I am so beyond frustrated with public school right now. Samuel is doing so much "independent" work, or even sent to the second grade class because he's so much ahead of his class right now. SERIOUSLY! They are working on numbers. One number a day. Don't even get me started on reading. Samuel's been asking for spelling lists, but they dont' start spelling until January, but he got the first ten lists of ten words this week to take home.
I went ahead and spent money on getting them the Singapore math books. Albert is doing 1B and Samuel is on 2A (which is third grade). I am so frustrated. I mean, I'm glad that he is in PACE because he gets music, Spanish lessons, drawing lessons, a separate art lesson, but the academics is just mindblowingly simple.
This afternoon I downloaded and printed out school the "Math Challenge" sheet, which is officially for grades 1-6, and Vivian answered 9 of the 13 problems by herself plus the "extra credit" problem, all while I was nursing Tristan after his nap. She did another 2 of them with minor help, and in the end we only left 2 unanswered. I'm hoping it isn't an uphill battle to turn it in since Kindergarteners weren't invited to participate. But the prize for getting enough answers (which depends on grade level -- 1st/2nd were supposed to answer 5, I think?) is a rubber Halloween duckie and you know Vivian and ducks.
Spelling, eh? I bet Samuel can already spell at least 95 of those 100 words. We got sight word flashcards at P/T conferences. I might save them for Tristan.
that also sucks about the gifted program. :( Todd and I are still in disagreement about grade skipping, but I'm not sure what we are going to do with Albert. I'd like him to start kindergarten next year.
do you still need someone to watch tristan thursday?
I hope Albert can start next year. If Tristan is anywhere near Vivian's level in 3 years I will absolutely want him to start even though his birthday isn't until October so he'd be 4 when he started. He's so much more normally social than she is that I can't honestly envision the age/socialization thing being a big issue. I've been thinking the best way to achieve this might be to enroll him in a private preschool/elementary because if they complete K in a private school that has grades up through 3, that's considered adequate to move right into 1st without any testing/challenging.
Oh and no, I don't need Tristan watched -- but THANK YOU for offering. :) :)
Is Todd against skipping? 'Cause think of it this way: if Albert goes to K next year, you'll have to skip Samuel so they're still the right number of years apart in school. ;)
Because starting kids out with two years of frustratingly slow/behind them curriculum is a GREAT way to get their "educational careers" going. :/ I hate how ignored Highly Capable kids are as a special education need to meet. Nobody would get away with saying "your kid's just going to have to wait until the second grade to get his IEP needs met."
No kidding. The school district tossed an IEP at Vivian before she even turned 3, but we're going to have beg and grovel if we want her to not be bored to death in school.
I don't know about your program, but so far I've read one 5-page document about adjusting curriculum for accelerated learners, and several chapters about adjusting curriculum for kids who are behind.
Actually I think all this reading is giving me a complex, because I'm equal parts frustrated for Vivian and sorry at the amount of work I'm asking her teacher to do just for her (especially considering her behavior problems are already making a ton of work).
We had a whole class based on accommodations for special needs, but it had very little focus on highly capable kids. My practicum/student teaching classroom is a highly capable inclusion class, though.
I think it's good to be empathetic towards her teacher, while still holding them accountable for really trying to meet her needs. Boredom creates more behavior problems. :/
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I went ahead and spent money on getting them the Singapore math books. Albert is doing 1B and Samuel is on 2A (which is third grade). I am so frustrated. I mean, I'm glad that he is in PACE because he gets music, Spanish lessons, drawing lessons, a separate art lesson, but the academics is just mindblowingly simple.
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This afternoon I downloaded and printed out school the "Math Challenge" sheet, which is officially for grades 1-6, and Vivian answered 9 of the 13 problems by herself plus the "extra credit" problem, all while I was nursing Tristan after his nap. She did another 2 of them with minor help, and in the end we only left 2 unanswered. I'm hoping it isn't an uphill battle to turn it in since Kindergarteners weren't invited to participate. But the prize for getting enough answers (which depends on grade level -- 1st/2nd were supposed to answer 5, I think?) is a rubber Halloween duckie and you know Vivian and ducks.
Spelling, eh? I bet Samuel can already spell at least 95 of those 100 words. We got sight word flashcards at P/T conferences. I might save them for Tristan.
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do you still need someone to watch tristan thursday?
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Oh and no, I don't need Tristan watched -- but THANK YOU for offering. :) :)
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I don't know about your program, but so far I've read one 5-page document about adjusting curriculum for accelerated learners, and several chapters about adjusting curriculum for kids who are behind.
Actually I think all this reading is giving me a complex, because I'm equal parts frustrated for Vivian and sorry at the amount of work I'm asking her teacher to do just for her (especially considering her behavior problems are already making a ton of work).
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I think it's good to be empathetic towards her teacher, while still holding them accountable for really trying to meet her needs. Boredom creates more behavior problems. :/
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