Question about my Child

[Slipper]

Hi, I'm new here but hoping some of you can help me sort out my youngest daughter. I'm after-schooling this year, but we plan on home-schooling two of our girls starting next school year.

 

My youngest daughter is 6 yrs old and in first grade. She has chronic stomach aches (IBS) and takes dicyclomine.

 

Her teacher is on maternity leave and she has a sub (who appears to be disorganized and overwhelmed). My daughter also appears to be disorganized and I'm not sure if it's the medicine, the teacher or my daughter.

 

It's a lot of little things - she checked out a library book, but didn't realize she was supposed to bring it home. It's now lost and I'm paying for a replacement (no big deal). She checked out a second book but never mentioned it to me, nor has she brought it home (the librarian emailed me to let me know). She loves to read and thoroughly read the 'browsing bag' the sub gave her. I asked for more books, but the sub kept forgetting to change them out (we've had the same books for three weeks) but she thought she told my daughter she could read a book from home. My daughter thought she said to only read from the browsing bag and has read the same books at school, daily, for three weeks. (It finally changed on Friday after I wrote the principal - I had already written the teacher twice).

 

The teacher told my daughter she could not have water at her desk or use the bathroom except during designated times. Due to chronic diarrhea and medication, my daughter has a doctor's note that allows both. The teacher agreed after I reminded her and said she told my daughter, but I was called up to the school after an 'accident' where my daughter needed a change of clothes. My daughter says the teacher didn't tell her she could.

 

I ask her what she does for reading and she says the teacher doesn't teach that to them, she just writes words on a board and they say them out loud. I ask her what the teacher says when she reads to her and she says she only reads to the teacher once or twice a week and she says 'okay'. When I insisted that the teacher must be teaching reading, she says that they do it on the computer. I asked about math and she says they do a lot of counting. She can't tell me much about the school day at all.

 

My daughter makes perfect grades - all 100's and though her teacher has her on a reading level of H, the librarian says that she's much further along and is allowed to check out books up to a late 2nd grade level. My daughter asked me if she could get a different teacher or go to 2nd grade now and I'm not sure if she's enjoying school as much as she used to. I get frustrated at the different stories, the confusion and just the vagueness of her day.

 

Her regular teacher won't be back until mid-October. I might not last that long. lol I have one daughter who is profoundly autistic and another who is gifted. I can adjust and adapt to anything as long as I know what is going on and what to do. I'm frustrated. I'd love to hear others' thoughts or just some support. :(

[Parrothead]

Wow! That all sounds so odd. Lots of miscommunications there.

 

May I ask why you are waiting until next year to homeschool?

 

Sounds like they are doing sight reading instead of phonics.

 

What are you doing during after-schooling?

[Slipper]

We inherited a house built in the 1800's. It's tiny but beautiful (emotionally speaking). My grandmother was literally born in this house by the fireplace. We moved here a couple of years ago due to finances - medical bills were about to bury us. It's poorly insulated and costs a lot to keep warm in the winter. My husband's grandmother passed away earlier this year and left us a trust fund. It's enough to purchase a better house. I don't want to bring them home before winter. We're looking for a house and hope to move in the spring. I tend to move slowly and cautiously into new things and homeschooling is a new thought for me. I'm determined to do it, but I'm so nervous - I want to do things right.

 

You may be right about sight-reading, although I'd prefer phonics for her (though the sub may not know how to teach this). I asked my daughter if the teacher sounded out words and she said she doesn't. (I have taught my oldest daughter to read using sight words - she's non-verbal and the phonics approach wasn't working). I wouldn't think sight-reading would be an approach for most kids though...

 

After-schooling right now consists of lots of reading - we used Hooked on Phonics over the summer. I have ordered Life of Fred for my 1st and 4th grader (my oldest is in 5th and will probably stay at school). We're using Time Travelers - New World Explorers (my kids love doing projects and so does my husband lol). I want to order MathUSee, but they are out of most of what I want at the moment. The school is very weak in math skills which is my biggest concern. I love being with them after school. :) We do their homework together, work on our work together and do fun academic stuff (measurements/cooking, computers to make booklets, etc).

 

Margaret - the sub teacher gives her books based on a lower level. The librarian tested her and she is allowed to check out books based on that. We have an extensive amount of books at home (I am an avid reader) that she's allowed to take to school to read in her spare time. It is, however, a crazy system. My middle daughter was able to read Harry Potter 1 and 2, but 3 was on a higher level so she couldn't check it out. But 4 was on the lower level, she was told she had to skip 3. Silly stuff. (I had 3 at home, so it was fine).

[hollyh]

to pp: It's pretty normal for schools to only allow kids to check out what they can actually read.

 

It's also pretty standard for kids to not be allowed/encouraged not to have water/use restroom during class. The sub probably wasn't aware of your daughter's medical condition -- glad you got it taken care of. As far as her accident - is it possible that your daughter didn't let the sub know that she needed to go?

 

Sounds a lot like there is simply miscommunication. Maybe your daughter is unable to communicate well to you right now? Clearly the sub is busy as well... I don't know. If I was in your situation, I would offer to volunteer in her classroom so that I could see for myself what is going on. Could clear some stuff up.

 

Good luck.

[almondbutterandjelly]

Look at it this way: Her education is suffering, her desire for learning is suffering, her self-esteem is suffering ("accidents" in front of other children are humiliating), you will be homeschooling her next year anyway, and if you leave her in regular school now, you will just have to deal with all these months of wasted time and potential damage that you have to undo. If you think you can do a better job teaching, you probably can, and you could meet her medical needs at the same time. My encouragement to you is to pull her out now.