Gifted Issues Discussion homepage Forums Twice Exceptional DD4 at school

The best by far is Spanish, followed by German and then Dutch which is catching up but has still to improve. She understands a lot but lacks 'active' vocabulary when speaking.


She thinks in all three languages but the most common is Spanish.

The books that I saw in her class look to me deep enough. That DD likes them, that I do not know. I think I will ask the teacher for a list of books that her private Dutch teacher can read at home with her. If they are too simple, I can always use them for D(16months) .



I just went to amazon to see an excerpt of these books ... ehem... One fish two fish is the kind of book I read DD when she was 1ish!

When she was two I read to her the stories of Frog and Toad of Arnold Lobel (translated in Spanish of course) and "La visita de Osito" (http://www.amazon.com/Visita-Osito-...mp;s=books&qid=1196873798&sr=1-2).
She really loved them.

Now I do not read her (almost) at all



Oh yes!

Thanks!

Isa

Isa,
I had an idea. I reccomend you try to set up some playdates with girls from the school who are in the older class. Then you can see if she will "play up" with the older girls, and maybe she will feel inspired to learn her Dutch letters so she can be like those girls.

As for home efforts, follow up on the vision issues is important. Does she know the "Alfabet Song?" I'm wondering if some "Sesame Street" videos in Spanish to learn the letters are availible. I like the idea of teaching her to read in Spanish at home, yourself or a tutor. Sounds like your baby is a handful. Of course at this age I think most are. I remember that when things got very quiet, and I could only hear heavy breathing from the next room, that was a sure sign of trouble - what I remember most is seeing every one of my shoes piled up on the closet floor. Not very sinister, but the sound of consentration was remarkable!

Smiles,
Trinity

Trinity,

actually I was thinking to ask the teacher to introduce DD to a couple of girls from the next group that share similar interests than DD (crafts and prentend play). You are reading my mind LOL!

I think that for the letters the main barrier is her poor vision skills, but to address this problem I first have to convince her that eye exercises are not intended to 'change' her at all. She has an obvious interest in learning the letters but becames easily tired when we play with them.

Hopefully, when we are in Spain this Christmas, the psycologist will be able to help on that.

I will also look for Sesame Street (Barrio Sesamo in Spanish) in Spain as well and see if DD likes them. There are certainly SS videos (well DVDs) in Spanish, but I do not know if they have the letters. But worth to check it defititively.

If you think that DD is a handful... wait and see DS LOL!
He is certainly more independent but then I have to go after him to see where is he climbing, or which cabinet is he emptying ... When he is doing something he know he should not he is VERY silent LOL.

Coming back to DD: I asked her yesterday once more about the school and she told me that the activities she had to do were very easy when she was with the teacher, but when she had to do them alone, then she did not like them.
I think that she is given very simple things to do that do not teach anything new so she has no incentive to do them alone. Why on earth should she do something that is boring, does not give her a sense of accomplisement and on top of that she has to do it alone?
I wonder, if she would be given a task/activity which were quite difficult for her and for which she needed the help of the teacher for at least 2 or 3 times before attempting it on her own.
I am almost certain than when she starts to get it she will be willing to work alone or with a minimal interaction.

The only problems with my beautiful solution are, on one hand that this requires extra attention from the teacher (even though at least it will be not a lost of time for both) and that DD is underachieving and may resist anything that requires any effort.

Any comments on this?

Hard to do could certianly mean - "difficult to force myself to do." At 4 one isn't ususally expected to have this kind of fortitude.

I strongly reccomend the book "Why Bright Kids get Poor Grades." by Sylvia Rimm. she talks about this in detail.

Best wishes with the Christmas trip.

As for eye exercises - is she bribe-able? It seems a shame that she has to do them with you at home - isn't there a therapist who is trained at making it fun.

A different idea is to make yourself to them in some obvious way, and complain, "My eyes, my eyes, "They are so tired." "
Do the excersizes and say, "My eyes, they feel better and stronger now."
"But I don't want to sit by myself and do these, can you sit with me and do them with me?"
Then, when you are playing catch, "I'm so proud of my eyes, look how good they are since I practiced!"

She may see right through it, but I'll bet she will appreciate the effort! Who wouldn't? And she probably has an amazing sence of pride, that may have her stuck in a corner she can't get out of, so seeing you clown may be enough to gently move her out of that corner.

Of course you don't have time, and it might take months and months, ((shrug)) but what choice do you have?

Trinity

Perhaps a little bit of Theatre is called for?

Hi,

I saw the teacher today (I mean, spoke) and I told her what I thought about giving DD more challenging tasks and she seemed to understand and to see my point. She told me that she will see what she can do.

About the 'theater play' on the eye exercises... I have to be very careful on that one because I think that DD was getting into a depresion 'thanks' to the behavioral optometrist that we were seeing. But once she is sure that I love her no matter what, I think it is a good idea actually.

Opps Isa -
I forgot about that horrible unprofessional experience! Sorry! Did that bad lady ever send a written appology? There needs to be some closure here so your family can move on! Your dd needs that kind of help, but not from such a person!

Yo no se,
Trinity

I hope the teacher comes through - that would be excellent!
and the playdates with the older girls might work well too.
T

Hi Trinity,

I never told the bad lady why exactly we did stop the therapy. I was (well, still am) so angry that I though I would loose control.


I am toying with the idea of going to France to get the eye therapy. The problem is that I would have to stay there for about 6 weeks with the two kids, but without DH

that sounds fun! Another language to soak up!

I still want you to tell the bad lady, and "tell on" the bad lady. Write it if you can't say it civilly, but do ask for that written appology. I think your daughter deserves a written appology. Maybe it will inspire her to learn to read - ((wink))

Smiles,
Trinity

Trinity,

If my hubby could stay with us I would not hesitate one moment. I have been living in Paris for 5 years and I would love to visit back once more.
The problem is that 6 weeks without DH would be too much for me and for the kids, espcially the kids. He is travelling a lot, and when not, he arrives late, when they are already in bed and DD is less than happy with seeing so little of her dad.

About the 'bad lady' I guess one day I will have to confront her, but I have no intention of letting her write or talk to DD at all. She has done enough damage.