DS6 is in 1st grade. He took 1st grade math last year. The 2nd grade math schedule doesn't work with the 1st grade schedule this year. He's been sitting in 1st grade math for the last 6 weeks. I think he needs to be in 3rd grade math (which also works schedule-wise), but he needs some curriculum compaction to get there. My question is: Am I pushing DS6 too hard in wanting to accelerate him by 2 years with some curriculum compaction?
The school finally administered the 2nd grade end of year proficiency test to him on Tuesday - they didn't tell us this till DH asked the teacher today - and he scored 35 out of 68. This is lower than I expected (I expected about 70% proficiency), and does not jive with the Kauffman achievement testing we did last April, which showed him a full two years ahead. I know DS6 is capable of operating at a 3rd grade level in math with a little bit of gap-closing on the 2nd grade curriculum, based on my review of the 2nd and 3rd grade math curricula.
In my ideal scenario (I think), I would like to work with an outside tutor to get him through the remainder of the 2nd grade math curriculum, and get him through the first 4 months of the 3rd grade math curriculum, and request that the school put him in 3rd grade math next semester. He's not above grade level in reading, which complicates things. He's in the advanced reading group within his grade, but is definitely not at a 2nd grade level. We might have to work with a tutor on reading skills too, if he is to do well in 3rd grade math. Am I pushing things too much, and should I back off? I really feel that he would thrive in a math class 2 years ahead, but we obviously aren't quite there yet.
Since the 2nd grade math doesn't work with the 1st grade schedule, I think we are likely to need a tutor anyway to give him the challenge he needs in his favorite subject. Maybe we just request the tutor move as fast as DS is capable, and whatever that is, it is? If we have to work with a tutor after school on math, what do we do with him during 1st grade math time? He's not reading well enough to do independent work that requires much reading. Part of me feels like I'm making too much of this. Part of me feels that this is what DS needs. Thoughts/suggestions from others who have needed curriculum compaction to advance an extra grade in a subject?
