My son just started school this year and to be honest this is my first rodeo. I didn't qualify to send him to Pre K at public school so I sent him to Pre K at his day care. The teacher at Pre K suggested that I put him in the duel language program in school because he learns so quickly. The only difference in the program is he has a spanish class, which he is doing very well with. He is really good with numbers & loves to count.
Here is my problem & history. He is struggling with the letters & reading. He has homework M - T & we do it first thing when we get home. We have to read one book every night, which most of it I read to him but make him follow along and sound out the small words with him. We say our ABC's everyday and count to 20 or more. When I signed him up for this program, I was told by the lead teacher that both teachers would contact me everyweek either by phone or email to let me know his progress. Up until Sept 21 I had only heard from one of the teachers consistently and the only problem I was aware of was his behavoir. He had to be told more than once to do certain tasks, like putting his crayons away or to get into line. Other than that I was told that he was coming along & doing well.
On Sept 21, we had a homecoming parade & I saw the other teacher (lead teacher I had not heard from) there so I approached her. She told me that he was struggling with the letters & the sounds that they make & suggested that I get him some flash cards & work with him. At that time I also asked about something called "site words" mentioned in the homework & told her I never got them. (I have emailed her 8 times prior to this date & sent 5 notes & made 5 calls to her cell to get them & never received a response). She told me that she would send them home in his folder & apologized. This was on a Monday & I got the site words on Thursday. Ok so now we are behind on these & working on them daily. So now fast forward to Sept 28. We had open house & went. I was anxous as was my son. I wanted to find out if they had noticed any improvement, because I had at home. When I got to that teachers room, my son was the only child with nothing on the wall, which upset me. The teacher told me she had sent his work home & thought that was easier. Why? ok so I asked her if she had seen any improvement & told her I had seen improvement by using the flash cards she suggested. She told me to sign up for a conference on Oct 26. I did but again asked her how he was doing. She told me we would discuss in the conference on Oct. 26th. I said no I wanted to know now. She said he is at Risk & we would discuss on Oct. 26th. I asked her what "At Risk" meant & she said he was failing. I asked her why I'm just now finding out about this and again she told me we would discuss on Oct. 26th. Uggggg I'm frustrated. I again told her no that report cards will be out in 4 days and waiting that long was not acceptable. I asked her to look at her schedule and let me know what time would be good for her THIS WEEK & I would be there. She said she would call me the next day, which she didn't. I finally called the office yesterday to talk to the principle (which she wasn't in to take calls). Remarkably though I got a call last night from the teacher & I have a conference on Thursday this week.
Sorry to vent but what I'm wanting to know is what have you moms done to get your kids on track with their classes? I'm looking for ideas to work with my son & get him where he needs to be. I know he is trying but struggling so I need suggestions. I have many things already that I want to discuss with the teacher but also, I want to go in there with some ideas on how we can get onto the same page. Any & all suggestions are welcome. My son's education is very important to me & I want to make sure I'm doing everything possible to help him.
HUGE Thanks to all of you fantastic moms out there!!! After my post there were some additional things that happened, which some of you are aware of, when I reached out to you individually. My conference went extremely well. Both teachers & the V. P. were all there. My primary goal here was to all get on the same page so that we can help my son. I feel that everyone is on board. I decided not to go in and attack anyone but to partner with them. All of us agreed that there has been a drop in the communication, which is not acceptable. Progress reports came on out 09/14/09, which I never got. I asked his teacher if I could see it, and when she went to get it, she found she had never done one for my son. I calmly went over when I started to discover there was a problem & conversations we had as well as copies of the emails I had sent requesting an updates on my child with no response. One of the teachers claims that there is an academic problem with letters as well as numbers. She claims that there has been absolutely no progress at all. I asked when she last tested him, because I had seen progress and she said she had not tested him in over 2 1/2 weeks. I explained to her that I found that strange because he does it for me at home. He can count to fifty but forgets "12" everytime. She had not noticed that. She told me he did not know hardly any of the letters or the sounds they make & again I told her I found that strange because he does it for me at home. She is going to test him again today to have a starting point to compare in a few weeks. The other teacher stated he was doing very well in Spanish & Science / Social Studies. All three explained to me that there is also a behavioral problem and gave me specific examples. It all had to do with not listening when they tell him to get in line or to pick something up, however he has the best manners in the class. Nothing aggressive or destructive just wanting to do things on his time. OK...so I was ready for this & I presented a plan & some tools that I feel will get my son where he needs to be academically & behavior. I gave both teachers a behavioral chart designed for my son. I asked them to do this temporarily for him & to keep it in his folder so I can monitor. They agreed. The lead teacher told me she did not have the time to call me or email me every week as she had originally told me so I asked her if she could just send me a little note every week to keep me in the loop. I even provided both teachers with some cute little notes easy to fill out and send home in his folder. They both agreed. They cancelled my conference on 10/26/09 & I said no. We will meet again to see where we are at that time. The VP also said she would follow up with both teachers weekly to see where he is and either call me or send me a note each week. She explained to both of them that we can't let my son fall thru the cracks like this again in the future and all need to work together & communicate. All of us were in great humor when we left & I felt like I had won them over. Now the work begins. Thanks again to everyone for your wonderful advice & tools that you provided to me.
