His first grade teacher doesn't seem to have any kind of plan about how to handle differentiation for him. The last time I talked to her a week or two ago, she said she was thinking of giving him second or third grade math and she didn't know what curriculum. DS says she hasn't tested him. How is she going to know what he can handle?
Unfortunately, for the most part teachers do not tend to have solid plans for differentiation. Some have explained that a grade-level teacher is typically very familiar with their own grade-level materials but not those of other grades. Support team meetings involving teachers from several grades may run into speed bumps. When parents can suggest something which they see as suitable for their child and which has been implemented elsewhere, this may help avoid reinventing the wheel.
Many parents have shared that differentiation has been done without goals and measurement, was socially isolating, and was largely self-taught. Some have asked for participation in a cluster group with other kids of similar readiness and ability, or joining the appropriate grade-level classroom for math class. Do you envision something like this for your son? Do you envision an aide or tutor due to 2e issues? Do you envision independent work on a computer-based system?
