J missed two days of school last week, our first school absence experience. I sent a note to his teacher, asking if he needed to make up any work, and if so, could she please send it home with him?
Her reply was, "I'm not worried about J. He can skip the work he missed."
Yeah, well, he could skip kindergarten entirely, but I'm hoping he'll actually learn something by going and doing work!
I don't care so much about the classwork. After all, it's probably better suited to 3 yr old Z. But I have yet to see any sort of effort from his teacher to challenge J.
She says that her own kids were all just like J. At first I took comfort in that, but now I'm wondering what she did about it back then? Did she just let her children be unchallenged in school? I hope that's not her plan for J. I'm really looking forward to parent-teacher conferences in a few weeks.
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
No challenges for J, just for me!
I keep thinking about something that J's kindergarten teacher said, and can't help but feel disturbed by it. "He seems to be having fun," she said. Yes, he is having fun. He even told me that he loves school because it's like something to do, somewhere to go, every single day!
I think it's great, too, because I don't have the energy to coordinate a playgroup or activity group for him every single day. Yay, the educational system does that for me! And it doesn't cost me anything more than I'm already paying!
But it doesn't mean that he's learning anything.
Sure, he's learning new, fun songs. He's learning to make friends, and how to sit still, form a line, raise his hand, and play games in P.E. He enjoys his homework, because he has to draw a picture and write about it. That's what he often spent his free time doing before school, too. And still does. I awoke to a special picture he drew for me this morning.
But what is school doing to help him further his reading abilities? He's "learning" letters. I put "learning" in quotations because he's known all the letters and sounds, sounded out words, and played the "how many things can you see that start with the letter ____" for 3 years now! That certainly isn't expanding his vocabulary or challenging him. Just because he doesn't mind playing those games with his peers in school doesn't mean that's what he needs.
Today he initiated a discussion about our egg cartons. One holds 18 eggs, one holds 24. He counted six down and 3 across and wanted to know how many it holds. So I reminded him that he can multiply them or add 6+6+6. He figured out all on his own that the one with 18 eggs is a dozen and a half, and the bigger one is 2 dozen. So I quizzed him, "what's 6x2? What's 6x3? What's 6x4? What's 6x1? What's 6/2?" He answered them all instantly and perfectly. Last night, Dad tried to stump him by asking what 1/2 + 1/4 is. It took him a little coaching, but he understood it within 2 minutes.
But in kindergarten class, they grab a handful of buttons or whatever from the "grab jar" and have to count how many, then draw a circle or other mark to record how many they grabbed. Hmmm....really challenging.
I am pleased with his progress in penmanship. At back-to-school night, I saw the other kids' depictions of their names. J's was a little better, but in the past week, he's astonished me and Dad with a drastic improvement. J wrote his name on the back of a toy to distinguish it from his brother's. When I saw it, I asked him if Daddy had written it for him. Turns out, Dad also thought an adult had written it. Wowza! Like most things in his life, he develops skills seemingly overnight, when he decides to put his mind to it.
I'm not criticizing the educational system. I'm sure these are wonderful activities for most kindergartners. But I am so frustrated because it's not what my son needs, and I don't know how to get him what he needs!
While J enjoys his free daily playgroup, I'm wading through what little information is available on parenting a gifted child. I don't know how to deal with some of the behavioral issues that are cropping up. Particularly frustrating is his attitude about effort. If he doesn't do something perfectly the first time, he refuses to give it a second shot. I know this is common for gifted kids, but it still doesn't help me deal with it!
It also doesn't help that I learned the same behavior, to some extent. It was as an adolescent and adult that I learned to set more realistic expectations and give myself time to excel at a new task. In the past 3 years, I discovered a new hobby, digital scrapbooking. I entered a contest for beginners and didn't win a thing. I was frustrated at first, and even gave up on it for a while. But I tried to be patient with myself and decided to put some real effort into the hobby. Because I persisted, I have found a lot of satisfaction, and even won a designer contest last year. I recently participated in another scrapbooking contest and made it to the final round before having to quit because of family obligations. I amazed myself! I know the satisfaction of putting effort into a new interest, but how can I teach that to a 5 yr old?
I've made a bit of progress in my giftedness research. Today I found an email group devoted to gifted interests in Idaho. But I was very disappointed to discover that there is less than 1 email per week, meaning it's inactive. Why can't I find ANY gifted resources? This is the most daunting, most important task I'll ever undertake, and I feel like I'm completely on my own.
I think it's great, too, because I don't have the energy to coordinate a playgroup or activity group for him every single day. Yay, the educational system does that for me! And it doesn't cost me anything more than I'm already paying!
