DS5 is on the wait list for the Neurolearning Clinic (gifted/dyslexia specialists) and has OT for sensory processing and retained reflexes. His giftedness was confirmed with an IQ test earlier this year. I understand that high ability/IQ score doesn't equal high achievement/good grades. I get it. It is just hard to see it in your own kid.
I sat in on his class today for his Christmas Party. At the beginning in circle the teacher went through each kid and did either sight words or letter sounds. Most kids are doing sight words but a few are still on sounds. When it was my son's turn the teacher (not his usual one) asked which sight words he was on (they are numbered by groups). He said he did not know. A bright teacher pleasing girl spoke up and said "He doesn't do words. He still does sounds". He went through the sounds very quickly with only one reversal that he quickly corrected.
Later they played a combined class game of musical chairs. So it was forty something kids shuffling around a small classroom with loud music. AKA sensory kid's nightmare. He is of course one of the first ones out, gets frustrated, and cries. He quickly recovers to cheer on friends and it was fine. Not ideal but I was glad he recovered quickly.
His teacher mentioned at the party that he needs to work on remembering his classmates' names. That for some reason he can't seem to remember them and I should work with him on that. I wanted to say "Sorry, we are too busy. He has OT exercises, plus OT HWT, plus the BOB books, song sheets, sign language sheets, and sight word sheets you send home". She is nice and I would never be that rude it is just...ugh. I get that it is weird that his fingers don't seem to work right when it comes to sign language and sight words seem new every time and the BOB books we patiently read with him every night are for four year olds. We are working on all of it.
I don't mean to make it sound like he was bad or it was a bad party. The kids had fun. I liked seeing him with friends. Seeing other little boys save him a seat and goof around was cute. He seemed like a normal little kindergartener. He was not the only one to cry over trivial things. Overall, he was gracious, kind, helpful and well behaved.
The whole experience made me see that what ever giftedness he has, it isn't going to shine in the classroom for a long long time. He isn't going to be a strong reader compared to his peers. He can't consistently write numbers 1-10 so arithmetic is a struggle. Writing is improving but he still avoids it if he can.
I am not really sure there is a solution. It is just sad. It seems like one E is in bold 20 pt. font and the other is a tiny e in 10 pt. font.
