Moms of First Graders, Please!!!!!

Hello, I have a first grader.
She is a little girl and yes, she does the same thing so far. I say so far because a lot of times the first couplr of weeks , maybe even months they try to get a feel of what the indivual kids need in what areas. My daughter reads well also but she haven't been reading a long time, so I have to sometimes correct her and help her to get to the harder parts of a book. But one thing you can do is have her tested and see if she can get in the "Gifted" program. She may be on a higher kevel than her peers. Ask the school and see if the offer that program and when do it start. Hope this helps.

Get her tested for the Gifted Program so that she doesn't get bored and dislike school. Talk with her teachers and let them know how far advanced she is!

K.
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I had the same problem with my daughter. I went and talked to her teacher and expressed my concerns. Her teacher gave her some extra work to do, to keep her from getting bored. Her teacher was very understanding and was willing to work with us.

I completely disagree with the woman who said a gifted child wouldn't roll their eyes, they would always be excited to get homework. Come on! Most children think it's something to get over with as quickly as possible so they can do the stuff the REALLY want to do.

Don't worry about the lack of challenging homework - at this age reading to herself and you reading out loud to her are by far the best things for her. I'm like Beth, I have issues with teachers assigning homework for first graders. If the child doesn't understand the material, then how are they going to figure it out alone? (Oh, wait! Yes, we'll make the moms sit down and explain it to the kids - surely moms have tons of free time to sit with their kids are go over a bunch of inane worksheets.) And for a child that already understands the material (like yours), it's drugery and a waste of time. Time that you could spend reading, or cooking together (I love how cooking with children can teach them math, measurement, time, reading, following instructions, safety, and... how to cook), or just chilling out. If she knows it and you KNOW she knows it, then you don't have to review it, right? That time is much better spent curling up and reading to her. (Even when children can read for themselves, it's wonderful to also read aloud to them and still has great benefits, plus you get to share the literature and can talk about it together.)

Plus, it makes no sense to have exactly the same amount of homework for each child, precisely because of what you said - she already knows it and it's just busywork. If the teacher is trying to give out an assignment that every kid in class will be able to handle, but she's giving the same thing to every child, then I think you ought to point out to her that this means the most capable children will basically just be doing busywork, and they are fully aware that it's a waste of their time. Can you think of a faster way to make the brightest children start to dread homework and hate school? (And the brighter the child, the more they will probably hate it. You're guaranteed to suck all the joy out of learning.) Challenge the teacher to do right by your child - ask her to give homework that better matches each child's ability. If she balks at customized homework assignments for each child, because she doesn't have that kind of time (and no teacher does), then she can stop giving out homework. Or you can write a note to the teacher explaining politely and RESPECTFULLY that you will read to your child, do science experiments at home, cook with her, etc etc, but that the sight word review cards are just boring her and affecting how she feels about school so you will be skipping that. (Too much busywork and not enough discovery. )

Read "Rethinking Homework", which can be found at this website: http://www.alfiekohn.com/articles.htm#null

Don't use the homework samples to judge what goes on in the classroom. Talk to your daughter and see if she likes school. Try to get her to explain her day and what they do.
Talk to the teachers and try to get a better idea of how the class works. Remember that many classes for children this young divide the kids into smaller groups so the teachers can work with each kid at their level. For all you know, the homework might be some basic requirement that the administrators have imposed and have nothing to do with what the teacher wants to do.

Oh, and Beth had a good point that no study has shown that homework is beneficial to young children, but the negative effects are very well-known.

Hi there! I'm not a mom of a 1st grader (just toddlers) but I am a school social worker who's main job is to help parents and teachers communicate effectively. I have a lot of experience in chatting with teachers to find out what's the best way to approach these touchy topics.

First of all, if I read the date that you posted correctly, it is probably the very beginning of school. Where I came from, the very beginning of 1st grade is used as a review for what they learned in Kindergarten. Kids are so diverse in their developmental stages at this age, and they change very rapidly. Some kids have never picked up a book coming into Kindergarten, so they will be behind those that have a lot of reading under their belt. That said, when they start 1st grade, the teachers usually start at the beginning of the reading scale (most schools have a reading program where kids start at A-the most basic- on up, or some other scale that is similar).

I wouldn't worry just yet, it won't take long for the teacher to realize that your daughter excels in reading. As she moves along and is eventually tested, something every grade does individually throughout the year, you will see books coming home that fit her reading level more appropriately.

Until then, I would highly suggest getting to know her teacher. Call her or stop by and compliment her for being a great teacher to your child so far. Then, in my experience, it's always nice to ask the teacher what she thinks about your daughter's level/abilities. Then ask her for suggestions about how to challenge her. Teachers are a HUGE wealth of information and I'm sure she has great ideas on how help your daughter speed right along. I think the key is to validate the teacher's system in her classroom and tap into her ideas. Then hopefully as your relationship builds with her, you can talk about how maybe she still needs more challenge, etc, if that is the case.

Of course this is the action I recommend that works with most teachers. But there is the occasional teacher that doesn't "fit the mold", and I would be happy to converse with you more if these stragegies don't work for you- unitl then, good luck and I hope your daughter enjoys school, which I'm sure won't be hard with the tools you've equipped her with!
- J.