He is in kindergarten, for heaven's sake! He is just learning to read. I would not fail a child who is trying. It sounds like the person who needs to get on track is the teacher. She has a real attitude problem. Get him switched to another class.
Go directly to the principle, request a change of room and have a list with every unanswered email, call etc listed....this really does sound like a teacher problem.
Good luck,
Debra
You have gotten several good answers already. You are wise to get help for the first problem.
You have a secondary problem with the teacher. It is part of a teacher's job to communicate and answer the questions of parents. She is not doing that part of the job. If you cannot work out a solution with the teacher re: her lack of communication, you will have to speak to the principal (her boss).
First, I want to applaud your hard work! Second, you are learning very quickly that the school system is set up for the "average" child. Any child who is above or below average gets lost most of the time. I have taught elementary in the public school, private school, rich area, and the VERY poor areas and every school I have taught in has this problem. Some people have mentioned that the dual language programs are difficult. Research has shown over and over again that the first year or two of exposure, the children will show a decrease in performance, but after that, they will show a dramatic increase. There are LOTS of benefits to learning a second language - so I would not suggest getting out of the program - unless you want to homeschool. My guess, without knowing your situation better, is that most of the students in the class have already been exposed to a second language and are performing better because it is not new. This might explain why your son would be ahead of the game in the other program and now seems to be behind the game. Having been a teacher, I also understand how many requests we get each day from parents, and not that it excuses the teahcer's behavior, but we have lots of requests and interruptions throughout the day and we forget some of them - especially when we are in the middle of something else. Most likely, she is new and does not want to break the news that your son is not performing well unless you are in a conference together, where she can focus on what she is telling you. However, your request is not about that stuff...you asked for things you can do to help...So, first, understand that your son does not need to be able to read yet. First grade is when they should be learning to read. He should know letters and numbers, but it sounds like he already does that. Teachers are getting a lot of pressure and parents are working hard to make their children the smartest kids out there, so we are placing unrealistic expectations on ourselves. No matter what the teachers are telling you, it sounds like your son is doing fine. If you want to work with him, I do not recommend flash cards. The best way to work with him on reading is to do as part of your routine. When you are reading a book to him, point out a word that is used frequently. For example, in Shel Silverstein's The Giving Tree, I would point out the word tree, and then before we turn the page, I would ask my daughter to see if she can find the word tree on that page. It has worked really well! I will also point out letters while we are driving and ask her what sound that letter makes. We started with HEB and now she gets excited when she finds HEB written on stuff at home, because she thinks she is reading. LOL the point is that we are learning throughout the day and it is not "work" in her world. I could go on and on with ideas, so let me know if you want anymore suggestions. I am a HUGE advocate of making learning fun - I am sure your son already knows that he is "behind" at least according to the teacher, and this is very discouraging. The last thing you want to do is add to the stress. He will be fine and he will learn to read! Remember that this is kindergarten and he has plenty of time to prepare for college applications. (I know I need that reminder often, too!) Good luck!
Hi SMG,
First of all, a hug. You're a great mom.
Secondly, I could have written this exact same letter when my daughter was in Kinder. Every day I asked her teacher (8 kids in the class only)how she was doing, and every day I got a vague answer. I tried to corner him into talking to me to no avail. Finally I requested firmly a conference and (5 months into the year) I was told that she was incapable of recognizing the first letter of her name! I was FLOORED to say the least. I called her in the room and proved to him that she could in fact read simple words, which he at first did not believe until he saw her. Then his jaw dropped. I wondered what the (#*%T(#& was going on in that class!
The next year I requested a different teacher. By this time she was so behind and really struggling, feeling dumb, never done with her work. I am ashamed to say that I got frustrated with her, thinking she just wasn't trying. I tried to reason with her, I tried being stern... I was at a loss.
Then at midyear it occurred to me that this just isn't working and I need to help her no matter what. So I pulled her out of school and began to homeschool. You know what? It was AMAZING! I got to see how she learned, how smart she is, she got full time one-on-one, which she needed. We went through the curriculum so fast and had such a blast! We time travelled through history and built sarcophaguses with the ancient Egyptians, made cave paintings, participated in civics and I learned a lot about her cognative development, all while building a closer bond and some fantastic memories.
This year she's back in school and doing SO WELL. I'm not sure what it was all about, maybe it is just a developmental thing and she was a late bloomer. Maybe she just missed me and needed an extra dose mommy. Who knows? But she's a totally different student who rocks her homework and does well in class.
I wish you all the best. It sounds like this school is the wrong place for your little man.
There are a handful of big questions that I've seen on this site, and "is my child ready for kindergarten" seems to be one of them. My experience is that all of the skills you are worried about with your son kind of just come naturally for the child when s/he is ready to learn it. I've seen in my own household that my son was hesitant to write letters and then one day it clicked. Shortly thereafter he was reading short books.
We play games with the site words - I've made flashcards and thrown in some important extra words like booger and sushi. :) We take turns making silly sentences out of the words like, "I like to eat monsters." or "I see boogers."
