I always struggle with how early to start advocating for differentiating schoolwork. With my incoming 3rd grade son, I wait until October conferences, and every year nothing happens, or doesn't until March. I have an incoming 1st grade girl who is very quiet and well behaved, so I worry that she will slip through the cracks. She did kindergarten when she was 4 with the intention of using as preschool (they only 14 kids, and I could avoid paying for preschool and transporting two kids to two different places). They tested her that year, and she scored in the 2nd grade for math and 1st grade in reading (she was 4). This year in kindergarten (new school), despite my prompting, the teacher ignored her in math, and made her have to read chapter books by herself during reading. I just got her spring report card, and the teacher put that she was at grade level for math (somehow she went down two grade levels???), and exceeded in reading (which she is worse at). I am assuming this means that her teacher did not ever assess or spend time with her to see what level she was actually at. So I am all ready to go to her incoming first grade teacher and demand that this does not occur again, but I also don't want to upset the innocent teacher who had nothing to do with this. Any suggestions on how to be proactive and strongly advocate while still being respectful? I feel like I have tried the respectful route for three years with my son and never got results.......
