ABQ - I even feel this way for my just turned 8 year old. We all do the best we can with the information and circumstances we have before us. But, I feel so fortunate that these issues came to a head for us now because I am determined to give my DS the tools to ensure that his academic, social and emotional needs are met. Oh, and I often feel like hugging Grinity too!
Grinity - He is a 3/4 cluster classroom and is working above the state standards for 3rd graders and for math anyway, she is teaching at the 4-5 grade level (again state standards). At that level, he is in the mid 80s-mid 90s for different categories but it works out to making an A (She said she had some points to give to the 3rd graders if they were not working at the higher level and he did not need them.)
He is enjoying the work, does not complain about it being boring, and seems to genuinely like his classmates (even the bossy (with endearment � they help him organize) girls :)). He loves going to school. He just had his birthday and several of his classmates came to his party � from what I can observe (some classroom and outside of school too), these are his peers even if he might be at the upper level of the group IQ wise. He did have a very difficult transition, but he seems to have hit his stride and he loves going to school and is coming home with lots of stories about what he has been learning and much of it is new. At this point, I am not that concerned about grades � more that he keeps loving to learn and feeling good about himself in the process. He was losing that at his prior school and starting to feel a little put down by teachers because he wanted to learn more. And, I was worried about his self esteem at the beginning of this year but he seems to have transitioned through that and he no longer talks about being a terrible writer and his relationships with his classmates is much better than at the beginning.
So, I guess I say all of that because I think 1) he is likely not working to the upper reaches of his ability level at this point � but I am ok with that right now and feel like I can use some of the time he would be working more on that to work on the EF skills which he will definitely need as he gets closer to middle school (question is whether to do that with or without medication; 2) I am not too worried about his ADHD being an irritant to others or him developing longstanding impressions of wrongness at this point; and 3) I want things to be wonderful when he is 15.
Please send crystal ball immediately!
