what is the teacher doing all day

Jodi - posted on 09/29/2011

"hey are expected to know more than we did at their age."

I disagree. I was reading and spelling at school in 1st Grade. And that as nearly 40 years ago. Things haven't changed in that respect.

Kalpana - posted on 09/29/2011

The ministry of education of the country decides what the syllabus should be. 6 yr olds are expected to know their spelling because they are expected to know more than we did at their age.

There are many studies out there to ascertain many things, but if on the policy maker level they implement that kids should know this set of vocabulary at this age then teachers do what they can to carry it out. I think to blame the middle man is not too fair. As mentioned by many here, many strategies can be found to help them cope or learn to spell in a fun way.

Marli - posted on 09/29/2011

As a teacher and a parent I must say that students' success must come from the teacher, the parent and the child. I teach high school, for that reason I can't relate to a child learning to spell at 6 years old. My daughter is only 3, so I'm not there yet. I do teach Spanish, and I know how hard it can be learning a language. I just had a spelling quiz last week for my students and some of them didn't do well. Now, I teach them all the same thing. The question is are they studying and practicing at home. In high school that is their resposibility since they are young adults, but I have many parents that help and keep up with their child's studies. Like some one said each student is unique and learn in different ways. Talk to the teacher, see if she can tell you what she observed about your child. Give you advice on how to help him at home. I know she cares, because as educators our goal is to give every student the tools to suceed. I'm pretty sure she'll want to help you, because just as much as you want your child to have 100%, she does too. We do the best we can with what we have. Good luck! I hope your little one does better in his next assigment.

Aleks - posted on 09/29/2011

OMG!!!!
I am still flabbergasted at the mere fact that 6 year olds are given spelling tests!!!
Sorry, but THAT is insane. (many) Kids are just starting to learn to read, let alone write, so spell????? WTH?
If one does a little bit of research regarding learning literacy one quickly learns that learning to read, write (and then spell) should not start too early or otherwise it will cause literacy problems later on (ie, many in the field are starting to believe that teaching children to read at 5 or 6 yrs old is still too early)....

Anyway, that is my rant... not really answered the question of the OP, but my 5 cents worth...

Lynn - posted on 09/29/2011

Hang in there Mom! I have a child that struggles with school also so I know how frustrating it can be! I have been successful asking for a conference with the teacher and asking her how I can better help my son at home. Some suggestions I got were to use magnetic letters and let him spell the words out, pour rice or shaving cream on a cookie sheet so that he can write the words with his finger or typing out the words on the computer. If you can volunteer at his school you will get a better understanding of what all goes on there and get other ideas of how to help you child. Good luck!

Chantal - posted on 09/29/2011

Hi , I was a terrible speller at school , so I am trying to prepare my 6 year old before she starts big school
Here are the websites with fun work sheets & other tools to help your kids & most of it is free.
http://www.kidslearningstation.com/
www.allkidsnetwork.com/worksheets
http://prek-8.com/
www.kidzone.ws
http://www.shirleys-preschool-activities...
hope it helps

Isobel - posted on 09/29/2011

Nintendo DSI has an awesome game called scribble-nautics...they get to spell any object (or famous historical person) and use them to their advantage in the game...very fun (I highly recommend playing WITH your kids the first few times and try adding Greek mythological figures or crazy scientific inventions...just to see if they can work).

good times anyways...have fun

Luan - posted on 09/29/2011

We play games with the words. Their is a website called spelling city. Their are some great games on their to help your child with the words. I am not a great speller either.

Kelly - posted on 09/29/2011

Sheri, was any of the homework copied pages or workbook pages taht had been started in class or what it completely blank to be completed onec you child came home? The rest of the requirements seem spot on for what I'd expect to make it to 1st grade. It's really this idea current educators believe that a child that young NEEDS to do that much "busy" work. I think it's complete B.S. I just read in another conversation about this topic that a 1st grade child was given 19 pages of homework to be completed in one evening and turned in the next day. When exactly is it that children are supposed to be children? Why is it that everyone believes filling in "dittos" is going to make our children rocket scientists? I can't wait to see what else pops up in this conversation and the other I mentioned, too. I seriously pondered homeschooling my kids but was too busy with ailing parents till just recently. If this is really what parents have come to expect from educators and what educators believe is the proper way to teach children (which seems ironic since the parents are taking over a darn good protion of said "teaching"), then I'm homeschooling all the way. Might as well, it is my area of expertise.