I leave notes for my son in his lunchbox, on his bed, ... where ever... that he wants to read. Sometimes these are from "our neighborhood pirate", sometimes from "ghosts", sometimes from me.
His class is divided into different snack tables each day, and I asked him to write out who he'd want to sit at his favorite table.
I bought him a digital watch and we practice telling time. So, he learns to identify larger numbers like 50. We also practice saying addresses when we are out on walks.
Several times we've had a treasure hunt where I've hidden clues and activities. He gets the next clue after he... (writes his name 5 times or hops on one foot or writes a difficult letter) Sometimes we draw maps. ... He leaves us clues...
The key is to make it fun, and don't stress out about it. You might also pick up a copy of the book Outliers. If your son is young for his class, you'll really be fighting an uphill battle if he isn't ready, yet. It might actually be best to cut your losses, work on what you can, and hold him back a year so that he can excel NEXT year in kindergarten. Kids do really learn on their own schedule, and although I work to make the learning exciting, it really succeeds in our house because my son is ready for it.
In talking to other educators about Kindergarten readiness, the kids who are most successful are able to sit and concentrate for extended periods of time. This is a skill I've seen my really energetic son acquire very slowly over time. And sure enough, the assignments he is struggling with are the "sit and concentrate" or "boring" worksheet kind. He'll write 9 perfect words and the tenth he tells me "starts dancing!" Or he'll very nicely color in his pictures and then when his concentration fails - break out a black crayon and go wild.
Best of luck. It sounds like you are really doing a good job with your son. Hear your teacher out - she is an expert - and may have some good advice.
So, I'm saying, if your son is a little bit young, keep working with him, but you might consider just repeating the year. When he is ready to learn this stuff it will come very easily for him.
Hi S. G. I am a former K Teacher and although yes, at open house we were "instructed" not to hold individual conferences that night, but the teacher should of had your conference that week. Even a phone call the next day, as you expressed concern. As far as "at risk", it just means he is not where the State wants him to be at this time. If I remember correctly, then at different points of the year a child should recognized a certain # of letters, sounds, & site words (me, the, I, can, etc). Now, hold on... it is the very beginning of the year and children learn at different rates. Pointing these out in books as you are reading is easy & most helpful. (Warning, keep it enjoyable) Use environmental things for sound/letter/word recognition; cereal boxes, words on TV, game boards, billboard signs, mail, etc. Music, Dr Jean in particular, is a great way to work on sounds. If he is sounding out words, then he does have at least some sounds down right? I used to call it when the lightbulb goes on and it all makes sense. Awesome thing to see!! Being he is doing well in his other class, I think he is ready and will get there. At the conference ask exactly what is making him "at risk" and what can be done to work on that. I know the beginning of year is frustrating, busy, & even chaotic but it will even out and flow. Find out exactly what areas he needs that extra attention and go from there. No matter what happens you don't "fail". May need some extra time to grasp all the concepts, but then that is part of learning. Best of luck, have a fun year. Kindergarten is the best, smartest grade in the school!!!
I am a first grade teacher and have been teaching for almost 10 years now. In my personal opinion, I haven't heard of a dual language program that is designed well. You son may be having some confusion with trying to learn a new language. It is one thing to pick up things well, orally, speaking a language vs. reading a language. If he is having some difficulty with learning letter sounds in English.....trying to mix in Spanish could be very frustrating for him.
Expectations in Kindergarten and first grade are very high. If your son can learn all the letters and sounds and several sight words by the end of Kindergarten he will be in decent shape. If he can also read patterned books, like....I like toys, I like apples, etc. this will also be good. There should be several places you can go and get lists of sight words on the internet.....they will even break it down by grade level. Sight words are words that appear in the English language a lot and you can't sound out and you need to know them on sight, automatically. There is a website called www.starfall.com this will expose your son to a lot of letters and sounds in a fun way....my three year old loves it. Also, keep in mind some children take longer to learn to read than others and just need some extra time.
As far as open house goes....there should have been work up from your son....not sure what the excuse is there. I can understand why the teacher did not want to discuss your child's progress at open house....open house is not a time for a conference and it is not appropriate to discuss a child's progress in front of other parents or students. However, she should have gotten back with you sooner.
I hope that your conference goes well. Have a list of what you want to discuss when you go in to talk with her. I would go ahead and set up a conference with the principal and voice your concerns.
Wow! Kudos to you for being so persistent! As a former teacher (now staying home with my daughter) I can testify to how busy your son's teacher probably is but not responding to your many, many requests and notes is incredible. I'm simply astonished that she kept saying you would discuss it on Oct 26 - that is a LONG time away! You are completely right in that waiting nearly three weeks for a conference is simply unacceptable.
When you have the conference tomorrow, I suggest you be very kind and understanding but firm in asking for SPECIFICS on how to help him. If this doesn't work, make sure you schedule the next conference so that the teacher and the principal are present.
Maybe Sylvan Learning Center is a good choice; likely expensive but it can't hurt to check it out. Sounds like you are doing everything you can to help your son succeed --Good luck!!
