I have a 6-year old daughter who I have been struggling getting the school to understand. Here's some background:
She attended kindergarten at age 4 (april birthday) because it was a small class, and our plan was for her to do it again with her same age peers the following year. She excelled, both academically (scored highest out of her bright class in math) and socially. She was assertive, cheerful and fit in perfectly. The school wanted to accelerate her with the same class, but because she was already on the young side, we wouldn't allow it. She re-did kindergarten in a different school, and became shy again and unhappy. When we ask her about it, so describes feeling anxious about being more advanced than her peers. I think she doesn't relate to them.
She continues to excel in math (and reading, but the school will meet her need in reading). The school refuses to do anything to challenge her in math. Last year, her second year in kindergarten, and this year so far, the teachers both act as if I am this huge annoyance trying to advocate for more challenging math. I finally gave up and asked for a subject acceleration, and they refuse (totally different than her previous school!).
My older son, who is extremely outgoing, has had teachers this year and last year that seem to advocate for her. They see how bright he is, and understand the problem for her. However where she is so shy and quiet, I honestly think her teachers don't see how bright she is now that she is not with other kids at her level. I think she answers "I don't know" to everything so she's not different, making it impossible for them to really see her. So despite her most likely being even brighter than my son, she is getting ignored at school where he is not.
Any ideas how to 1. get a 6-year old to feel confident in knowing things her peers do not, and 2. Working with the teacher? I honestly thought the subject acceleration would be a good fit, since she wouldn't be "different" in that class. She specifically asked for it, and had tested in second grade math when she was 4, so she's capable of the work. I was bummed the school wouldn't do it:(
