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Need suggestions for math/parent-teacher conf


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Hopefully I will have a parent teacher conference w/my 1st grader's teacher soon. This school is constantly testing in every subject. He has been getting 100% on every math test...and 100% on all the pre-tests in math. He is very bored w/math and I would like some ideas to present to the teacher as far as offering him more challenging work at school in math, without giving her any more work.

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Hopefully I will have a parent teacher conference w/my 1st grader's teacher soon. This school is constantly testing in every subject. He has been getting 100% on every math test...and 100% on all the pre-tests in math. He is very bored w/math and I would like some ideas to present to the teacher as far as offering him more challenging work at school in math, without giving her any more work.

 

Hmmmm. This may or may not be possible. When my older boy was in K, the teacher used a different math program with him (it was computer based. called Accelerated Math) than the rest of the class and it worked really well. This is one way you can go.

However, a year later his little brother is in K and just yesterday we had a parent teacher conference. She told us she would love to do the same with my younger boy but she was explicitly told not to send home any work that hasn't been covered in class (welcome to No Child Get Ahead). She was really upset about it, but it's out of her hands. So, this could be another possibility.

I honestly think the best scenario is to get SM books (or any other solid program you decide on) and do challenging math at home. You can try involving school, but I don't see a reason for it.

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I would never, ever tell a parent that it's not worth a try - it definitely is - but it's going to depend on the teacher and I've seen reactions vary widely. If he's clearly that far advanced and she's not already doing something to keep him challenged, I wouldn't count on her being very eager to take your suggestions. Often teachers resent parents' ideas for improving the classroom.

 

That being said, if she's not open to your ideas (or if she is or seems as though she is, but then doesn't follow through), there's not much you can do for him in the classroom. He's at her mercy when he's there. Something very independent and unobtrusive like sending a workbook with him to pull out while he's waiting for the rest of the class to finish might be your best bet.

 

I've received the full range of reactions to this situation with my dc - from being flat out lied to to keep me from medling in the classroom, to teachers allowing me to pull my dc and others to give advanced math lessons in lieu of the classroom lessons they've already mastered. (Don't bother trying to go through your school principal if you want to try something unconventional like this. The teachers that have allowed this have had to keep it on the down low.)

 

It's definitely worth talking to her about, but start small until you get a feel for how receptive and/or cooperative she may be. Good luck!

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