Omg, first week and she is SOOOO bored...

[Deleted User] · September 2010

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Summerly2 · September 2010

Sorry to hear that

That sucks that she missed the cutoff by so little. DS (September bday also) did start K last year and had a great year and is so far doing great in 1st grade. But he's small for his age anyway, so he's the youngest and the smallest LOL. I can't imagine if he were in kindergarten now though; he's ahead of many of his (older) peers in 1st and I would have hated to hold him back. I hope the pace picks up for her soon OR that they recognize she's bored and needs something more challenging so they can give her some special attention/assignments/something. Hope she has a great year.

sweetsurrender9 · September 2010

Poor DD. I know what that's like... but I was in public school, so FAPE applied, and I skipped K. Is the teacher willing to work outside the kindergarten box with her at all?

DandR · September 2010

That was my DD as well, and I got accused of being "that mom" when I talked to the teacher about it. Nothing changed. She continued to read "the dog sat on a log" at school or whatever easy books, and at home I continued to read Junie B. Jones with her.

Screw school, do your own thing at home.....seriously. I think she learned a few things last year from school that I wouldn't have thought to "teach" her...like....hmmm..well I can't remember, but I remember a few times her coming home and saying something and me being impressed.

First grade has been SOOOO much better. (but makes me question why I don't just homeschool). Their math is self paced on the computer (yeah, I could do that at home...teacher isn't even teaching it??) so she is pretty far ahead in math. And her teacher has her in the top reading group so her spelling words and books are a MUCH bigger challenge.

littlemermaid · September 2010

My children attend a parochial school and we have had a couple kids who they have tested and allowed to skip a grade. You really need to press the issue with the principal and see if they can test your daughter.

roseroseroseroserose · September 2010

DD is at a private school and they are more than willing to let her work on her own level. Maybe your school would be open to that? Perhaps she could go to the first grade class for reading and math?

shouldbworkin · September 2010

I would talk to the teacher/principal about what they think about moving her. My neice skipped KG b/c she already knew everything and was socially ready for 1st grade (she has an April bday). She spent all of two weeks in it and they moved her. No sense in keeping them in a grade below their level just b/c of their age, IMO. I understand they all need to start somewhere, but kids skip grades based on ability and maturity all the time. At least see if they'll move her to 1st for reading and math lessons.

MrsSR · September 2010

-auntie-:

This is where private fails kids.

If she were in a public school, you could make the case for a "free and appropriate" education aimed at her level of cognitive functioning rather than an out-of-the-box curriculum. Independent schools are great for kids who are average, but not so much for gifted or challenged.

As a private school teacher, I disagree with this. My school would have allowed her into the 1st grade. We have many students who come to our school because they miss the cutoff by a few days and public school won't let them in.

OP, talk to her teacher. I'm sure within the next week assessments will start and she'll see that DD is ahead of the game.

J's Jen · September 2010

As a kindergarten teacher, I don't think it's always best for kids to skip a grade. My kindergarten class is full of a variety of skill levels. Almost every activity we do can be adjusted to the higher, average and lower skilled students. Talk with her teacher and ask for other activities that your daughter can do when she is finished with her work. For example, on the back of that alphabet color sheet have your daughter write or draw a list of words/pictures that being with that letter. On the bookshelf I have in my classroom I have tons of books from beginning readers to an atlas and chapter books. No matter what grade your daughter is in, there will always be a variety of students with different skill levels and hopefully she will have a teacher that can meet every skill level.

DandR · September 2010

I had one other thought.....

The first week (month) in Kindergarten is SOOOOOO much procedures and processes...there really isn't a lot of learning in ANY school, I would imagine because they need to focus on teaching the kids to walk in the hallway quietly, and what the routine is for the day.....and while your DD might be fine with these things, I'm sure there are plenty of kids who make these things take longer because its so new to them.

Maybe give it another week or so until they've settled into the routine and see....you might be surprised.

amykins1283 · September 2010

At the school I teach at (a public school) we very, very rarely let kids skip kindergarten but we do let the kids who are way ahead go to a first grade classroom for part of the day and we also borrow materials from first grade teachers to use with them in our classrooms. We also have challenging reading and math computer programs that the kids can work on independently.

