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!
