Need advice-problems with dd six in school

[lfmb]

In the begining of the school year the teacher said my dd was behind all the other 1st graders. So I really worked with her hard with the reading and hired a tutor.

She just got her report card and the teacher marked the box not meeting criteria for promotion. We are shocked because she is reading so well now and her tutor who is a 2nd grade teacher says my dd is definately on 1st grade level for reading. Her tutor said she would tell me if she thinks my dd would not pass 1st grade. On the report card she got bad marks for reading comprehension. At home and with the tutor this is not true. She understands everything she reads and I think her reading is coming along great.

I will have a conference with the teacher but I know she will just show me bad test scores and how can I argue that? Tomorrow I will have to tell dd's tutor about the report card boy will she be upset.

How come dd is doing great with us and her tutor but not in school?

Thanks for any advice

Also I have heard many negative things about this teacher but I do thinks she is nice to dd.

Thanks for any help

 

[mommytotwo]

We had a similar situation with my stepson who is in fifth grade. When he was at school, he was able to do his work or so it seemed without asking his teachers, but when he came home with the same type of homework, he would struggle on his assignments, didn't understand it in school, and wouldn't ask questions to his teachers.
I am not sure if there is something that may be bothering your daughter to make her not able to do her best in her reading-it could be the teacher making her nervous.
I think having a conference with the teacher would be a good idea. If you are able to have her reading tutor there also, I'm sure it will help since she will be able to give your daughter's teacher some information of her progress.
I hope all goes well and that your daughter will move on to the next grade and have a teacher that she really likes.

 

[mickey65]

Has the teacher said if the comprehension is oral or written? I have students who have difficulty with the written part of the comprehension, but if I give them an oral test they are able to tell me what the reading passage was about (in good detail too!) Some children have difficulty putting down on paper what is in theri brain. For the kids in my class, we find another way to do the assessment and we work on the skills they need to learn to put their thoughts on paper.

 

[pat fan]

It sounds like maybe there is something going on at school that is interfering with her learning there. Does she sit next to a chatty person who distracts her?A bully who is bothering her?Near a window and the outside gets her attention?Is it a large class and the overall noise/confusion level distracts her?I'd check into these areas too.My DS has reading comprehension problems too, coupled with short term memory problems so I feel your pain.He is flunking math because of this(so many problems now are word problems and he can't grasp the question)but his teacher is passing him anyway because they will repeat this same book in 7th grade that he had in 6th. Go figure

 

[peg2001]

There is a huge difference between one-on-one tutoring and sitting in a large classroom. Your DD is obviously very bright, to have come so far so fast with one-on-one tutoring. It is likely that her learning style is just not being met in a typical school classroom. If at all possible, you may want to consider alternatives.

That said, you are her parent and you can just insist that she be promoted, if that is what you want to do. If she can't learn in the classroom, sitting in there for another year is not going to help.

Peggy

 

[disykat]

I would refuse retention, move her to 2nd grade and continue to get her extra help as you have been. Is there something else going on other than reading???

I can't imagine retaining someone who is getting outside help and improving. Then again, I am not a big fan of retention. I would not accept retention unless my child was younger than his classmates, smaller than his classmates, and behind academically and behaviorally - he would have to be all four of those for it to be the solution IMO.

 

[JerseyJanice]

Is your DD much younger than the other kids in her class? Maybe that's the issue the teacher is concerned about.

 

[tkd lisa]

A friend of mine had this problem with her daughter, and she asked me about it (our kids were in the same class). Based on what books my son was reading(and he was in the adv reading group), she decided that her daughter was going to be okay (cause she was only reading one level lower than him at home). The next year she did fine. I don't think they ever figured out why she wasn't doing well at school, since she was much better the next year with the same type of learning environment. I'm guessing it was a teacher incompatability.

At that age, unless your child isn't reading at all, I'd base my decision on what your tutor recommends, and what you think. It probably wouldn't hurt to talk to other families and see what books their kids are reading too.

 

[lfmb]

My dd is a July baby so she is younger then most of the kids. Most of them are already seven.

Can I refuse rentention if I strongly believe that she can do well in 2nd grade? It's not only me who thinks she's doing well her tutor insists dd is on 1st grade level and is reading and understanding everything.

Thanks

 

[Kimberle]

Have you had her eyes checked? She may need glasses.

I was in 2nd grade & I couldn't see the brd. Of course, I didn't realize I needed glasses. Once I got them, I was fine.

 

[Pete's Mom]

I am going through something similar with Pete who is also in 1st grade. The first two grading periods he received 4's (consistently achieves the standard) in reading comprehension.

3rd quarter he comes home with a "2". How did we go from a "4" to a "2"? A "2" is "working towards achieving the standard". I tutor the afterschool program and see Pete's teacher several times a week and she has always told me he was going a great job. We also have a mid semester report card that comes out and it always says great job, keep up the good work no marks next to the "areas to work on". To say the least I was ticked! If my son was having any problems, she should had plenty of opportunties to let me know!

