Glad to hear about the letter writing homework, that sounds like a positive sign.

I thought of your DD today as my DS6 has been coming home from 1st grade in a good mood saying "good" or "great" about his day. I had requested a meeting with the teacher before school started (to prep them as he is new to the school) but it ended up today, and as it turns out all is not well. As it happens, DS is acting oppositional, being (mildly) disruptive, frighteningly wiggly, inexplicably leaves his seat, has cried every day. Improving over the days but lots of struggles taking up teacher time.

She is concerned he'll refuse to do the placement tests for grouping (I'm happy there is grouping). I was able to reassure her that he loves tests of any kind. I didn't know what to say to her though, she seemed to be open minded and want insight. Which was nice in and of itself I suppose. I said he has an intense personality and does best with choices and that several experts agree no ADHD. It's weeks and weeks too early to discuss differentiation. They did a 2+3 sort of worksheet today. I didn't feel it was fair to even bring it up at all, she seemed to get that he was smart but it's premature to go much further as there's nothing she could do at this point, even grouping doesn't start for a month probably.

What I want to do is tell her about 7 19s on the wisc and say to just let him go read some textbooks in the back of the room. That if she doesn't bother him he won't bother the class. That he'll be fine as long as he doesn't have to do Your Curriculum. Of course I can't say that. And it's not really valid to suggest anything so extreme as he needs lots of work on handwriting and handwriting seems to be worked in to all their subjects. So instead I recommended to give him a written list of allowed and forbidden ways of expressing himself.

I guess I should just be happy he's not refusing to go or doing anything more dramatic than rolling on the ground in tears. But it's discouraging, to have assumed that everything must be going okay and then to listen to a list of "and then he".