Challenging work: When he has more challenging material he ignores it if given an option. If told to do it...he does it and usually well. In the case he can't figure it out he frustrates easily. Last year this looked like crumpled paper, hidden work, meltdowns...now he typically will approach someone and ask for help. A combination of maturity and learning through all the OT work there is a difference between hard and impossible.
Faster pacing: he complains that school introduces something on Monday and then just repeats it every day until free Friday where kids who didn't get it catch up and those who did get a free day. He says he could start his free days on Tuesday but no one will let him
. However with processing being average I'm not sure where his threshold is for this. He definitely hated math facts. He was completing 15-20 in time given when they began last quarter. Six weeks later he now completes 30-39 in same time.
What do I want: I want him to be challenged. I recognize his temperament is such that he doesn't challenge himself. I worry in current grade--differentiation comes with too much independence...plug him in and let him learn. No scaffolding. No instruction. The alternative is also too much choice...they offer him challenge work during free time but he chooses to make elaborate puppets out of paper instead. I don't like that he has to give that up to receive differentiation. I might be misguided but acceleration guarantees him a little challenge in the work (for now at least...) while still allowing him his free time to create if he works at a good pace. He also gets instruction on these topics he is just suppose to be learning independently right now.
I realize differentiation should include instruction and substitution...but it appears there is much uphill in making that a reality in the classroom. Thus I wonder which is better battle...Acceleration or compacting?
I did do the IAS on my own. I used his scores from last year renormed two grades above plus his current grade ITBS of 99%. His IAS score was 50....which is smack in the middle of the good range. Of course this is without anyone's input and there are subjective questions in the assessment.
I wouldn't accelerate without achievement scores in a better range. I'm assuming they may be...not to his IQ level but I suspect he is now 2-3 grades ahead versus 1-2. He will test again in June, privately. SSA has been my immediate interest as his math achievement was his strongest and had him 3 grades above.
I'm at a point where I've been looking at him through the lenses of a LD for a year and now I'm having trouble seeing the LD and wondering what new lenses I need? If that makes any sense.
