Re: kindergarten questions

[Guest guest]

Hi ,

I'm another RSS adult who was in elementary school in the '80s... I

agree with Kate; I wouldn't hold Destiny back...

I learned much later that my mom personally chose all my elementary

school teachers (she's a little crazy that way, but I suppose it

helped -- can't imagine what the principal thought that first

year!...). That way she chose teachers that would give me

extra/different activities from time to time. I don't remember what

was different in Kindergarten, but in second grade, for example, when

other kids had to write simple sentences with their spelling words, I

would make up crossword puzzles for the class to do later in the week

(but none of the kids knew that I was the one making them). In third

grade, the G&T program started, so that kept me busy one day a week.

I do vaguely remember having problems in Kind. with using scissors

and holding the pencil the way you're " supposed to. " So we made

up " Ana's way " for those fine motor tasks (e.g.,using both first and

middle fingers on top of the pencil for better control), and I was

fine (although I'm still not crafty!! *grin*).

Good luck!

-Ana

(26 years old, RSS)

[Guest guest]

- I personally would simply allow her to be in a regular

kindergarten classroom, and focus on the areas that she needs

strength in (physically, emotionally and socially). You can always

challenge her with reading and math at home after school for this

first year. THis is what we did for both (RSS) and Tyler

(non-RSS) and it was the best decision. Both kids were NOT bored in

kindergarten, despite being so far ahead academically, because there

was so much more in kindergarten than the academics.

In first grade, was definitely bored and Tyler is now too.

But by second grade, the education becomes more individualized, and

you can also work with the teachers to individualize it. Or you can

skip a grade at that point.

Finding a private school, HA!!! They are trying to get out of

managing her. Your daughter needs to be evaluated for an IEP, and

she qualifies for the assessment due to her RSS diagnosis. You can

call MAGIC and ask them to mail you the " School " presentation from

the 2003 convention -- this has comprehensive information from

Yvette Getch and Jodi Zwain that should answer many of your

questions, in detail.

Salem

> Destiny will be starting kindergarten this fall, and I'm really

starting to stress.Her RSS issues are fairly mild, compared to a lot

of other kids here, but we're facing an unusual combination of

circumstances. Destiny has a little body, but a big brain. She

turned 5 Feb 5th. Right now she's reading Ramona the Pest, her

latest passion is chess, she can add and subtract numbers to ten in

her head, she can recognize a right angle, writes well enough with

invented spelling to be understood by anyone, and so on and so forth.

> On the other hand she fatigues more easily than most kids her age,

especially in her hands that are undersized even for her, and

although she does well in taekwondo (just made purple belt) it's an

individual endeavor. Realistically she's behind her age-mates in

balance, coordination, speed, strength, etc.

> When I talk to the special needs people at the school district

they say I should look into private school. Well I can't afford

private school, and in Nevada the gifted program doesn't start until

third grade. I don't want to try to put her into first grade

skipping kindergarten, she's ALREADY smaller than everyone else, I

don't think her hands could handle the writing and I don't think

she's socially any more mature than the typical kid her age, and

this week we're working on giving up naptime and I KNOW she couldn't

handle the longer school day.

> I'm just so frustrated! What I want is a kindergarten accelerated

program with a gifted creative teacher in charge.

> Unfortunately, I live in Nevada.

> Anybody have any ideas short of homeschooling her? I can't do

that, I'm a single parent and most of my time gets taken up keeping

all the balls in the air that I've already got.

> Thanks for hearing me vent anyway.

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