Wednesday, September 22, 2010

Day 17: Parent Meetings

I bet you think this post is about the book order.  Alas, it is not.

I know you have come across children in your teaching that make you take a step back and say "Hmmm...."  I have one such student this year that just seems to stand out from the others.  This child has some areas of concern I think need to be addressed.  Here's what I've observed:

First of all, the handwriting is not legible most of the time.  Spacing, sizing, and formation are questionable.  There are days I literally cannot tell what has been written down.  This with some accommodations from the OT already.  Second, the student has a very hard time staying focused on the task at hand.  Third, this student takes an exorbitant amount of time to get anything done, independent or not.  Fourth, I have checked over the files of this child, and s/he seems to be slowing down in his/her academic progress.  Finally, guided reading levels were done last week.  The reading specialist made a trip to my room to ask about this child because progress again showed a reversal.

I have set up a meeting with the parents for this Friday because I know where this child needs to be by the end of the year and if the past three-plus weeks are any indication, s/he won't get there without intervention.

It's always hard to approach parents about the fact that their child may need more intervention because parents are afraid their child will be labeled.  I understand that worry; I've been through the process with one of my own.  I'm just praying that these parents will be receptive to my concerns and are willing to go through the necessary channels so we can figure out what is going on and get this child some help.

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