Gifted Issues Discussion homepage Forums Parenting and Advocacy dd is starting to complain

She says she is bored with school (1st grade) and wishes she could just read all the entire class time. The teacher has yet to differentiate or put the kids in groups based on ability for math and school has been in session for nearly 7 weeks. How long does this usually take? Should I say something to the teacher? How do you bring up boredom without saying the 'b' word?

Many elementary schools do not ability group in math, ever. Do you know for sure that yours does?

Do you know what you would ask for? A faster-paced or enrichment group, or acceleration?

What is your district's acceleration policy? You should find out if there is a process in place. (In ours, the child takes the end-of-grade test for the *next* grade in order to be grade-accelerated.)

DeeDee

Without knowledge of your school's district policies and state legislation, it's hard to say what to do at this point. But seven weeks in, it's past time to say something.

If you don't want to say "bored" (not sure why it matters, though), you can say, "My daughter isn't learning anything." Because while the purpose of school is not to entertain, it most certainly is to teach.

I have always opened the conversation with the teacher relating what my child is saying at home. I've opened conversations with teachers with statements like,

"DS says he doesn't do math when you say it's math time"

following up with: "I know that's not the case, can you tell me why he might be perceiving this to not be math?" (followed with, perhaps DS doesn't recognize this as math)

or

"DD has been saying several times that she wishes she didn't have to go to school. She wants to go if she could learn something, but she keeps saying that she'd rather stay home and play because she doesn't learn anything"

followed with "of course, we know she's there for the lessons, why might she perceive she's not learning anything?"

These start the conversation. From there, the conversation must get more involved, of course, to put in place appropriate differentiation or accelerations. I have found a lot of success, however, with starting off with my child's words to illustrate how the pace of instruction if affecting my child.

I have a similar problem. While my DS hasn't complained too much yet this year - the work coming home is FAR below him and I mean very far, both in math and in language arts. However, my DS also has issues - his writing/fine motor is delayed and his vision issues (his reading is not at all delayed - a bit advanced even, despite his vision issues but it's not like he is SO advanced there that he is much above grade level) and so I am not sure what is best. I am struggling with maybe it's good to have the easy work for him to gain confidence and not have anything to worry about while working on his vision therapy and OT. On the other hand - he is bored with the work and always says all of the stuff they teach he knows already and that it is all babyish. And I have to agree he's years beyond this work so far - in terms of the substance of it. I am wonderign how bad is it for him to be in this situation? And perhaps mayeb it will pick up soon?

We are having a similar problem, also with 1st grade. DS is complaining that he's bored and the work is too easy. When I conferenced with the teacher she showed me all the differentiation (and it is pretty impressive) that she is doing in Language Arts. She admitted they are focused on reading right now, because a lot of the kids aren't even reading yet. This is a magnet GT program and DS is reading at a third grade level.
Basically, they are doing nothing in math beyond review so far, because they are focused on getting all the kids reading a little better. I mentioned this to the principal and she said, oh well, you know they have to review. Meanwhile, sheets and sheets of +0, +1 and +2 problems. Ugh. I think they started -0 last week.
I'm grateful that they are at least differentiating in Reading, but am asking DS to be patient with Math, at least for now.
Maybe your child's school has a similar approach?

Oh yeah...we're so in the same boat (have thread "doesn't want to go to school". Ds is beyond bored with their "schoolwork". I have emailed the teacher once...nothing doing as of yet.

I'm sorry. That is how I felt for most of elementary school (well, actually middle school and a lot of high school too.) No advice. Hope you get some good suggestions.

I had mentioned to her teacher at the beginning of the year (conference that the teachers have with every student's parents) that the psych recommended math acceleration. The teacher seemed okay with it and said that she would provide Sunshine math for her, specifically stating she had an advanced math group last year that a parent volunteer would take into the hall and work with. So I figured it would be happening by now.

I also have had an impromptu meeting with the principal and the resource teacher last month (I guess that's what she's called) discussing acceleration. Principal flat out said they don't do acceleration. The meeting was very little help and left me feeling that they didn't really believe me and that I just needed to wait until dd makes it into the gifted class that starts next year.

I'm not familiar with the district's policies are for G&T. My dd's are at a magnet school, do they still have to follow district policy or can they do whatever they want? I have worked in other schools where younger kids come into higher grades to do math. So I know it's a possibility within the district. But our principal said flat out that they don't do it.

I guess I'll just schedule a meeting to talk to dd's teacher to see what the plan is and see what she says. If that leads nowhere than I'll contact the district's G&T office for advice. When I was just asking general questions about the program she wanted to know what dd's score was on the wisc. When I told her she told me I really needed to speak to our school's resource teacher to make sure dd's needs are being met. So I feel like she gets it.