Hello,
My son is currently in Kindergarten. They did a reading assessment through the WJ test and it was found that his reading level is that of an average 4th grader. He is also ahead on math -- he does math at the level of a mid 2nd grader.

His class is currently reviewing letters and its sounds and doing math with numbers 1-20. He does all the rote counting, rote talking about sounds etc, but then, spends a fair amount of time, memorizing various kids' birthdays, reading other classes' boards that hang outside the classroom when they walk in line etc. His teacher also reports that he has difficulty staying on task. Once, he refused to do a worksheet and accept the consequence (no playtime) because he felt very strongly that the worksheet was at a preschool level. His worksheet work tends to be slower when it involves coloring. Choosing the colors, coloring in the lines (he seems to be very perfectionistic while coloring) etc take a very long time. Testing also revealed a very high verbal ability (he seems to be gifted verbally). His processing speed was average

His teacher seems to think he has ADD. I don't see it at home, as long as I give him appropriate worksheets to do (which I understand is hard to do in a school environment), or any other places where he takes classes (he does need some redirection, but his classes involve physical activity and he does them with pleasure)

How do I politely request some sort of enrichment, especially with respect to reading ? When I ask him why he is reading various extraneous things and slowing down the line, he says that the boards are interesting, compared to what they do in the class !

I am also hesitating to pursue a ADD diagnosis, because I see this more as a emotional maturity issue. I also don't see it happening elsewhere, though honestly, all the other class sizes are small (about 6 kids) as compared to the 20 kids in his K class. I am looking for some suggestions.

My questions are:
-- is it possible to challenge a kid who is reading so ahead ? K is full day, I try and get as many books from the library as I can, but he then spends the evening reading, with a late bedtime (which impacts his sleep and the following day)

-- How can I ensure that his reading level is in line with his reading comprehension ? He reads Geronimo Stilton books and while I am not wild about the "cheesehead" remarks, the books themselves are fairly interesting.

-- what kind of enrichment should I request in math ? Can I do something at home ? If so, what ? Right now, he is obsessed with graphs (so odd, I know) and he would do a lot of graphing if I let him

-- I am also afraid or concerned that the teacher will see me as "that mom". Yes, I definitely want him to have a good work ethic, and I have been talking to him every day about the importance of completing his worksheets. My child, sometimes, calls me out on the worksheets (if they don't make sense), and sometimes asks why he can just not answer them verbally.

Thanks in advance.

Last edited by mom2one; 10/25/12 08:39 AM.