tear jerking progress report
@3SnuggleBunnies (16374)
United States
July 19, 2011 5:44pm CST
My eldest who's 8 is dyslexic. She's been receiving speech services since she was 3, she did not talk much til she was 4. She was officially made LD Dec 2009 as her reading and math skills were not keeping pace with classmates. Either way she had LD summer school and her progress report brought me to tears reading it. Do you know how long I've waited to hear something positive about this child?!?!? I've heard minute or two long speel about this or that progress then nothing but negative. She's not paying attention.... she's distracted,... she's not where we want her to be blah blah blah....
But never ever have I been so proud to read that report! The teacher said she was making progress, was competitive, asked for harder Math problems, volunteered do reading out loud, wanted harder words, took pride in projects, and excellent in tactile learning strategies. He also said he did not see any signs of ADD and she was quite focused in class. 
and a big ol' bite me to her regular school/teachers who think she is 
and a big ol' bite me to her regular school/teachers who think she is 11 responses
@daeckardt (6237)
• United States
20 Jul 11
It sounds like her teachers need to take some lessons from the summer school teacher. I bet that they just use simple methods and don't differentiate instruction. If you don't try to reach students at the level they are at, then they will not advance. I have been learning this as it applies to ESL learners, but this week we are learning about those learners who might also have learning disabilities. I would talk to her teachers next year and see if they are able to try some of the methods that were used by that summer school teacher and make sure you show the progress report to them. If s/he is unwilling to do that, then you should consider changing schools or home schooling for at least part of the day. It is obvious that given the proper methods of instruction that she can be successful in school.
1 person likes this
@3SnuggleBunnies (16374)
• United States
22 Jul 11
Well I think in part too the LD teacher thinks of my eldest being the same as her son who is about the same age and is ADD and newly diagnosed Dyslexic as well. But you know she chose to put her kid on meds we have not, close but haven't. And I don't know if it's the methods or the fact that summer school is more laxed than regular school sessions as the teachers are trying to meet the standards the kids need to get on those glorious tests no child left behind implimented.
1 person likes this
@daeckardt (6237)
• United States
22 Jul 11
I think far too many kids are being medicated right now. If the kid is acting up in school, chances are they are bored with either the material or they don't understand it because it is above their level of understanding. Either way, if the teachers were good at their job, they would find a way to differentiate instruction so that they can reach children at their level. I know when teachers are more worried about the test results, they teach to the test and that is sad. From what I have read in my classes, many teachers do that instead of using methods that will help kids learn better they just cram information in and hope for the best. It may be harder for teachers to differentiate instruction during the school year, but that is the only way some kids (especially LD and ELL students) will be able to learn.
@dragon54u (31633)
• United States
20 Jul 11
I'm so happy for you!!
It sounds as if she has finally got a teacher that truly loves to teach and knows exactly how to get through to kids. So many teachers label children ADD because they are just being children unable to sit still or who get distracted--which is PERFECTLY NATURAL and healthy!!
Whether your daughter is or isn't ADD, she needs teachers like her summer school teacher. See what you can do, talk to him and ask for recommendations because he probably knows teachers that thank like he does.
1 person likes this
@3SnuggleBunnies (16374)
• United States
22 Jul 11
I also think it's natural if you are bored or are too far behind in the lessons being taught you will focus on something else more appealing than what the teacher is trying to instruct. THis is how I feel about my eldes because she can't read or retian info very well so how do you keep her interest when much of the instruction is now reading and not tactile? She can't read well so why pay attention.
@katsmeow1213 (28716)
• United States
20 Jul 11
Perhaps it's the teacher that's making the difference.. maybe she likes him or likes his methods so is trying harder for him.
1 person likes this
@toniganzon (77064)
• Philippines
20 Jul 11
I think that teacher who just gave her a positive report was a really passionate teacher who knows how to encourage a child to learn and study. Some teachers don't have that patience and they just each according to their own convenience and they're not really sensitive to the children's needs.