Sorry, I haven't read all the responses, but wanted to suggest that you speak to the principal about switching your son to a different class. It sounds like his teacher doesn't have her act together and you need someone who is organized and efficient and can adequately address your son's needs. That is not this lady. To me, your son sounds within the range of normal...my older daughter struggled with letters and sounds, my middle daughter was reading on a 1st grade level a month into kinder, and now, at 10 and 12, they are both great, avid readers. You would never guess that one struggled and reading was a breeze for the other. All children are different and develop at different stages. I think you'll see a huge change with a new teacher. If you speak to the principal about all the issues, s/he should be able to pinpoint a teacher that your son will succeed with. Good luck!
Hi, I found this website online that is free and very helpful. My son has used it since he was three and I think that it works. The website is www.starfall.com . My son is now five and just started kinder this year and he is already reading. The school district expects them to be reading before they go into the first grade. His teacher has been very involved in telling me how he is doing at least once a day and she has a handful with having almost an all boy class. I think that you have done a great job in trying to help your son catch up because I know how hard it is when the teacher's send home the homework and it is sometimes pretty hard or too much. It's frustrating when your kid has a hard time finishing it and all you want is for them to succeed. The teacher is not doing her job. She should be keeping you updated on how he is doing everyday and if not at least once a week. I think that it would be a good idea if you have the principal there when you are talking to the teacher because then you would think she would get on the ball and start caring about the kids.
It may be that the other parents and kids who went to public pre-K "know the system" better than your son, and the teacher is not being as patient with him. (I taught high school for 38 years and there are some teachers that are better at working with parents than others.)
You have a right to know what is expected on a daily and six week/semester/yearly basis. Does the elementary school have a counselor? If it does, find out how to contact him/her and discuss what is going on once you have talked with the teacher. After you have tried what the teacher and counselor suggest, if that is not working, then contact the principal. You are your son's main advocate and must look out for his best interests.
You have some great ideas here about your son's age and sight words, etc. Kudos to you and keep up the good work!
Can you put him in another school?
I can understand your frustration. My advice is to make sure you follow through every avenue in the school district. Hold the teacher and principal accountable! You should always, always, always get answers from a teacher when you ask them. For this reason, I withdrew my son from public school and began homeschooling. Not every home can accomodate this choice, but I am so glad I removed my son (and younger son) from this type of situation. Don't let the teacher intimidate you. This is your child and you should receive the best schooling for him. Best wishes in dealing with the school. Just remember: there is always someone higher up than who you are talking to! Go to the superintendent if you have to.
Hello,
I understand your frustration. Your post sounds as if you are willing to whatever it takes to help your son succeed, as any mother should. I have some issues with communication with my daughter's first grade teacher. I also am waiting for the parent/teacher conference. I have a list of things that I will be discussing in my whole 20 minutes. I have high expectations of professionalism. I get disappointed many times over when other people do not meet my standards, but I politely voice my opinion of the situation. In my opinion, teachers are overwhelmed. It does not excuse the fact that they need to communicate and follow through. I attended a parent orientation 9 days into school and the lead teacher reported on an agenda. Well, everything on the list was we WILL get to that. I was baffled why the school had such an orientation and had no progress to report. When someone starts a new job, they do not report to the break room and have coffee for 9 days, they are expected to make progress learning the new position. I think you should be tactful and assertive to let the teacher know you want to be involved...everyday. I wish you the best and I understand your frustration.
I would have that meeting with his teacher and see what happens from there. If nothing changes, talk with the principal. That is unacceptable for her not to contact you and keep you in the loop!!! You have to stay on it or he will fall through the cracks! Maybe, he is having trouble b/c he does have a learning disability or something. The teacher by law, I think, can't say that he has something wrong all they can say is at risk and encourage you, as the parent to look into it. I would be so frustrated to have a teacher that doesn't call back!!! How CAN he improve if you as a parent are out of the loop! Keep fighting for him! Hope you get some answers as to what is going on and what help your son needs.
Good for you for not backing down! I went through this with my oldest for a few years. We had tutors, worked with the school anything and everything we could think of. Finally, in 4th grade we held her back. She wasn't failing but she wasn't doing well at all. I had to fight tooth and nail for that. We had to meet with the teacher, principal and school shrink. Finally, I told them that I didn't care what they said, this was going to happen. We held her back and she just bloomed! She was on honor roll all through middle school and in High School was in National Honor Society. I tell you this because I want you to know that things will get better but you are going to have to fight for it. I don't know much about the teacher, but I would think if a teacher saw a child that was stuggling and needed additional help, they would reach out to the parent. If you are not satisfied with the results of your conference, I would get the principal involved. Good luck. Your son is lucky to have such an attentive and caring mommy! Good luck!
My heart just breaks for you. It's so hard to see your son try and have so many setbacks, most of which could be solved by the teacher.