Well, we sit down for a conference and she tells me that Pete scored low on his CRT test and she is concerned. This test is done on computer and evaulates his reading level. He tested at PRE first grade level. WHAT!?! I asked her if his reading level had dropped, she said no. Then how did he go from 4's to a 2? She mumbled something to the effect that MAYBE the work had become more difficult. How could he get a "4" if he never read at a 1st grade level? I told her that I thought maybe he shouldn't have gotten "4"'s during the 1st and 2nd quarter. Needless to say, I am still upset. We are a third of the way through the school year and now I am busting my hump with him to get his reading level up. If she had been correctly evaulating him, we could have worked on it from day one. Grr! She is going back to school to get her master's and we have a sub who is in a lot for her. Because of this, I think she has gotten out of touch with the students and their progress.

My point is, I am wondering what crieteria they are basing your DD's skill level on? It it the "teachers" feeling or some computer based test that evaulates them? As you can see in my case, they were both completely different!!

 

[peg2001]

Originally posted by lfmb
Can I refuse rentention if I strongly believe that she can do well in 2nd grade? It's not only me who thinks she's doing well her tutor insists dd is on 1st grade level and is reading and understanding everything.

Thanks

Yes. The school offers a recommendation but the parent can over-rule it. Just be firm.

Peggy

 

[disneyjunkie]

Originally posted by lfmb
My dd is a July baby so she is younger then most of the kids. Most of them are already seven.

Can I refuse rentention if I strongly believe that she can do well in 2nd grade? It's not only me who thinks she's doing well her tutor insists dd is on 1st grade level and is reading and understanding everything.

Thanks

I think it depends on the school system. I don't believe it can be done here. When I lived in Raleigh NC, parents could refuse retention.

 

[zurgswife]

Originally posted by lfmb
My dd is a July baby so she is younger then most of the kids. Most of them are already seven.

Can I refuse rentention if I strongly believe that she can do well in 2nd grade? It's not only me who thinks she's doing well her tutor insists dd is on 1st grade level and is reading and understanding everything.

Thanks

My dd6 (June baby) is finishing her second year of kindergarten she was the youngest in the class the first time around. It's amazing the difference in her this time. After seeing where the othe kids are I couldn't imagine her in there class. Maybe it's more then reading that your dd's teacher is seeing as a reason to retain her.

 

[cabmom]

My son is having difficulties as well and we were only informed in late January. Then we had a meeting with the Teacher. I wasn't impressed with her at all or her "way" of teaching. He is in SK.
Bring it forward to the week of Easter, we get a letter home telling us they want to do an assesment on him with a SERT teacher to see if he will be promoted! Where I live we have a choice in retention. I said they could test him, but we will not keep him back a grade. I'm even considering moving him to another school as all the English program are split level grades. We live in an area where they offer French Immersion, and the English program is not the best.
Good luck and I believe it's the parents choice on retention!

 

[janette]

I would wait until you get a chance to discuss it with the teacher, maybe even have a meeting with the teacher & tutor to see what their advice is.

If your DD is struggling in 1st grade there is a good chance she will continue to struggle. Is it worth it to keep her with that class? IMO retention in the early grades can be very helpful for some students.

I didn't retain my youngest DD but she was changing schools at the time and instead of putting her in 2nd we opted for 1st. She is a June birthday and also has an LD. Because she is classified special education she could be placed in the upper class even if she wasn't able to do the course work. I just couldn't see putting her where she'd be even more behind her classmates. It has worked out great, I can't imagine her in the other class at all.

 

[The Mystery Machine]

Is the comprehension the only thing holding her back? How is she doing socially, math, PE, music, art? Are their behavior problems?

A teacher would have to sit with me and make a case esp. if I knew my child had made progress with a tutor. I would want to to the right thing by my child and would need to know other details to make an informed decision.

Our school offers summer school for kids that are "catching up" but not behind enough to be held back. In fact they really don't hold kids back here but have special LD teachers to help these students. Do you have these kind of programs at your school?

Good Luck and I hope you can get to the bottom of this.

 

[lfmb]

Actually the problem is I don't feel my daughter is struggling in school and her tutor agrees with me. It's her teacher that for some reason is not seeing enough improvement to want to pass her.

DD is picking up new books and reading them at 90% accurracy. Don't get me wrong I dont feel she is an exceptional student maybe just a sliver below average.

I know being the youngest in the class does not help.

I will have to talk to the principal.

 

[lfmb]

My daughter did will on math and her best marks were on her behavior. Reading comp was where she got the bad grades. This is where I disagree with the teacher as does my daughters tutor. Because she does understand everything she reads.

It's a frustrating situation.

 

[The Mystery Machine]

Since you had to hire a tutor I assume you have no LD department in your school? That really stinks because that is an ongoing thing. There are kids in my dd's 7th grade still going to LD reading.

It does sound frustrating.