A couple weeks ago I volunteered in DS's first grade class. The teacher put me at a "station" where I was supposed to give the kids cards and little ziploc baggies of words. So on the cards in one column was "_ _ g" and in another column "g _ _ " and the kids had to arrange their words like "dog" or "tag" or "got" into the correct column and then read the lists of words to me. There was an entire file box of cards. When a kid completes one they go onto the next one...not necessarily harder, just with different letters/sounds. This was a ridiculous task for about half of the children in the classroom. The other half of the kids had problems reading the words and I had to help them, leaving the other kids to sit there bored and whining about being done with their cards. My own DS was so unengaged, he just sat there and fiddled with his words--didn't even try to arrange them. The teacher did not have the kids ability-grouped at all, which I thought was dumb. If they are going to rotate through stations why not ability-group them and give each group work at the right level? Instead, everyone does the same work. At one station, DS was allowed to read on his own for 15 minutes and he read the huge "Earth and Space" book I sent in for him (he says he reads this every day). That was the only time where he was doing appropriate work.
I have mentioned over and over again about DS needing advanced work to the teacher, going so far as to say "I trust you to figure out a way to get him working at the right level." I can't imagine saying anything else without the relationship becoming negative. I'm sure she knows how I feel, but she simply does not get it and isn't going to change her methods.
But what do I say to DS? Particularly for some of the station activities that are way too easy? Do I tell him to not worry about it and he can take a break, he already knows how to do that stuff? Tell him he needs to follow the teacher's directions and do it anyway? I don't want him to get a mindset that he doesn't need to do what the teacher says (esp. since he is on the lazy end of things), but I also think some of the activities are completely useless and a waste of time. For homework she is sending home 5+2 stuff, knowing that it is way too easy but says she wants him to work on his handwriting. So by the time DS does that, he is tired of writing (he most likely has dysgraphia) and he does not want to do the Singapore math workbook (2 grade levels ahead) I bought for him. I feel like telling him to skip the 5+2 math even though the teacher wants it done, and just do the Singapore math.
I expect this is going to be a continuing theme with every class/teacher and I'm wondering how other people deal with it.