Although his academics are certainly important, my biggest concern would be not having any of his work on the wall when every other student had theirs up! Your son had to have noticed and if she did not have something of his on the wall the next day, she has NO EXCUSE. Kids at any age, but especially Kinder live for attention and love all their work. I would be in that class two times a week to watch her interact with your son and other students. (under the guise of helping, of course. Cut out stuff, staple, file. whatever she needs, I would do it. If your work schedule doesn't allow it, I understand, just observe when you can) And ask your son what he thinks of everything. He'll tell you how he feels and that's what counts. A child who does not feel like the teacher feels he is competent, sweet, fun, nice (pick your adjective) will know it in a heartbeat, and cannot be expected to learn well in that environment. Your are his first and best advocate. Dont't worry about being labeled one of "those" moms; worry about your son and his relationship with his teacher. (and really, they are concerned that he doesn't put his crayons away the first time? Will THAT affect his SAT? Really? )
And, now for my sight word soapbox. Sight words are not the end all be all. Phonics is the end all be all. What good does it do a child to learn a word alone and then throw in some that follow rules? You dont need to know it is the letter b, you need to know it makes the "Buh" sound. Sounds are what make words. Then you learn rules. And everyone gets all in a tizzy over the non-rule following words in the Englsh language. 88% of the English language follows a set of rules. That's a pretty good percentage! However, that doesn't help your son learn his words, but I hope it gives you confidence to know that if he doesn't learn his sight words, he can still learn to read. Sight words are only memorization not application and there's a big difference.
When you go over the words, make it fun and let him know that if he doesn't get them right away, it is OK. He is a clever boy and he will get them. And try to make it fun. If you have magnets, most boys are very tactile and kenistetic (they like to touch things and move around) let him spell the sight words on the fridge and say them out loud. HIde the words in the house and make him find them. Every time he reads them correcctly he gets a high five, or does a somersault, or gets a hug or whatever fun thing you can think of. He'll get it. And if he doesn't, check with the teacher again.
He's only a kid, give hime time. And, it has NOTHING to do with whether he went to a "real" pre-k school or not. He will do things in his own time and HURRAY for him!
Hang in there and love your son. It will all work out.
Hi there
When the principal does not respond to me I contact the superindendants office. Usually you talk with his assistant. Be sure to let that person know if your issue is not resolved within a specific amount of time that you will contact the school board. You should get a fast response from the principal and teacher after that phone call about any school issue. But if you don't, follow through and contact a member of the school board and ask to be put on the adgenda for their next meeting, then go talk to the board about it. That is what they are there for but the school employees don't want it to go that far because your basically going above their heads. So far I have not had to do more then talk to the superintendant's assistant. She called the principal and by the end of the day he and I had a heart to heart talk and the problem was taken care of.
Good luck and I hope your sons teacher starts letting you know what's going on more often. There is no excuse for her not doing so.
Its great to see a Mom willing to put in the time and effort to make sure her child is doing well in school.
I would be upset too if my son was the only kid with nothing on the wall too. That could really hurt his feelings.
Way to go for being an advocate for your son. It is really hard when you hear nothing from the school for weeks and then get thrown for a loop with a big bomb like this.
I would reccomend that you let the teacher know that he was in dual language pre-k class last year. It may make a difference in his language arts skills. It could also be the lightbulb moment the teacher needs.
HI S. G
Thank you for being such a concerned mommy and staying on top of your childs progress.
First of all- I would not have your child doing "duel programs" at age 5- there is no need to rush him at this age. If he is having any issues at all it will only make him feel inferior and hate learning. Learning should be fun at this age. Having to be told more than one time to "stay in line" or put away your crayolas is not "bad behavior"- it is normal for a 5 year old. Their attention span is not aslong as yours or mine or even a child of 6 or 7 so he is normal....
Homework every nite is excessive for age 5- when does he get a break- helping with his letters and numbers is ok but to read a book every nite- is there some sort of prize for reading the most books at the end of the year. you will make your child hate reading by the time he is in the 2nd grade. I know this from experience. Prek.....is just the beginning and he should not be pressured into going any faster than his little mind can absorb and retain. Lighten up and tell the teachers to lighten up- have him removed from the spanish class until he masters the other first, then maybe next year he will be more ready.
Good luck and blessings
I read a few of your replies and here are my suggestions. You can also reach out to the school counselor. The teacher is apparently NOT doing her job and if the principal won't take your call, something is wrong. I called my daughter's principal for something minimal last year and she called me right back and spent at least 20-25 minutes with me on the phone until all of my questions were answered.
A great video to help your son with the letter sounds is Leap Frog's "Letter Factory". You can get it on dvd for $9.99 at Target. (There are more videos to follow up with once he gets the letters down, like "Word Factory".) These are cute, fun videos that keep the kids attention while teaching them in very clever ways. The character goes through an entire factory where the letters are made, to learn the sound of each one. Watch it with him so you can refer to it when working with him.
Be persistant with the school to get ALL of your questions answered and ALL of your concerns taken care of. You might request for either the counselor or the principal to also be present in your conference.
He is lucky to have such a caring and loving mommy. Best of luck to him and also to you!
