School too easy?

BritMumInNZ

UPDATE:

Date Posted: Thu, 04 Dec 2008

Quick update – had a great meeting with our Charli’s teacher and it’s just so great to keep the lines of communication open and nip little problems in the bud before they escalate. We are so happy with the support the school is giving us. They really are incredible and work so hard in trying to meet the needs of all the children. What actually transpired was our daughter was trying to finish things as fast as possible, but missing out some things in between and when asked to repeat the exercise and see things from another angle she was frustrated. She is quite single-minded and her teachers are working hard to help her view things in different ways. She’s always happy to be the leader and helper, but when she’s the ‘follower’ she gets frustrated if things aren’t exactly as she thinks they should be and finds it hard not being in control!

She’s moving up to a new class at the beginning of next year – but will be the youngest – so they are going to watch her carefully to make sure she copes okay with the difference. We’re so grateful to have such caring, dedicated and amazing teachers! Feeling a lot happier today!

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Charli came home from school today very frustrated. Her regular teacher has been away for the last three day’s and she hasn’t wanted to attend school. She is finding her schooling increasingly lacking in challenge and interest. I really need to have a chat with the school. Next year I believe she’ll go up from new entrants to ‘Year 1’. In New Zealand children start school on their 5th Birthday and move up according to age, ability and other variables.

When she was four and three quarters she was assessed by a child development team using the Griffiths Mental Development Assessment. Her speech and language test revealed no ‘ceiling’ and she demonstrated skills on the scale at least at a 6 – 6 1/2 year level. Her score was on the 95th – 99th percentiles. In practical reasoning she didn’t show a ceiling on the scale either and demonstrated skills at least a 6 – 6 1/2 level on the 99th percentile. Her performance with puzzles and blocks showed skills at a 5 1/2 – 6 year level on the 75th – 90th percentiles and her hand/eye co-ordination was at a 5 – 5 1/2 level on the 90th – 95th percentiles. She’s clearly bright and is feeling frustrated in being kept back at school and so keen for more challenges.

Has anyone experienced this? All advice gratefully appreciated! I’m just relieved Charli has pen and paper to channel her frustrations. She was, at first, directing her anger verbally towards Sophie and I had to intervene and ask, ‘What are you really cross with? Please would you go to your room and think about it.’ She wrote the above note to her teacher and afterwards was much calmer.

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8 thoughts on “School too easy?”

  1. Definitely talk to the school. I see Charli started school in July 08. My son started in July 07. He had one term in NE, then the 4th term of 07 in Year 1. Term 1 and 2 07 were in Year 1, then he’s been in Year 2 for the rest of the year (well, he’s officially a Year 1, so they’re calling it a composite 1/2 class, but he’s the top of the class).

    I asked the teachers where he’ll be next year – they say most likely Year 3, which means he’ll have been skipped. It’s tricky for those born mid-year, as they’re often borderline.

    My son is socially a Year 1, but academically a Year 2/3, which can be difficult (although he is maturing now that he’s with older kids more). Girls are often more socially confident, so your girl might thrive by being skipped a year.

    My son has mentioned homeschooling to me occasionally (we have a lot of bright friends who are homeschooled) but now looks at school as purely for social fun. He likes the learning but finds it a breeze.

    Don’t know if that’ll help, just thought I’d share my experiences!

    Thanks so much for your comment – it’s always great to not feel alone with these kind of issues! Great to hear you son is enjoying the social side of school and is happy. Charli’s really loves her own space and dislikes crowds and large group situations (which is of course what school is all about!). She is happier conversing with adults and older children, or looking after children younger than herself (of course there aren’t many at school yet, as she’s in new entrants!). She also prefers the company of boys – though tries to fit in with the girls too. I suppose she could be described as ‘eccentric’ with a strong, independent personality. She’s highly sensitive and tough on herself. She stands up for what’s right and wrong and isn’t afraid to speak her mind. She’s the smallest child in the school, but makes up for her lack of height with personality, that’s for sure!

