Gifted Issues Discussion homepage Forums Recommended Resources Need facts and research for a conference

Morning everyone.

My DD started 4th grade this past week. Last year her teacher tested her out of 3rd grade spelling and gave her words she pulled from a book she had assigned her. The book level was 5th grade but many of the words go way beyond 5th. I did a search on the words and some are 12th grade level. Regardless, DD was able to do the spelling with definitions to the point that her teacher added words on a weekly basis. She started with 5 words and by the end had 15 words a week to study. Her teacher was willing to challenge her.

This year my DD went to her new teacher and asked if she could test out. Teacher is not having it so we will need to set up a conference but I want to go prepared. I am looking for documentation to help prove our point that it is in DD best interest to be challenged. I still have all the words she was given and will put together a spreadsheet to show the words and grade level for each word but I also want to debunk the email the teacher sent me. I will copy it to the bottom of this post. Please help me with angle and facts. So appreciate it!


Her email response to me asking why she wouldn't test DD out of the 4th grade spelling words:

Sorry I don't have any specific facts and research for you, but two things come to mind that might help.

1) Ask the teacher if your dd can be tested on the entire list of 4th grade words from the Sitton Spelling list to show that she already knows them. (ETA to say yikes! I must have been half-asleep when I answered your OP - I was answering before breakfast lol!... anyway, I'm sorry I read and then forgot a nanosecond later that you'd already asked about this!)

2) Does your dd's written work reflect her advanced spelling/reading ability? Is she using higher-than-grade-level words in her writing? If she is, take some writing samples with you. I'd also suggest to the teacher that if the emphasis is on using more sophisticated language in writing, your dd should be able to work on that without being held back on the level of spelling words she's learning.

Best wishes,

polarbear

She didn't really answer your question, did she?

Suggest that you respond with;

1. I'm sorry that my question was unclear-- "How, exactly, can {DD} demonstrate her existing mastery of the required curriculum?" Realize that this might take several sessions-- offer to do what you can to minimize the impact on her as a teacher so that she doesn't think you're asking her to spend two afternoons one-on-one with just your child, going through the entire year's spelling textbook.

2. In addition to that question-- "what exactly is required for students in your classroom to demonstrate "mastery" within this spelling curriculum?" (that way she can't pull a stunt like stating that your DD has to do it like all the other kids in her class since she missed two words from December's slated spelling lists-- if a particlar level of proficiency is okay for other 4th graders AFTER instruction, then it needs to be okay from YOUR child before instruction, kwim?)

Yes, bring your spreadsheet from last year.

PolarBear,

No worries. I'm surprised my post even made sense since I wrote it that morning. :P

She is an amazing writer and I will definitely use that in my argument. She uses higher-than-grade-level words in her writing for sure.

Thank you HowlerKarma,

I will definitely email her with your approach. It gives her time to reconsider and be more specific. Good point and glad I posted in here.

You may wish to edit for privacy, removing your DD's name from your original post.

I agree with others about opening further discussion to receive information on testing out.