Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Some of you are CRAZY. A kid who can't spell "lego" and "play" is not dyslexic and dysgraphic, he is a normal first grader.

But the student could be. And you show your ignorance by using those two words as your example. Lego is a pretty exceptional word since the last sound is represented just by an “o” rather then “oe like in “toe.”

Again, I think the message is that the parent shouldn’t just accept the standard line that students progress at different paces so don’t look any further, especially with how poorly public schools teach reading and spelling.

I was replying to the people who were suggesting that OP's child is dyslexic or has dysgraphia. I don't know how that makes me ignorant. And fine, whatever, test your child.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Teacher here - Please stop now - your son is fine - way too early to get caught up in the race to nowhere. Just encourage him to do his best.

I am a third grade teacher. Do not stop! I have students in the third grade on a kindergarten level and here I am, having to start the 504 and IEP process because teachers want to wait and see. Years go by and the child slips under the tracks. OP, reach out to the teacher. What are their noticings and recommendations? Still concerned? Request a meeting with the team and they will test him.
There is no harm in testing the child. If nothing comes of it, great! If so, it’s best to catch it in the early years. Here I am teaching half my class how to write 5 paragraph essays and the other half, letter sounds of the alphabet.

Thank you, 3rd grade teacher!!!!

Just have them practice writing letters. Don't get hung up on spelling and grammar in first grade.

Our oldest was considered below grade in writing and reading.

Compared to the other posters in the grade school hallway, our kid looked amateur. Some letters were still backwards, the sentence structure was halting, etc. A few teachers said our kid is "struggling" with reading and writing.

This kid is now a freshman at a competitive university. Kid took off in middle school. Scored a 790 on the English part of the SAT.

Some kids are just slow starters, they are on a slow burn in the early school years. Our school system has lost sight of this fact, and tries to lump kids into a bucket.

Look at your little one that way. This is a long road, OP. Save your fire for high school when it actually starts to matter. Keep having your kid read those 20 minutes a day for school, take kiddo the library to pick out a few books (both below grade and above grade), and be a positive force because the teachers will not be that. Sad, but true.

You are this kid's biggest behind-the-scenes fan.

Anonymous wrote:Teacher here - Please stop now - your son is fine - way too early to get caught up in the race to nowhere. Just encourage him to do his best.

I am a third grade teacher. Do not stop! I have students in the third grade on a kindergarten level and here I am, having to start the 504 and IEP process because teachers want to wait and see. Years go by and the child slips under the tracks. OP, reach out to the teacher. What are their noticings and recommendations? Still concerned? Request a meeting with the team and they will test him.
There is no harm in testing the child. If nothing comes of it, great! If so, it’s best to catch it in the early years. Here I am teaching half my class how to write 5 paragraph essays and the other half, letter sounds of the alphabet.

Anonymous wrote:Some of you are CRAZY. A kid who can't spell "lego" and "play" is not dyslexic and dysgraphic, he is a normal first grader.

But the student could be. And you show your ignorance by using those two words as your example. Lego is a pretty exceptional word since the last sound is represented just by an “o” rather then “oe like in “toe.”

Again, I think the message is that the parent shouldn’t just accept the standard line that students progress at different paces so don’t look any further, especially with how poorly public schools teach reading and spelling.