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[elf]

MY dd has needed support since preschool. In first grade we suspected dyslexia, by 2nd we had her test by neuropsych and found out for sure. Any regular tutoring would not have helped her she needed a specialized program for reading based on Orton Gillingham.

I'm saying this because you really need to have her tested see her weakness and strengths and just to see whats going on. It could be a maturity issue or something else. You must ask to have her tested with standardized tests. Start collecting data and save it. It is very important to ask for Standardized test such as Woodcock-Johnson or a test that sounds something like "Wieks" which I can't remember. See if she qualifies as LD and get IEP. There are many types of support in schools such as Title one reading and math, inclusion classes, etc.

For me after 1 1/2 years of Standarized test and IEP's there was no progress I was able to put forth an argument for them that they were incapable of teaching her in a way she needed to be taught, so they began to pay for tutoring and they pay half (first time in my school history I was told by teachers).

Ask the school for tutoring, sometimes they pay (usually one of there teachers, not outsiders like Huntington). You have to ask for tutoring, testing, etc.

 

[ntink]

Have you spoken with the principal to see what services the school/district offers?

It does not make sense to me that the teacher can't pinpoint what is going on. It seems that he should be able to say something to the effect of:

...at this point in kindergarten, the average student can read x number of words, recognize x number of sight words, do x in math or whatever and then say:

your child can only (for example) read x number of words while the rest of the class on average can read y number of words. Something to see where she is in relation to where she should be/where the class is.

It strikes me as odd that the teacher said she's doing the worst in the class but is unable to back that up.

 

[princessgirls]

In my area there is a company called ClubZ Tutoring. I know that there are branches popping up all over the country. I have actually tutored for them for over 6 years and they are great at fitting the child with a tutor who would work best with your child (I am not an owner of the franchise....just a private tutor) but I have also heard how happy parents are with the matching of student to tutor.

Hope this helps. Good luck.

 

[disneymom3]

I would agree that it may just be maturity. I homeschool and take a very laid back approach with my little ones. I would recommend Happy Phonics (do a Google search) they play games and learn all about letters without knowing they are doing school. DS who was way behind at the beginning of this year is a reading fiend now and I know it is due to 1. Maturity and 2. Happy Phonics. I also strongly recommend a book by Peggy Kaye called Games for Math. Lots of fun stuff in there that you can do with DD at home and help make the concepts real for her. She also has Games for Reading, but I didn't like that one as much.

Good luck. Hugs to you too. It is hard to not have perfect kids huh?

 

[CarolA]

My DD is in K (5yrs)

The teacher is aware of this & he is concerned & constantly brings her name up to the school, but I havent seen anything happen

She is Bi lingual & they think that might be PART of whats affecting her.

The teacher cant pinpoint whats going on, but He said shes doing the worst in her class.(heartbreaking to hear)

I have every workbook, flash card, game, dvd, anything I can find on hand to help her.
Shes a good kid & loves school & the teacher says thats good. She picks things up & remembers them or she knows it but seems to answer wrong on purpose...its so wierd

All I can do Is get her help, evaluated & try not to push her to hard so she ends up hating school.

Thank you ALL for the great ideas & support....being a parent is not easy & to hear your kid is doing so bad makes you feel like a bad parent....I will continue to read any responses cause they are helping me feel better.

It sounds to me like the teacher is just clueless. (Not a reassuring sound is it?) I have friends who teach and I can't imagine them telling a parent what you are posting.

You need to take the lead. Call the school and start DEMANDING the evaluation. Letting the teacher take the lead is NOT the way to go.

If English is her second language you might consider holding her back a year to let her skills catch up. I have worked with some Girl Scout troops who have bilingual kids and often they are held back a year to get their English skills up to speed.

 

[imsayin]

She picks things up & remembers them or she knows it but seems to answer wrong on purpose...its so wierd

I don't think a 5 y/o would do this on purpose. It could be some sort of learning disability. There are so many different LDs, not just the obvious ones. Teachers are not trained in figuring these things out or diagnosing kids. Also, if it is a specific LD, she needs strengthening in whatever areas it is making her weak, so I don't know if regular tutoring would do the job or just frustrate her. I would push to have the school test her. I also would hesitate to hold her back. My nephew had an undiagnosed LD that created tons of problems for him. There were signs in kindergarten that the teacher called "immaturity" and suggested holding him back. Years later he was diagnosed and is now on track.

