Gifted Issues Discussion homepage Forums Parenting and Advocacy We got our acceleration!

Meeting with the principal this morning went very well. She knows DS6, is familiar with his academic abilities, and was extremely supportive.

The outcome:
DS will remain in first grade, as he can barely write a sentence.

MATH: self-paced on an online curriculum. Will still have to take first grade math tests.

READING: the teacher was just getting ready to start reading groups. There are other high readers in the class for DS to be in a group with, so that should be fine.

SCIENCE: will do the same topics as the class, but get 4th grade-ish books from the library on those topics to learn more in-depth. May have available a science enrichment program on the computer (usually starts at 3rd grade, will try to get a username for him). Can do oral reports to the teacher and/or design an experiment in lieu of the worksheets the kids have been getting for homework.

We have a parent-teacher conference tomorrow which the principal will drop by at; and should be able to start the program this week!!!!

Thanks to everyone for all the great advice!

sounds GREAT!!! I would definitely follow up with the principal via email. Summarize your meeting. Create a paper trail.

I'm so happy for you and your son!

Congrats!

Update . . .

We had a parent-teacher conference the next day, and the principal sat in on the meeting. Mostly we kept the plan the same, with a few exceptions.

MATH: DS will do math online, EXCEPT that he has to sit through the "explanation" part of first grade classroom math each day, and do some problems in the math book before he can go online. I'm annoyed about that, but DS was SO happy today -- he came home and reported that the self-paced program started him on division. The rest of the first grade is doing "doubles plus and minus one" -- as in 3+2 or 4+5. So he was delighted to do division.

READING: There will be a "high" reading group. Fortunately, my awesome DH asked to see the books they're going to be using. The books had about 6 words per page. We objected, and the principal said she could order "Junior Great Books" (I think it's called), 2nd grade level. I pointed out that the high group all read at least 3rd grade level books, but that was the best they'd do. Still an improvement.

SCIENCE: Teacher readily admitted that DS knows everything she teaches in science and then some, and is happy to let him read related in-depth books from the library during science time, and do Gizmos on the computer as well.

So we got something similar to what we asked for, and will hope for the best!

Paper trail created :-) Thanks to all.

That was a good idea, and I did.

DS really *was* so happy all afternoon -- and as I reflect on his comments, I realize that today was the first day I've ever heard him say that he got some of his work WRONG today -- because he's finally doing somehting at a level that challenges him. Wow!

I am so happy to hear that your son is excited about school!

well done on getting the necessary changes (to some extent)

That's wonderful, declori! I hope the mistakes continue

Thanks! Us too! :-)