One of the reasons it's not recommended to skip kindergarten is because a big part of the K curriculum is social skills. Some kids may be super smart and way ahead academically but will still act like 5 year-olds and, therefore, not be ready to function in a first grade classroom. I don't know how mature your daughter is but this might be the school's thinking on the matter.

Could you talk to her teacher about maybe making arrangements for her to go to a first grade class for part of the day so that she gets more of a challenge? It might be a nice compromise and then maybe you can talk about skipping first grade next year if she proves she knows the material and is mature enough.

MrsSR · September 2010

I agree with pp... I had two students last year who were moved ahead in kindergarten... I teach 3rd an their young age really started to show-academically and socially.

mle929 · September 2010

DandR:

I had one other thought.....

The first week (month) in Kindergarten is SOOOOOO much procedures and processes...there really isn't a lot of learning in ANY school, I would imagine because they need to focus on teaching the kids to walk in the hallway quietly, and what the routine is for the day.....and while your DD might be fine with these things, I'm sure there are plenty of kids who make these things take longer because its so new to them.

Maybe give it another week or so until they've settled into the routine and see....you might be surprised.

I'm a first grade teacher in a public school. I agree that I'd give it another week or even a little longer. Assessments should be around the corner. I'm starting mine next week. If you're not sure when your DD's teacher is testing her, I'd ask. You could request to have a conference or phone conversation about the results and ask the teacher how you and she could work together to challenge your daughter this year. This will give the teacher a chance to learn about your child as a learner and be on a team with you working together for the best interest of your child.

mle929 · September 2010

DandR:

I had one other thought.....

The first week (month) in Kindergarten is SOOOOOO much procedures and processes...there really isn't a lot of learning in ANY school, I would imagine because they need to focus on teaching the kids to walk in the hallway quietly, and what the routine is for the day.....and while your DD might be fine with these things, I'm sure there are plenty of kids who make these things take longer because its so new to them.

Maybe give it another week or so until they've settled into the routine and see....you might be surprised.

I'm a first grade teacher in a public school. I agree that I'd give it another week or even a little longer. Assessments should be around the corner. I'm starting mine next week. If you're not sure when your DD's teacher is testing her, I'd ask. You could request to have a conference or phone conversation about the results and ask the teacher how you and she could work together to challenge your daughter this year. This will give the teacher a chance to learn about your child as a learner and be on a team with you working together for the best interest of your child.

DandelionMom · September 2010

Two of my girls also barely missed the cut-off. And they're extremely tall for their age. Speak to the teacher, see if she can provide some books for your DD to read and some worksheets for her to try once she finishes the class work. That's what my DDs' teachers have been able to do for my girls. It helps.

[Deleted User] · September 2010

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Adrienne4.11 · September 2010

I completely disagree with the posters who feel socialization in kindergarten is more important than if a child is being challenged academically. I was a very bright child, and I grew to hate school by the time I was 6 years old. I remember starting first grade, looking at our school books, (the advanced ones) flipping to the last chapters and telling my parents I knew how to do everything I was expected to learn in the whole year before it even started.

"Special needs" kids get all sorts of personalized educational services, (and rightfully so) but people fail to recognize the special needs of academically advanced children. I never had to put any effort into my school work throughout all of my public school education. I sat in the back of my classes daydreaming while the teacher went over things I already knew. I developed horrible study skills, and hated the boring work I was doing. Once I got to college, I failed miserably because I did not know how to manage my time and never had to study for anything.

Que*Syrah · September 2010

Adrienne4.11:
I completely disagree with the posters who feel socialization in kindergarten is more important than if a child is being challenged academically. I was a very bright child, and I grew to hate school by the time I was 6 years old. I remember starting first grade, looking at our school books, (the advanced ones) flipping to the last chapters and telling my parents I knew how to do everything I was expected to learn in the whole year before it even started.

"Special needs" kids get all sorts of personalized educational services, (and rightfully so) but people fail to recognize the special needs of academically advanced children. I never had to put any effort into my school work throughout all of my public school education. I sat in the back of my classes daydreaming while the teacher went over things I already knew. I developed horrible study skills, and hated the boring work I was doing. Once I got to college, I failed miserably because I did not know how to manage my time and never had to study for anything.