Sounds like your 6 yr old is quite advanced for first grade and you should absolutely bing it up to the teachers. She may be a candidate to skip a grade, or for advanced class settings like Target, TAP, etc. If your child knows the sight words, don't worry about doing it for homework. Just read a book together and enjoy your time.

My advice is going to be a little different. I don't really believe that 1st graders need tons of home work to excell. She is still a little kid. I plan on homeschooling so I can see how each of my children learn and keep a curriculum based on each child, however, I know this isn't always possible, my suggestion is to keep offering her books that challenge her at home and buy her a childs dictionary where she can look up new words for herself. The problem with public school is they have to keep up with even the slowest child which is great for those kids. Remember your daughter's strongest subject might be reading, but she may be the one who has to catch up in math or science ( Im not saying this is the case just an example) so in that case maybe some other students would have to work slower in those areas. Try not to sweat it too much as she gets older I'm sure they have different reading groups, we did when I was a child.

What kind of school is she going to? If it is public school then it seems to me that they are giving her the appropriate work. I am not sure where you live, but I know school just started last week where I am so they are just going over what they did the previous year before they start learning new things. If you child is that advanced then you might want to look at putting her in a different school. I know when I was in public school I was very smart for my age, but the advanced program didn't start until I was in the 3rd grade. Hope that helps.

K.,

Congratulations on your advanced reader.

Go with your gut feelings...YOU are your child's best advocate. Please request a conference with her teacher. Do NOT wait until October, request one for this week or next week.

I have 2 boys, Kindergarten and 2nd grade. Dolce word cards are normal in 1st grade, but usually unneccessary with advanced readers. Our last school tested my child on them at the beginning of school but did not require them to be sent home or studied for weekly tests if the kids already knew them.

You may want to ask about whether or not your school does reading groups/ability groups. Some schools have "pull-outs" for advanced readers where another teacher comes and works with the advanced readers. Other schools let kids 'skip a grade' in language arts only. But remember that language arts is more than just reading, it is also spelling and the ability to write.

Advanced readers are not always gifted, but many times are. To see the difference between the gifted vs a very smart child I attached only 2 of many articles I could have. You can request to talk to your school's gifted and talented teacher if you want her tested into that program.

Here is an excellent website:
http://www.txgifted.org/parent-pages/what-is-giftedness

Here is an article on giftedness:
http://www.nagc.org/uploadedFiles/PHP/PHP_Article_Archive...

Good luck on being your child's best advocate!!
Cathy

K. there should be no problem talking to your teacher about your concerns and if she has paid any attention to your daughter it should be very obvious by now that your daughter is more advanced. I have a six year old who has been reading for awhile also and he just helps the teachers out with class and goes to additional classes that are targeted to the children that are above average. This should be an option at your childs school. I would also suggest making up your own homework to keep her interested in reading.

Hi K.,
Well I don't have first graders anymore. My oldest is 28 and my youngest is 16 however both boys were advance readers. When they were in elementary school the schools had advance reading classes that they both would go to at some point during the day. Maybe you could see about that and also never feel like you are making a big deal out of your child being advance. Be proud. You deserve it! Also continue allowing her to read ahead of her peers. Reading is a good tool. Good Luck V.

K.,
I don't have a first grader yet, but I am a first grade teacher. My perspective is a bit different because I am a Montessori teacher, so I am used to differentiating curriculum and homework according to each child's needs. The average first grader is just learning to read in first grade. So, learning sight words is age appropriate. Your child's teacher may not know the children well enough yet to make a judgment as to what is appropriate for each child. As a teacher, it is very, very difficult to differentiate homework after all of the work required inside the classroom. I found that I tried to match homework to the average child and then made easier homework for my lower students and offered extra ideas for my higher level students.
To me, homework is a way to show parents what the children are working on in the classroom and to give the child a little extra reinforcement. I have two suggestions for you. I would go to the teacher and just ask her if she has any ideas for challenging your child at home...a list of ideas to do with the words or a good workbook to work through. You can also do a little research into some good activities to do with your first grader after school. However, a child works pretty hard after school and homework time should be twenty to thirty minutes and then the rest of the time should be unstructured playtime!
If talking to the teacher does not work...have your child read the books that she likes to read at home for ten to twenty minutes. You can teach her how to spell the sight words coming home or practice her best handwriting by writing them down using crayons or pens or chalk on the sidewalk. She can come up with sentences using the sight words. She can try to find the words in the newspaper or her reading book.
Hopefully these words have been helpful!

Hi!

I used to be a teacher and I'm a mother to a 2nd grader and a Pre-ker.

So, my advice is to just talk to the teacher! She/He wants communication. Imagine trying to, at the beginning of a school year, know exactly everyone's level right off the bat! It takes time. You can wait it out (but you'll probably just get more upset) or just drop her a friendly note asking if your daughter may choose books she's interested in. Mention the books she read over the summer.

You child's teacher is you ally. The goal is a great education for your child. Use her and create a good relationship. She's got probably 60 parents to get to know. You just have one teacher!

Good luck!

