Quote: I don't understand how you can test first graders. It is a big year for them. Alot a kids are going to school for the first time all day, but most importantly they are learning how to read. I rather have my children learn to read, add and subtract than prepare for some test.
I also don't believe children should be given tests in first grade.
When my mom taught first grade last year (she teaches kindergarton now), she basically revolved her lesson plans around that test. She made sure that she covered everything that would be on there because the scores are made public (not by individual students, but by schools). Parents don't enroll their kids in low-scoring schools and the schools don't get funding without enrollment.
What is scary is that this year in kindergarton, her students can already read certain words by sight. And by the 6th week of class, they were already towards the end of the alphabet learning all the sounds! This caused a lot of trouble with students who joined kindergarton late (a lot of clueless parents when it came to registration time...) and are already behind, even though it was only October! My mom hates it, but that's the lesson plan that she's given and she has to have her kids meet certain goals or else they're held back.
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Re: Elementary Education question...
