Parent/Teacher Conferences...ugh..

[Mmagusin]

Went to 5th grade conferences last Friday. My son is flunking math and reading. He’s starting to have behavior problems now too. The year started really great but has been going down hill as the work gets harder. I knew he was behind coming in and was worried. He simply is not able to perform at 5th grade level yet while the rest of his class are right on pace or better. I believe He’s acting out in class as a result of feelings of inferiority and frustration. His teacher may also be wearing her frustration with him, and that will only make him more defiant. Any way, I got to find a way to turn this around else it just snow balls. His behavior could get WAY worse. This is what I fear most. In the old days, we used to hold kids back. Frankly, his maturity level is easily 2-3 years behind. But, I worry about stigma. Good news is he’s acing science and geography which only requires memory right now, not critical thinking...a struggle for the ADHD brain. Trying to use that success to build his self esteem. Any advice?

[Hidden]

My daughter is in 5th grade and she was just diagnosed with ADHD inattentive. Does he have a formal ADHD diagnosis? Have you tried medication yet? Do you have a psychiatrist on board yet?

[Mmagusin in reply to Hidden]

Yes, all of it except we think the slow release dexmethylfenidate is not working. The short acting seems to work way better on weekends so we’ll need to figure out timing at school as he seems to burn through it every 2-3 hours

[Onthemove1971]

Mmagusin- sorry you have to go through this. Just curious, does he have a 504 educational plan?

You said it is to hard, that is why he is behind. So are you thinking he is lacking foundational skills?

In the school district I work in the are Resource teachers and they could pull him or push in the classroon to support him. If he just need more foundational skills I would recommend you ask for Specialized academic instruction. That way he can stay in his classroom, but gets extra training.

Hope this helps.

Welcome

[Mmagusin in reply to Onthemove1971]

Yes! We’re trying an intervention suggested by his teachers. He’s definitely behind in foundational skills but I also observe he’s missing the critical thinking required and I think that is brain development (i.e. his ADHD). We’ll see how it goes.

[reg2018]

5th grade is where things really start to get hard in math and so it's important to get the school on board with putting supports in place. With one of my boys the school refused to help and three years later he was so far behind I had to take him to a private (and expensive) center for tutoring to get him caught up. When they tested him initially I was surprised when they said his gaps started at the 5th grade level.

Part of it is knowing and understanding what is at the heart of the problem. Is it finishing homework? Is it performance on quizzes and tests? Is there too much homework and you need to request a reduction in homework. Identify what the problem or problems are and work with the school to help your child so he can feel more successful in math.

[Mmagusin in reply to reg2018]

He had a terrible year in 4th grade. There was a ton going on emotionally that year and the school was NOT helping him. In my opinion, he made no progress. So, he’s really at low 4th or 3rd grade level. We switched him to a charter school. It’s here where we see how far behind he really is! We’re going to adjust meds for one, as it’s clear to us it’s not working. Second, I’m asking to integrate a reward system for him. Class assignments can we very tedious. He tends to guess on quizzes just to finish fast. He’s always rushing. He does not have the critical thinking skills yet to analyze something he’s read, make predictions, or clearly understand the point. This last part I do believe is related to his ADHD. That said, we’re going to work harder to train his brain. We’ll see if we can turn it around

[Hidden]

My son is in the 7th grade and he works at a 3rd grade math and reading level. Does your son have an IEP? When my son was in elementary he got pulled out for rsp in math and reading

[Mmagusin in reply to Hidden]

No he has a 504. Not sure we’re there yet but close

[scrabble2018]

I agree with all the previous replies. In addition, we have extra support from the special education teacher to help with organization, checking homework, executive functioning. She meets with my daughter 3 mornings a week for 25 minutes. Also, my 7th grade daughter has a 504 plan with instructions to give her enough pages to check her competency, but not excessive pages of repetitive work. Also, she is seated in front of the class and away from distractions. The teachers also give me a summary of her work and if there is any uncompleted work, every Friday. This gives me a chance to oversee that she completes it. I have also started a reward chart, where she gets reward for doing her homework daily, cleaning her bookbag daily, putting her clothes in the hamper, etc.