Give it a few more weeks to see if the school work picks up to something more changeling. It's only the start of the school year and a lot of schools start off recapping what they covered in the grade prior before they start onto their own grade work. Helps jump start the brain in a way. What you described for homework almost sounds like what my daughter did in pre-k. Schools are also going to give the kids simple test to gauge their reading level and all that too within the next few weeks so after that, your daughter might be bringing home books better for her skill level in reading. Teacher/Parent conferences will be happening in a few months as well so you can always address her teacher then if you don't see any improvement in the work load or else schedule a meeting with her on your own in a few months as well.

Good luck!
S.

My son is in 2nd grade now but that is what he started with last year too- they will make it harder but they have to start easy like that cuz the majority of 1st graders are not reading as well as ur daughter- but i would definetly take in a book or 2 that ur daughter has already read and ask her if there is some other books she could assign ur daughter and explain why- I am sure she won't be offended, she needs to know what level ur daughter is so she can teach her appropriatly. Hope this helps.

Oh, yeah, you're daughter's going to be bored in a hurry and it may cause behavior problems for her - it has happened to my kids. If she is in a public school, you need to ask that she be tested for the gifted program. I have found the teachers very responsive to keeping my kids challenged. I have two right now at Heard Elementary. They have an academy that you can put your kids in no matter what district you live in if they qualify - it's been really good for mine. If she is in a private school, you might be out of luck, because they don't always have options for advanced learners. I'd advise you to meet with her teacher as soon as you can and talk it through. My experience, however, is that my child was given "extra work" to keep him busy when he'd blow through the regular class work. He'd come home with extra homework projects, which was not really what I wanted. So be on the lookout for the teacher just giving her "more". What you really want is work that is at her level. Good luck - and hang in there! Your daughter is lucky you're paying attention!

When by son was in 1st grade they would evaluate each child for their reading level and have them read in class at their level. Maybe just start out asking if the students have been evaluated yet might be a good start.

Never be afaid to go to the teacher and let her know your child can read. If the teacher doesn't know then she can't challenge her. If the teacher doesn't help her then go and talk to the principle about it. We had a teacher that didn't want to take the time to challenge our son but after talking to the principle it was much better, but first go to the teacher.

My son attends private school. They are currently reviewing one to two line per page books, too. When I questioned the teacher she said things would pick up and be more challenging after Labor Day but she was assessing her new students and their abilities. Now they have not been doing sight words at all. Back in PreK and Kindergarten they did the sight word thing to learn how to read. I know that some moms are called helicopter moms for hovering over their kids too much but I think in this day and age in our condition of the education system, you have to be a helicopter mom. I have my kids in private school hoping and somewhat assuming that they are receiving a better education but I am still making sure that they do.

See about having her tested for a gifted or magnet program. I was having the same problems with my son. Some places off a once a week pull out program for kids that are gifted, they go to a magnet school for a day and learn things that are more on their level, she could also go to a full time magnet school. Have a parent teachers meeting and voice your concerns. If she stays at the level she is I'm afraid you'll find she get board in class and start getting in trouble cause.
Good luck
S.

My first grader just started bring homework home this week. I too am fustrated with the assignments given so far. He brought home Math that was fill in the missing numbers. It would skip every other number up to 10. He brought this home 3 times this week. Also his reading book was a simple 1 sentence a page. With pictures of the word inbetween. He was at a DRA (reading level)of 8,at the end of the last school year. They had to be at least a level 3 to pass kinder. These are things he did in Kindergarten and wouldn't have passed to the 1st grade if he couldn't do it. I wrote his teacher a note this afternoon about my concerns of him not being challenged enough. I asked if maybe she could asses his reading level to see that he should be reading harder books. I also have talked to other first grader moms in our neighborhood. They have like wise said they have the same concerns and have written their child's teacher a note about it. I realize that usually at the beginning of the year they review what was learned the year before, but this is a little crazy. So you are not alone in your frustation.

hi, my kids are both homeschooled so I can not compare to public or even private. but it seems like asking the teacher how she is doing in class would be the first step it sounds like your daughter is VERY advanced in reading, how is she in other areas? see if the teacher is assigning homework and maybe your daughter gets it finished before the the day is finished. Our classes havea time set up to alow extra work time maybe your teacher has the same set up and your daughter gets the work done then. that is wonderful that hse is reding chapter books so early! well done you! well and her of course. I would talk to the teacher and see what they suggest to do. the teacher sees her everyday in class and knows where her strong parts are and her weak so maybe the teacher can maybe give her extra credit for reading some more difficult things or something. May the teacher already has an idea. you would not be bragging unless you have that air when you talk to her if you go to her as a concerned mom (like you are) then it will all be good. communication is the key.

Hey K.,

Had to see where you are from, Lilburn it looks like. That is where my husband and I grew up. I went to Camp Creek and he went to Mt. Park Elm...very good schools back then! What you are describing is not typical of what my son did last year in first grade. (We are in S. Forsyth) You should have conferences in Oct. and maybe you can talk to the teacher at that time. The problem with the schools these days is they are teaching to the slowest students and are also teaching to the teast- which means they will spend weeks (and i mean WEEKS) reviewing (teaching) the CRCT in the spring...Your teacher may notice your child is ahead of what is being taught and may send home additional reading activities for 2nd-3rd graders for your child to do instead of the other work. She may also recommend for your child to be tested for the gifted program (here it is called Horizons). I would wait for that conference and hear her out first... Not sure any of this will help!

