K teacher gave DS a bad report today

[lamppost]

My son is homeschooled but attends one full day of Kindergarten a week through a public school enrichment program (with other homeschooled kids). His teacher pulled me aside today when I picked him up to tell me he was misbehaving all day- wouldn't stop talking when she needed him to be quiet and wasn't following directions at all.

 

She said she believed the problem was that he's very smart and bored, and that today when she realized he could read, she had him read a book aloud to the class. Then she asked me to give her some suggestions of what else he could do in class so he wouldn't get bored and start acting up.

 

I told her I could send in some things for him to do, like books to read, but she said she doesn't want him to be off doing other work, rather she's looking for ways to involve him that would be more engaging. So I just don't know what to tell her- sounds like she's expecting me to brainstorm and get back to her with things she could do differently. I think he would do better in a play-based classroom rather than one where he's expected to sit through low-level academic instruction, but that's not really how she has her classroom set up. Moving him is not an option, unless this gets really bad.

 

Any ideas? 

[Gil]

Ask for her lesson schedule so that you can have an idea of what she's planning when, then send in things that build upon/expand the lesson for him at his level.

[EKS]

If she doesn't want him doing work you send, then she needs to come up with a way to engage him.

[JenneinCA]

I've got nothing. Expecting a kindergartener to sit and quietly do boring work for hours is beyond the capabilities of most kids that age.

 

Something needs to change. Either the teacher's expectations or the environment or the child. Since the child is unlikely to change that leaves the teacher or the classroom environment.

 

Good luck.

[MomatHWTK]

I would assume she wants to know what he can do and what he enjoys so she can plan accordingly. For instance, once she knew he could read, she was able to work with that and give him a job to do.  She only sees him one day a week, so you are obviously far more aware of his capabilities than she. 

[EndOfOrdinary]

I think he would do better in a play-based classroom rather than one where he's expected to sit through low-level academic instruction, but that's not really how she has her classroom set up. Moving him is not an option, unless this gets really bad.

 

Any ideas?

Unfortunately, public school kindergarten is very rarely play-based anymore. Reading is an essential skill in many states to warrant promoting a child to first grade. We deliberately had my son start school early because he was already reading chapter books and reading was over 75% of the Kindergarten curriculum. Even in first grade it is often sight words, concepts of print, and fluency for large chunks of the day. My mother is a literacy specialist and regretfully describes how the early years of school have really shifted away from just about everything other than learn to read, reading, and more reading instead of even enjoying books or stories.

 

Anyway, ideas...

 

Could your son diagram the stories they are reading?

 

I took my son's easy readers and used them as a way to teach beginning grammar concepts of nouns, verbs, conjunctions, etc. He had to find all the nouns (usually about ten) or all the conjunctions (usually only about four) or whatever.

 

Finding other verbs to be more expressive is fun for some kids. If it says the character ran, he could find more interesting verbs like dashed, darted, sped, scurried, and on and on.

 

Extending the story exercises are fun for some kinds. Could you have him tell attachments to the stories like having "What if..." discussions (What if the story happened in space? What if the main character shrank in the middle of the book?). "And then...." Story discussions are fun too. When the book is over you say "And then..." And kids have to extend the story to the next thing.

 

Going backwards games some kids like. You have the student tell you all the events in reverse order without looking at the book. The game is extended by then saying what about in middle, last, first order? Or whatever order seems silly.

 

Characterization games are interesting. My son loved them. Have the kids tell you what kind of car the main character (or any character) would drive. What is his favorite food? What kind of pet would she have and what is its name? What is their least favorite chore their parents make them do? What hobby does the main character have? Where would they go on vacation?

 

Mostly those kept my son going. I would be very thankful to have a teacher who is willing to work with my son the way this woman is asking for ideas and wanting to incorporate your son in the classroom. Very few K teachers are taught to differentiate reading since not many PS kids are very engaged readers when they start school. Many who do read are just word-calling. She is trying, and that is commendable.

[songsparrow]

The teacher is to differentiate. She has resources she should draw on: a professional library, more experienced teachers, and a principal. Possibly there is a school pyschologist. 