Sherri - posted on 09/29/2011

Kelly I have a 9th grader, 8th grader and a kindergartner. My 9th and 8th grader for the last couple of yrs avg. 3hrs of homework a night.



They had at least 30mins - 1hr by first grade a night by 1st grade 15mins of reading, 3mins of testing on math facts, studying their spelling test words for at least 15mins a night and then they usually had 1 other sheet. My job every night was to sign off they did their reading, right how many of the math facts they got right in 3mins and the same for the spelling words. If the parents did not do their part then homework is marked missing and they get a zero on it.



Although in order to even make it to first grade they had to be able to read 100+ words and be able to do this in math.



Skills:

Many new skills are introduced in kindergarten. The following skills should be mastered by the end of the

year.

Counts forward by 1s to 99 and beyond starting from any number

Counts backward by 1s from 26

Counts by 2s to 28 and higher

Counts by 5s to 100 and higher

Counts by 10s to 100 and higher

Counts 31 or more objects

Represents numbers using bundles of 10s and 1s

Reads and writes numbers beyond 100

Compares and orders numbers from 0 to 20 and higher

Solves number stories

Reads and interprets graphs



Oh and our class sizes only avg. 15 kids. With a teacher and an aide for those 15 kids.

Kalpana - posted on 09/29/2011

I am both a parent and a teacher. I see my 40 kids in class for 1 hour in the whole day to teach them English/math. I have 41 kids in my english class and 38 in my maths. We are there to teach, yes, grammar, how sentences are formed, vocabulary, answering questions, writing, reading, communicating, cloze passages, comprehensions, preparing them for national exams (which may not be applicable for grade 1), do you think I have time to go through spelling words with my 41 kids on top of everything else in the syllabus to finish up in that 1 hour a day?? We have exams every term. that's the end of 10 weeks. for grade 1 we have exams once a year, end of the year. Please stop blaming the teacher. We expect the parents at home of our kids to go through spelling with them.



of the 6 hours you say your son spends in school, how long is he in for one lesson, like english?



As a parent, I have my kindergartner that comes home with 7 spelling words for english and 7 words for second language. I coach him at home every night. I know when he goes to grade 1 next yr (7 years old), it's going to be a normal to have 10 words for each language. If he doesn't do well, it because i didn't coach him for that week. I do not go off blaming the teacher for she has 23 others in the class to teach and he has only 1/2 hour of english everyday!



So please do have some considerations for the teacher. It's not always their fault. Times have changed, more is taught in schools now than when I was in school. But the number of hours hasn't changed. Of course there is more expected to be done at home. Just because teachers are being paid to teach, you cannot expect EVERYTHING your child needs to know to be taught by the teacher.

Jeanne - posted on 09/29/2011

What does that have to do with school? Confused!

Kelly - posted on 09/29/2011

I'm glad so many people have stuck up for the teacher... but, really, not all teachers are meant to be teaching or are meant to be teaching their current grade placement. You are the mom. What's your gut telling you? I agree with those on here who say you should look at this as an eye opener and find out where the problem lies, be it your son or the teacher. And by all means it CAN be the teacher. Too many bad teachers are left in their placements. They get enough years under their belts, become tenured and are virtually irremovable. Then people wonder how such a teacher got there in the first place. C'mon, everyone I know has a story about "that" teacher who was either completely neglegent about educating the students, or was out of control crazy with what they required. Not all teachers are created equal.

If, however, your gut is telling you that something might be up with your child's learning style or ability to learn/study/retain/regurgitate the info then see to it that you have him checked out through the school's proper channels. Even if you're not sure on where the problem lies, it won't hurt to have him get checked out. Better to find out now than to have to break bad study habits later. That, truly, is one tough job.

Finally, for those who study or do homework with your children every night because, by golly, that is what good parent does, I have this question. Answer honestly please: When you were in the first weeks of the first grade did you have homework and/or a list of words to study and be tested on?

I do remember feeling so grown up to have my first list of spelling words to study. It made me feel like a big kid (like my brothers, twins, who were a year older than me). However, I know that we didn't even get there until the 2nd semester and they certainly weren't graded (nothing was, really, till third grade). What I distinctly remember was that we did NOT have homework unless it was something we didn't complete during class time. That was how it went, other than studying for tests, all the way through elementary school. And it was only when I had a specific question or asked to be quizzed on whatever I was studying that Mom and Dad would step in to help. They never watched over my shoulder. I don't know... I don't think I turned out to be a complete idiot - graduated with honors from h.s. and college andpassed my grad classes with flying colors. I think we are requiring parents to hover over their kids WAY too much.