But it doesn't mean that he's learning anything.
Sure, he's learning new, fun songs. He's learning to make friends, and how to sit still, form a line, raise his hand, and play games in P.E. He enjoys his homework, because he has to draw a picture and write about it. That's what he often spent his free time doing before school, too. And still does. I awoke to a special picture he drew for me this morning.
But what is school doing to help him further his reading abilities? He's "learning" letters. I put "learning" in quotations because he's known all the letters and sounds, sounded out words, and played the "how many things can you see that start with the letter ____" for 3 years now! That certainly isn't expanding his vocabulary or challenging him. Just because he doesn't mind playing those games with his peers in school doesn't mean that's what he needs.
Today he initiated a discussion about our egg cartons. One holds 18 eggs, one holds 24. He counted six down and 3 across and wanted to know how many it holds. So I reminded him that he can multiply them or add 6+6+6. He figured out all on his own that the one with 18 eggs is a dozen and a half, and the bigger one is 2 dozen. So I quizzed him, "what's 6x2? What's 6x3? What's 6x4? What's 6x1? What's 6/2?" He answered them all instantly and perfectly. Last night, Dad tried to stump him by asking what 1/2 + 1/4 is. It took him a little coaching, but he understood it within 2 minutes.
But in kindergarten class, they grab a handful of buttons or whatever from the "grab jar" and have to count how many, then draw a circle or other mark to record how many they grabbed. Hmmm....really challenging.
I am pleased with his progress in penmanship. At back-to-school night, I saw the other kids' depictions of their names. J's was a little better, but in the past week, he's astonished me and Dad with a drastic improvement. J wrote his name on the back of a toy to distinguish it from his brother's. When I saw it, I asked him if Daddy had written it for him. Turns out, Dad also thought an adult had written it. Wowza! Like most things in his life, he develops skills seemingly overnight, when he decides to put his mind to it.
I'm not criticizing the educational system. I'm sure these are wonderful activities for most kindergartners. But I am so frustrated because it's not what my son needs, and I don't know how to get him what he needs!
While J enjoys his free daily playgroup, I'm wading through what little information is available on parenting a gifted child. I don't know how to deal with some of the behavioral issues that are cropping up. Particularly frustrating is his attitude about effort. If he doesn't do something perfectly the first time, he refuses to give it a second shot. I know this is common for gifted kids, but it still doesn't help me deal with it!
It also doesn't help that I learned the same behavior, to some extent. It was as an adolescent and adult that I learned to set more realistic expectations and give myself time to excel at a new task. In the past 3 years, I discovered a new hobby, digital scrapbooking. I entered a contest for beginners and didn't win a thing. I was frustrated at first, and even gave up on it for a while. But I tried to be patient with myself and decided to put some real effort into the hobby. Because I persisted, I have found a lot of satisfaction, and even won a designer contest last year. I recently participated in another scrapbooking contest and made it to the final round before having to quit because of family obligations. I amazed myself! I know the satisfaction of putting effort into a new interest, but how can I teach that to a 5 yr old?
I've made a bit of progress in my giftedness research. Today I found an email group devoted to gifted interests in Idaho. But I was very disappointed to discover that there is less than 1 email per week, meaning it's inactive. Why can't I find ANY gifted resources? This is the most daunting, most important task I'll ever undertake, and I feel like I'm completely on my own.
Monday, September 28, 2009
Help Is Only For Those Who Struggle
I've been thinking about J's IRI test scores this evening. Why do the scores only go up to 3? It's because the state doesn't care if a kid is doing well, they only care if they're not.
I have searched in vain for any sort of program, support group, or even a teacher resource for children who are above grade level. The school system (and the government) is so worried about leaving a child behind that they don't even pay attention to the kids who are ahead!
It's as if they think that a smart child can figure things out for themselves. Sure, a gifted kindergartner can read, so he ought to know how to walk down to the library by himself and choose a more challenging book that his teacher has the other kids reading?? Not likely!
I can't remember where I read this, but it really stuck with me. Maybe it was a book, maybe a web site. The government spends millions of dollars to make sure a child of below-average intelligence gets all the help he needs to become a minimum-wage worker. They start these programs at the preschool level. But where are the programs for the children who will one day cure cancer? The kids who will become physicists and physicians and engineers and who knows what else? Those programs don't start until 2nd or 3rd grade, and with the economic downturn, many programs are being cut altogether.
Excellence in early childhood is not rewarded.
