So Disapointed in Kindergarten

[swilphil]

I just want to offer a little bit of a different viewpoint....I am a former Kindergarten teacher, turned SAHM. I can tell you that the first few weeks of kindergarten have NOTHING to do with learning. The beginning of the year is about social and structural aspects of school. It's time for the teacher to feel out his/her students and getting to know their personalities and learning styles. It's time to establish classroom routines and rules and structure. It's time for the kids to know each other and to get used to working as a classroom unit. And it's time for the teacher to assess each child's abilities and then decide where his/her lessons will go from there.

Don't be alarmed at all just yet. Yes, there will be a lot of coloring - it gives the teacher an easy activity to give the kids to do on their own while doing individual/small group assessments. It's the reality of kindergarten.

There is also a lot more learning that happens inside a classroom than you will ever see evidence of in a folder. Large and small group activities, learning centers - these are typical things that happen all day long but often do not have physical results that come home. But these are also some of the most important learning activities.

Chances are that your teacher will realize your daughter's abilities and teach her accordingly. And if not, definately talk to the teacher - we do like input from parents!

Also, just keep this in mind - it's still just Kindergarten. She's not going off to take her SAT's next year. There are so many years ahead for learning academics - these children are only 5 and 6 years old!!!!! Never discount the other important things they learn - how to be a friend, a team player, a learner, etc. I truly believe the poem, All I need to know I learned in Kindergarten!!!


This is all just my 2-cents from the teacher perspective. I hope things work out for everyone!

As an educator and a parent, I totally agree. And I wish you had been my son's K teacher. They were drilling/testing for math and reading all day, but did absolutely nothing for social skills. He's entering second grade and still hasn't caught up socially but is way advanced academically. He does fine 1 to 1, but has problems in larger groups.

Also several studies have shown that kids who are behind in reading in early grades can catch up by 3rd grade, which is also when the more advanced kids will slow down a bit. On the other side of the coin, social and emotional skills have much more to do with school success in the long run.

Let kids be kids and have a little fun. Most of the time, it's not the kids that are complaining about coloring all day, it's the parents.

 

[unionville]

I have not read every single post, but I just wanted to add our experience. My son started kindergarten knowing how to read and had an amazing thirst for knowledge. I am a high school math teacher and I understand the challenges teachers have as they try to reach all levels of students in the same classroom. My son also came home telling me how bored he was learning those 2-letter words and all about the colors. But, my son is a social butterfly and an only child that never went to preschool (he stayed with grandparents because he was a preemie and I never trusted anyone else). So for him, school was a fabulous social opportunity. He loved every minute of it. The kindergarten teacher came to me after the about twelve weeks and suggested that he walk across the hall to a 1st grade class and join their highest reading group each day. It worked perfectly. The teacher even required a reading journal outside of class. This might end up being an option that would work for your child.

Starting 1st grade, we were prepared to look at options. It seems there had been another little girl in Kindergarten that also read with the 1st grade. Our principal placed that little girl and my son in the same class hoping they could work together on a higher level. The teacher still struggled to work out a feasible option. In 1st grade in NC, a child can't just go into a higher classroom for additional work unless they qualify. Our son was tested through the school system (we didn't have to pay for anything) and actually qualified for grade skip. We were not ready to make that decision (remember I teach high school and I worried about when he was older), so he went to a 2nd grade class for math and reading. He basically spent his academic time in a 2nd grade class but still had the rest of social day with his peers. This also worked beautifully. He was accepted in both classes although we often struggled with the amount of homework - he felt he needed to complete assignements for both classes. At the end of the year, we found out that his 2nd grade teacher and entire class would loop together to the 3rd grade. The school contacted us to see if we wanted to include our son. We agreed to this fabulous opportunity.

My son skipped 2nd grade and completed 3rd grade with a classroom of friends and teachers that he adored. We had an amazing year with very few bumps. Yes, it is sometimes obvious that he is a year younger (he has an April birthday), but so far so good. We're not sure what the future holds, but we are willing to deal with things one day at a time. When you have a child that wants to soak up every bit of knowledge you throw his way, you have to be willing to look at alternatives.

 

[perkinsrose]

I have not read every single post, but I just wanted to add our experience. My son started kindergarten knowing how to read and had an amazing thirst for knowledge. I am a high school math teacher and I understand the challenges teachers have as they try to reach all levels of students in the same classroom. My son also came home telling me how bored he was learning those 2-letter words and all about the colors. But, my son is a social butterfly and an only child that never went to preschool (he stayed with grandparents because he was a preemie and I never trusted anyone else). So for him, school was a fabulous social opportunity. He loved every minute of it. The kindergarten teacher came to me after the about twelve weeks and suggested that he walk across the hall to a 1st grade class and join their highest reading group each day. It worked perfectly. The teacher even required a reading journal outside of class. This might end up being an option that would work for your child.