I don't think that has anything to do with being too smart for school. Time management and study skills are learned in kindergarten- as well as at home.

The foundations for good study behavior, social skills, time management, etc. are taught in Kindergarten. It's not playtime, naptime, snack time anymore.

Adrienne4.11 · September 2010

Que_Syrah:
Adrienne4.11:
I completely disagree with the posters who feel socialization in kindergarten is more important than if a child is being challenged academically. I was a very bright child, and I grew to hate school by the time I was 6 years old. I remember starting first grade, looking at our school books, (the advanced ones) flipping to the last chapters and telling my parents I knew how to do everything I was expected to learn in the whole year before it even started.
"Special needs" kids get all sorts of personalized educational services, (and rightfully so) but people fail to recognize the special needs of academically advanced children. I never had to put any effort into my school work throughout all of my public school education. I sat in the back of my classes daydreaming while the teacher went over things I already knew. I developed horrible study skills, and hated the boring work I was doing. Once I got to college, I failed miserably because I did not know how to manage my time and never had to study for anything.

I don't think that has anything to do with being too smart for school. Time management and study skills are learned in kindergarten- as well as at home.
The foundations for good study behavior, social skills, time management, etc. are taught in Kindergarten. It's not playtime, naptime, snack time anymore.

It has everything to do with being too smart for school. I was never challenged. How would I learn good study behavior if I never had anything to study for? Back to first grade, when I started hating school, my teacher sent home spelling words and told us to write sentences with them. I decided to write a story. When I turned it in, I was told not to do that because it was too time consuming for her to grade. From then on I felt like I should just do what they wanted even if it served no purpose in educating me. At some point, that feeling changed. I rarely did homework, and still got by with b's and c's. Perhaps if I had a different home life, you know, parents who knew what I was doing or not doing in school, things would be different.

My first grade was probably something like what kindergarten is today, and I can say honestly that is when my feelings towards school were formed. Before that, I was excited by the idea of learning. I was annoyed having to read sentences like "see the big cat" when I could already read chapter books.

You should read the book "genius denied." It talks about the challenges that gifted children face in school. This is not just my idea from my own personal story.

Que*Syrah · September 2010

Adrienne4.11:
Que_Syrah:
Adrienne4.11:
I completely disagree with the posters who feel socialization in kindergarten is more important than if a child is being challenged academically. I was a very bright child, and I grew to hate school by the time I was 6 years old. I remember starting first grade, looking at our school books, (the advanced ones) flipping to the last chapters and telling my parents I knew how to do everything I was expected to learn in the whole year before it even started.
"Special needs" kids get all sorts of personalized educational services, (and rightfully so) but people fail to recognize the special needs of academically advanced children. I never had to put any effort into my school work throughout all of my public school education. I sat in the back of my classes daydreaming while the teacher went over things I already knew. I developed horrible study skills, and hated the boring work I was doing. Once I got to college, I failed miserably because I did not know how to manage my time and never had to study for anything.

I don't think that has anything to do with being too smart for school. Time management and study skills are learned in kindergarten- as well as at home.
The foundations for good study behavior, social skills, time management, etc. are taught in Kindergarten. It's not playtime, naptime, snack time anymore.
It has everything to do with being too smart for school. I was never challenged. How would I learn good study behavior if I never had anything to study for? Back to first grade, when I started hating school, my teacher sent home spelling words and told us to write sentences with them. I decided to write a story. When I turned it in, I was told not to do that because it was too time consuming for her to grade. From then on I felt like I should just do what they wanted even if it served no purpose in educating me. At some point, that feeling changed. I rarely did homework, and still got by with b's and c's. Perhaps if I had a different home life, you know, parents who knew what I was doing or not doing in school, things would be different.
My first grade was probably something like what kindergarten is today, and I can say honestly that is when my feelings towards school were formed. Before that, I was excited by the idea of learning. I was annoyed having to read sentences like "see the big cat" when I could already read chapter books.
You should read the book "genius denied." It talks about the challenges that gifted children face in school. This is not just my idea from my own personal story.

Meh. I was in GATE through jr. high and then AP classes in high school. I did just fine in school.

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