As a former teacher, I can tell you that, yes, that really is what most first graders are learning. But I can also tell you that you should definitely tell the teacher that your daughter is beyond what she's being taught. Of course you don't want to sound like your daughter "knows it all" as you said, but I'm sure the teacher wants to know if your daughter is bored and needs more of a challenge. Just explain to her what your daughter can do, and to be kind to the teacher (and to really get her on your side) you can frame it something like this: "I know you have your hands full with so many children at so many ability levels. My daughter seems to be ahead of the curve on reading right now, and I know that sometimes she can cause mischief when she has time on her hands {even if this isn't true, this is a good thing to say-- it can get even the most reluctant teacher on your side!}. Maybe we can find some more challenging activities to keep her occupied for now." And maybe suggest areas where she does need work-- math, for instance-- as something else she can work on in the meantime. I know it's frustrating, but remember that the teacher has to deal with all of those students whose parents aren't as on top of things as you are, and she has to get them all on the same level before she can teach more complicated things. Good luck!!

My son had a similar problem. First thing you should talk to the teacher to let her know what level your child is on. Since it is the first couple weeks/week of school, she has not had time to do a reading assessment yet. Second, if you can, volunteer in the class or another 1st grade class. You will realize how far ahead your daughter is. Most of the 1st graders are not reading at that level. Most 1st graders are learning sight words and reading 1st readers.

From my experience with my son, don't push reading on a higher level as school goes on. Yes, it is great they can read on a higher level, but what comes with that is more mature books. The content is not age appropriate. Yes they can read it, but they don't comprehend what they are reading or it may prompt questions you don't really want to answer yet. Another reading option is non fiction. After my son could read the chapter books, his teachers were more interested if he could comprehend what he was reading and how he could relate it to his life and make the connections.
Good Luck!

I've had the same issues with both my first grader and my third grader last year. Last year, the work finally got a little more stringent after 6 weeks of review!!! Ridiculous if you ask me. My son's spelling words are all 2-letter words this week. My only suggestion is to encourage her to do a little extra at home. I have my kids read books beyond what the teacher sends home and we play a lot of learning games together- like scrabble, boggle, blokus, etc.

K.- usually the first month or so of school is really review and to see where these kids are...to see maybe if they need to be put in a higher reading group or AIM or whatever programs your school has. Just send an email or letter or set up a conference (which usually happens in September anyway) to see what you and her teacher can do to "challenge" her- I promise you, especially after Christmas it will get more challenging.
Good luck
Nikki

Dear K.,

As a former long term sub for Gwinnett County Schools, let me offer you a view on the first week of school. With around 15-25 students a first week teacher is busy with making sure all students know WHERE the bathroom is, How to stand in line, How to get from one activity to another(some children do NOT transition WELL!), and getting to know their strengths and weaknesses in terms of can they follow instructions, do they play well with others, and even can they speak English and so on.

It is not like the first week we take assesments of what reading and math level they have achieved. It is assumed that they know their numbers and alphabet and can envorimental read (signs McDonalds-Stop-Chuchie Cheese asd so on) and many can read at this point but it is not like a teacher will aks the first week, "Students what level of reading are you on?". They are NOT tested the first week as to their level.

My children all could read and write stories with 3 sentencenes upon entering kindergarden. They came from an "enriched" home life (trips to the library, flash cards, seeing parents read, trips to the museumes,educational materials to write with, math cooking lessons with Mom, sandbox measurring, educational programing on TV, bedtime reading with Mom, writing journals, and most importantly they knew the PHONICS sing-song alphabet song (A A AH AH APPLE) Recognizing the letter is fine but knowing what it sounds like moves you into reading, and so on.

Not all children are raised to be ready for school. Parents just sit them in front of the TV and believe they are good parents or they send them to day care and expect them to be ready. ONE ON ONE will beat ONE ON FIFTEEN EVERYTIME!!!. The toys they choose for their children revolve around ease and electronics that keep them busy and out of Mom's hair. Parents were not always encouraged to do this kind of parenting.

I suggest you call and make an appointment with your child's teacher and also write a letter to her letting her know what your child's summer reading program contained, the titles and maybe even let your daughter take her favorite book in to show her teacher the level she is on. At many schools it takes a while before things settle in and the teacher can assess your child along with the others. Make sure your letter is informational and not judgemental. You know your child is bright but there may be other children far ahead of your child in her classroom and you would not want to sound off as haughty only to find your child is "average" for her classroom.

The fact that you say she is rolling her eyes lets me see a little into the dynamics of your family. Be careful not to set her up as above others. I have noticed that early readers tend to have low emotional IQ's. While intelligence is a great indicator of future success, a high emotional IQ is a greater indicator of a student's future successin the classroom and in the business world. You can read more about this in the book EMOTIONAL IQ. Emotional IQ is seen in how a child reacts to everyday and to stresses. Rolling eyes, back talk, crying, not able to make friends, not able to keep friends, inability to handle dissapointments and feeling superior to others are indicators of a child with a low emotional IQ.