 

[spaceacewannabe]

Have you spoken with the principal to see what services the school/district offers?

It does not make sense to me that the teacher can't pinpoint what is going on. It seems that he should be able to say something to the effect of:

...at this point in kindergarten, the average student can read x number of words, recognize x number of sight words, do x in math or whatever and then say:

your child can only (for example) read x number of words while the rest of the class on average can read y number of words. Something to see where she is in relation to where she should be/where the class is.

It strikes me as odd that the teacher said she's doing the worst in the class but is unable to back that up.

I think the teacher probably does know what the child can't do...it doesn't matter WHAT, it matters WHY the child can't do it yet, I think that's what he can't pinpoint yet. The fact that he said he can't pinpoint what's going on tells me he's trying to pinpoint the cause. For students to be evaluated for learning disabilities, classroom teachers generally have to document different strategies that they have tried that have not worked...so the fact that he can't pinpoint it is probably his first step in helping the child to qualify for a special ed. referral. I wouldn't go straight to the principal; unless there is a significant problem, they usually have bigger fish to fry...I know this feels huge right now, but it sounds to me like the teacher is ready to keep you in the loop and may be taking the steps he needs to take before school testing for special needs even takes place. Ask if he's considering an LD referral or suggesting repeating kindergarten. It sounds to me like you've done what you need to do, and I suspect, particularly since your daughter likes her teacher, that he is trying to figure out what the best way to help her is going to be.
Does that make sense?

 

[summerrluvv]

I think the teacher probably does know what the child can't do...it doesn't matter WHAT, it matters WHY the child can't do it yet, I think that's what he can't pinpoint yet. The fact that he said he can't pinpoint what's going on tells me he's trying to pinpoint the cause. For students to be evaluated for learning disabilities, classroom teachers generally have to document different strategies that they have tried that have not worked...so the fact that he can't pinpoint it is probably his first step in helping the child to qualify for a special ed. referral. I wouldn't go straight to the principal; unless there is a significant problem, they usually have bigger fish to fry...I know this feels huge right now, but it sounds to me like the teacher is ready to keep you in the loop and may be taking the steps he needs to take before school testing for special needs even takes place. Ask if he's considering an LD referral or suggesting repeating kindergarten. It sounds to me like you've done what you need to do, and I suspect, particularly since your daughter likes her teacher, that he is trying to figure out what the best way to help her is going to be.
Does that make sense?

...or this teacher doesn't have experience teaching a LD child, or someone who needs extra help. I would go to the principal and request an evaulation. That's usually where it starts in most districts. No sense in letting more time pass and not getting the child the help she needs.

 

[spaceacewannabe]

...or this teacher doesn't have experience teaching a LD child, or someone who needs extra help. I would go to the principal and request an evaulation. That's usually where it starts in most districts. No sense in letting more time pass and not getting the child the help she needs.

I really recommend asking the teacher about the referral first. If you go straight to the principal, you risk alienating the PROFESSIONAL who is in the best position to help your child on a daily basis. Also, for true learning disabilities with legal documents, etc., it is not a speedy process and the teacher must document failed strategies to show that it is an issue with the child's learning and not the method of instruction.
The principal will help you, but they'll just end up having to talk to the teacher about your daughter anyway. Ask the teacher if you can all talk about it...sounds like he's been trying. Maybe he'd appreciate your involvement.

ETA: Is this full day or half day kindergarten?
Also, all midwestern states (which it sounds like you're in) have extensive pre-service requirements regarding students with special needs, so it is unlikely that this teacher doesn't know how to work with these students.

 

[StephMK]

If he is that concerned but no one else in the school is taking action, I would contact the principal & nicely demand some testing, extra help or an evaluation for her. At my kids' old school, parents really had to be an advocate for their children, the teachers were only able to do so much. Definitely the squeaky wheel got the attention there.

 

[imsayin]

I wouldn't go straight to the principal; unless there is a significant problem, they usually have bigger fish to fry...I know this feels huge right now, but it sounds to me like the teacher is ready to keep you in the loop and may be taking the steps he needs to take before school testing for special needs even takes place. Ask if he's considering an LD referral or suggesting repeating kindergarten. It sounds to me like you've done what you need to do, and I suspect, particularly since your daughter likes her teacher, that he is trying to figure out what the best way to help her is going to be.

