My 2nd grade son has struggled mightily in school since day 1... school has been great working with him on differentiation etc. and he has a weekly individual tutor... has gone down from last year. He loves school and is trying, but is still struggling and continues to underachieve. Any thoughts on what to do next? Thanks for the help/advice!
Sorry I do not have an answer but only a question. Does he have true intellectual peers in school?
Is he cluster grouped with others at his level of readiness and ability? Or is he isolated, forced to choose between appropriate academic challenge -or- the prospect of being among others with whom he is sharing his academic experiences, struggles, and triumphs? Is he in a group of kids whom he may ask questions of, take turns being leader and follower, and observe that one child may be stronger in one subject/skill while another child may be stronger in another? Are his efforts praised, his hard work encouraged, or does he observe that others may feel his more rare intelligence profile is a burden to the classroom? Do others show in unspoken ways such as body language that they are wishing him away or wanting him to be different, less-than? Is he being made to be a social isolate? Do you ask him, what is the best thing that happened at school today? What is the worst?
A PG kid in general ed second grade may be more comfortable in 3rd... 4th... 5th. Have you considered the Iowa Acceleration Scale? Here is an article on that topic, from the Davidson database:
http://www.davidsongifted.org/db/Articles_id_10053.aspx