It sounds like you are doing everything in your power already , however , the teacher does not sound like she is very responsible . It is always frustrating to hear something about your child , and then have someone make you wait to talk about it . I am a mother of three , 4rth grader-son , 1st grader - daughter , 4year old - son , and I know when I feel like I am being pushed off by someone , like a teacher or a doctor , I go over their heads until I get a result . Try to relax and just know you are doing everything possible on your end and you are seeing better results at home with him because of this , so obviously there is something distracting him to do his best in class , so after your meeting with his teacher , you should have a better idea of whats going on . All of my kids are different , my oldest I had more time with and he is really on the ball so I worried about my daughter starting school , who I didnt have as much time with , but even though she was not as on the ball with certain things she is still passing and doing well . One thing I have learned about this age is , in their time they blossom and it has alot to do with maturity of there age. I hope I was a little help. Good luck and let me know the outcome.
Okay, wow, where do I begin. I am a mom of a kindergartner and a soon to be kindergartener, I am also about to be an elementary teacher very soon (Kinder being my grade of choice) so your posting touched my heart in many different ways! Being a mommy of a kindergartner I know how much you want him to do good, I understand 100%! Everyday I wait for my son to come home and show me his folder with all the stuff he has done for that day, its very exciting for me :) As far as the teachers, very unprofessional to say the least!! If your child is "at risk" she should have contacted you longgggg before the issue ever became an issue. It sounds like to me that the teacher is not doing her job in the classroom. 60% of Kindergartners cannot read at this point in the class. Right now they should be working on phonics (the sounds the letters make) (Get a leap frog video "The Letter Factory" is the one I suggest. It works with phonics in a fun way using songs and a cute story line.)I would suggest sitting in on a class if it is possible for you. Observing the teacher and her methods is a great way for you and her to get on the same page. If she is doing her job she won't mind at all if you observe! If you feel that teacher is not giving your son her best, ask that he be moved to a different class. It is her job to work with your son and identify any problems and make a solution for them and contact you as well. I must also ask when your son's birthday is, because boys mature at a slower rate than girls. For example, my son's birthday is Sept. 1, so I had the choice of putting him in when he was 4 and turning 5 or putting him in when he was 5 turning 6. I chose the latter. It has made a tremendous difference on his comprehension and he is doing awesome in school. Children learn on different levels and cognitively he may not be ready for what they are asking of him. It also sounds to me like they are moving way to fast in Kinder as well. Every week you should get a paper about what letters they will be working on the next week so that you may prepare him, but it is not your job to teach him completely. It sounds to me like the teacher has given up on him simply because she doesn't feel like putting the time in. You are giving her your best (your child) and she should give him her best!! I hope this has helped in some way. God Bless you and your baby. :D
First congratulations on your being insistent the teacher speak with you. Because he is struggling in reading and language, you might want to contemplate putting him in just the English only class. I would discuss this with his teacher. Because he is learning the sounds of letters, he may have problems with the change from English to Spanish and back again when it involves reading. Sight words are hard for some children because they do not have a picture to associate with them. You can show a child a picture of a girl with the world girl under the picture and they make the association, but with sight words, they just have to learn them. You can also read one page of the book while your son follows along and then have him read the same page back to you right after you read it. This will give an extra reinforcement to the reading time. I have also used the game Jr. Boggle and Jr. Scrabble with my grand-daughters when they were learning to read. You might also find books for him that have subjects he is interested in. www.enchantedlearning.com is an excellent site to get extra letter pages, projects that go along with some of the reading. It is $20 a year but there are also lots of free things on there.
I hope this helps some.
P. Low
Pathways to Learning
www.pathwaystolearning.us
Dear Mom,
I am very sad to say that your child's lead teacher has let you down. Teachers MUST partner with parents (particularly parents of kindergarteneres) so you can stay ahead of problems. You should have already received a great deal of information regarding any assistance your child needs. Young children are very unreliable about giving parents take home sheets etc. so his teacher should have sent you an email to make sure that you received anything she sent home and you should already have had a conference at HER request.
Your child may be needing a smaller classroom setting and private school might be something to consider.
Just a reminder that practicing reciting letters isn't really very helpful. You need some sort of phonics program that teaches the sounds while recognizing letter. Go to a teacher supply store and ask for assistance.
I also emphasize with the advent of DVR on t.v.s don't allow your child to watch regular t.v. Record Sesame Street and one of the reading programs that teaches reading and phonics....let these shows be the only kind of t.v. viewing. These programs are extremely clever and fun and teach SO MUCH.
Finally, if you feel that your son's teacher isn't keeping you informed at least weekly about how your son is progressing, you should request a meeting during her conference period. (document EVERYTHING...dates of your requests and her responses and keep any communication you receive from her) Request a conference with the school principal and arrive with your documentation so he/she gets a clear picture of your needs and frustration. You must persist .
Good luck1
Pam
Hi! something that helped my son with his letters and the sounds they make was the Leapfrog movie, called Letter Factory. When he was in preschool, I thought he'd never learn the sounds, but after watching that movie a couple of times, he picked all of them up right away. There is also a word factory and a number factory movie too. He still loves to watch those movies even though he knows all his letters. he's in kinder now too.
Have the meeting with the teacher - the principal should also be in attendance. If the teacher does not stay on track with what she says she will do - have a another meeting. If after the 2nd meeting there is a not a marked change - you should consider moving your son to another school program. I would suggest you start researchin other alternatives now in case it comes to that.
