Dd5 just started K this week. She is at a private school that does subject and/or grade acceleration depending on each individual child, so it is really a nice place for GT kids. DD5 is in a mixed age class with K and 1st together. The thought has been that she will join up with the first graders academically and move on with them to second grade next year.
However, I talked with her teacher who said DD struggled this week keeping up with the first graders. Also keep in mind that the grades are working a grade level beyond public school, so K is really like first and first is like second and so on. I felt terrible that DD had such a bad time - she never let on to me that school was not going well. The teacher said she is easily frustrated which is true at home, too. But also the teacher said she gave up in trying to spell a word in order to write a sentence.
DD5 wants to write really bad. She is a great reader, doing work around a third or fourth grade level. And although it seems like if you can read, you should be able to spell, I realize this is not so.
Any ideas on how to encourage more writing and spelling?
DD is a very eager learner but also a perfectionist. She hates to make mistakes so I want to be careful not to destroy her confidence. Her teacher is going to move her in between the K and 1st grade students for a few weeks with the hope she will get the swing of being in school and accelerate back up with the first graders.
I would like to help build her writing and spelling skills so any suggestions are greatly appreciated.
