At the beginning of the school year the teacher told us she would do grouping for reading ability and an advanced math group. None of this has happened. Even last year in kindergarten they were already in reading groups.
One day the teacher tells me my dd was struggling with before and after, i.e. what number comes before 7? Yet my dd has been able to do this for 2 years. And just the night before for homework they had to make their own numbers and write the before and after numbers. DD made numbers such as 34, 56, 72, etc... instead of just 5, 8, or 3. And she had all the before and afters right.
Then one time the teacher tells me she needs help understanding fewest coins. Meaning if they have to use coins to show 13 cents (just using nickels and pennies) they will need 2 nickels and 3 pennies. So after the teacher tells me this I take dd home and ask her to show me the fewest coins for 18 cents and she actually wanted to use a dime, a nickel, and 3 pennies. She said that using a dime would be fewer coins than using 2 nickels. Not entirely what the teacher wants, but correct.
Then today I was volunteering in the classroom and she tells me my dd was a having a hard time with listing 2 numbers that will add up to 10 and asked me to take her and 3 other girls to work on it. So I take them to a corner of the room and my dd was able to answer the questions without even using the manipulatives given by the teacher. Another girl also had no problem with it but 2 of the girls did need to get the kinks worked out but did eventually catch on. Fwiw they use Everyday Math and I think it's just weird.
Yesterday while we were out for a walk I decided to give dd a math problem to do in her head. I asked her if she had 10 cookies and her sister had 12 how many more did her sister have. No problem. Then I asked her how she could make it so they had an even number and without hesitating she said have her sister give her 1 of her cookies so they each will have 11. This is the same kid who will do her 3rd grade sister's math. So I can't understand why the teacher keeps commenting that dd doesn't understand something when clearly she has it. Add to this she has had 2 math assessments so far this year and didn't miss any problems on them.
I had another mom approach me about the same thing with her dd, teacher said she was having a hard time with something and when she took her home to help her with it her dd had no problems with it. So it's not just happening to my dd.
To make matters worse, dd has been telling me she is sick and doesn't want to go to school when she is really not ill at all. She just plain doesn't want to go to school. When I ask her why she tells me it's not interesting and she'd rather stay home with me.
I just really don't know what to make of all this. And I feel if I try to address dd's reason for not wanting to go to school the teacher is going to claim she shouldn't be bored b/c she has concepts she needs to work on (according to the teacher). We will be having conferences later this month but I have a feeling the teacher is going to dismiss our request for differentiation.
Last edited by mountainmom2011; 10/03/12 02:20 PM.