 

While I agree with those who are saying it's the teacher's job to differentiate, the sad reality is that most teachers have little or no education in giftedness or how to work with gifted children.  The same may be true of other teachers and the principal.  Therefore, if I had a teacher who was asking me for suggestions and seemed like she genuinely wanted my input and would make an effort to engage my child, I would be absolutely thrilled!  

 

That said, while it's fine for your son to read to the class once in a while if he enjoys doing it, I would resist inclinations to turn him into a mini-teacher's aide, helping the other kids with the material.  That can become an awkward and undesirable dynamic, and he has the need and the right to be taught and challenged, himself.

 

[Greenmama2]

I would assume she wants to know what he can do and what he enjoys so she can plan accordingly. For instance, once she knew he could read, she was able to work with that and give him a job to do. She only sees him one day a week, so you are obviously far more aware of his capabilities than she.

Yes, this. Give her a lists of his interests/favourite topics and write a short summary of skills you know she's covering that he's already mastered. It sounds like she wants to be helpful, lucky you to encounter a helpful teacher :)

[songsparrow]

Differentiation may be the hot buzzword, but my evaluation of teachers'  inabilities to effectively differentiate instruction comes from my recent, direct experience (in a well funded, well regarded school district) and the experience of others I know in other school districts.  Myths about gifted students - what they look like, what their needs are, how those needs can best be met - continue to abound.  The ability of individual teachers to effectively differentiate varies extremely widely, depending on teacher motivation, administration support and other factors.  If, in our experience, teachers could effectively differentiate in the classroom, we probably wouldn't be homeschooling.  In my experience, differentiation is primarily lip service to parents and passing the buck to already overwhelmed teachers, in lieu of funding actual, effective programs.  YMMV, and I sincerely hope that the in-class differentiation is more effective in your case.  

[lamppost]

Thanks for the replies. He's already saying he doesn't like school because he gets in trouble there. :(

[mathnerd]

 In my experience, differentiation is primarily lip service to parents and passing the buck to already overwhelmed teachers, in lieu of funding actual, effective programs.  

This is my experience too of our PS which are #1 in our state going by API scores. 

 

OP, when my DS was in K, they differentiated for him by sending him to the 1st grade/K mixed classroom. When that was not enough, they let him be a "teacher's helper" and explain concepts to other kids. They created a reading group of 1 because the other kids were not reading at that level - he and the teacher were in that group. Then, at my insistence, they let DS bring a work packet that I prepared from home with material at the appropriate level. It is another matter that none of these strategies worked. You may try to see if these strategies will help you.

[Ravin]

Could he possibly be advanced to the first grade classroom? If the enrichment program isn't enriching for him, it's a waste of time (unless it's partly free childcare you need).

[kiwik]

If it is one day enrichment and it isn't enrichment then remove him. If you need him there one day a week so you can work or something then explain that to him and explain to him exactly what he needs to do. My kids attend school but I am feeling quite anti.

[lamppost]

Could he possibly be advanced to the first grade classroom? If the enrichment program isn't enriching for him, it's a waste of time (unless it's partly free childcare you need).

 

I bet they would advance him if I asked but then he'd be rotating through 5 teachers throughout the day. He just turned 5 and is not particularly mature for his age, sometimes falls asleep during "rest time", etc.

[prairiewindmomma]

I'm going to come at this from a completely different angle, just to flush out other ideas...

 

Is he well-behaved in other circumstances? I have a very bright kid in the mix of 10 or so kids in my Sunday school class. The problem isn't his giftedness, he has severe attention issues + lack of social skills. The only way to engage him is to keep his brain so busy that he can hyperfocus.... I am not in a position at church to comment on his behavior, so I often ask how to help engage him.

 

(Dh and I are both gifted, I have two gifted kids in the mix + a bright one, please don't pounce on me for misunderstanding giftedness. ;) I'm trying to raise the issue about how sometimes one can't speak directly as to what real issues are going on with behavioral problems.)

[Elisabet1]

Have you talked to him about his behavior at home? Just because he is smart doesn't mean he cannot learn to sit still when he is supposed to. I know I have dealt with teachers coming to me and asking me how to get him to stop doing XYZ behavior. I will actually ask them "did you try telling him to stop?" They look shocked at the suggestion. Then they try it and it works. Problem solved. Sometimes, it really is as simple as that. Since your son is only there one day a week, he might have just not learned the rules yet.