(no subject)
So Jason is officially a second grader. It's such a swirl of emotions. The first being, OMGWTF I'M OLD. Because dude, I still remember second grade pretty clearly, which I guess is one of the byproducts of being a teenage mom; you're going to be way too close to those little milestones when your kids have them.
But, more importantly, he did really well this year. his only two "bad" grades were socialization/behavioral ones (and I'm really not continuing my rant on the fact that they are actually grading that shit, or how he'd be better socialized if he were challenged academically-- most of his friends are third and fourth grade girls, who he has no problems not acting like an ass around. Just maybe the whole problem isn't him. part, but not all)
He apparently set the curve for the standardized test they do in first grade (diebels) for the entire grade this year. Which I find hysterical. Gene had to explain to him why that wasn't a bad thing when they went over his report card (there was a special note from the principal to him about it) because Jase thought he must have done something wrong.
And they sent us the results from the NNAT In which he did everything well above average (and complained because he missed one or two questions) except for the patterns, which is basically math. (which we can blame mom's faulty math processors for, I think. his math homework is already to complicated for me! I told him I'd start helping again when he gets to algebra)
His teacher stopped by the apartment after school because he'd forgotten a book, which I thought was sweet of her (She's apparently going to be teaching ESL at penncrest next year, so he won't see her, and he was pretty sad. She's a really good teacher) And she'd written a really nice note about how much he'd grown as a person this year. Really, unfortunately, that's about all she could do for him, we'd discussed it a few times; unless I have him tested out of the grade; they don't do gifted in the district until third grade; and with what she was allowed to work with, she always felt like she was holding him back in a lot of stuff.
The summer reading list is especially ridiculous. I assumed it would be; because Tyler, who is entering HS this year, has Ender's Game on his mandatory reading list, and Jason and I did that as a bedtime story before we started the harry potter books. Things they think are on a second grader's reading level are books like Strega Nona (which was one of his favorites in preschool) Books that are several grades ahead of him are books like Bunnicula (which ladylennox gave him for christmas last year and he read in about an hour and a half and loved) and the wayside school books, which just tickle him to no end. So I'm at an impasse again with summer reading. I'm probably (again) going to ditch the list and let him read what he wants. they have to read between ten and thirty hours for the summer (they do it for "medals") and he'd read about a thousand of the books on their list to get to the thirty. He read Mrs. Piggle Wiggle goes to the farm this morning, and I thought that was a good start. He's eyeing The Mixed up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankwiler, and I loved that one, so I'm hoping he starts it soon. Anyone who has book suggestions in the (I'm guessing) third to middle school reading level range that you think he'd enjoy, send them along. I get paid in a week and a half, and we're going book hunting.
Also; do I push the school to test him out? Is that going to do more harm than good? He's already kind of weird and awkward, and I don't want to make that worse, but I don't want him acting out another year because he's bored and frustrated.
But, more importantly, he did really well this year. his only two "bad" grades were socialization/behavioral ones (and I'm really not continuing my rant on the fact that they are actually grading that shit, or how he'd be better socialized if he were challenged academically-- most of his friends are third and fourth grade girls, who he has no problems not acting like an ass around. Just maybe the whole problem isn't him. part, but not all)
He apparently set the curve for the standardized test they do in first grade (diebels) for the entire grade this year. Which I find hysterical. Gene had to explain to him why that wasn't a bad thing when they went over his report card (there was a special note from the principal to him about it) because Jase thought he must have done something wrong.
And they sent us the results from the NNAT In which he did everything well above average (and complained because he missed one or two questions) except for the patterns, which is basically math. (which we can blame mom's faulty math processors for, I think. his math homework is already to complicated for me! I told him I'd start helping again when he gets to algebra)
His teacher stopped by the apartment after school because he'd forgotten a book, which I thought was sweet of her (She's apparently going to be teaching ESL at penncrest next year, so he won't see her, and he was pretty sad. She's a really good teacher) And she'd written a really nice note about how much he'd grown as a person this year. Really, unfortunately, that's about all she could do for him, we'd discussed it a few times; unless I have him tested out of the grade; they don't do gifted in the district until third grade; and with what she was allowed to work with, she always felt like she was holding him back in a lot of stuff.
The summer reading list is especially ridiculous. I assumed it would be; because Tyler, who is entering HS this year, has Ender's Game on his mandatory reading list, and Jason and I did that as a bedtime story before we started the harry potter books. Things they think are on a second grader's reading level are books like Strega Nona (which was one of his favorites in preschool) Books that are several grades ahead of him are books like Bunnicula (which ladylennox gave him for christmas last year and he read in about an hour and a half and loved) and the wayside school books, which just tickle him to no end. So I'm at an impasse again with summer reading. I'm probably (again) going to ditch the list and let him read what he wants. they have to read between ten and thirty hours for the summer (they do it for "medals") and he'd read about a thousand of the books on their list to get to the thirty. He read Mrs. Piggle Wiggle goes to the farm this morning, and I thought that was a good start. He's eyeing The Mixed up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankwiler, and I loved that one, so I'm hoping he starts it soon. Anyone who has book suggestions in the (I'm guessing) third to middle school reading level range that you think he'd enjoy, send them along. I get paid in a week and a half, and we're going book hunting.
Also; do I push the school to test him out? Is that going to do more harm than good? He's already kind of weird and awkward, and I don't want to make that worse, but I don't want him acting out another year because he's bored and frustrated.