Brilliant

Parent Teacher Conference went wonderfully, as much as can be expected anyway. Mrs. S told us that the Kiddo is "exceptionally bright”, and she has never had a child in her class quite like him before. He can “read almost anything put in front of him” and has a firm grasp of math. In fact she said that she thinks he’s the only child who understood adding the way she tried to teach it. Starting with the big number and adding the smaller (ie 5+3=… the number 5, six seven eight.. the answer is eight. Instead of counting up to eight from one).

Now about that “failing” grade. It was in comprehension. Apparently what happened was Mrs. S read the class a book. It was a bout a shy little girl, and a little old lady, who became friends because of birds. Mrs. S asked the kids to draw pictures to tell the story. The Kiddo drew a completely different story.

He drew the first episode from the Astro Boy cartoons. First Astro Boy (beginning), he’s at the front door of a house (note the welcome mat) calling “doctor where are you”. The second picture (middle) is of the doctor in his car driving across town. The third picture (end) is of Astro boy is fighting a bad guy robot to save the doctor.

Mrs. S said that she thinks sometimes he just doesn’t hear all the instructions, like he was so excited to draw a story he didn’t hear the part about WHICH story to draw.

Of course there was the usual conversation about holding him back, she thinks it’s an awful idea. She maintains that the pressure of first grade will straiten him out quickly. We explain our position, and she agrees that it really does seem that there isn’t an easy right answer.

Several friends have reminded me that I should be looking into Charter schools for him. It’s the perfect solution, if we can get him into one I think it will give him an instruction style more suited to his level of learning and our “he acts young for his age” problem will be solved.

I gotta say though, I knew my Kiddo was sharp, but I’ve always told myself it’s a mothers bias talking. It’s a wonderful thing to have others tell you how smart your child is. He gets it from his dad, and his grannie. Maybe he’ll be a doctor after all.