Let 5 year olds be 5.

I've never really posted about this anywhere but I feel like I need to rant. Recently, my district changed reading programs and while I was excited to see the depth and diverse range of texts it offered initially, now that we are into the school year, I'm starting to dislike it. For a 90 minute ELA block, it has kindergarten kids sitting for the majority of that time with a heavy direct instruction focus and little to no small group or interactive centers. For the first unit, it has kindergarteners looking for main idea and details in a non-fiction text, without much fiction prior to that to catch their interest or build comprehension skills. No wonder older students are so exhausted by the concepts. Is it just me that finds it odd?

There's so much evidence to back up that primary aged students need to be playing and moving more during the day, and that they can learn with the same rigor by more interactive and engaging activities, yet the curriculum chosen for primary grades doesn't reflect that research-based approach. This has been something going on for years. Kindergartners and children in general learn better through play and while I feel that more traditional seat work and direct instruction has its place and is necessary sometimes, it's frustrating to be in a situation where the evidence and research-based practices districts say they uphold are completely ignored.

I try to find ways to use the curriculum in a more meaningful way that fits the needs and developmental skills my students have by supplementing with different activities, but I'm starting to grow weary.

Submitted September 09, 2021 at 08:37PM by primrosejellybean https://ift.tt/3l5tPie