Starting 1st grade, we were prepared to look at options. It seems there had been another little girl in Kindergarten that also read with the 1st grade. Our principal placed that little girl and my son in the same class hoping they could work together on a higher level. The teacher still struggled to work out a feasible option. In 1st grade in NC, a child can't just go into a higher classroom for additional work unless they qualify. Our son was tested through the school system (we didn't have to pay for anything) and actually qualified for grade skip. We were not ready to make that decision (remember I teach high school and I worried about when he was older), so he went to a 2nd grade class for math and reading. He basically spent his academic time in a 2nd grade class but still had the rest of social day with his peers. This also worked beautifully. He was accepted in both classes although we often struggled with the amount of homework - he felt he needed to complete assignements for both classes. At the end of the year, we found out that his 2nd grade teacher and entire class would loop together to the 3rd grade. The school contacted us to see if we wanted to include our son. We agreed to this fabulous opportunity.

My son skipped 2nd grade and completed 3rd grade with a classroom of friends and teachers that he adored. We had an amazing year with very few bumps. Yes, it is sometimes obvious that he is a year younger (he has an April birthday), but so far so good. We're not sure what the future holds, but we are willing to deal with things one day at a time. When you have a child that wants to soak up every bit of knowledge you throw his way, you have to be willing to look at alternatives.

I'm happy for you! Sounds like you are fortunate to be part of a good school with staff who have individual needs on their radar.

 

[camlace]

I'm surprised to read that all these kids are reading and doing math before even starting Kinder ! Whatever happened to letting them be kids??

Not sure I understand this comment...letting kids be "kids" means they can't learn to read at a young age I could read and write well before I entered kindergarten and I was not "redshirted" nor did I go to preschool, I was actually one of the youngest in the class because the cutoff was 12/1 and I have a 11/29 birthday. Did I ride bikes, do crafts, play in the mud, play with my dolls, etc....absolutely I just happened to really enjoy books, probably instilled from my mother that loved reading. So in my opinion loving to reading and learning to do it ARE part of being a kid.

 

[unionville]

I'm happy for you! Sounds like you are fortunate to be part of a good school with staff who have individual needs on their radar.

Absolutely - we are fortunate. Going through this, I realized that our school system (and I'm including me as a teacher) sometimes focus on the middle of the road students (they are the majority) and our lower level and higher level kids get "left behind". My son has opened my eyes as a teacher in the classroom to be more focused on meeting the needs of all of my students. There are creative options out there!

 

[Pixie Dust for Me!]

OP,

I feel your pain. When my DS was in Kindergarten he came home on the 2nd day of school and told me that he was done with Kindergarten. I asked him why and he told me that he already knew everything they were gonna teach that year. I convinced him to go back for Day 3 and he came home with a note from the teacher that outlined the "goals" for the class. I looked at the list and sure enough, he'd already achieved all the academic goals for the class in Pre-K (and was able to read the list and tell me, "I already did that).

I couldn't convince him to go back for Day 4. (If he was arguing against Perry Mason, trust me, Mr. Mason would lose every case!) So I decided to let him stay home and miss days 4 and 5. He was even more bored at home and asked to go back (which was my goal) for Day 6, but I didn't let him. I told him that I was afraid he would be disruptive, argumentative and would make fun of the children and that he needed to stay home. In the interim, I called his teacher and told her about the problem I was having and how I was handling it. Fortunately, she had already guessed that he was a strong willed (no, really!) child who was (academically) far beyond most of his peers and that socially still needed some work.

On Day 7, after much begging on his end, I agreed to let him go back (yea, victory for mom). I told him that he had to apologize to his teacher for missing school and agree to not criticize the work being done in the classroom and to focus strictly on the schedule and routine. A few weeks later, after he PROVED he could handle the schedule and routine of things, the teacher worked things out that enabled him to go to 1st grade for reading and math.

So, here's my message. Talk with your daughter's teacher. Let her know you are not pressuring her but that you would like to work collaboratively on addressing your concerns. Also, give it a bit of time and let her get her "ducks in a row." Things do work out -- about 99% of the time!

 

[Vijoge]

Kinder is not even required where I live, he could go right into 1st grade knowing little mroe than he does now.

Is it required anywhere? We live in IL and kids here are only required to enroll in school by their seventh birthday and remain in school until they turn 16.

 

[Debbie7452]

Hey Emma's Mom. We are actually in Tomball ISD (love it, love it, love it) so I don't have any experience with Cy-Fair...though I know it's a fantastic district! I'm sure you will be able to work things out and have a great year. Do they place GT kids immediately? Our district does not test until the end of the year, but they did pull her out for a more advanced reading group with another boy like her.

As far as those who think we "make" our kids read early, etc, I guess this might happen sometimes, but in our experience some kids are just little sponges that soak up learning. They are just born that way.

Good Luck to all the parent's out there!

 

[Aristomommy]

Absolutely - we are fortunate. Going through this, I realized that our school system (and I'm including me as a teacher) sometimes focus on the middle of the road students (they are the majority) and our lower level and higher level kids get "left behind". My son has opened my eyes as a teacher in the classroom to be more focused on meeting the needs of all of my students. There are creative options out there!

I am active in some gifted message boards and your story is the exception, not the rule. Our old school was excellent in special education and intervention services. I think that is wonderful for the kids that need it, but they completely ignored the advanced students.

 

[unionville]

I am active in some gifted message boards and your story is the exception, not the rule. Our old school was excellent in special education and intervention services. I think that is wonderful for the kids that need it, but they completely ignored the advanced students.

I would agree that special education and intervention services are offered at a much higher level for every single age group. AIG services aren't even truly available in our elementary school until grade 4. Although they make some exceptions and my son was pulled out once a week in grade 3.