I second the motion to send the basket of laundry to the teacher.

Toni - posted on 09/29/2011

Britni,I know several home schooled children, and they go both ways. Some are very socially awkward, and some are very outgoing fun kiddos. That isn't the only reason though. There is a lot to home schooling, and it just isn't for me. Not full time. I do try to teach them what I can when I can and help them with reading math and so forth every evening(as does my husband) But children don't always listen to mom or dad the way they would another person. I am glad you kids handle it well. :)

Jeanne - posted on 09/29/2011

Have you had him tested for ADHD or any other learning disability? Mine is being tested tomorrow for ADHA since I have it? Maybe there is a reason he has short recall!!

Caroline - posted on 09/29/2011

don't worry, he's only in first grade, and giving a spelling test in first grade is not always a given, the teacher decided to do it, and in a way it has helped you realize where your son needs more help. You are the one to help him, I would not consider homeschooling at this point, that would be way too much pressure on you. Just keep calm, stay in a love focused place, take a deep breath and find a time during the day when he's fresh, maybe even in the car when you're driving, and work on letter recognition, phonics, short site words and the spelling will come. I recommond preschool prep's dvd's they're great!

Jeanne - posted on 09/29/2011

I have a 1st grader also. I go over spelling words every night with her. I go over her bible verses and questions every night with her and her reading and her piano lessons. It is called parenting and showing your kids that hmwk is important and comes first!! Parents have to be proactive in their child's schooling to make sure that child learns what he/she is supposed to each day/week. That is why it is called hmwk!! It is ur fault he didn't pass that test!!

Amy - posted on 09/29/2011

My son is only in kindergarten so my attitude may change in a couple years but personally I believe it's my role as a parent to teach my child. I feel like I'm there to supplement and add to what he's learned in school as well as review it to make sure he fully understands and grasps it. I work full time, opposite shifts of my husband so I know as he gets older it's going to get harder to find the time but because I want my son to succeed I will do what it takes to instill how important his education is. If I were you I would definitely call the teacher to find out her suggestions on how you should be helping him at home, but some of the moms here seemed to have some good ideas too!

Sherri - posted on 09/29/2011

I agree Emma and I also don't understand why she thinks that just because he is in school all day that negates any responsibility to assist him with normal homework etc. at home.

I think instead of automatically blaming the teacher (an increasing trends these days, the mentality not my kid) why not talk to the teacher and see if there is an issue with your son and see if you guys can work together to try and assist your son to succeed instead of struggling.

Stifler's - posted on 09/29/2011

How are you going to homeschool if you feel like helping with learning to spell isn't your responsibility?

Isobel - posted on 09/29/2011

If he got 10 out of 10 words wrong after you helped him with his homework every night, I probably wouldn't suggest home schooling. Though...you wouldn't be the first homeschooler I've heard talk like that.

Kelly - posted on 09/29/2011

I think I come at this from a unique angle. I understand exactly what you're saying. It IS the teacher's job to be teaching. One person replied that the idea is that your son has to study his words at home so that he learns how to study for when he gets older. That's BS plain and simple. I know for a fact that much of the time spelling words are also vocabulary words found in whatever reading curriculum the school is using. The children get exposed to the words over and over throughout the week as they read and write them. And, yes, they should also have a list at home that a parent can review with them now and then. If the words aren't a part of the reading curriculum, generally, the children still get plenty of weekly in-class "study" time because they are asked to work with their words (write them, spell out loud with a friend, create sentences with them, and so on). This notion that your child should be handed a list on Monday and have them memorized for Friday's test is absurd. It would create a situation of learning to spell words that have no connection to whatever is going on in class and, from what I've ever seen, schools really frown upon that style of learning.

Why would I say all this? I was an elementary school teacher who chose to leave my job 5 years ago in order to stay at home to raise my own children. My oldest just started kindergarten this year and ironically I feel the same way about my daughter having a packet of "homework" to be completed each month. Additionally, she brings home anywhere from 1 to 3 different letter books each night to read and for which I must keep a written record to be sent back to her teacher daily. The homework, not unlike the spelling word study time, should only take about 10-15 minutes a night. However, ALL of it requires parental supervision since she cannot read the directions for herself. Ten to fifteen minutes is not much, I know. But what if it takes longer, and it often does. And, what if Mom truly cares but does not have the time each and every night to devote to helping her complete these tasks? I am currently up to my eyebrows with my own "homework" called handling my mother's estate, financial and physical property, since her death on Sept. 8. Also, not something that should be a huge deal, until you add to it that my dad died this past January and I was still tying up some loose ends of things for my mom pertaining to that.

