Gifted Issues Discussion homepage Forums Parenting and Advocacy Letter to school re DS and math - response!

Thank you all for your responses. I incorporated your suggestions and this is what I ended up sending:

Hi,

I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday! I know it didn't seem like two weeks to me.

I've been doing a lot of thinking since our last meeting. I am still really concerned about math. I know we discussed the combo K/1 class which is about to begin and I said that I would wait and see how that worked out. The problem is that if I wait and don't say something now I fear it will be too late later.

DS5 is excited about math. He loves working a problem. He loves telling us how he got the answer or why that is the correct answer. Mr. Teacher gave him some multiplication the other day and he was delighted. I think he would benefit, his attitude about school would benefit, so much by working at a higher math level. As we discussed at the last meeting, DS5 does not seem engaged in much at school, except centers.:) He is often just staring at nothing. The questions I keep asking myself is why and what can I do about it? He is obviously not a kid who can't learn or is disinterested in learning. I'm afraid the his disinterest in school will just worsen, it is definitely not getting any better, and that would be heartbreaking. After looking at the math curriculum I believe that he would do very well on the end of year 1st grade assessment and not badly, or even well, on the 2nd grade assessment. Can we have him assessed further than the end of Kindergarten and then see what other options there may be? I really want him to come home from school excited/proud about something and unfortunately he doesn't right now. If it happens to turn out that I am wrong about where he would place then at least I know that I've done everything I can for him.

I understand that I am asking for something that is not the norm. Please let me know if there is anything that I can do to help out whether it is coming into the classroom more or something else that may be needed.

I appreciate all the help that you have given me so far and look forward to continuing to work together. I am very grateful for the concern that you show towards DS5.



As for afterschooling we have resources around the house that he can access whenever he wishes. The problem is that he doesn't want to spend his time doing "work". He wants to play. He just spent 6 1/2 hours at school and I keep reminding myself he is just 5. It is really not fair to him to make him repeat school each day and it will possibly turn him off learning. We turn whatever we can into a teaching moment so he still gets a bit.

Cricket2 - I don't know what the 1st/2nd grade math schedule is. All the grades eat lunch at a different time so even if he tests as I believe he will it might not be very easy. DS5 has not had any testing, I keep debating that question, but everything points to IQ not being a problem later. I'm sure that is part of what the school is questioning.