with the teacher. If she is not assessing them herself, does she really have a clear idea of where they are?
The counting assessment was carried out in an odd way. Here is what I was told to do:
1. Pull a kid out of the group activity (storytime)
2. Ask them to "show me how high" they can count
3. Record the last correct number.
Problems:
If a kid counts to 100 but skips 23 he gets the same score as a kid who counts to 23 and has no idea what's next.
Kids want to get back to the story and just say "I don't know" so they can stop counting.
Kids who can count indefinitely are not sure what to say or where to stop.
Cathy
Acs, I like the story about your son
and the sign at preschool.
Here's a funny thing my DS5 said to me yesterday. I was telling him that it was time to stop asking questions (he asks me LOTS of questions) and finish his dinner. He replied, "But Mom, I have to ponder or die!" I guess answers are more important to him than food...
Cathy
Questions are always more important than food for our son. We actually bribe him to eat with statements like after you eat your broccoli we will do algebra problems...eat 2 more bites of chicken and we'll talk about science...
Questions are always more important than food for our son. We actually bribe him to eat with statements like after you eat your broccoli we will do algebra problems...eat 2 more bites of chicken and we'll talk about science...
Hee Hee!
For us we had to watch out for the 'questions on the way to the car' - one of our first disipline policy was 'after your seatbelt is on, I will tell you all about it' as DS can not walk and hear new info at the same time.
Smiles,
Grinity
Oh Grinity - we definitely have to employ that policy when trying to get out into the car! I think we've had more in-depth heady discussions in our vehicle than anywhere.
Except for right before bed!
Oh Grinity! Right after I turn out the light and give hugs and kisses is when I hear "Mom, I have a question..." I've started telling him to write it down and we'll discuss it another time. So I guess, it is bedtime, dinner and car rides. DS usually reads in the car now so not quite so manu in depth discussions happen there anymore.
In a way I hate reading! We've got the only group of kids for whom reading is a distraction from learning and curiosity! ((OK, Humor Alert))