EKS Posted January 31, 2012 Share Posted January 31, 2012 (edited) My son recently started attending a private school after being homeschooled for close to nine years. He has dyslexia and ADHD and so has certain accommodations, one of which is extended time for tests. His math teacher assigns "practice problems" each day to be started in class and finished up at home. She does not grade these problems because the answers are in the back of the book. She does give a quiz each day using problems that were on the previous day's homework which they go over in class. This quiz is not graded either. My son claims that the practice problems are optional because they are not graded. He says that as long as he is doing well on the daily ungraded quizzes (and presumably the chapter tests) that he should not be required (by me) to do the practice problems at home. I agree with this except for one thing--I believe that doing the practice problems will help him to develop fluency and automaticity. These things will help him do the tests more quickly. It seems unethical to me for him to get an extra time (double time) accommodation if he has not at least done the assigned problems in an attempt (if nothing else) to improve his speed. If he still needs the extended time after doing the assigned work, I'm ok with that. But if he is using the extra time to compensate for not having developed a reasonable level of fluency through doing the assigned problems then I have a big problem with that. So I've told him that he has a choice. He can either do all of the assigned work and have the extended time for his math tests OR he can do whatever he wants, but that he will no longer have the extended time accommodation. Does this sound reasonable? What would you do? Edited January 31, 2012 by EKS Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Harriet Vane Posted January 31, 2012 Share Posted January 31, 2012 Optional just because they are not graded? I don't buy it. They are assigned, and the students are expected to do them. I give my writing students daily writing warm-ups. The goal of these assignments is to improve the students' typing speed and comfort level with communicating in writing. I do not grade the warm-ups because I don't want them to slow down and worry about the details that will only slow them down. If a student were to blow off this daily assignment, I would drop that person as a student. I don't think your son should have a choice. The practice problems were assigned by the teacher, so he should do them. And you're right--he does need the speed and fluency those daily problems will give him. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
regentrude Posted January 31, 2012 Share Posted January 31, 2012 I agree with you. Taking extra time, but being too lazy to work the practice problems? Nope. He should get the accommodation only if he makes at least as much of an effort as the other students, and if that is not sufficient to compensate for his special needs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Teachin'Mine Posted January 31, 2012 Share Posted January 31, 2012 You're absolutely right. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Julie of KY Posted January 31, 2012 Share Posted January 31, 2012 I agree he should be doing the extra problems, but I'm not sure I'd hold the accomodations over his head as incentive. Accomodations should be given if NEEDED. He either needs to be accomodated or not. If he has shown that extra time is needed to read or otherwise do the work and it is helpful, then it should be given. For someone that needs to work on the speed issue, the problems should be done at home. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carol in Cal. Posted January 31, 2012 Share Posted January 31, 2012 You are right that he should do the assigned problems, because they are assignments. You are not the teacher's mind reader, and you don't necessarily know all of the reasons why she wants these done, and your son certainly does not. That should not be the basis for the discussion in any way. The basis should be: "They are assigned, and you need a far better reason than "I don't need them" to not do them." If he is going to be in school, the default should be doing what the teacher says. Having said that, I would not threaten to pull or actually pull his right to accommodations. Separate issue, and not reasonable nor in his best interest. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MtnTeaching Posted January 31, 2012 Share Posted January 31, 2012 My dd(13) is dyslexic and I require that she do a pretty substantial amount of practice problems each day - on top of her regular workload. The reason in our case is that she is very slow and I hope that she will increase her pace with repetition. Timed standardized tests and college entrance exams are also incentive. Even with an accommodation (which I am not certain will be allowed), testing will be a challenge. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.