Gifted Issues Discussion homepage Forums Age or Ability Specific Forums Elementary School Help! Kindergarten woes

In what way is school great? It doesn't sound it, honestly, given that you seem to have had bad experiences with two teachers and no good ones to balance. You mentioned science and Spanish in K, I think, and lots of gifted kids, but if yours is miserable, what are those things worth? In your place I might try once more with the Head, but that meeting would be about "tell me why I shouldn't remove my child". A school can be great with other people's kids, but if it won't see yours...

I agree with ColinsMum-- sounds like this school is not a good fit for your child. If there are other gifted children there, why isn't she grouped with them? Have you considered a grade skip? Has she had a thorough achievement test done so everyone knows her levels?

Last year in K, my dd was embarrassed that they were having her read "baby books," as she called them. She claimed 2yo's could read the books she was being asked to read and she hid them in her backpack. I talked to the teacher and got some relief, but basically I just let it go, knowing my dd had tested into the HGT program and would be challenged starting in 1st grade. Last year, we focused on writing and spelling, which are important components of literacy.

I made sure to afterschool her, and provide her with enrichment away from school. We also talked about K as another play year and a year for art (which she loves.) Yes, it's a wasted academic year, but again, I knew her 1st grade situation would be wonderful (Her brother had the same fantastic teacher) so I could afford to let it ride. Our school was open to a skip, but we weren't interested in that for her at that time. But maybe it's something you should be investigating?

In your shoes, I would find out if they're going to figure out how to allow your dd to learn something in class. And ask for the plan. If they can't do it-- now-- I think you should be looking somewhere else.

But (at least at my son's school)...your AR level is set in the computer. It took me a while to get my son's level set correctly. But even then if he chooses to read a below his level book it won't let him test on it. Or if he chooses a book higher than his level it won't let him test on it. I can see my son not being permitted to read a Dr. Seuss beginning reader but there are some really good books that are slightly below his designated level that if he chooses to read then there is no reason why he can't take the test on it if he wants to. To me he should be able to read whatever he wants to above or below his level shouldn't really matter if it is close. Right now he has to pay way too much attention to level than whether the book would be a cool book to read.

Sweetie- that's wierd about only being able to test on books in his level. The school must have set it up that way. My ds has taken tests on books that were above his given level. I am actually gonna have him do it again to use it to show he needs to be re leveled.

sounds like story of my DS.
I pulled him from kinder in Nov.
Began doing "independent study" thru school district...

That first week he wrote me a sweet letter, thanking me for "teaching him everything he wanted to know" and I am daily amazed at how intelligient this lil guy is!

He did the entire Scott Foreman 1st grade math in a few weeks. So his teacher gave him the Envisions 1st gr math book... he did the 1st "topic" (it is divided into topics ie time/ money/ adding 10thru 20 etc) in about 20 minutes. I had been told that it typically takes class 2-3wks/topic.

I had just introduced TIME to him the previous wk. He sped thru Envisions TIME topic in roughly 45min. Completed MONEY topic in same.... He is a superSponge! and he is Loving it! The fact he learns so rapidly and retains it is wild. Of course, this is relatively easy stuff.

Anyhow I VOTE homeschool your child if able to! Do it and don't look back just be ready to FastForward! I figue my son will slow down once we get to more challenging stuff...

goodluck!

sounds like story of my DS.
I pulled him from kinder in Nov.
Began doing "independent study" thru school district...

That first week he wrote me a sweet letter, thanking me for "teaching him everything he wanted to know" and I am daily amazed at how intelligient this lil guy is!

He did the entire Scott Foreman 1st grade math in a few weeks. So his teacher gave him the Envisions 1st gr math book... he did the 1st "topic" (it is divided into topics ie time/ money/ adding 10thru 20 etc) in about 20 minutes. I had been told that it typically takes class 2-3wks/topic.

I had just introduced TIME to him the previous wk. He sped thru Envisions TIME topic in roughly 45min. Completed MONEY topic in same.... He is a superSponge! and he is Loving it! The fact he learns so rapidly and retains it is wild. Of course, this is relatively easy stuff.

Anyhow I VOTE homeschool your child if able to! Do it and don't look back just be ready to FastForward! I figue my son will slow down once we get to more challenging stuff...

goodluck!

*figure

I would also be asking why you should keep your son there? We had similar issues in our version of K here with my oldest. I eventually pulled him and we ended up in 9 months of play therapy and 9 months of trying to help him heal from the trauma before he was ready to start considering learning again.

Homeschooling rocks and my kids can finally move at their own pace on any given day and learn anything that they feel interested in and motivated to learn about. I will never willingly return to the school system with my children.

My daughter is in kindergarten too. The only thing saving us right now is that my daughter loves art and they do a lot of art projects.

At our conference in late Nov I expressed my concerns as there was no differentiating happening at all. After that they started a reading group where they brought together the 4 readers within the 2 paired kindergarten classes. If I can believe my daughter (and I think I can) they have met about 2-3 times and all they did was read an extremely easy book together out loud at the same time. Fun (not !). My daughter can read at around the 4-5th grade level. She is also pretty good at math but all they do there is count. It is ridiculous. I am constantly told that kindergarten is not supposed to be academic but they other kids ARE learning things, just not my daughter. She was struggling to make friends though so we decided to be low key for now. Maybe I will ask about Accelerated reader.

Anyway, I have no advice for you, just sympathize. Actually I feel you have made more progress than I have.

Updating...teacher is trying a bit harder these days. She's getting some "special" worksheets for math that she enjoys. The teacher reported that she was embarrassed to do them, and that she is aware that DD doesn't like to appear different and is trying to be cautious about allowing her. She also wants her to start showing self-advocacy and extend herself...if the teacher says "write two sentences", DD should write 3-5, and more complex than her classmates.

She does seem aware that DD is capable of this, at least, but I don't know if it's appropriate or not to ask a K student to do this for herself, especially since I'm not sure if the teacher ever told her she's supposed to be doing this.

She *is* allowed to read whatever AR book she wants. I have helped instruct her to pick more difficult ones and she's done two in the last two weeks, setting a new record, and both were late 2nd/early 3rd books,which I'm okay with.

Of course, DD is still not 100% happy with the situation. we're giving it a bit more time, as it is improving a bit. But we're making strides to make it work better, too, including explaining to her that she's getting nightly extension homework from us. And pursuing the steps we need to take to homeschool, so we have all bases covered.