Why go through all of that in my response? Because, homework is work that by all rights should be able to be completed by the child, at home, without help. I already completed my years of elementary school. And junior high. And high shcool. And college. And, for that matter, grad school, too. I don't need to be educated and I sure as heck don't need to be told how to parent, which I believe is a major factor of children having "homework" in these early years. Another, major factor is that in many schools, the amount of actual learning time is very small compared to the actual time a child spends at the school from drop-off to pick-up. In order to make up for that, well, the parents have to do the teaching. It really is ridiculous.

Do I think you should homeschool instead? Nope... another person replied that that was a "might be biting off more than you can chew" type situation. I agree. What you need to do is CALL the teacher or better yet meet face-to-face. I really respected parents that would talk to me, not just write to me, when they had a concern. The teacher should be able to give you a better idea of what she expects with these spelling words and tests. And she certainly is the first place to go if you suspect a problem with your son's learning.

p.s. Sorry, the post got so long.

Kate CP - posted on 09/29/2011

Homeschooling is good for certain families and not for others. My aunt homeschooled her two boys and they are the most socially awkward, creepy, uneducated men I know. But...she really did an injustice in homeschooling them the way she did. She NEVER took them anywhere or let them do anything. They didn't even have licenses to drive until they were close to 21 because of HER rules. But I digress.

I've met some really well rounded, smart, funny, kind people who were homeschooled. If it works for your family (and you're doing it right) then it's a great option.

Yes, there are SOME great public schools but they are few and far between. On the whole, public schools in America are nothing more than large day cares with a few gems that stick out. Most are garbage...some are actually good schools with good teachers.

Personally, I'd rather send my kids to Montessori school.

Sherri - posted on 09/29/2011

I am a SAHM and I refuse to homeschool. Just because you are a SAHM does not mean they should homeschool. So many public schools are amazing.

Stifler's - posted on 09/29/2011

if the kid gets a 0 he is having trouble, not the teacher is bad etc. you are the parent and blaming the school and everyone else won't help your son learn. maybe get some flash cards or something and help him learn the words at home.

Britni - posted on 09/29/2011

If you aren't homeschooling for fear of children being social akward then you have never met a home school child. All three of my boys are more polite and outgoing than most of the other child on their soccer or hockey team.

Beth - posted on 09/29/2011

Yes the teacher probably does have too many kids to deal with. Since the budget cuts have increased class sizes and taken away help teachers are stretched to the breaking point. If you think homeschooling your son would work for you then go for it, but if you have never taught before trust me it's alot more work then you bargained for.

JuLeah - posted on 09/29/2011

doesn't mean the teacher is not doing her job. Spelling tests are set up to get the kid in the practice of studing at home. They spend little time on this at school because it is expected he will study at home.

As he gets older he will required to study more evenings and weekends, this gets him in the habbit and right now, your job is to work with him for 10 or 15 minutes every night on this

If you are doing that, and he is still getting a 0, then talk with his teacher about what can be done

Like you are to be reading to him every night, having him read to you ... you spend the years between 0 and 5 working on colors, numbers, letters, handwriting ....

Because he has a teacher doesn't mean you are of the hook

Alison - posted on 09/29/2011

Cynthia: My daughter is in high school now but was VERY behind in grade 1. We were told by her grade 1 teacher that kids are learning at all different levels in grade 1 and mainstream more in grade 2. This is probably your child's first spelling test. He might have been nervous. Either way it is still so early in the year and the teacher needs time to get to know his learning styles and what she can expect from him. This is definitely a good time to meet with his teacher and discuss his needs within the class.
I feel that the teacher should have sent a note home or even called you if he received a mark of zero. That would be very offputting. Even last year when Laura was in grade 9 I got a bad first impression from her english teacher and when we met with him after the open house he had gone through her school file and helped us more than any teacher she has had to date. Try to keep a positive relationship with this teacher so you can both meet your sons needs. Sometimes when they see how dedicated the parents are they can change their attitude.
Best of luck.

