"My second grader's public school is full of warm, caring educators and decent support for students working below grade level. His class is big and rowdy, with a single teacher and a majority of kids who read and do math at a kindergarten level. But my child is working significantly above grade level, and reports being bored. He gets appropriate worksheets once he (quickly) completes his grade-level work, but as far as I can tell, he figures them out himself."
"I think he gets basically zero meaningful instruction at his level, and the teacher admits she spends her "extra" time with the struggling kids. I want to advocate for my kid, without taking resources away from others, but I am at a complete loss. Where do I start? What can I ask for? We both work full-time and can't really volunteer. It seems like a resource issue."
"Your instinct to push your second-grader into more challenging work is a good one. You want him to be engaged in school, and you absolutely don't want that boredom to turn into something else later down the road-like behavioral changes, which can be so much harder to address. I would first set up a friendly meeting with the teacher and ask if we could invite any other school administrators who could be helpful, such as counselors or learning specialists."
A second grader is academically ahead while many classmates perform well below grade level, leaving one teacher stretched and the advanced child bored. The child receives worksheets after finishing grade-level work but gains little meaningful instruction at his level, and the teacher focuses extra time on struggling students. The parent seeks advocacy strategies without diverting resources from peers and cannot volunteer due to full-time work. The recommended first step is a friendly, collaborative meeting that includes the teacher and appropriate school administrators, such as counselors or learning specialists, to discuss options and supports.
Read at Slate Magazine
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