In the first grade your child should be reading. Speak with your child's teacher about your child's abilities but leave the drama and eye rolling out of the picture. A high IQ child would be excited to get her homework and then be able to make something more out of it with going above and beyond the required and not rolling their eyes. To involve your child sends the message that she is somehow BETTER than the other students. Please become fimilar with the schools standards program (AKS). The list that your child is bring home is standard. There are 300 words that they are expected to know at each grade. In the state of Georgia they will be tested on knowing each of these words. They must know them to pass on to the next grade. With the ways teachers are graded now days and the way students are held accountable teachers take the 300 list very serious now days. Teachers start with the EASY ones, a, at, it, to, the and so on. In the first grade she will be tested by Christmas to determind her level of knowledge and skills. It is at that time that teachers will determind the "GIFTED" students. These students rank in the top 3% of scores in the NATION, not just their classroom. So while your child may seem advanced to you, is she? She may be above for her classmates but is she gifted in your school or county or state? Students are ranked along with ALL students in the nation that were born on the same day. If your child can hold up with all kindergarden students bonr across the nation on your child's birthday then they are given the LABLE as GIFTED.

As a Mother of 3 GIFTED students who are now out of the school and in college or graduated and teaching school, I can tell you that there are many issues that go along with ture GIFTED students. It is not easy when your child has a higher IQ and emotional IQ than their teacher. It is hard to be LABLED anything now days be it a good or bad lable. We once had a gifted teacher who hated her students because she felt like they were better than her and so she rode them hard. She is no longer teaching! She said one too many things in class on day and too many parents went to the school about the comments. tJust pray for great teachers that will take a personal interest in your child. And remember it is not the student that the teachers have problems with --- it is the parents of those students! BE A GOOD PARENT and support the teacher in her or his attempts to teach your child, starting off the year judging the teacher as inept because she it giving your child the 300 list shows poorly on your part. Meet her, help her (Room Mom, reading helper, snack lady etc). You have done something right in that your child can read but most first graders can read. You are more concerned about the level.
Good luck to your child and you.
Keep mothering,
C.

My son is in the 1st grade in the Sandy Springs area and he brings home 3-4 pages of homework a day. He has some math, reading, writing & spelling to do. He brings home a small book a week and in the story there are 10 words that the spelling test will contain. He also has 2 little book reports that he has to do in two weeks.

I have a friend that is a 1st grade teacher and she is doing an assessment this week to determine her students reading ability. This should be going on at your school as well. As others have mentioned, I'd relay your concerns to your daughter's teacher. They should be able to work with you on that. They would be happy to have 'pegged' an exceptional student!

Hi- I am a fourth grade teacher and have been teaching for 9 years. If your daughter is reading Magic Tree House and Junie B.Jones then she is more advanced than a lot of first graders. I would just tell the teacher what your daughter is reading and how she is bored with these sight words. Her teacher should be using differentiated instruction in her classroom. Since school just started they could still be testing and trying to figure out where each child stands. I would definately talk to her teacher soon though. You don't want your daughter to get bored in the classroom as that can lead to behavior issues. Sounds like your daughter just needs to be more challenged.

Have you thought of Motessori School for her or even homeschooling? I know it's hard for more advanced kids to sit there and repeat things they've know forever! My daughter has been reading on her own since 4 1/2 and I know she would not fit in a regular school setting for many reasons! We homeschool, and it's great! If you can do it, go for it! Let me know if need some resources. Oh, my 10 year old stepdaughter is in Montessori school which is geared more toward what the child's level is other than some set government curriculum --give our kids some credit here!

:o)
C.
www.LostRivernaturals.com

Hello, I am a gifted teacher.

1st- find out if your daughter has a new teacher or a seasoned teacher. If she is a first or second year teacher have her moved to a more experienced teacher.

2nd-have her tested for the gifted program. But remember if you were doing lots of work at home before she went to school it may not be giftedness it may just be that she is ahead right now. One way to test this is to find out if she is comprehending the "chapter books" that she reads. Many children can read words and will read words but not know figurative language, aphorisms, foreshadowing , etc.

3rd-If you cannot get her moved or placed in the gifted program then ask the teacher to send additional work home.

4th-you may want to even consider talking with the 2nd grade teacher and getting 2nd grade work for your daughter to do. The school may be willing to do that if they are unwilling to move her all together.

It is unfortunate that you have to catch this and the teacher is not teaching to the individual needs of the student. That is why I think she may be a new teacher OR completly burned out from the bureaucracy of education.

You don't want her to get bored so you catching this early is GREAT.

Good Luck.

My daughter is in 1st grade in the Johns Creek area. They have started spelling tests (two and three letter words). She has brought one book home to read for homework and it may have had 2-3 sentences per page. I do know that at her school, these first couple of weeks have been somewhat of a pre-assessment so that the teacher knows where each child stands in education. I also received a letter stating that every child will be screened for the Gifted Program, so that those children who are advanced will be placed accordingly so they are being challenged. I would send your child's teacher an email or note addressing your concerns, but what I have experienced so far is that the teachers are trying to figure out a baseline where each student is academically.