Marie - posted on 09/29/2011

I'm am with you, there is alot of stuff that I would expect to be taught at school and for some reason the schools now think parents should do at home. Which is fine as a backup, but they shouldn't be relying on it. Yes we have a job as a parent, but we also have our jobs to pay the bills - of which theirs is to TEACH our kids!!
How old is 1st grade? We start school at year 1 (5 years) and i don't think my son even had spelling then. it was all reading homework, and definitely not for an hour!! Gawd!?! their attention span is definitely not up to that yet! We have spelling words now he is year 3 (7 & 8 year olds) that he gets on a monday, then gets tested everynight at home. Last year he had the same but had to write them down rather than just spell from memory because the learning wasn't at that stage yet. Anyway, we practice every night & fortunately he loves to read which absolutely helps with spelling. If anything, I say get your son into reading - find books that he loves to read and it will sort its self out in no time.

Kate CP - posted on 09/29/2011

Just because a child is home schooled doesn't mean they will grow up to be socially awkward. There are many other methods to socializing children outside of traditional public school.

Toni - posted on 09/29/2011

Britni I am a stay at home mom, and my boys all go to public school. I don't want them to grow up socially awkward because I am the only person they see all of the time. However, I work with them with their homework, and try to teach them anything new, when a situation presents itself. I see nothing wrong with public schools. They aren't perfect, but neither am I. Homeschooling is fine, but it isn't for everyone.

Toni - posted on 09/29/2011

I think that you should be helping your child a lot. Every minute is a learning experience, and take the time to point things out. Example-- See an exit sign, say the words and spell it for the child have them repeat it. Your child just learned how to spell a word. It is the same for spelling words. My oldest boy gets a word sheet every Monday, he looks at it, and then we go over it. He still occasionally gets one wrong, so then we work on that word a bit extra.

It sounds like maybe you should spend extra time helping him. Or he needs to pay more attention in class.

Britni - posted on 09/29/2011

That is exactly why homeschooling is the way to go. Everyone here is blaming you for your childs grade because the teacher has 20 plus kids in the class. Well in my opinion that is not an ideal situation for learning. I home school my children. I use cyber school and they give you step by step lessons and instructions even reteaching activities. I don't understand why people put their children in public school if they are a stay at home mom.

Sherri - posted on 09/29/2011

Sorry but it is your job to go over his words every night with him and get him ready for his test. If he is getting them 100% wrong it seems you are not doing enough with your son, it is called homework and studying.

It is her job to give him the tools to be able to sound out words and give the words he needs to memorize at home for homework. This is no different than any other grade he will be attending. The teacher is NOT the issue here, sorry.

Janine - posted on 09/29/2011

I was also going to say practice with him the way the test is given, written vs orally.

Kelli - posted on 09/29/2011

I have been teaching kindergarten and first grade for 10 years. I agree some of the work falls on the parent but I feel that it should just be to reiterate what the teacher has taught. She should have taught phonics/site recognition with these words. The kids should have used them in sentences, writing them 10 times each and other activities throughout the week. Usually they are pretty saturated with exposure to the vocabulary list. It's hard to imagine that he would have missed every one of them. Is this common for him or hit and miss. Just trying to rule out other problems that don't involve the teacher.

Susan - posted on 09/29/2011

I haven't read the other responses, but have you considered offering to volunteer in the classroom? You'll see first hand what is going on and why your child is having difficulty. It may surprise you to see how hard the teacher works.

Dawn - posted on 09/29/2011

Agreed Tracey, something does need to change. Getting angry isn't the answer, getting answers is. There is a problem here. That is obvious. The question is how to handle it, I homeschool also. 5 kids, the oldest currently works for NASA. Homeschool is an option. Though if you can not understand the school work of a 1st grade student is homeschool a good option for her? I am sorry if my post came across as anti-homeschool. That was not my intention. What I will say is look for a cause, then a solution. If the reason he is having trouble in school is that he can't handle the class room there are other options, homeschool being just one of them. It's possible that he needs glasses, or has a learning issue that can be treated. I know convention class rooms are not for everyone. Neither is homeschool. If you "I can't jam shoes that don't fit on my kids' feet" then you at least try and figure out why right? I have one son who can't spell, he can read college text books but can't spell. He knows the words, knows the sounds they make, and can't translate them to paper. He has Dyslexia, the words just don't translate properly when he tries to write them down. Look for a reason! talk to your son, and his teacher.

