Gifted Issues Discussion homepage Forums Parenting and Advocacy I don't know what to do??? Ideas?

I'm so frustrated. My son has been reading since 2. He got a 166 on the Woodcock Johnson Achievement when he was 4, which put him in the top 1% in reading. Math was a 144, can't remember the %.

According to a teacher friend, she puts him around 5th grade for reading ability. The school however tested him ONLY as high as they will test a Kindy kids, which was end of 1st. They won't assess him higher than that.

So flash forward to starting Kindergarten in August. The teacher said he is the best reader in his school K program -- six classes. BUT, she said she can't accelerate him because he can't write well yet. So, she was just going to keep him with the beginning readers. Okay, I decided we'd live with it because she put him in a 1st grade classroom for math. She said "he is bright" so we need to challenge him. (I was so happy that she acknowledged his abilities that I was happy.)

Well now, she wants to move him back. She said he can't keep up because he doesn't write well. She also said "bright kids" like to learn. She said "he doesn't seem motivated to learn" so she wants him back in a K class.

What should I do? I REALLY don't want to spend the money to IQ test, and I don't think it would change how they respond to him.

I don't know what to do? I'm not sure. Do I let her send him back to K or do I argue to leave him. I don't know?????

Edited to Add: By reading acceleration I just mean in-class acceleration, I'm not even talking about anything radical. The teacher hasn't even placed my son with the top readers because he doesn't write well, even though she said herself that he is the top reading in K. Clearly, writing is important in this school!