I met with Joseph’s teacher today to discuss his “below grade level” status with language. It’s really spelling, writing, reading and reading comprehension that are the problem. But, give that’s pretty much all language, then let’s go with “language” as the term.
In math, he is flourishing with nearly no problems. Makes me believe (and his teacher) that he is a very visual learner. Why then can’t he “see” with language?
In talking with his teacher, she said the tests placed him at 36% in reading/comprehension and at K/L level of reading (which I keep thinking is kindergarten level but is actually just a really low low low 3rd grade level I think). She showed me a K/L book and it was not easy! It was lots of words on each page, few pictures and something I would not have thought was low. I don’t get the basis for these, but, oh well, not my call.
His spelling is absolutely atrocious. Uh… duh. For whatever reason, he just lets all conventions go when he spells. I found a homeschooling method for teaching your child spelling and we’re going to go through it… from start to finish.
Socially, she admitted she was downright scared and wondering what she was getting herself into with him when we talked with her in July… we let it be known about everything — better be up front with it. That was worked marvelously. She said she’s seen him head down the angry path a couple times and been able to diffuse it. Once by giving him some hallway time and once by diverting him to a question that he answered correctly and got $1 for the toy bin for later.
She did say his biggest problems seems to be when she or the assistant are not around. He’s very respectful to them, but put someone else in their place and he tests them or acts out. Lunch is particularly difficult (was in 2nd grade too).
For some reason, Joseph gets it into his head that people will make fun of his lunch. Even though I give him cool, relatively healthy stuff that he picks out. He told Ron and I that “no one brings their lunch” but his teacher said about 1/2 do. I explained to her why he will not be buying his lunch regularly.
All in all the meeting was good and positive. His teacher really wanted to understand if what she was seeing was normal or not (it is) and she’ll be submitting him for a couple of programs at the school — one during track out that we won’t participate in because his therapist said track out should be just that for him. So, I’ll get his tutor to come back, we’ll start on the spelling thing and see if we can’t work with him to improve that while he continues to build better skills in school.