Debbie - posted on 09/29/2011

As a mom and a 6th-grade teacher, I can offer you my opinions on some of the issues you raise. In truth, by 6th grade at my school we aren't giving spelling tests and when students make mistakes in their writing, I circle the word and write sp next to it. I do teach frequently confused words, like there, their, and they're, but that's usage more than spelling. Sight words seem to me to be more about reading than about spelling, and reading a lot is one way to increase a child's constant exposure to words. English is a difficult language because words come from so many different languages (if you've ever watched the Scripps Spelling Bee, you'll notice these excellent spellers all asking for the language of origin for a word). It seems to me that the lower grades ought to teach spelling patterns and rules (e.g. i before e, except after c, unless sounded like a as in neighbor and weigh). Of course, there are as many exceptions as there are rules! Really though, that's all the teacher can teach. The teacher would be wasting class time for every student if he/she worked one-on-one drilling each child on a list of words. That's where the parent's help comes in. There were all sorts of wonderful suggestions from other moms about how to help your child study, but do it daily and help your child build confidence. (At some point you will have to do the same with math facts.) If your child consistently gets a score of zero on spelling tests, it may be a sign of something that could be overcome if addressed early enough.
On a final note, I tell my students that any particular test does 3 things -- it measures how well the students learned the information and prepared for the test, it measures whether or not the test is a good test, and it measures how well the teacher taught the material. If you suspect the teacher is not doing an adequate job, find out how other students did. If there are lots of kids with a score of zero, that would be important to know. If there's only one zero, that's useful information too, as long as you use the information to help your child as a learner.
Hope this helps. Good luck!

Lori - posted on 09/29/2011

Hey Cynthia... I can understand your frustration, all of us want the very best for our kids and want them to do well in school. I have 3 kids, the oldest is in middle school, so I have had many years of spelling tests. My advice is that the best way to study spelling words is for the child to write each word 10 times. Then try retesting him. Then have him write it 10 more times if he still can't spell it. For most kids, they can learn the words this way, by writing each word 10 times. Now, spelling is one of those academic subjects where it really is based largely on natural talent - some kids spell well by nature, it's just a talent they have. Other kids struggle with it a lot and it is no fault of their own, it just isn't something that comes easily to them. If your son is getting all 10 words wrong, I would ask if the teacher is having him write the words 10 times. If she is not, then you are correct to ask if the teacher is doing her job. But if she has them writing the words 10 times, you could also do flashcards at home to reinforce, in addition to the writing 10x each, at home and at school. I respect your right to vent, but I also want to make sure you know that blaming the teacher won't get you or your child very far. If you are correct and it is the teacher's fault, it does no good to blame her. If it isn't the teacher's fault it also does no good to blame her. If you have him write the words 10 times each every week, and your son is still having this much trouble spelling, you might think about having him evaluated to see if maybe he has an issue with processing the letters, or if he sees them differently. Something like dyslexia or other learning challenges can make spelling very difficult because the brain does not perceive letters the way it should. If he reads well, then perhaps spelling is just difficult for him, but if he also has challenges with reading, early intervention for dyslexia or other learning diabilities could be very helpful. I wish you all the best in the future. God Bless.

Tracey - posted on 09/29/2011

She's already trying to help her son with his spelling, and it's not working. I'd say get him tested to make sure something else isn't going on; talk to the teacher; but most likely the curriculum is not a good fit for him at this stage of his development. Rather than make him slog through it when he's not ready for it with a big, red zero on his forehead, homeschooling's a better option. If this curriculum either doesn't fit his learning style or he isn't ready for it, if she's free to change her curriculum he may do much better, so that's how she can "expect to homeschool when she can't even help him with his homework." I can't jam shoes that don't fit on my kids' feet either, but that doesn't mean I need to send them to someone else to put on shoes that fit them properly!

Tracey - posted on 09/29/2011

Sometimes there are things going on at school that kids that age are just not mature enough to tell parents about at home. The classroom might not be conducive to learning, but if that's the only classroom he's known, he wouldn't know to say "kids are arguing all the time and I can't hear the teacher" or "there are kids running down the aisles all the time and I can't concentrate."

I've homeschooled my kids for over 10 years, and my 14-year-old is almost ready to graduate from high school, so I'd say we've been successful. From this experience, I will tell you that two of the very best spelling programs out there do not even start until the third grade! And they go in patterns, so kids can see the patterns and spell many more words correctly more quickly than typical programs. One was developed for kids with dyslexia, if he turns out to have that.

