Gifted Issues Discussion homepage Forums Parenting and Advocacy different assignments in class

My ds is in 1st grade. His teacher has been wonderful about giving him books for reading that are on his level and giving him different projects to work on. One day though I was helping in the classroom and saw my ds crunch up a paper from his folder. When I asked him about it later, he finally let it out that his teacher had given him a harder math worksheet during the math time, but when he finished it, the teacher gave him the one the rest of the class was given. He didn't think it was fair to have to do more work than the other kids (besides it being too easy) and that is why is wanted to throw it away. I think it was more the level of the assigment though as apposed to having one more sheet to do.

So, anyway, I was wondering for those of you who have childern getting different in class assigmnets are they also responsible for the ones the class has to do? I know that when you have different assigments for one child it may become time consuming for the teacher, and I would certainly be willing to send in extra math pages if that would help. I'm still thinking about how to bring this up to her and just looking for ideas...

thanks!

My feeling is that if they clearly know the material, then they should have appropriate material in place of the classroom work. It doesn't make sense to do both. My DS5 is in first and I do believe that sometimes he has to do the same work they do, and other times he doesn't. I have recently started more discussions on this as I don't think that makes sense. I think they are just figuring all this out. They are going to start giving him his own spelling words, which is a good start. He was getting frustrating having to write his 2 and 3 letter words 3x each. His math homework that comes home is the most basic thing ever and his teacher told me that I was welcome to make it more appropriate to him and challenging to him...which is a good start but I have no idea how to turn an assignment that says something like "what number comes after 10?" into something challenging for him. So they are looking into some more appropriate stuff hopefully. I think he gets to read books in the classroom while they are learning to read. But he still does the handwriting and journal stuff that the other kids do, which makes sense.

In bringing it up with the school I would just mention that you are really excited that they have been able to challenge him some with Math and reading, but that you were wondering if his math is in place of the other math or if it is in addition to the other math. I would say that he really enjoys the challenging math but that you had noticed him become frustrated when given the other sheets. Something like that would clearly acknowledge you are grateful for what they are doing. I am not expert but those are my thoughts. : )

How about what number comes fifteen after 102? Same concept, but you are adding addition and bigger numbers. I know Wolf would like that one a lot more. If your kid is into negative numbers you can throw those in too. Math isn't boring around here, Wolf won't let it be!

As for the double worksheets, I would suggest to the teacher that if your son is finishing his advanced work more quickly than the other kids are finishing the basic stuff that perhaps optional additional advanced work or quiet reading time would be a better option than the same work the class is doing. I see it as a type of punishment for being smart to make them double up their work like that. Not only that, but it's honestly a bit insulting: Oh, you finished your page of advanced calculus before the class was done with their page of single digit addition? Well, here's the page they are doing so that you can keep busy...

Ha, DS7 does his homework answers in Roman numerals--would that help?

Find some math workbooks like Mindware.com or a Math computer program that he enjoys and let him do this when he is done early. If it's all figured out for the teacher it's easier. Can he use a computer in the classroom or could you bring in a lap top?

LOL, how funny that you posted this because this is exactly what I did on Monday night when he came home with one of those sheets again. I hadn't even seen your post yet. I told him to write his answers in roman numerals...of course he knows them so well already but at least it switched it up. Maybe we will do binary numbers on our next assignment. Although I think his teacher may have to look it up to see if he is right.

And I like that idea Wyldkat. I may have to be creative for a bit until they figure out what work to give him. i still am hopeful that they could give him some appropriate homework instead of me having to come up with my own child's homework.

I sent primary challenge math and a singapore mathbook in with him. They said that it would be helpful...he says he has done a few pages in his clas but not much at all and he still gets the regular homework for math.

Humor Alert, but

How about - in base 6, what number comes after 10?

To three decimal places, what number comes after 10?

What is the lower prime number, greater than 10?

What is the lowest square which is greater than 10?

Skip counting by 2's, what number comes after 10? By 5's? By 7's?

Of all the fractions you know, what number is near, but greater than, 10

Sorry, couldn't resist. It's my special gift. But really, this is why we have curriculum writers and specialist, yes?

I hope they give up on him doing the regular Math soon, and allow him to 'place out'
Grinity

shellymos & wyldkat,
thanks for the advice. I agree that it seems kind of like punishment to do both and I certainly don't want this to frustrate him. I like the ideas about changing up the worksheet as well. Yesterday he came home with a word problem math sheet that he had added phonics to while waiting for the class to finish the page.

That truly is a gift you have Grinity. But that would require me to learn things because I don't know all those answers, LOL I don't know base 6...but I was proud of myself when I learned binary numbers this summer (but not so proud of myself when I started to get it wrong in my explanation to my newly 5 year old and he corrected me).

mjb - Changing up assignments is good as long as the teacher doesn't get all offended. If they are a good teacher, they won't care and may even encourage it. I think it is a good temporary fix...but I am hoping for something a little more appropriate for long term. Good luck! My DS comes home with pictures and all sorts of things drawn on the back of some of his assignments. But not as much the last week since they let him go on the computer some if he finishes early.