Gifted Issues Discussion homepage Forums General Discussion Do I Bring This Up To His Teacher?

Hi all! I'm trying to decide if I should bring up a situation to my son's teacher or if I should just let it slide. We have conferences in a couple weeks.

My DS6 is in 1st this year after having skipped K. He is not really learning anything new (he says the only thing he's learned is tally marks, and that took him all of about 5 seconds). His teacher is really wonderful and knows that he's ahead of most of the curriculum, but doesn't really differentiate beyond the spelling groups, the occasional math game for the top math kids, and letting him read at his level at individual reading time. He's definitely the top kid in math and the best reader and is one of the three top spellers.

When he is in class he is as well-behaved as most kids, but he doesn't always sit still when the teacher is reading to them and entertains himself by tipping his chair back and talking with his friends. For the last several weeks he has been coming home with these elaborate paper creations that either look like an ATM on the outside and then you unfold it and he's filled it with drawings of money, or they look like a cell phone and when you unfold it it is also a bank and several other things, or they are elaborate drawings of different careers that he could have.

I've been in his class helping out and have seen that he does these things in the midst of classwork. For instance, when the class is working on math problems that take him seconds and the rest of the class minutes, he'll do the work then start creating. So, he's only doing it when his work is done. And, it's not disturbing anyone. I'm not sure if his teacher has seen it but thinks its an okay way for him to pass the time or if she hasn't noticed.

Do I say something to the teacher about how he's filling his time? Do I ask her to give him something academic to do? I know that she sometimes offers to give him extra work, but he says he'd prefer to socialize so she doesn't make him do it. Should I ask her to insist he do something academic (on his level)? He tells me that he doesn't mind already knowing everything and that it's okay that he's not learning anything like the rest of the kids are. Or, should I just be happy that he's found a way to make the day interesting for himself? He is just 6, afterall, and school should be fun. And he really does love going to school.

BTW: At home, he often asks to do workbooks, play multiplication and other learning games on the computer, and do spelling words that he just wants me to see if he knows. So, he clearly loves learning. He even tells people that his favorite thing about school is homework!

So, do I bring it up or let it go? And if I do bring it up, what should I suggest be done about it? TIA!

I advise you to talk to your son's teacher. Speak in a happy and upbeat manner and ask if she can assign him more advanced work, or if she'll allow him to work on books that you send for him. With my ds1 I had positive experiences in preK, and second grade in this respect. My son had to do his regular work, then he did more advanced work. It didn't work with his first or third grade teacher, however, and my son regressed academically those years. If the child is not challenged at this young age, he will not learn good study habits, and his brain may not develop to its full potential.

I agree with homeschoolfor3. My DS6 is in a 1st grade full-time accelerated gifted class. He was working on 2nd grade math and reading with the rest of his class. The 2nd grade math was too easy for him and he started complaining that it was boring. His teacher told me that the 2nd grade math was just review for my son and called him her math whiz. Then she discovered that he understood how to do two digit multiplication after watching him do the calculations on the school's Successmaker software program. I was afraid that I would offend her by asking for more challenging math curriculum; but when I finally spoke to her about it, she let him start the 3rd grade math curriculum. He is enjoying the challenge of the new math and no longer complains about his math. My son's teacher goes out of her way to challenge all the children in the class. I realize that most teachers are not as accomodating.

I would also agree that conversation with the teacher would be a good idea. DD11 had a similar experience in 3rd grade and it went from your child's behavior to actually disruptive behavior. She would initially entertain herself and then later she would talk with others even if they were not done with their work. Once the work was nothing but review for state testing, she stopped bringing homework home and just tuned out from the entire learning process. All her previous teachers would give her advanced work but for some reason this teacher was reluctant to do it. I have since learned that it's important for DD to stay academically challenged during her school day and finding ways to communicate with teachers to make it happen.

Jen

Although I imagine that he's learning quite a bit making those terrific creations. What you DON"T want is the teacher jumping on his behavior without a good idea of advanced work. Maybe he could extrapolate from the constructions to exploring how and what they do in the real world.

Well, I talked to the teacher and she definitely agrees he should be using his free time in a more productive manner. She said it would be great if I would send one of DS's workbooks in with him. She said he could place it on his desk next to whatever he is working on with the class and then when he is waiting for the class to finish up after he is already done, he can work on it. She has also made him a packet of worksheets at his level, including some critical thinking-type math problems, that he can also do, and she has let him know that it's okay to work ahead in his math journal. And best yet, when I talked to DS about it, he was excited! I imagine that he'll have to be reminded of the extra choices for a bit, but I'm pretty excited that he might actually get to progress academically now. He even came home today saying that he'd worked some in his workbook and in the packet she'd made for him.

So, so far it's an advocation success story! Thank you for your support!

Good goin' mnmom!