    Ah well, we’ll talk with the school and see what solutions we can come up with. I’m just so happy we have only 3 more week’s before the long summer break! Bring it on! Cheers, Sarah x

  2. Sarah, we’re having similar issues. I’m just not convinced our school is interested in catering for the top students. Finn keeps saying he doesn’t like it, and to be honest I find it hard to remain positive. As part of their “inquiry learning” they have been studying structures. Guess what video the teacher showed the kids? “Extreme Makeover, Home Edition”, which I reckon is absolutely appalling.

    He is in an “enrichment programme”, but I’m not sure 2 hours a week really accounts to much.

    We talk all the time about changing schools, but I guess the risk is that we’ll lose something positive (like the fact school is nearby and diverse).

    I have no answers for you. I guess we just have to keep stimulating them at home, and cross our fingers that the next teacher is more onto it.

    Sorry, no help here, but I share your pain!

    Hi Martha, thanks so much for sharing the pain! It’s a tough one hey?! We do like our local school, it’s lovely being able to walk there and the community spirit is strong… but (there’s always a but!) we can see Charlotte getting increasingly unhappy and dispirited. She’s so motivated and keen to learn. If she’s not given more challenges soon she’s going to lose interest and faith in her school very quickly. Good luck with Finn and you’re so right in that we just need to keep them stimulated at home.

    Cheers, Sarah x

  3. Oh dear. I’m not familiar with the development tests that Charli has done but obviously she’s a very bright little girl. Also I’m not familiar with the educational system in NZ but I can tell you what would happen here which might be helpful. Every child in school who has special needs has an Indivdual Educational Plan which the teacher reviews with the parents and child about every 3 months. When my boys were at primary school it wasn’t mandatory for children who were ‘gifted or talented and able’ in one or more aspects of the curriculum to have an IEP. It is now and even in my class of 4 year olds I have 1 child reading at age 6/7 level and 1 child starting in January whose maths is at least a year ahead. Both of these children will have IEPs and will be given alternative activites such as 1 to 1 phonics lessons with a teaching assistant and specific programs on the pc when the rest of the class are doing work they have already covered. Otherwise such children as well as not reaching their own potential may become bored and frustrated and even disruptive in school or as my boys did, quite lazy. My suggestion to you would be to research IEPs/gifted or talented & able children/ assessment/curriculum guidelines, before having a chat with the school.
    Best of luck.

    Hi Ruta and thank you so much for that information and advice (I knew you’d have some gems of wisdom for me!). I guess I need to stop talking/worrying and take action to improve matters. Thank goodness for the long school hols coming up! Many thanks, Sarah x

  4. Oh boy, well I think you have read some of my big girl issues with Baa and it stems from her being a smart cookie. At 6 she was assessed by the school as reading, writing and spelling at a 11-12 year age range with no actual top end to where they could satisfactorily say she couldn’t go any further. Its so frustrating because all I see her doing now is dumbing down to fit in with her friends at school and I still question whether I am doing the right thing sticking with school. Some schools won’t push kids or skip them up a year because of “social issues” but ours won’t skip my girl full stop, she is socialising with all the seniors anyway but still they held her back. Now she doesn’t see any point in making the effort, we don’t do the school’s homework anymore because its a waste of time, we have our own spelling and reading things to do.
    Get her assessed by the George Parkyn gifted school, I think the assessment costs $250. The result can help you to point to reliable assessment when it comes to discussing Charli’s needs with her school and she may also be able to enter the “one day school”.
    Good luck and if you need anything feel free to email, this is a subject I have been pondering for a long time.