This is a confusing topic, because I don't really want the government's fingers in everything. I understand that some children who don't get help with reading will end up illiterate and on welfare instead of pulling in a steady minimum wage. And I know all too well that everybody feels passionate about the issues that they face personally, and not so much about others. This is an issue that perhaps few people are passionate about.
It just seems so screwed up, ya know?
I have searched in vain for any sort of program, support group, or even a teacher resource for children who are above grade level. The school system (and the government) is so worried about leaving a child behind that they don't even pay attention to the kids who are ahead!
It's as if they think that a smart child can figure things out for themselves. Sure, a gifted kindergartner can read, so he ought to know how to walk down to the library by himself and choose a more challenging book that his teacher has the other kids reading?? Not likely!
I can't remember where I read this, but it really stuck with me. Maybe it was a book, maybe a web site. The government spends millions of dollars to make sure a child of below-average intelligence gets all the help he needs to become a minimum-wage worker. They start these programs at the preschool level. But where are the programs for the children who will one day cure cancer? The kids who will become physicists and physicians and engineers and who knows what else? Those programs don't start until 2nd or 3rd grade, and with the economic downturn, many programs are being cut altogether.
Excellence in early childhood is not rewarded.
This is a confusing topic, because I don't really want the government's fingers in everything. I understand that some children who don't get help with reading will end up illiterate and on welfare instead of pulling in a steady minimum wage. And I know all too well that everybody feels passionate about the issues that they face personally, and not so much about others. This is an issue that perhaps few people are passionate about.
It just seems so screwed up, ya know?
IRI Testing
I got a note from J's kindergarten teacher. The kids were all given the Idaho Reading Initiative test last week. They evidently pulled each child out into the hall and asked them to identify letters and letter sounds. The letter sounds weren't graded and reported, but they will be when the children are re-tested in the Spring.
Proficiency levels were reported as 1 (below grade level), 2 (slightly below grade level), and 3 (grade level for kindergarten in the Fall.) To receive a 3, the children had to name 11 letters in one minute's time.
J named 58 letters in one minute, as well as 33 letter sounds (the tester obviously repeated letters to fill the one minute.)
Too bad the proficiency levels only go up to 3!
The teacher wrote a little note next to his results, "I will be challenging him."
Proficiency levels were reported as 1 (below grade level), 2 (slightly below grade level), and 3 (grade level for kindergarten in the Fall.) To receive a 3, the children had to name 11 letters in one minute's time.
J named 58 letters in one minute, as well as 33 letter sounds (the tester obviously repeated letters to fill the one minute.)
Too bad the proficiency levels only go up to 3!
The teacher wrote a little note next to his results, "I will be challenging him."
Thursday, September 24, 2009
Back-To-School Night
I had the chance to speak with J's kindergarten teacher after her Back-To-School Night presentation. I wanted to discuss his reading, mostly to let her know what he's capable of.
I told her that J is reading the Magic Tree House series, but she'd never heard of them. When I explained that they're short chapter books, with about 10 chapters each, and that he reads through one book in about an hour, her eyebrows went up a little and her mouth became an "o." She said, "We'll have to do something about that."
At first I thought it odd that she'd never heard of those books, but as I thought about the rest of her presentation and that she'd asked for donations for an ABC rug to help the kids learn their letters, I realized that most kids she teaches aren't ready for these books. So I looked up the books on Scholastic.com and discovered that they rate the books on grade levels. Magic Treehouse books are rated between grade 2.1 and 3.5!!! I had no idea! It's no wonder a kindergarten teacher has never heard of them!
I told her that J is reading the Magic Tree House series, but she'd never heard of them. When I explained that they're short chapter books, with about 10 chapters each, and that he reads through one book in about an hour, her eyebrows went up a little and her mouth became an "o." She said, "We'll have to do something about that."
At first I thought it odd that she'd never heard of those books, but as I thought about the rest of her presentation and that she'd asked for donations for an ABC rug to help the kids learn their letters, I realized that most kids she teaches aren't ready for these books. So I looked up the books on Scholastic.com and discovered that they rate the books on grade levels. Magic Treehouse books are rated between grade 2.1 and 3.5!!! I had no idea! It's no wonder a kindergarten teacher has never heard of them!
Monday, September 21, 2009
Kindergarten
J started kindergarten. We're in week 3 now, and he is having lots of fun.
The first week and a half were all about rules and how to be at school. That is definitely something that J needs to learn, so things are going well. He gets homework every Monday, and while he needs some encouragement and reminding to get it done, he's very capable of doing it. He is being challenged by all the writing he's supposed to do. He taught himself to write, and now has to learn to form the letters the correct way, always starting at the top of the letter.
