I have written, re-written and deleted this about 8 times in the last few days. But I need to talk about it and I need all of your incredible thoughts and brain power on this one.
Last year some of you may recall we had issues and had to meet with the school over Aiden. Well, not even 3 weeks back at school and we are right back where we were.
Over the 6 week break things were awesome in terms of communication, desire to learn returned, enthusiasm returned everything was great (despite his grandmother dying things were good).
To cut a long story short he cried all the way to school today. He is angry and when I take him to his room to try help him deal with the anger without hurting anyone else - I get hurt. These outbursts are happening every day now. He has stopped speaking to us again about his feelings and thoughts. He says he doesn't want to read, do maths, do science experiments or anything new. He says there is no point.
I am devastated that he has lost his sparkle and that he has lost the desire to learn. That he no longer enjoys it is obvious to me.
The school don't see this - they keep saying he seems happy etc. But I know he is terrified of the "naughty corner" and the other measures they have in place. He was told last year that Grade 0 (K) would be real work, that it would be exciting and challenging, but it's not for him. With the result that he fluffed his reading assessment and has been pegged at DRA level 8 (he ended last school year on DRA level 11 and reads at home on DRA level 18 or more). He started chess, was asked if he can play (which he can basically) and was then taught how to set up the board again. He was told if he talks he will be kicked out and not allowed back in, so he sat there and endured it.
I fear that he has learnt to do at the level that is offered, simply to avoid the punitive arrangements at school. I worry that he has learnt that this is all there is, that he will not learn anything new at school. He is only 5 and this scares me. It's affected the entire family, and DH and I are arguing more, baby is more needy suddenly and little Nathan is trying so hard to be good that it's not normal.
I called the school and they have agreed to a meeting early this next week. Iam waiting for the confirmed date and time.
I would be happy to homeschool DH feels he needs to be in school, that my now newly found freedom of time in the mornings is good for me and it means I have time for Dylan on his own too, since Nathan started at the same school now as well.
How do I word it to the school? I can only see three solutions:
1. grade skip (it will work temporarily as he settles to writing, formal school etc for grade 1, but he is essentially on a grade 2/3 level AFAIK)
2. Give him the real work promised. He told his teacher he wants multiplication, he has not done anything remotely similar.
3. pull out and homeschool.
Sorry for the very long ramblings. I need to know how to verbalise this to the school. I have gotten their own key phrases together already, and am ready to demand what they promised - an individualised learning plan. but what else can I do to prepare? how can I help Aiden right now? Do I keep him home on monday with me?
please help!