1 person likes this
@hardworker1972 (311)
• United States
20 Jul 11
Don't give up on her! Good for you for standing by her! My daughter and I had a similar experience for many years and come to find out she has autism which was not diagnosed until she was 15. Can you imagine that many years of those type of reports from the teachers? UGH... STAY STRONG!
1 person likes this
@3SnuggleBunnies (16374)
• United States
20 Jul 11
I could not imagine not finding out she was Autistic til she was 15! I'm trying to stay strong, but sometimes it's hard especially when IEP time comes around cause one gets sick of the "if that were my child I would....."
@3SnuggleBunnies (16374)
• United States
22 Jul 11
bored, tactile learners, or dyslexic... There are alot of teachers that don't have the heart, the passion to make learning fun they make it dry and thus loosing the childs attention.
1 person likes this
@dorannmwin (36392)
• United States
22 Jul 11
Dyslexia is really something that is difficult to deal with if a teacher really doesn't know what to do with the child. I know this because I am dyslexic, I had a wonderful remedial teacher when I was in elementary scholl that was able to teach me to read and to realize that what I was seeing was actually backwards. Once I was taught how to learn, I excelled in school, despite the learning disability that I have. In fact, by the time that I graduated from high school, I was in the top 15% of my graduating class.
I'm so glad to hear that you've gotten a great progress report on your daughter.
@randylovesdar (4932)
• United States
20 Jul 11
That is great that she is making progress. I think it is great that she has teacher that competely supports her and is willing to work with her.
Are you close to a library, maybe you can take her there to check out books. They also make books with math problems. I will look for web sites that have extra math problems for her.
1 person likes this
@3SnuggleBunnies (16374)
• United States
20 Jul 11
The hard part is that was her summer school LD teacher not her regular LD teacher.
She will not read books at home, she shuts down and makes me read them outloud. I have tried to encourage her to read to her younger siblings and she won't. I did get her a tutor for summer to help her w/ improving her reading if not retaining the level she is at. They use IXL to practice math and she does well with that. It's really the reading and writing she's slow to progress in with her dyslexia.
@hardworkinggurl (37062)
• United States
20 Jul 11
I am happy to hear that your daughter is progressing Snuggle. This is a sign of her improving and on a path to yet better for her future studies. I am sure the tears were of joy, when one has a child who is having difficulties in learning and or school parents feel helpless and not sure what to do to make things better. But this is a great sign and I hope she continues to do great.
It could be she was bored and did not feel anything was a challenge, it appears that things are looking up and she will now continue to do better.
@3SnuggleBunnies (16374)
• United States
20 Jul 11
Well she isn't bored but as the grades increase there is less tangable activities and more reading and writing. When you are dyslexic you can't read as fast or as well or comprehend what you read as well as your peers. Nor are you able to take notes or copy information in a manner that makes sense to the reader. She's a bright girl she just shuts down when things get too hard.
@LovingMyBabies (85923)
• Valdosta, Georgia
20 Jul 11
I agree with the first responder. I think they are just not being challenged enough when they say they have ADD. My brother was way more intelligent than most people in his grade. So he would get antsy and get into trouble. Once my mother finally figured out that he was bored because all of it was too easy for him they finally skipped him 2 grades! He wasn't being challenged so yeah he was bored and didn't have anything better to do than cause trouble...
I'm glad the one teacher is good and told you that your daughter is making progress, that's awesome! There's too many teachers that just want to push some children off on someone else because they don't have the patience to be teachers like they should...
@3SnuggleBunnies (16374)
• United States
20 Jul 11
If she's bored it's because she's dyslexic and cannot read very well or absorb + retain the information as her peers are able to do. She's smart in other ways just not in the traditional ways of reading, writing, and math(though she's doing pretty darn good with that since they taught her a method called touch points).
Or they blame classroom size and that's one thing she needs is a smaller classroom environment like in summer school.