    Hi Kate, Thank you so much for that useful information. Yes, I have read your posts about Baa and the various schooling issues you’ve had. It seems there’s so many bright children that the system itself just can’t physically cater for due to numbers of children and other factors. I have ‘home-schooling’ in the back of my mind – mixed with lots of different outside curricular – such as gym, art, language, music classes, with me covering the reading, writing, science, history, geography etc. We can’t afford private education at this point in time, so if our local school doesn’t work out then we might have to consider home-schooling. But, it’s still early days… we’ll try to work things out first.

    Very many thanks and hope all is well with you, best wishes, Sarah x

  5. Awww, my heart goes out to Charli, what an adorable little note!
    No, there is no easy answers. The sad fact is that schools aren’t set up to deal with children who are gifted, or challenged.
    Have you read ‘Dumbing Us Down’ by John Taylor Gatto? Or anything by John Holt? They talk a lot about schools and how they fail our kids. I have the Gatto book, and one by Holt if you want to borrow, or the library has them.

    And, thanks goodness for the holidays!!

    Hi Hay, thanks lovey, I knew you’d be supportive. I have heard of John Holt – I was doing some background into education over the years and still find it quite amazing that more people don’t question the system which is currently in place. So many forget that it is a relatively new system, only created in the mid 1800’s to service the growing industrialized world. I could talk about this for hours! Anyway, we have an 8am meeting with Charli’s teacher and the head-teacher scheduled for Thursday – unfortunately only one of us will make it as the girls aren’t waking till 8ish with the later nights. Everyone’s comments have been so helpful in putting together the questions we need to ask. Many thanks and hope you’re feeling better. Sarah x

  6. Hey honey. I presume you have spoken to Charli about home schooling? Obviously if she is able to write about it. But you know yourself that home schooling is big. I know you have done all the research and have felt you are able to do it, but personally for me with the relationship I have with B, it would be a step too far. Difficult to mix the casual and professional relationship with a child that has never seen it before. Of course I have an opnion unaware of what it is REALLY like.

    Why not try Montessori (http://www.montessori.org.nz)? A friend of mine has been through all the different schools and found the same problems, her son is now in Montessori and she could tell the difference from day 1.

    Heck, like I havent got enought to think about, I am already stressing over B starting school….

    Lots of love xxxxxx

    Thanks honey for the comment. No, I don’t really want to home-school unless it comes down to the wire and we run out of options; though a part of me wouldn’t mind and would love it.

    We have a meeting 8am with teacher and head-teacher Thursday morning to talk about individual learning programs etc. finger’s crossed! I’m sure we’ll find solutions – it won’t be the first time they’ve been through this! She’s enjoying school and the social side, but is simply frustrated with going over the same things that she knows inside out! Lots of love, Sarah x

  7. Good to hear you’ve got a meeting and it will be good to have a chat loves.I am sure they will be very helpful. We used to plan and differentiate making 3 tasks around the same topic in Maths and English, for our less able,average and more able. Also in the oral part of the lesson differentiate the questions . I’ve just dug out a few bits and pieces which might be useful…will get them off soon.
    I’m sure they will come up with some useful ideas and do their best for you. As you say loves they will have been there before and all they will want to do is do the best for Charli……and her lovely Mum and Dad !!

    Thanks so much for your support, it all worked out well in the end. Just so important to keep the lines of communication open so we can all help in supporting our little darlings! Sarah x

  8. I’d second the comment about reading John Holt – and about Unschooling generally. I found “The Unschooling Handbook” really interesting and have been inspired to consider unschooling my daughter when the time comes. It sounds like you and your daughter might be prime candidates to give something like that a try.

    All the best whatever you decide to do. I am sure that your respect and understanding are particularly helpful for Charli while she is feeling so frustrated.

    Hi Cristy and thank you so much for stopping by and wishing you all the very best with your future plans for your daughter. I really admire and agree with the principles of unschooling, but am just not quite sure if I could do the best job or not. Besides, at this point in time she is thriving in our local school and enjoying the social side of it, but I always believe in keeping options open and if ever she became really unhappy I would of course look at alternatives. Many thanks, Sarah

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