I would go to the principal immediately. I would not sit around and wait for the school to take action or your daughter will be in 5th grade having problems that should have been identified in kindergarten. For LDs, early intervention is the key. This is going to sound like a huge generalization, but here it goes: Many (I want to say most, but I won't) schools are not concerned with individual children's needs, they are concerned with their test scores, teaching the masses, cutting costs, etc. You need to be an advocate for your child and fight for her rights. I know several people that have had to fight the school system to get their kids tested, IEPs implemented, and so on. Holding back a child in kindergarten is sometimes just a band-aid.

or this teacher doesn't have experience teaching a LD child, or someone who needs extra help

Exactly! All teachers are not trained in this area.

 

[summerrluvv]

I really recommend asking the teacher about the referral first. If you go straight to the principal, you risk alienating the PROFESSIONAL who is in the best position to help your child on a daily basis. Also, for true learning disabilities with legal documents, etc., it is not a speedy process and the teacher must document failed strategies to show that it is an issue with the child's learning and not the method of instruction.
The principal will help you, but they'll just end up having to talk to the teacher about your daughter anyway. Ask the teacher if you can all talk about it...sounds like he's been trying. Maybe he'd appreciate your involvement.

ETA: Is this full day or half day kindergarten?
Also, all midwestern states (which it sounds like you're in) have extensive pre-service requirements regarding students with special needs, so it is unlikely that this teacher doesn't know how to work with these students.

In my district, you go straight to the principal to request an evaluation. By law they have to complete it within 30 days (regardless of where you live). My son is in special education, so I'm very aware of the procedures.

 

[travelgirl06]

If you decide to go with tutoring as an option I would deffinately look into local college students as an option. I needed help in a college-level course and hired a peer to help me for $15 an hour one-on-one, when all the professionals wanted at least $50 for group tutoring. A liberal studies or child development student would be a good option for you, as they know how to help kids including kids with learning challenges and tutoring is directly applicable to their professional field and their interests.

For kindergarten level material a high school student could also be an option, a fun teenager / great babysitter could help give her the push she needs. I used to help the kids I babysat with their homework and the parents always loved it, because I tried to make it fun for the kids to learn their material. A fun babysitter using a game to tutor your daughter could be a good solution. Incentives also work well (e.g. we'll work on letters for 20 minutes, then we can play a game).

I would be as proactive as possible in dealing with your situation. It can't be pleasant to be dealing with all this, but its better to deal with it early on and to get your daughter the help she needs to be successful in the future. Good luck and kudos to you for taking the initiative to help your daughter!

 

[tinker&belle]

I'm a preschool teacher (I used to teach kindergarten). Does the teacher have any experience with billingual learners? I have worked with many, and it seems that children that are learning two languages at the same time seem to take longer (as a general rule, of course there are exceptions) to master basic concepts. From what I've observed they need to make sense of what they are learning in both languages and have to reconcile them together. This makes learning concepts seem to take longer, but once they have some maturity they are very adept at tasks and are miles ahead of their single language speaking peers. I would talk with the teacher about their experience working with billingual students and see if there are resources for those students (possibly through the esl dept?)

My DD is in K (5yrs)

The teacher is aware of this & he is concerned & constantly brings her name up to the school, but I havent seen anything happen

She is Bi lingual & they think that might be PART of whats affecting her.

The teacher cant pinpoint whats going on, but He said shes doing the worst in her class.(heartbreaking to hear)

I have every workbook, flash card, game, dvd, anything I can find on hand to help her.
Shes a good kid & loves school & the teacher says thats good. She picks things up & remembers them or she knows it but seems to answer wrong on purpose...its so wierd

All I can do Is get her help, evaluated & try not to push her to hard so she ends up hating school.

Thank you ALL for the great ideas & support....being a parent is not easy & to hear your kid is doing so bad makes you feel like a bad parent....I will continue to read any responses cause they are helping me feel better.

 

[suevee]

"I have every workbook, flash card, game, dvd, anything I can find on hand to help her.
Shes a good kid & loves school & the teacher says thats good. She picks things up & remembers them or she knows it but seems to answer wrong on purpose...its so wierd"

Please advocate for your child. Set time frames for answers from the teachers and principle, then if not satisfied go higher. Be polite but firm. She may have short term memory problems. These children really don't remember the cards all the time and often guess. So they appear to have mastered the words some of the time and seem to be goofing off others. IMHO every child in school should have an IEP to determine the best methods of learning for that child, but apparantly that is not financially feasible.