If you do end up homeschooling, know that it's a doable choice. There are curricula out there specifically designed for homeschoolers that have a track record of their users getting accepted into college, the military, even highly selective schools like the Ivys.

There's also a large community of homeschoolers both online and in real life to help you. Your son will not "suffer socially" (one of the biggest, stupidist myths ever). There are sports teams of all kinds (my son's football team plays both private and public school teams and my oldest daughter cheers for his team), arts opportunities (the daughter who cheers made it to an international ballet competition a couple of years ago, and there are plays, art classes etc. too), pretty much anything you'd find in a government school including Scouts. And your child will have the chance to be around people of all ages and backgrounds, instead of a group of kids segregated by age and zip code. We joke "Why do they call it homeschooling if we're never home?"

Work it out with his teacher if you can, but don't give it chance after chance while he falls through the cracks.

Pam - posted on 09/29/2011

i remember being sent home w/words i had to study for our spelling test everymonday. i would study for a while and write them over and over on a piece of paper, and then my mom would go over them w/me. it is your job to help your child w/his spelling words and homework. kids now have more homework than we ever did b/c they are trying to do more in highschool and in order to do that, they have to start in 1st grade.

Dawn - posted on 09/29/2011

Um all I can say is wow. How do you expect to home school if you can't even help him with his current school work?
As for what his teacher is doing all day, try taking 20+ kids and teaching them all the same thing.. everyone learns in a different way at different paces. Schools today are messed up, it is really impossible to teach that many different people the same thing in the same way.. it just doesn't work!
That said, teachers send home school work, call it home work and ask that you help your child learn, because no one knows your son better than you, and your the best option to help him! If he isn't learning in school you need to talk to the teacher, and other administration. If you can't do the work then don't try and teach him at home, sorry but that's my opinion. Also, teach your son one very important thing, he is responsible for his education if he doesn't understand something then he needs to ask for help.

Beth - posted on 09/29/2011

Sounds like you need to look in the mirror. You are his teacher...you have been since the day he was born. You attitude towards his school work will effect him.

Stephanie - posted on 09/29/2011

one thing to consider is your child might be distracted. again, dont go to drastic measures. discuss and partner with your teacher!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Karen - posted on 09/29/2011

I am sorry to hear our fustration, but it is your job as a parent to work with your child. If you have review the words with your child at home and they were correct then talk it over with your child. He may be one of those that chokes on tests. Also find out if they use "kids spell" in the classroom. (Kids spell is letting a child spell a word how they think it sounds and is crap. It screwed up my daughter and I had to work with her a lot is the second grade.) if they use that practice, ask the teacher to stop or else you will have to work extra hard in the years to come. A teacher can only do so much but it is your JOB as a parent to work with your child. You are his first teacher. Try flash cards. and losts of repition. Teachers can only do so much as classroom sizes keep increasing.

Delora - posted on 09/29/2011

You may need to find another method of helping him study at home. Yes she is the teacher, but you are the parent and he is your child. He is not her only student and spelling isn't the only subject she is teaching either. She spends all day teaching, reading, writing, science, social studies, math. Sending children to music, P.e. and art just so she can have 45 mins to plan for the next week or having a meeting with a chair or curriculum coach. Seriously if your child missed all of his words, your method of studying at home isn't working. I doubt he has a lazy teacher, but if you truly looked at his words each night and he still didn't get one correct, you may need to see if it is an issue of motivation or his ability to understand how sounds and letters match up.

Mary Kay - posted on 09/29/2011

Cynthia- some very good ideas here, especially about learning modalities (visual, auditory, and kinesthetic). I taught mostly 1st grade for over 30 years, and certainly feel for your child's difficulties. How is his reading coming along? My spelling words were always directly related to phonics lessons in reading, for example, words with clusters (dress, clap,) or long vowel spellings (coat,soap) or word endings, such as adding 's' or 'es' or 'ing'. I would definitely suggest a meet up with the teacher to see WHY it's hard for him. Practicing several different ways over the week-- orally, written, salt box, and writing a sentence or two with the words, should help. Best of luck! I do have to admit, some people just naturally seem to spell better than others. Maybe you could make up a little game (keep it easy) where he has to pick the correct word out of three, with two spelled incorrectly. That is what they do on standardized tests, and it really requires a child to look carefully. Best of luck!