Thanks everyone. I am definitely going to try this thing, but I don't see how it's going to work. I guess I was expecting there to be a parent there who said their kid already knew some sight words or was able to do some reading. It's possible that there is such a kid but the mom wasn't comfortable bragging about it. I certainly never say anything. In my experience with community activities most parents are quick to brag if they have anything to brag about... sometimes even if they don't. I actually feel bad when DS reads in front of other parents because I know that it makes them feel uncomfortable. Most of the parents did look at the sight word list with a very amazed expression. I was happy to note that some of the kids were able to write their names and a few of them drew better than my DS.
I do like the teacher. Even my son says she is nice and that he likes her. She said this is her 11th year teaching K and she seems to be the perfect balance between too fresh and too experienced. I'm not sure she actually intends to bring 2nd grade work for DS, I think she was just joking as the situation was a little tense with all of the moms there listening to DS rattle off math like it was nothing. Basically I got the feeling she was assuring them that he was unusual so that they didn't leave feeling that their kids were behind.
The other boy there was clearly none of my business. I'm just saying that anyone could see that my son should be given a chance in a regular classroom and I shouldn't have had to fight for it, especially when a child who appears to be much more likely to struggle is already in the class. I doubt if mom has done much advocacy though, she barely spoke English and brought someone along to help her communicate with the teacher. Unfortunately I get the feeling she is in for a rough year.
We are still trying to move. Our house is stubbornly sitting here attracting no interest. We are going to be dropping even further below our purchase price in an effort to sell faster. Still haven't picked a district to move to. If DS can do well enough behaviorally I want to move nearer to the private gifted school in the area in hopes that he will be ready to go there in a year or two... or three. Otherwise maybe a high achieving district or someplace with a nice Montessori school that goes past grade K.
I just so want my son to go off to school happily and come home happy and able to tell me the good things about his time there each day. I don't want behavior reports and complaints about being bored or that everyone is mean at school. I also think my son has a right to learn more than just social skills at school. If a child had intellectual deficits they would not just toss them in reg ed and be happy if that kid learned nothing all year except social skills. If schools weren't so crazy about teaching to the tests these days DS might be able to learn history and science and get exposed to some great literature, something valuable for all children. Five hours a day of the "3 R's" sounds pretty awful to me regardless of a child's level.
Hopefully DS will surprise us all and have a great time counting and sounding out CAT or the teacher will come up with something that he enjoys doing. For right now though, I'm kinda totally freaking out. It's great to know that I can always pull him out, but more than anything I want him to go off each day to school with the rest of the kids and do well there. I want him to be happy and make friends. After all the years of therapy and hard work I want to get to "normal," that crazy mythical place where your kid just makes it in the world without any special effort on your part. Where you can send your kid to camp or school or sports or whatever and just drive away. And where after you drive away you don't have to give it another thought.
