Education here is St. Mary's

[Kimmy#2]

I was just wondering how many parents are satisfied with there child's educational services that they recieve from the St. Mary's Public School?


The reason that I ask is because, the theory that Bush has "No Child Left Behind" I really have my doubts with that. My child is in 4th grade and is at first grade reading level. I have known this for years that he has trouble with reading. Since about 1st grade. I have gone through the IEP and PST meetings and nothing really has been done. They tested him for a learning disability and that came back that he didn't. He has an IQ of 113. They just keep suggesting strategies for the reading teacher to help my son out. I have him with a tutor twice a week and she can't believe how he has just slipped through the cracks. I have asked for him to be held back and they won't do it because they say it will hurt him in the long run.

I have had him tested for ADHD and ADD that came back fine. I have had his hearing tested and that came back fine. I also had him tested for silent seziures that some kids can have while they are reading and that came back fine. He does have bad eye sight but they said that would not even qualify him for special services.

Just wanted to get some feedback from some parents and how they feel.

 

[crabcake]

I'm very happy with my 1st grader's education thus far (Lettie Dent Elementary). I must say though, I don't expect her educational growth to be "nourished" solely by the school, either, and any parent who does is hurting their child more than anything. Do you read to your child and take the time to break down words and sounds so he/she understands them? When we go on road trips to Nanny's house, we play word games in the car where you have to find a word beginning with a letter. She has educational programs on her computer she plays that are fun for kids while slipping them an undetected dose of "smart stuff".

You obviously care ... you asked the question and are seeking help. Just don't get caught up in the "it's the Dr/School/Government's job to fix/raise/educate my kid" crap.

 

[Kimmy#2]

I am a homemaker (not that makes me any better) and read to both my boys all the time. I am currently reading one of the Harry Potter books to my oldest one right now. I just got the tutor for extra help. More one on one. We have a set routine every evening at our house. The baby goes to bed at 7 so that I can have more one on one with the oldest. I don't except for the teacher to be the only one responsible for his education. I am the advocate for my son. I volunteer all the time at his school and am very much involved in his education.

 

[RoseRed]

Have you tried having him read to you instead?

 

[citysherry]

Does St. Mary's school system have a Title 1 program?

 

[Suz]

Maybe he is dyslexic? I don't think it is a easy diagnosys .........

and as far as 'holding him back will hurt him' I would fight the school on this. I had the same problem with my youngest and got the same response. I wish I had stood my ground.... 20/20 hindsight. Find out what you can do to have him held back if you really think it would benefit fit him in the long run. I think you have to meet with the school board????

 

[STL_RAMS]

My sister had an issue with her daughter and her reading level. She paid a crap load of money for her daughter to get tutored at Sylvan Learning Center for a few months. Her reading level dramatically approved in that time. She lives in FL and they were actually going to hold her daughter back becuase she wasnt at the required reading level but my sister did not want that to happen. The teacher was not helping her at school so the outside tutoring is what finally made the difference.
It had been 2 years since that and my neice has not had any other issues with falling behind.

I also had some friends in High School who went to Silvan Learning center and benifited from it. Something to look into if you have the extra money to help with it.

That "no child left behind" policy is a load of crap IMO

 

[Kimmy#2]

Have you tried having him read to you instead?

Do it all the time! He has a very hard time decoding words. A lot of children when decoding words only see the beginning and ending sound of a word. That is what he does. We are working on chapter books right now. We take turns reading at night. He reads to me on one night and I read to him on the next.

 

[Kimmy#2]

Maybe he is dyslexic? I don't think it is a easy diagnosys .........

and as far as 'holding him back will hurt him' I would fight the school on this. I had the same problem with my youngest and got the same response. I wish I had stood my ground.... 20/20 hindsight. Find out what you can do to have him held back if you really think it would benefit fit him in the long run. I think you have to meet with the school board????

Been tested for that too. Have had a meeting with the school board also. That is what the PST and the IEP meetings are. Called the board of ed also to express my concerns. Not doing much good.

 

[RoseRed]

Do it all the time! He has a very hard time decoding words. A lot of children when decoding words only see the beginning and ending sound of a word. That is what he does. We are working on chapter books right now. We take turns reading at night. He reads to me on one night and I read to him on the next.

My daughter just started kindergarten and is trying to read. She sounds out word to the best of her ability. She LOVES books and to be read to, then "read" them back to me.

 

[Kimmy#2]

I also had some friends in High School who went to Silvan Learning center and benifited from it. Something to look into if you have the extra money to help with it.

That "no child left behind" policy is a load of crap IMO

A family member sent there child to the Silvan Learning Center and it did not do her any good. The tutor that my son is with is very good with him. She is old school when phonics where still around.

