"We don't do any testing before third grade because most kids level off by then."
"We don't provide any gifted programs before fourth grade because most kids level off before then."
I've been wanting to write this post for a long time, but I hate to appear critical of the public school system for a couple of reasons: 1. Some public school teachers are AMAZING. My mom is one of them. Em had another one last year. They are out there, these gems, who will deal with whatever new standards and procedures you throw at them and still have time to help every single student be the best they can be. 2. It's a bit of a non-issue at this point, and always has been. We have always planned on homeschooling them when they became old enough to accept and appreciate education. We aren't homeschooling El as a reaction to something negative, we are being
proactive. Em is having fun and she went into first grade working at a second or third grade level so I'm not worried about her education at all this year. First grade was similar for El. However, he went into second grade working at a fourth grade level. He left second grade working at a fourth grade level.
Let me tell you how to "level-off" a kid. It's a two-part process involving parents and schools.
Our district gives report cards 3 times a year beginning in second grade. (In K and 1, there were "I Can Do It's" but no report cards, which I find reasonable considering the material.) On his first report, El leveled into grade 4.5 in reading. His teacher said he was actually reading much higher than that but when testing comprehension, he started to miss questions at about level 4.5. Specifically, he was missing questions regarding the author's intent. She said this was understandable since this was not usually taught until the fourth grade.
Fast forward a few months to the second grading period. El leveled into grade 4.5 in reading. His teacher said he was actually reading much higher than that but when testing comprehension, he started
to miss questions at about level 4.5. Specifically, he was missing
questions regarding the author's intent. She said this was
understandable since this was not usually taught until the fourth grade.
Wait, did that last paragraph look like a copy and paste of the one above it? Yeah, it was. I had assumed that the school would do it (part one of leveling off.) The school wasn't the slightest bit concerned about him progressing, as long as he finished second grade at least on level (part two.)
Lesson learned: It's MY duty to be responsible for my children's education. I'm not going to send him somewhere where he could spend entire months learning next to nothing. If his entire learning process is going to take place outside of school, WHY was I sending the kid there for 7+ hours a day? Social reasons? I'm not impressed.
"What's the hurry? Why do you want him to be so far ahead?" Nope. It has nothing to do with that. It has everything to do with my child sitting there day in and day out, doing busy work. I could have sent him to daycare. His writing composition did not improve. His math did not improve. He barely budged, yet no one was concerned because he had met the end of year goals for second grade. He always made straight A's, so why
should anyone be concerned? (Update: He did learn cursive, so that was nice.)
Well, it's not his teacher's job to be concerned with kids like El. Her job was to get these 25 students on level by the end of the year. Hopefully she did that, and I wish her well.
I was the one not doing my job, and I have learned my lesson. Within a week of receiving that second report card, we had made the decision not to postpone homeschooling any longer. He finished the school year and we then withdrew him from the district. I will probably start homeschooling Em in second grade instead of third. I have already started afterschooling her in math because she asked for it.
So, yeah, I'm sure a lot of kiddos do "level off" by third grade when left entirely to their own devices.
