Quick Update :)

[Lecka]

A quick update.

 

My older son's teacher continues to be very nice.  She is concerned about his handwriting, and doesn't understand why he is not in OT.  (Yes -- his handwriting is that bad at this point.  I know in my town, usually teachers *never* say that, they usually say it is no big deal.)  He has to start all over with a SIT team meeting, and one is not scheduled for a while (they are montly?).  But she had a student last year who she thinks was evaluated locally!  She sent me to ask the speech teacher if she knows who it was, but she didn't know (awkward, oh well, sorry speech teacher).  She is going to ask the upper grades resource teacher for me.  She is going to put my son's name down on the list for the SIT team.  She is also going to ask the OT he had before, about typing.  She said the SIT team process can come back saying "more OT" or it can come back saying "lets do accommodations and typing."  Or some combination.  I will see what they say.  As I really do think he has been in good OT, and given that he has made significant progress, I am really okay if I get information and it is more for accommodations.  I will wait and see what the information is, though. 

 

I also have the name of the school psychologist and my e-mail him.  I am undecided on that. 

 

I think I need to work on a list to give his teacher, telling some other concerns.  She is concerned he seems to forget things at times, and she thinks his MAP scores are having too many ups and downs (past teachers have not mentioned this).  So -- I think just -- to build a case to see if he can get the testing thing this time.  I told his teacher that the OTs he has seen have all asked me if he has working memory problems, and she wrote that down to put on the form.  I think she will make it a good list, too, b/c I told her how he didn't get it in 2nd grade for some reasons, so I think she is going to try to make him have a better case ----- even though you would think it wouldn't be needed, well, it is needed. 

 

But -- otherwise, she is pleased with how he is doing in everything except spelling.  He is getting a C- in that.  I am so happy it is separated out, and not put of a total "language arts" grade.  He has a separate grade in reading, writing, and spelling, so that is nice.  He is doing better in reading and writing and I saw his work samples.  He is doing good in math, except math facts.  He does not always remember the ones he knows, and there are some he does not know. 

 

I can tell his teacher likes him, though, and that is the most important thing.  He likes her a lot, too.  He is doing well.  She told me she knows he is working hard and she sees him making a good effort.  He has a lot going for him in the non-handwriting areas. 

 

Then my younger son.  I got a glowing report.  He raised his hand (a big deal) to be weather man at circle time last week, and his teacher said she picked him b/c it was the first time he had raised his hand.  He said it was sunny on his own, and she helped him say it was not windy.  He colored in the square on the weather graph on his own.  This is big stuff for him -- his teacher is so nice and she is excited for him, too.  This is the regular class.  For his resource teacher -- he is doing so well with being in the regular class, they have not been pulling him as much to work on direct instruction (which he still needs).  I am happy with this for now.  Since he has outside services -- maybe it is a good decision to push his direct instruction to after school (except I hate that, it is too much after school, I do not want to do that ----- but some people love to do that, it is their preference).  It is fine right now, but in the next month or two some decision will need to happen. 

 

I took The Incredible Flexible You that I bought and just received, and took it in.  His Kindergarten teacher loved it and might buy her own copy.  The resource teacher has borrowed it to show the principal, to see if he will buy it.  I am going to write her an e-mail about it that she is going to show to a few people so that she can say it is a parent request.  (I mentioned it, she did not bring it up -- she asked if I minded if she forwarded an e-mail I had already written her asking if they use this program, and I said I would write her a new and better e-mail instead.) 

 

I am going to follow up with is Kindergarten teacher on that, though, b/c I am not sure she realizes it costs $120.  It looks like it would cost $20.  I would be happy to loan her mine if she would read the books in class.  It would be good for my son.  I can use it at home, too, but it is the kind of thing where it will help if he does it at school, too. 

 

So that is my update. 

 

I think if we lived in a different place, we would have gotten an eval for my older son when he was in 2nd grade (or maybe younger -- as I started OG reading with him the summer after K).  But it has been so hard to get information on some things here. 

 

 

 

 

[OneStepAtATime]

Thanks for the update!  I am SOOOO glad your kids have teachers that care and want to help!  That was a huge part of the reason DD made it all the way to 5th grade and DS did not.  She had some really kind and supportive teachers.  His 2nd grade teacher was not.  It sounds like they are really working with you to make their education a positive, productive experience.  

 

With regard to math, math facts are actually finally being retained here.  Have you run him through the Ronit Bird book?  I can't remember.  Sorry.

 

Also, CLE has done such a turnaround for DD and DS is now doing some CLE lessons, along with his MiF.  The specific way it combines the tight spiral lessons, the flash cards and speed drills, the daily verbal review, etc. has worked so much better than anything else we have ever tried.  DD did flash cards before and it was useless and a waste of time every single time we did them.  I own tons of different types of flash cards.  It isn't the flash cards themselves that are now working but how they are implemented that seem to be making a difference.  And speed drills would have had both kids in tears before.  I modified it so they are only comparing their own previous speed with writing down facts but they are really fine doing these and it is helping with fluency.

 

Anyway, just a few thoughts that flew through my brain as I was reading your post.

 

I have not read the book you mentioned.  I may check it out.

 

Best wishes.  :)

[prairiewindmomma]

The Incredible Flexible You was one of our recommendations from the eval team too. I'm excited to see others using it as it was very helpful!

[Lecka]

I'm pretty sure I heard about The Incredible Flexible You here, I am happy to have the recommendation :)  Exciting they might start using it in my son's school :)  I sent two e-mails, one for his resource teacher to have, and then I sent an e-mail to one of the people she mentioned as kind-of someone who decides if they use things or not (someone I have met and know enough to feel comfortable sending her an e-mail about it). I have read Book 1 to my son and I think it is awesome.  He loves the picture of the girl reading the book, with the thought bubble of the princess and the dragon.  It is so cool.  I want to go through all the activities for Book 1, though, and haven't done any of them.  I am kind-of hoping maybe they will do some at school, it would be nice, and it seems like it would fit his IEP and stuff. 

 

I have not used Ronit Bird for my older son's math.  When I look at it -- I just don't think he needs it.  He needs something, though.  I will look at the other things, thanks.  Reflex Math has been the best thing so far. He has gotten really resistant to it now, though, so I need to find another thing to use.  Then maybe back to Reflex Math.  I lost our Odyssey Learning password info and his teacher is going to send that for me, too.  It would be super-convenient if it turns out to have math facts and he likes/tolerates doing it. 

 

I think the first year he has a teacher who is not really nice and wanting to work with him and see his effort and his many contributions to the class ----- will be the year it just does not work anymore.  But I have high hopes for him through 6th grade at his current school. 

[displace]

It sounds like they are doing well! So good to hear things that are working.

[Lecka]

Major update.... my son's Kindergarten regular education teacher has purchased The Incredible Flexible You to use in her classroom.  It is so nice of her!!!!!!! 

 

She thinks it looks good, too :) 

[OneStepAtATime]

:hurray:  :hurray:  :hurray:

Major update.... my son's Kindergarten regular education teacher has purchased The Incredible Flexible You to use in her classroom.  It is so nice of her!!!!!!! 

 

She thinks it looks good, too :)

 

[desertflower]

That's great!  I'm so glad the school got the book.