Just wondering if anyone has any useful advice... So, DS is getting in trouble for "working ahead" in math. He gets bored waiting for others and when he works ahead sometimes he gets the problems wrong (usually because he doesn't read the directions properly) and sometimes he gets them right. Apparently, the only children permitted to work ahead are the "ones who can do so without error." DS' response to this is he "doesn't mind making mistakes because that is how he learns," but admits that many times he only makes mistakes because he didn't or couldn't read the directions properly. He also said he'd "rather work ahead and make mistakes rather than sit there bored waiting." I see the teacher's point of course and, of course, I am biased but I can't bring myself to discipline him for wanting to work, wanting to learn, not being afraid to make mistakes and learn from them, etc. Anyway, this seems to make the teacher pretty angry - today she sent home classwork he had gotten wrong (clearly b/c he didn't read the directions properly) and wrote in big letters "this is why he needs to stay with the class and not work ahead!") To be clear he didn't get the actual calculations wrong - just didn't follow the directions properly. I am at loss for what she wants me to do? Should I punish him for this? It doesn't feel right. I also think part of the problem is he comes home and does math stuff on the computer trying to learn more so this making the problem worse I guess but I don't want to discourage that either. Any suggestions that I can give the teacher? Today appparently he sat and wrote all the "times tables" he could think of that he knew to occupy himself but teacher didn't send that sheet home LOL
Last edited by marytheres; 02/27/13 11:26 AM.