I went through this with my son last year. In kindergarten, he was already reading the Harry Potter books. The bad news is, they have to do the sight words as part of the curriculum. The good news is that you have a couple of options. You can ask that your daughter be tested for the gifted program, which will challenge her more and keep her from being bored in class, since the current curriculum doesn't seem to be challenging her enough. You can also talk to the principal about her taking the reading portion of her classes in a second grade classroom. It worked wonders for my son! I hope these tips help you. :)

We been doing spelling, vocab, and 1 AR reading book a week, I know they do busy worksheets all day long, with Math, Science, ect. I would just go to the library and keep checking out challanging books, or go to the school box and get your own challaging workbooks, if she knows the sight words don't push it, just ask her it a day before her tests, or have her make fun sentences with the words. Just try to be creative, and good luck!

This along with some of the other responses is truely frightening. It sounds like, depending on the area you live and what school your child goes to, determines whether they are challenged or not. I remember my mom telling me I started reading at the age of 4 so it sounds like to me the kids are being held at a lower standard which could be some indication of why Georgia is ranked at 47 amoung the states for SAT scores. I think as parents we need to get together and get more involved in what's taking place at the school. Different kids learn at different levels and I believe classes need to be divided into sections to accomodate at least four different levels of learning. There are those that are advanced, above average, average. I believe you can't punish a child by making them review something they already know. Encourage them to learn more by challenging them. Sorry if this doesn't help but I just needed to express myself on this issue because my 3.5 year old daughter just started reading and already I'm running into the situation where she's having to be taught at home instead of school.:-)

It sounds like your in a Public School setting, have you tried Private school for her.

has she been tested for "tag" ? sounds like she needs to be in there...she'll get more challenges...

I am an elementary school teacher. I am sure your child's teacher is realizing that your daughter's reading level is above other students, but it is important as a parent that you go to him/her and discuss this. The start of a school year is so crazy for teachers and it often takes some time to put your finger on things. I'd be sure to discuss it though because it is important that your daughter not become bored with school. Perhaps the teacher can give her other work as an extra challenge or have her tested for other programs within the school. Sounds like you have a very bright little girl!

My daughter was in first grade last year. We never even looked at the sight word cards. They were way below her reading level. It is important to communicate your concerns with the teacher. The more positive communication you have with the teacher, the more your child will get the help (challenges, etc) she needs.

Good morning, you know, my son just started the first grade, I felt the same way. After speaking to my husband and my parents about it, we all felt that I should speak with his teacher. So I did. Her explanation for only giving silly sight words was, she wanted to refresh the children's memory from what they learned in kindergarden and then she would give them more "quality" assignments. I agree with you when you say your child became bored, and you felt that she needed more challenging work. My son was the same way. If he is bored he either gets sleepy or he can't be still. He has to have something to keep his attention span. My advice, talk to her teacher, if it doesn't get any better give the teacher
some suggestions, because you don't want your child going backwards. I believe children should definitely be advanced. Especially in education.

Hi!

I'm a Mother of a First grader and can tell you that my child would become bored with that work as well.

My son brings home simple addition flash cards, spelling words (very easy but this IS the second week of school) and must read for 20 minutes a night. He must write his spelling words in sentences as well as write them three times. He also brings home math homework which usually consist of patterns and counting objects. Most is way to easy for him but like I said, this is the second week of school and I expect his work to become harder as the year progresses.

Maybe your child's teacher is reviewing their last years work? If her work doesn't become gradually harder, I would ask for a parent teacher conference.

I would be a shame for her to enter the second grade unprepared.

I hope this helps and good for you to be concerned. I think we should always push our children to learn and to stay stimulated.

Being this is the beging of the school year, I'm pretty sure they are checking to see what level of assessment the children are on. If they do not know the small things they will not comprehend the big. Also, I don't know how the school system is in Atlanta, I just moved here a year ago, but in Texas we are allowed to test our children out of a grade. If a child is bored in class, they begin to act out because they are not being challenged. I would discuss it with her teacher first.

You do not want your daughter bored in school and it sounds like she is. You need to have a meeting with her teacher ASAP and address this issue. See if there is an advanced reading class she can be put in. If the teacher refuses to move her up, address it with the principal.

It is not common for a first grader just entering first grade to be able to read already. Most first graders are just learning to recognize letters and sounds. You need to have a talk with the teacher, with the principal, and anyone else at that school to have them put your daughter into another grade for reading time. My oldest two daughters were both reading before entering first grade and that's what the school did. They went into the second grade room for reading, but otherwise were in regular first grade classes. The reason for that was because although a child may be intelligent and ahead of the others enough to be in the next grade up, their emotional maturity could be normal for their age group, so you don't want to put too much pressure beyond her years on her, but you do want to present her with a good education and a challenge for her in the areas in which she excels. Too many parents rush to put these children into higher grades altogether and then they miss developing normally with kids their ages. By the way, my daughters did very well with that. One was in the gifted program all through school, too. The eldest is a mechanical engineer, the other has a business degree, soon to enter law school, so it did them no harm to leave them in regular classes for other subjects.