 

[Candle Lover]

I had a child in the first grade when they were doing the approximate reading. He was still unable to read in December. I was not getting anywhere with the teacher or principal. I contacted the Literacy Counsel. We spent our Christmas vacation working with Hooked on Phonics. This was an amazing tool! He returned to school reading as well as the other students. If phonics have not been incorporated into the reading program yet, I think this would be a good avenue to try.

As far as IEP meetings go, those meetings are with school personnel and the supervisors, not the Board. In having several dealings with the system I have found that it is best to document everything and continue up the chain of command. If you go to the website, you can find the names of the people on the Board. Send them past report cards, a synopsis of meetings held with school personnel and the information from IEPs. If you did not keep those papers, the secretary and the school can make a copy of everything in your child's folder. Stay on top of it! Persistence is the only way to get through to these folks.

 

[Elle]

We are working on chapter books right now. We take turns reading at night.

Have you tried easier books, I thought you said he is only on a first grade reading level? My 6 y/o has trouble reading, we bought a few of those step into reading books and he is doing much better.

 

[snuzzy]

My son did not hear the difference in the vowels sounds. If your child is reading beginning and ending sounds he may not differentiate between the short/long vowel sounds, etc. Explicit phonics to train his ear to hear the difference may be of use. There is a website called a-zreading.com (there is a lot of websites you could research for support, suggestions, etc., I would start with "reading help" or a similar general search, you may even find advocacy groups who may help you know what to do next as far as the school system is concerned), you have to pay a fee, but then you can pick and choose the books that match his needs, download them, and they even have worksheets, etc. to support the books. As for "No Child Left Behind", for some reason some local/Maryland school systems seem to take this to mean "no child in the following sub-groups: FARMs (Free and Reduced Lunch), special ed, and minorities", to the exclusion of children who are not in these sub-groups as well as those who are performing at grade level. This is an underdetermination of the law as schools are required to show ayp (adequate yearly progress) for all students, this will "bite them" in the end, with the focus being on the subgroups, though it doesn't help your son much in the meantime. Schools are also rated on how many children are retained each year, may be cause of the resistance you are getting to hold your child back.

 

[Oz]

Try changing your kids' diet. Remove as much refined sugar as possible, especially in the morning before he goes to school. Go for protein and fruit. Stay away from the pop tarts, fruit loops and cookies.

You might be surprised with the results of a change that seems so unrelated. But I have seen this do wonders for children who are struggling in school. Try it!

 

[janey83]

When I was in first grade, and learning to read....I *hated* the time it took to practice my words...it was frustrating at first, because it was hard & I wanted to be outside with all my friends. But no...my mom made me practice everyday, I had this metal ring with hole-punched index cards w/ the words on them...and that's how I learned. Also, my parents would buy me books before toys or anything else, and without their hard work, I really doubt I would have loved reading & writing as much as I do. After that painful period of learning to read, english became my best subject in school, and still is.

 

[snuzzy]

Try changing your kids' diet. Remove as much refined sugar as possible, especially in the morning before he goes to school. Go for protein and fruit. Stay away from the pop tarts, fruit loops and cookies.

You might be surprised with the results of a change that seems so unrelated. But I have seen this do wonders for children who are struggling in school. Try it!

Wow! I've been saying this for years, but this is the first time anyone has repeated it. I have had children on behavior charts and have asked their parents to track their diets and sleep habits along with the results of their behaviors from day to day. I've never done an "approved" study, but it does make a huge difference. I had one parent recognize that bagels and cream cheese was a positive effect on behavior/learning, and chocolate milk and donuts, well, not so much. Children need at least 9-10 hours of sleep a night, as all children are different, my recommendation is to see how many hours they need to sleep so you don't have to wake them up-good to try on a weekend.

 

[Kimmy#2]

As far as IEP meetings go, those meetings are with school personnel and the supervisors, not the Board. In having several dealings with the system I have found that it is best to document everything and continue up the chain of command. If you go to the website, you can find the names of the people on the Board. Send them past report cards, a synopsis of meetings held with school personnel and the information from IEPs. If you did not keep those papers, the secretary and the school can make a copy of everything in your child's folder. Stay on top of it! Persistence is the only way to get through to these folks.

We just had a PST meeting and the meeting was with the Psychologist and the Pupil Personnel Worker from the Board of Ed.

 

[Kimmy#2]

Try changing your kids' diet. Remove as much refined sugar as possible, especially in the morning before he goes to school. Go for protein and fruit. Stay away from the pop tarts, fruit loops and cookies.

You might be surprised with the results of a change that seems so unrelated. But I have seen this do wonders for children who are struggling in school. Try it!

He eats 3 balanced meals with one snack between breakfast and lunch. I try to make sure that he has a big breakfast because is lunch is not until 12:40. He normally has like pancakes with a fruit and some milk or tea, scrapple sauage etc. etc. I always make sure that he does have a fruit with his breakfast. His snack is also a fruit and his lunch normally is a sandwich w/ some pringles, a fruit or veggie and a snack.