I've been laying low a bit lately as we've kinda hit a stalemate with DS7 and school. With conferences coming up next week, though, I'm wondering what to do.
So, DS7 is in 2nd grade with an acceleration to 3rd grade math, and is young for grade after having skipped K. 3rd grade math has been perfect for him. He is actually ready for 3rd grade work across the board (reads at a 5th-6th grade level, top spelling group is way too easy, writes well, etc.) and, according to his 3rd grade teacher, he's very mature and well behaved.
We have tried to talk to his teachers about his mismatch with the spelling curriculum and the math RTI curriculum (which he does daily in 2nd grade) in particular, and have mentioned his much higher reading level at home than what they see at school. They acknowledge that spelling is very easy for him, but say he's in the top group as if that should be enough. I started having DS7 take in some of the chapter books he's reading at home and they immediately noticed and "tested" him to see if he could read it and understand it, and I'm guessing were quite surprised since he said he did well and they left him alone after that. But our discussions with them about trying to get him in a more appropriate RTI math group was the straw that seems to have broken the camel's back.
While the school had always worked well with us with all the other accelerations (his sister is accelerated as well), our talking to his 2nd grade and 3rd grade teachers requesting something more difficult than single-digit addition and subtraction and now regrouping prompted a call to us from the principal. He said that they had received similar requests from about 10 other parents from his RTI math group but that they were "how do I word this, suprised" that we would have a problem since DS was already receiving math acceleration and that that was the accommodation. They did agree to start a Continental Math League just for these kids and I have been starting to see some improvement in the RTI work coming home.
So my question is, since I'm getting some hostility now and definitely lack of concern from his 2nd grade teacher (his 3rd grade teacher has actually been great) and since we don't really want him to skip another grade, do we go into the conference keeping our mouths mostly shut and just trying to get through the rest of the year, or do we continue to rankle them and let them know that DS is still not being challenged? Do I just continue to do the enriching activities I've been doing at home and stop asking them to make his hours at school a better match where he is? Is this the point that we suck it up and realize that school academics may never be a great fit?
Thanks for reading my always-lengthy posts and TIA for your opinions and help!