I would also suggest you visit a teacher supply store and talk to them about the best type of flash cards and reading materials for your son. You might also want to see if there are other learning materials you can purchase. HAve you considered a Leap Frog or Leapster - they both have reading / work / alpha games for the younger kids - my 9 yo still plays with her Leapster on occasion.
You need to have him read to you - not you to him. If he struggles with a word, help him but don't do it for him. Make a game of reading - if he reads 1 book to you, you'll read 1 book to him.
This child is pre k k? I think I would try desperately to find another school. Public school is free - how do you not qualify? Was he 5 after the school year started?
These 2 teachers seem very unconcerned about your child and it seems YOU are doing their job for them. Is this day care accredited? Are you paying for this school? If so, keep making a stink. If you can, at mid year I would see if I could get him into a public school.
No child should be branded "at risk" or in danger of failing at the age of 5. Children develop at differing ages. If he is 7 and still not learning, there may be a problem - 5 seems to be too soon to be pressuring children to pass tests and have lots of homework. Learning should be fun and some people manage to take all the fun out.
I don't really have any answers for you... Outside of thinking that we are really taking all the fun out of childhood - kids should do what is expected of them and they should learn everything they can and are able to - but trying to make sure all of them are living up to some standard set of expectations is beyond me. Of course, when I was growing up, they still had 1st graders going half days or at least taking naps; they had recesses & we were not expected to know how to READ until the end of grade 1. If kids did read at 5 that was wonderful; I wonder what we are doing to our kids psyches when we expect them all to know more as a Pre Kindergardner than we did in the 1st grade.
Keep it up! I would call anyone and everyone in that school to get someting done. You should have definitely received notice of his status in class, and to have none of his work displayed is inexcusable. I am sorry, sounds like a horrible first experience. I have also heard that you can switch teachers, I am not sure how this is done, but it may end up being an option for you. On the other side, I know that most teachers do care, and try very hard to help each child, so I hope that she will work with you to resolve this issue. Good luck.
I hate videos for kids, but LETTER FACTORY is awesome. Go buy it quick, not hard to find (even in the grocery store).
Do lots of hands-on stuff like drawing in sand or salt in a little tray at home, making letters with beans (not glued to paper, keep it manipulative). Get the Bob books or the Sunshine Books (they use them at my son's private K and they have an excellent step-by-step approach to reading). This is the time when he's learning to read, so if he's struggling with letter sounds it sounds like a TEACHER ISSUE because her approach must seriously lack competency. BTW, re. "at risk" he could be labeled that b/c he's got asingle mom, so that's what I've seen. You can email me privately and I can give you some more ideas. I bought the Siung Spell Read and Write homeschool curriculum which teaches young kids how to blend. But really, you don't have to spend that much. Go to an educational store or a homeschool store, tell them what's going on, and they can point you to a bunch of different excellent resources so that you can teach him at home after he gets home from his classroom (he's probably being ignored because of "underperforming" to tell you the truth). Best of luck and Go Mom! for advocating for him. The lead teacher is poor and unorganized. YOU CAN ALSO PICK UP A COPY OF RUTH BEECHICK'S A STRONG START IN LANGUAGE. LESS THAN 5 BUCKS BUT AN AWESOME LITTLE BOOK PACKED WITH HELP.
I found that by becoming a parent in the class room helped,I would help with the reading,math,etc. and just be a second or third non paid adult there to help, helped my son also. Check and see if this is a possibility for you.
I would call the Principal of the school, NOW! There is no reason it should take this long for a teacher to get back with you. I would take him out of the dual language class and have him out into a regular kindergarten class and definitely away from that Teacher. She is showing no signs of any "care" for your son. It actually sounds as if she is on a "Power" trip. There is no room for "power" struggles in your son's education. It is very important to start him out on the right foot this early in his education. You are his advocate, protector, etc. It is your job in this rodeo to be his clown. Keep him protected but letting him do his thing too. His is a delicate balancing act. Call the principal and calmly explain what is going on and how you are feeling about this. Ask the principal to schedule a conference sooner than the 26th. I am sure the Teacher will comply with what her Boss tells her to do. Good luck to you.
It sounds like you have put a lot of work into this already. If you will spend just 40 mins. and watch this free video, it could save you years of agony. Go to www.brightsolutions.us and watch webcast titled, "Could it Be Dyslexia?. The things your son is having problems with fit this disorder. In fact, dyslexia is the MOST COMMON reason a child struggles in school.
Unfortunately, many teachers do NOT know the warning signs. Watch the video and you will probably know more than your son's teachers! Write me if you have questions, L. Irvin, Dyslexia Specialist in Midland
You must stay persistent with her. Take notes on every conversation you have with her. Take dates of when you are to receive info, etc. and note the date that you actually receive it. Teachers can be very overwhelmed, and must be very organized. Not getting SIGHT words to you in a timely manner is not good. Often the kids have a "test" on them weekly. BTW, sight words are common words children learn early on. By learning the words on sight they see most often they can concentrate more on the more uncommon words when encountered. Since she is not providing these weekly, I would suggest looking up the Dolch Sight Word List on line (do a search, you'll find lots of info). This list breaks down by grade level what words children should recognize. Granted, some school curriculums don't exactly follow it by grade level. But, it will give you a good idea of what he needs.