I have a 1st grader now and one who was in 1st two years ago. The first month of school is a complete review of kindergarten so this is crazy easy stuff including that so-called 'reading' book with 2-3 words on a page. The teacher should have them in a guided reading group at their own level within a few weeks and that will follow the child's ability. Also, most schools let the kids test the Dolch sight words at their own pace then get one with harder things. The school should also have an accelerated program that she can test into for more challenge. The good teachers let the kids work on at their own pace once they have a chance to evaulate all of the students. I would not panic the first 4-5 weeks but do talk to the teacher about your concerns and see what her system is for letting the kids set their own pace. Best wishes!

WOW! You've gotten lots of responses. As a former gifted ed teacher, I wanted to echo the recommendation from elem. teacher Kelli. Go ahead and schedule a meeting with your daughter's teacher. Talk to her about your concerns that she be challenged and describe what you see are your child's strengths. In higher grades, before the students arrive, teachers have assessments and grades from the previous year that give them an insight into the aptitudes of each child. At first grade, it's up to the teacher to observe what she can as quickly as she can to respond to the needs of each individual -- a daunting task in the first weeks of school when the children are still learning classroom procedures and the expectations of the school day. After voicing you concerns, expectations, hopes for your daughter's first grade year, ask the teacher what she thinks can be done towards offering challenge and to augment the standard curriculum. Odds are, as bright and creative as your little girl may be, there is probably at least one other child in that class that also needs some enrichment. The best thing that can be done for your child is for you and her teacher to collaborate on how to meet her needs. Boredom can be a problem for a bright child, but fortunately, reading is one of the easier subjects to customize to a child's needs. I hope your conversation goes well. Most elementary teachers have been trained in differentiation and have the resources to meet the needs of a spectrum of learners. I wish you and your daughter the best this year!

Hi K.,

I just wanted to add that while your daughter is reading at a higher level, I don't think it is typical for that age. My older son has autism and could read books by the time he could actually speak a sentence (around 3 1/2), but again, NOT TYPICAL, so I don't have a better frame of reference for you. I tried to look up online the standards for 1st grade, and from what I saw, what the teacher is doing is probably working toward what is expected of a child that age. I know two or three children other than my son, and none of them could fully read by 1st grade. It sounds like your daughter is ahead of where she should be. I know this sounds like a good thing, but sometimes working too far ahead leads to boredom. The teachers have to teach to the average level of the class.

I suggest taking the advice of some of the other moms who said to approach the teacher. If nothing else, just make her aware of your daughter's level in case she starts to act out because she is bored to death.

Also, you could look into the testing ahead thing, and if that doesn't work, then I would say get some second grade work books and continue to challenge her at home. Just know that she will continue to be bored at school, but will also continue to be interested in learning.

Finally, they will probably break off into individual reading groups as the teacher figures out where each student is. She may be placed in a group as a mentor for children who need a little push, or she may just be placed in a higher group. Either way, letting the teacher know where she is will only help in the end.

Best of luck!

My son is also in 1st grade and he is not bringing these kind of sight words home. He is doing spelling tests for example: city, circus, center, cider cinder etc. You should ask to have a meeting with her teacher and or the principal. It sounds like this teacher should be teaching kindergarten.
Good Luck. Don't be afraid, this is your child's mind!

Hi K.!
I feel your pain! I also have a daughter who is 6 (7 in Nov.) and in first grade. She is also the baby of 6 children so she is a little more "sophisticated" than your average 6 year old. She is doing the same kind of work (sight words and one line reading books). She is already very bored with it all. She wants a "real" story. I do know from previous children that first grade will get harder, but your child is probably very advanced for first grade. I would make an appointment for a conference with the teacher and make sure she realizes what your daughter is capable of doing. See what ways she can challenge your daughter at school. Does your school offer an Accelerated Reader program? If so, she could use that to challenge her. Does your school offer a gifted program? It sounds like your child may need it! One parent told me her son was like this in first grade and after meeting with the teacher and some district level folks they mapped out a special program for him. A lot of it will depend on the teacher that your child has and the support that teacher is given. I plan to meet with my daughter's teacher as soon as possible. In the mean time I continure to challenge her at home. I will be watching to see what responses you get as I would like some more input myself. Good luck with it all!

My daughter just started second, so I'm thinking back. I don't think that is too unreasonable for the first weeks. As others have said, I think teachers are trying to get an idea of where everyone is at. It does sound like your child reads well above her grade level, and I don't think her teacher would be at all offended if you asked about the level she's bringing home and how you can expect her to be challenged in the future. Communication with the teacher is so important. As long as you are repectful about it, I don't see how it could hurt. The reading my daughter brought home last year was always easy for her, but it didn't seem to bother her. We hit the library or bookstores for additional reading she can choose.

I do not have a first grader but I am an early childhood education major and hopefully I can help. It sounds to me like the teacher probably has not assessed your daughter's reading level yet. Those words are included in the list that the children should have learned in Kindergarten and it may be that the teacher is having them review the sight words from Kindergarten to make sure everyone knows them before moving on. Given that it is still the beginning of the school year, it may just be that the teacher is letting the students have some time to get used to being back in school and refreshing their memories before assessing them.

