Interestingly,
she does much better in her once a week pullout G/T classes which are academically more challenging than her regular
5th grade classes where she is making As and mid-Bs,
Are there any other differences aside from level of academic challenge between the pull-out classes and the regular classes that could account for this?
Are the pullout classes quieter with fewer distractions?
Is she placed physically closer to the teacher and/or the board in the pullouts? (That is, is it easier for her to see and hear what is going on?)If this is the major difference, consider getting hearing and vision thoroughly tested (not just screened).
Are the pullout classes in a different kind of format than the regular classes? (discussion vs. lecture vs. project-oriented, etc.) This can be a clue to learning style, but also a flag for possible LD, hearing or vision issues as well. (For example, a child who does well with discussions but poorly with written or other visual format work may have vision or visual processing issues that aren't picked up on simple visual acuity tests.)
If there are no obvious differences between the classes other than level of challenge that might account for one environment being harder to pay attention in than the other, you might be looking at a situation where the regular 5th grade classes are still a poor enough academic fit that she is zoning out and missing details because so much of the material is below her level.
If there are environmental differences that could be affecting ability to pay attention in regular class, you might want to check with the regular teacher(s) to see if they can do anything to make the environment easier for her to handle, such as changing her seating to be closer to the teacher or the board, or presenting assignments in more than one mode (Writing assignments, due dates, and instructions for completing them on the board or on handouts in addition to announcing them out loud, for instance.)