 

[myprincessgirlisa]

$

 

[The_Horned_King]

My school has ESL (english secondary learner) teachers who work with these students Daily...not sure where your at, but check into it.

Do you speak mostly english or spanish at home?? I Don't want to take anythign away from the heritage and speakign 2 languages is great but it may be benifical to speak more english at home when around her to get ther more aclimated with it.

As for tutors...do you have any older kids??? can they help?
College students are a great idea....find one from a local college in the ESL track and you'll be all set they are being trained to teach in multiple languages. Also College kids are usually hard up for cash and will probably do this for cheap!!

 

[myprincessgirlisa]

$

 

[Lisa_M]

MY dd has needed support since preschool. In first grade we suspected dyslexia, by 2nd we had her test by neuropsych and found out for sure. Any regular tutoring would not have helped her she needed a specialized program for reading based on Orton Gillingham.

I'm saying this because you really need to have her tested see her weakness and strengths and just to see whats going on. It could be a maturity issue or something else. You must ask to have her tested with standardized tests. Start collecting data and save it. It is very important to ask for Standardized test such as Woodcock-Johnson or a test that sounds something like "Wieks" which I can't remember. See if she qualifies as LD and get IEP. There are many types of support in schools such as Title one reading and math, inclusion classes, etc.QUOTE]

I am in my School Psychologist internship now, so I know a bit about this stuff. First of all 5 years old is too young to be found LD. First, the student has to be exposed to the curriculum, and 1/2 a year is not enough time. There is no way she will come up discrepant on a norm-referenced test (average ability-low achievement) at this age.

The bi-lingual stuff really really muddys the water too. How fluent is she in both languages? What language is spoken regularly in your home. At this point, I would not ask for an evaluation, but ask the teacher, what kind of interventions they have tried. When is your daughter's birthday? Is she young for kindergarten? Did she go to preschool? Do you read to her at home? Does she know her numbers and letters? Do you work on this stuff with her? Can she name letters and sounds? How is her speech? Can people understand what she says? You don't need to ask for "standardized testing." That is all part of a multidisciplinary evaluation, which people are telling you to ask for. Also, you don't need the Orton Gillingham program. Your district needs a program that addresses the 5 components of reading: Phoemic Awareness, Phonics, Reading Fluency, Vocabulary Development and Reading Comprehension. I don't know what state your in, but if your school has an Instructional Support Team (IST) or Response to Intervention (RtI) or some other type of pre-referral process, they should be involved. Title 1 reading is also an option without having an IEP. Also, her teacher should be able to tell you where she is having problems. The teacher, guidance counselor or school psychologist should be able to inform you of the resources available in your school. You should call them to discuss this.

Perhaps your daughter may have a learning disability, but if she doesn't it's better to err on the side of caution and give her a chance to acclimate more to the school environment, before evaluating. If she does have a learning disability, this discrepancy or lack of response to research based interventions (if they've done them) will be much clearer towards the end first grade. Good luck and when you work with her, try to keep the activities fun and novel.

 

[Lisa_M]

English is MY primary language
My DH is both
Her sitter from birth to 5yrs was her aunt which she has very little English
Her Grandma,Grandpa, Aunt & Uncle are staying with us & they are all Spanish speaking only(brother is both)
My Family is all english & my DH is mostly spanish speaking

So she is constantly exposed to spanish & spanglish

We were told by Early childhood that me & my DH only speak one language to her.

The school really pressed for bi lingual kinergarden, but she grew up speaking english, but exposed to spanish almost everyday of her life(sorry if confusing)

At this point I am letting them do whatever they recommend.

I had her bring her homework to her neighbor friend who is 3yrs older & I told her to have her friend help her.

I wish I had put her in preschool...I might have caught this sooner...oh well

just read this after posting my response. Since she didnt' have preschool, give her some time to learn this stuff. Most of the other kids in the class probably went to preschool or pre-k and naturally will be ahead of her. Also, why are you having an 8 year old help her with her homework? At this age, homework is something the parent should be doing with the child. It's a time to bond and help your child grow.