There is testing for dyslexia, ADHD, and other learning disabilities. If she is already in reading lab, they have surely tested for dyslexia. Can you get a meeting with the teacher who works the reading lab? I think you need to get with the staff and have a meeting to determine how to help your niece and find out what the staff feels are her areas of weakness. I'd be looking at the tutoring too. Whenever I hear of a child struggling I always get concerned that they will become frustrated and begin to hate going to school. That just leaves you open for a child who will become a drop out. Getting that struggling child the help they need early in their education is key to keeping them happy in school and not falling too far behind their peers.
she has not been tested just for disablilties. I know she is in reading lab, so they are aware of her having difficulties. Is there specific testing to narrow down what is going on?
Yes, you're helping her! I'm sure she was very excited about the 100, and I see her mom's point. Perhaps this situation is a learning opportunity. You can point out to your niece that the teacher made a mistake(see no one is perfect) and marked the words as correct but they aren't spelled quite right. You can then show her how to look up the words in the dictionary and even have her write the words correctly, say 5 times each, for practice. For extra learning you can read the definitions of the words and talk about how to use them in a sentence. Writing a word out multiple times is a great way to practice spelling by the way.
If you've talked to the teacher and you're still having problems then it's time to ask for a meeting with the teacher, principal, and maybe even the counselor and resource teachers. At our school it's called a staffing. Usually the school initiates it for a child who is struggling in areas and needs some extra assistance, but if you feel your niece is being "cheated" out of a proper education then by all means request the meeting yourself. You say you work with her, but sometimes she doesn't get things. Has she been tested for learning disabilities?
You may also want to look into some tutoring. Many parents don't have the patience or sometimes the abilities to help with school work, so you're not alone. It can sometimes be hard to explain to an 8 year old how do something that you've been doing for 20 or 30 years(or more in my case). A tutor is trained in teaching methods or sometimes just has the natural ability to teach. It also might be easier on your niece to work with someone outside of the family in a more structured situation especially if she is picking up on the stress coming from you and her mom when you try to help her.
Don't give up your efforts at home or at the school. Your niece deserves more than to just be brushed off by a teacher because she needs extra help. If you're at the school a lot, you can build some relationships with the teachers too. I got some great tips on how to help children with reading skills from the reading specialists at our elementary and they worked great for helping the students I worked with as a volunteer.
I have a question. My niece is 8. She lives with me too. She has a difficult time with school work and we do the best we can with her. There is a reason we arent teachers. I have little patience when it comes to tryin to show her things that she doesnt get. But to the point, how do you proove a point to the teacher and not crush her heart.
She got a spelling test sent home with a 100. I looked it over cuz it needed to be signed, and I noticed 2 words that weren't spelled correctly. She is in 3rd grade. I feel the teachers just keep shuffling her along without helping her. I tried to explain that to her that if they keep overlooking her errors, she isnt going to learn. Her mom got angry cuz she thinks the teacher is going to take away her 100. I just want to give up sometimes, because in the long run, I really am helping her, right?????????????
rnbowmom, I know exactly where you're coming from on being known as the PTA mom(PTO for me). When the kids were in elementary school I was helping with everything and spent many years on the PTO board. I had parents coming to me for all sorts of things and children pointing me out in the grocery store! It's a special opportunity to be involved in the school. Enjoy these years!!
Didn't mean to scare you with the teenage angst comment! Most of the time I have an absolute blast with my kids, but they have those hormonal moments that can really try the patience sometimes. It is a special age though: they still need you, but they are also turning into adults. I have been reliving some great teen years memories with my daughter and she likes to shop now too, so I have a buddy. I still need to teach her to not tell her dad about ALL of the purchases we made and how stick things in the closet and leave them for awhile before you wear them and then when he asks if it's new to say "Oh, I've had this for quite awhile."
CC, $300?!?!?! I got away much cheaper than that and I have a daughter. Of course, my situation was helped by the fact that she was just going with friends and there was no dinner and date thing. Also, the homecoming dance at our school isn't as elaborate as prom. My only problem with it all was she and her friends deciding TWO DAYS before the event that they were going to go. She was really lucky that we found a dress at all let alone something she actually liked. Of course it was a color that required a new shoe purchase too!
