We had two wonderful parent/teacher conferences this month. Both of the kids' teachers had nothing, but great things to say about the boys.
We had James' conferences two weeks ago. She let us know that he is reading at a 4th grade level (the highest in the class). She is reading with him on an individual basis to help challenge him. His biggest struggle is his comprehension. Although it is still beyond the second grade level, it is not up to par with his reading level. His math skills amaze her. He LOVES mental math so much and both Josh and I could feel his teacher's excitement as she described his passion to us. She told us that he is always the first to raise his hand when the kids are not allowed to use pencil or paper to solve a problem and then James leads the class on the white board showing everyone how he solved the problem. She also has him doing the other math skills they are learning in class, but at a harder level. There is another girl that is at his level in another one of the second grade classrooms so they have him and her working together everyday. She told us that they hear the two of them exchanging different strategies and she will teach him things that he does not understand and he will teach her the things that she does not understand. I love the progress he is making this year and how well he is advancing in school.
Our biggest concern going into his classroom was not how he is doing academically but how James is doing socially. That has always been our biggest concern with him as a gifted child. I was not sure if he was getting along or trying hard to fit in. When he gets home from school he has a hard time expressing his frustrations and he thinks so hard at school he gets home and often comes unleashed. She reassured us that he is very well loved at school. In fact, she told us that everyone loves him and that even his peers are amazed at how smart he is. She told us he walks in the classroom and everyone is excited to see him so being liked is not an issue. That helped to put a lot of my fears for him at ease.
We are very proud of James and all of his accomplishments.
Since having our first child a "gifted" child, we have had a hard time gauging exactly where Jacob stood and where he falls in his academic progress. We have never felt that he struggled, we always felt that he was the "norm" or right where he was supposed to be for his grade and age. Today we learned that Jacob is in the teachers highest groups for reading and for math. Jacob is currently where he is supposed to be at the end of his kindergarten year and very close to a first grade reading level. She said very soon she may have him leave the classroom and start reading for 20 minutes a day in a first grade classroom. Jacob's teacher also described Jacob's enthusiasm for math which I know surprised Josh and made him very happy. In Social Studies they are learning the pledge and she said he already knows all of it as well as stands for a moment of silence. In science, they are learning about how wood is made, and she noted that he loves science.
Many things that she told us about Jacob we already knew. Jacob is very expressive about his feelings and emotions and communicates with us VERY well. He told Josh this morning that he wanted to bring his lunch so that he could hide from his girlfriend behind his lunch box. Then, in the conference his teacher told us that during lunch they play with their lunchboxes and hid behind them. She said it is not a problem. It is lunch and he is a 5 year old boy and he is very good controlling his behavior in class and making good choices even when some of his friends do not. She even said that Jacob's new best friend in kindergarten, Seth, often made bad choices at school but he has gotten better and Jacob has been a good example for him.
I was very happy with how well his teacher has come to know him. She knew who all of his favorite kids were in the class, she mentioned who he liked to sit by. All of the kids we have heard Jacob talk a lot about and share stories with us about them.
Josh and I are both so very proud of both of our boys and how well they are succeeded academically and socially.
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