The schoolwork he brings home is about what you'd expect, I guess. They have a "letter of the week," and each week they have practice sheets where they write that letter many times. They also make some sort of paper craft involving the letter. He brought home a paper with macaroni glued in the shape of an M, and a paper S decorated to be a snake. They've made little books and such, too.
But when he shows me his work, he usually says how great it will be to teach Z with. Because frankly, the stuff they're doing (except for the writing) would be perfect for Z!
I'm very happy that he's having fun, and there are no signs of boredom yet. It's fun to be with other kids his age and do art projects, and his school keeps them busy with music, engineering, computer, library, and P.E. classes.
The first week and a half were all about rules and how to be at school. That is definitely something that J needs to learn, so things are going well. He gets homework every Monday, and while he needs some encouragement and reminding to get it done, he's very capable of doing it. He is being challenged by all the writing he's supposed to do. He taught himself to write, and now has to learn to form the letters the correct way, always starting at the top of the letter.
The schoolwork he brings home is about what you'd expect, I guess. They have a "letter of the week," and each week they have practice sheets where they write that letter many times. They also make some sort of paper craft involving the letter. He brought home a paper with macaroni glued in the shape of an M, and a paper S decorated to be a snake. They've made little books and such, too.
But when he shows me his work, he usually says how great it will be to teach Z with. Because frankly, the stuff they're doing (except for the writing) would be perfect for Z!
I'm very happy that he's having fun, and there are no signs of boredom yet. It's fun to be with other kids his age and do art projects, and his school keeps them busy with music, engineering, computer, library, and P.E. classes.
Friday, August 7, 2009
Been a while
Busy life detracts from blogging sometimes!
Two nights ago, as I tucked J in bed, we were listening to the crickets chirping through the open window. Or rather, J was listening and I was oblivious to the racket until he said, "Mom? Are crickets nocturnal? Because I don't hear them during the day."
Nocturnal, huh? That's a big word to remember!
I can't believe I'm doing what I'm doing right now! I'm filling out J's wall calendar with the first day of school and days off, etc. from the school calendar. I'm quite nervous about sending him to school. I worry that he'll be bored, get into trouble for goofing off, and about his attitude of superiority that he often wields. I had trouble in school when I could see several ways to interpret instructions, or especially when I'd already learned something at a higher level and didn't understand why a teacher wanted me to do it a certain, preliminary way. I expect the same problems will pop up for J. I think I could give him some pointers, thankfully!
He has already expressed a concern that the books in his classroom will probably be too easy for him. We got him some Level 1 & 2 easy reader books at the library, and he scorned them as too easy. They really are. He decided that when we go back to the library, he'll look for Level 3.
I also worry about social things. I don't know what's "cool" for a kindergarten kid to be into. J still plays Little People with his little brother. On the other hand, he's decided that Thomas the Tank Engine is for babies, although I know many older children still like him. Maybe the real issue here is that I'm going to just have to leave him on his own, to like what he likes and dislike what he doesn't, and possibly get teased for it. Until now, I've tried to expose him only to things that I feel are appropriate, but now, I can't control what he's exposed to for several hours a day. He's just growing up, I guess!
Two nights ago, as I tucked J in bed, we were listening to the crickets chirping through the open window. Or rather, J was listening and I was oblivious to the racket until he said, "Mom? Are crickets nocturnal? Because I don't hear them during the day."
Nocturnal, huh? That's a big word to remember!
I can't believe I'm doing what I'm doing right now! I'm filling out J's wall calendar with the first day of school and days off, etc. from the school calendar. I'm quite nervous about sending him to school. I worry that he'll be bored, get into trouble for goofing off, and about his attitude of superiority that he often wields. I had trouble in school when I could see several ways to interpret instructions, or especially when I'd already learned something at a higher level and didn't understand why a teacher wanted me to do it a certain, preliminary way. I expect the same problems will pop up for J. I think I could give him some pointers, thankfully!
He has already expressed a concern that the books in his classroom will probably be too easy for him. We got him some Level 1 & 2 easy reader books at the library, and he scorned them as too easy. They really are. He decided that when we go back to the library, he'll look for Level 3.
I also worry about social things. I don't know what's "cool" for a kindergarten kid to be into. J still plays Little People with his little brother. On the other hand, he's decided that Thomas the Tank Engine is for babies, although I know many older children still like him. Maybe the real issue here is that I'm going to just have to leave him on his own, to like what he likes and dislike what he doesn't, and possibly get teased for it. Until now, I've tried to expose him only to things that I feel are appropriate, but now, I can't control what he's exposed to for several hours a day. He's just growing up, I guess!
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