Also, I wanted to say that you are the parent. Whenever you have a concern about you child you should defnitely try to talk to the teacher about it. I am not naive, I know that some teachers are not approachable, but ultimately it's you looking after your child and I'm sure any teacher can understand that. I wouldn't approach the teacher in a bully-ish manner, though. Just send her an email or a note asking if you can meet with her or have a phone conference and then tell her your concerns, ask if she has assessed them for reading, etc.

Good luck with your school year, it sounds like your daughter is an exceptional reader!!! :)

K. hi my name is K. my friend had the same problem she had her son tested for the gifted class . now he goes to that class part of the day.he is a lot happier. maybe you can do that for your daughter. good luck.

My neighbor's daughter was in your child's situation, and her mom just opted to pull her out and homeschool her. Now she's learning at her own pace and doing very well. Perhaps homeschooling would be a good option for you too.

My daughter is in first grade at River Ridge, and she has been bringing home math worksheets, sight words and spelling words to study, as well as sentences to write with the spelling words. I think this is excessive for first grade especially it being only the 3rd week of school. And there have been studies that have said that homework isn't benefical to students, most students learn better in the classroom setting than at home.
http://www.alfiekohn.org/teaching/edweek/homework.htm

Since school just started, sometimes the teachers are seeing where their level is. Also, repeating books is very good for fluency. Give it a little time, the beginning of the year usually starts with review anyway. She may qualify for a gifted program. The school can test her for that. I was a teacher and trust me, we do not mind your input. Just schedule a conference with the teacher and address your concerns.It's that simple.
You sound very blessed to have such a smart little girl. I believe that once a child can read, they can learn anything! So great for her!

Do your child a favor and ask for an appointment with the teacher and an administrator. The more bored she gets the more likely she is to cause disrupption in the classroom. She should be going into another reading group that is on her level. I retired from a school system and have 2 daughters that are now teachers. They also realize that the parent must show interest in their child and contact the proper people to have your child placed appropriately. You don't won't to micro-manage but please stand up for your child in cases like this. V.

Try and relax. That is the most important thing. We are in the first couple of weeks of school, and it is a tough time. But the teacher is evaluating every one of the kids so she knows where to start. Give it a couple of weeks. I would say that as far a spelling goes, she is just going to do really well in that subject.

But in reading (she will be good at that as well) they will let her advance much more quickly. You must at least make a great show of appearing calm and reasonable when dealing with the school system.....and that is SO HARD, because we love our babies so much. I have watched my wonderful husband deal with these situations for years now...we have four children from 12 down to 1. And I notice that his calm, reasoned approach always wins friends and allies, and without fail he gets his way!

I would request a conference with the teacher after she places the kids in reading groups. Make sure they are not crushing her spirit or love of learning. My daughter has always helped kids who are having trouble. She always helped a little girl in her class who was dyslexic. If she does not want to do that there will be things to do with her. Our school has teachers who specifically work with advanced and slower kids. Also, she should be able to check out anything she wants from the library...or she should be able to.

It will be okay. Just stay on top of it. It is too soon to complain now, but in two weeks I would make time to touch base with the teacher and see if the two of you can work together to challenge your daughter more. In second grade they will test for "advanced" skills--that is how it works in SC--and then she can go to a class that will challenge her at least part of the time.

My child is not in school yet. But I do have a lot of girlfriends who are teachers, they tell me that the problem you are having is thanks to 'No Child Left Behind'. They have to teach the slowest childrean and catch them up to all the other childern. This will always be the case, in all the grades to come. My child is already reading and she just turned 2. My fear is that she will be ahead of everyone else and be bored to tears when she gets into school. I wish I had a solution for you. Either homeschool, montesori school, private, or charter school will give you other options. Good Luck. Let me know what happens. I am curious as to what you will do.

K.

I know exactly how you feel. My daughter is in 2nd grade now and she is in the Grayson Elementary School district of Gwinnett County. Her first grade teacher sent me this link, which I saved on my computer. Unfortunately, I do not remember the web address, but if you send me your e-mail address I can send it to you in the form of an e-mail. I let my daughter do the practice tests for CRCT which this link gives you, so that she stays on top of what she needs to know to be tested. I too was concerned with the homework or lack there of for my daughter since we moved here from Round Rock, TX. The link is very helpful in giving additional homework in the form of testing. Also, the tests are only about 10 questions and tests over reading comprehension, math, geometry, language arts, vocabulary just to name a few. This is extremely helpful and my daughter is always so proud of herself when she passes. I'm , very strict if she misses more than 2 questions I require she retakes it before she can watch TV or do any computer games which she enjoys. Also make sure she reads 30 minutes daily, and she knows all of her high frequency words. My husband is the "go to" for math. He makes sure he helps her with everything "math". She was counting in the thousands when she was in preschool. She did so well in math last year her school put her in a math enrichment program which she attended 1 hour before class started weekly for 8 weeks. She was placed in an advanced reading program that met 1 day weekly for six weeks also, We had to pay for these classes though, but that was not a problem. She brings home daily math homework and she was bringing home language arts homework too. Hope I can be of help. Send me an e-mail address I can send this link to and it will be a relief off your shoulders. Have a blessed day.