Kindergartener and Learning

Geez - I thought kindergarten was supposed to be about things like sharing and cooperation. Wth has happened?

NOT TO WORRY!
He will get there, just play with your kid with letters, show him things with each letter and repeat them to him....just like playing. Read to him (it will help him with the letters themselves and the sound of them as well) Sing songs with the letters. I used to invent songs with my little one, you can do the same, it is fun and works!
I think that the teacher is more concerned for herself than the kid's learning (oops,sorry!); they are under a lot of pressure to show "results". The problem is that this will not help the kids and much less kindergarteners to be really successful academically...
You just help him and encourage him to do his best part, celebrate him when he achieves something. Little ones learn mostly by playing: visual aids, hand-on activities, (colorful flashcards), daily life activities like naming things with a specific letter at the grocery store, in the house, each letter every day, do it little by little. He will be fine. (been there, D. that).

Concerned? no, but you should become more proactive in his learning. I found car time is ideal in helping small children with basic academic skills. Have him count in the car (count how many red cars you see, how many signs we pass), Have him point out letters on signs you pass (find me a P), and have him start reading some of the signs (stop, one way, etc.). It's a great way to spend time with your son that is often not a very interactive time. You can also do this in your house (find me 10 socks).

Kids enter Kindergarten from all levels and abilities.
They tend to level out by the end if the year.
Here, the school your is only a quarter done!

I wouldn't panic.
I wouldn't jump to conclusions.
I would read to/with him.
I would read street signs with him when you're in the car.
I would practice his sight words with him.
I would do counting games with every day real life situations.

Good luck!

I would not worry at all. Kids learn to read at different ages and IMO sight words are just silly memorization - an aid to help children learn to dislike learning. At 4, my son knew all his letters, could count past 100 and could not read at all. He was reading some at 5 and now at 6-1/2 (1st grade) he is reading at probably a 3rd grade level. The Scandinavian countries (and the Waldorf/Steiner schools in this country) do not even teach reading until kids are 7 and they beat us in all the literacy assessments. Read to him, count real world things with him but most of all - do NOT make this stressful, disappointing or difficult for him. The MOST important thing of all for kindergarteners is to LOVE to learn. Kids do naturally - but we can ruin it for them if we try.

Oh - and if you have not had his eyes checked - I definitely would. My son passed the 'school eye test' but the pediatric ophthalmologist found he has an astigmatism and he is so much happier with his glasses.

Do some research on Finland schools. They are consistently in the top three of all countries in academic placements in all areas every year in the international tests given to high schoolers. We in the US consistently test in the bottom middle. You would think that we, as a country, would look at them and say to ourselves, "Hmmm. What are they doing different?" and then apply it. But we don't. Here's a quick run down of what they do different:

1. They PAY mothers to stay home with their babies the first three years of their lives.
2. Preschool starts at age 6. It is a full year of nonacademic, COMPLETELY play based school where social skills are the main focus.
3. Regualar academic school begins at age 7. However, they still keep a highly play based atmosphere and even up in high school there is little to NO homework and testing is virtually NEVER used. They learn for the sake of learning.
4. Teachers are all required to have masters degrees and looked upon as people of respect and are given COMPLETE control over what and how they teach, catering to the individual children in their particular class instead of a statewide/countrywide mandate of objectives.
5. Once the children get a little older the teacher sits down with them individually each Monday morning and devises a learning plan for them for the week, based on the child's interests and input.

Sounds great, doesn't it? Why don't we get a clue? This system has been proven to work. Before this system was established in the 1960's, Finland tested towards the bottom on international tests. As soon as it was applied, they soared. It amazes me that we don't try to emulate a system that is so simple and is PROVEN to work. Oh, well. Until we do, I will homeschool. :) By the way, your little guy sounds fine. It's the system of standards that's messed up.

Ditto One and Done--try to keep it applicable and fun. Honestly, they really 'get it when they get it'. Read aloud simple books (the EZ readers series from the publishers of Dr Suess, PD Eastman and the like are very accessible and popular. Repetitious,sure, but that's how they learn!)

I just read over what is to be the new Kindergarten report card for our school district, and sharing/cooperating isn't on it, sad to say. What is, is an eyeful and because of the Common Core standards, extremely academic-- a bit more than I would like to see, personally, knowing how young children have stage/windows where learning different information becomes more facile or more difficult.

If it were me, I would turn this back to the teacher for help. "Thanks for making me aware of where my son needs more help. Do you have some suggestions for what we could be doing at home to help him?"

Asking her to support your helping him at home will be a great invitation for her to share materials with you. And I have some from the packet my son's teacher sent home; PM me if you would like me to share them with you.

Lastly, remember that they often all level out by Grade 3, so while I understand that the teacher's concerned about where he is THIS year, do remember that he's got 13 years of school still. :)

No. If he doesn't make progress and refuses to try, be worried. Not all kids are fully ready to learn these things at the beginning of kindergarten. My oldest only knew 14 letters at the first parent teacher conference. By 2nd grade he was reading Harry potter. My second knew all her letters before kindergarten, but took a bit longer to like reading. My third didn't know all his letters and had a bad kindergarten teacher. He was very behind, but by second grade, with some help from a reading specialist at school, reading clicked. He is now a bit above grade level.

The reason I shared about my kids is to help you see what your son's kindergarten teacher should already know. Kids learn at different rates and sometimes a child is just not quite developmentally ready for what you are teaching them. When they are ready, it clicks and they get it and you find out you have been worrying over nothing. Yes, there are children who have learning disabilities, but a kindergartener who misses the letter 14, but counts to 40 and knows most of his letters doesn't seem to fit that category.

Don't be alarmed. Children "get it" at different levels. Just do your routine practice with him at home and with everyday oppoetunities to practice such as counting a tthe grocery store, recognizing letters on bill boards, etc.

Children tend to level out by grade 2.

my daughters k teacher had a meeting with us last year because she couldnt read 4 letter words a few weeks into class. by december she wanted emmy to know 40 site words. they have to pass standardized testing,
i;d say work more at home...but dont stress..even worst case scenario of repeating k could be a posotive thing. i kind of wish emmy repeated. she was acing things by the end of the year and top of her class...1st grade we're having issues all over again