My son who is a 2nd grader now had a horrible time learning to read and still struggles with it. He was in two-way immersion in kinder. He was taught all day in Spanish except Science and Social Studies. Optimally they way 2way immersion works is 1/2 the class was native Spanish speakers, 1/2 was native English speakers. However, in his class there he was the only "all English" at home kid. There was one other "white" child in the class and her father teaches Spanish on the high school level! I do speak some Spanish, enough to help with homework. But, all the other kids in the class were already bilingual. They spoke to my son in English instead of Spanish like they were suppose to. In essence, the children are suppose to learn the other language from each other. They are taught in Spanish to begin with, because Spanish is phonetic and easier to learn to read than English. Anyway, after Ike hit last year and he had to switch schools, he was not at a school that offered this program and went into English speaking classes.
Try not to push him so much. If he has never been in any kind of day care/pre-k program he is going to be behind starting out. But, he will catch up. Keep working with him, but don't harp, he will get discouraged.
Take 3X5 index cards and write each letter on the card. Get a binder ring, take them with you everywhere (car, restaurant, appointments). When there's a free moment, have him practice. Do the same for the sight words. Start out with 5 a week.
Stay on the teacher and if you are still getting no where with her, request a change of teacher for your child. You can also make arrangements to sit in on your child's class anytime you want. The teacher cannot say no to that. As an aside, I am appalled that the teacher did not make sure your child had at least 1 thing on the wall for meet the teacher. He's a kindergartner for heaven's sake. What is he doing in class, nothing? Last year, my son was bad about remembering his homework and/or reading folders. So, when I picked him up in the afternoon, I would check to see if he had them. If he didn't, I would walk to his class to retrieve them. Periodically, I would clean out his desk and make him complete any unfinished work.
I had a similar problem with my son. I was told he was doing fine, but needed to work on his numbers. Every note sent said nothing else, only to work with numbers. Then, toward the end of the year, I find out they adopted a new language arts program and he failed the initial test and therefore was in danger of failing. To keep it short, it was a teacher modeling thing. But, how she handled it and spoke to me made me very upset. Nothing had been mentioned before and now the only thing looked at for promotion was reading (not numbers) and yet we had been focusing on numbers all year long.
Look, I am a teacher and I know how a teacher can just become overwhelmed. So, in her defense, give her some benefit of the doubt. But, do address this. She needs to be aware of how everything has come across and how important this is to you.
Promotion for Kindergarten: focus on the sight words and letter sounds. I personally began reading the old Dick and Jane books with my son. I have one big book that includes all of the main lessons in it. I can get you the ISBN if you want to get it. It's great. It worked better than flash cards and it gave my son the confidence he needed. Within the next few weeks, he passed his test and was promoted. He did much better with the old bood then he did with all the little booklets they sent home. It was awesome and I know it was tried and true for all the previous generations. It worked for me.
He also needs to know his basic shapes and colors. He only really needs to recognize the lower numbers under 20. He needs to be able to count on his own in order, etc. But, the promotion standards, at least in public school, is that he needs to be able to read basic sight words and know enough of letter sounds that he can look at the first letter of the word, then look at the picture to figure out what he thinks the word is. My friend teaches kindergarten in Northside and she set me straight and kept me focused in spite of what his own teacher was saying.
The other teachers I have encountered are wonderful. So, you just have to learn how to get the information you need. I had to absolutely make her pinpoint what I needed to work on in order to not stress my child out. She wouldn't narrow it down, he had to know it all. I refused that answer and made her pinpoint what was the most important thing if he could only work on one thing. Reading!
You have plenty of time to work on him with this. It doesn't matter until that very end test and even then, they can't really hold him back without your permission!!!
I have to say that this kindergarten curriculum is preparing many children to stress out about school at an early age and turn them off from learning! I feel at this age you can really only expose kids to all these concepts - some will click with it quickly, others won't, but it does not mean they are "at risk"!!! The teacher is either rude, burnt out and overwhelmed by the task the school district has set before her - it's all about the testing, you know. Please try and relax and be grateful for the small but consistent steps you child makes in learning and celebrate them. Don't let him let the teacher make him feel discouraged - she is not working for his best interest. Boys mature later than girls, and all this stuff might just click for him in 6 months or so. Try to make his at home learning time/homework FUN - sure doesn't sound like his teacher is doing that in the classroom. They are 5 years old for crying out loud!! You can also ask for testing of your son to rule out any problems now - it will be in his best interest and then do a follow-up in the spring. Good luck M. - you are your child's best advocate!
I am mystified as to why he is in a dual language class when he has problems with learning sounds. The sounds are different in English and Spanish. Does he speak both languages? You write as though English is your first language and if it is his, I would put him into an English only class.
I think the teacher has been remiss and you need to be in the school more. You can write to the prinicpal with datss of communication and lack of response. Thoes are concrete and minimum duty responses that the teacher needs to fulfill. Most moms don't send 5 emails, but if you didn't get a response to any, then she is really being difficult. Write it to Principal and insist on a conference. I am more inclined to move the boy to Engl ony though.
