Progress Reports

I had Elizabeth's conference with her teacher last week.  It was rescheduled due to a snow day.  Elizabeth asked me "When are you going to talk to my teacher so she can tell you how good I'm doing?"  Well, the girl doesn't lack confidence, but she wasn't wrong!  She is doing very well.  I wanted to attach the progress report because I know 20 years from now she will want to see it!  She missed the number 6,7 and 9 and letters Q, W, F and N.  For some reason she has really struggled with the number 7.  I understand getting the 6 and 9 confused, but 7? Sometimes we work on it and she gets it with no problem, other times it is like she has never seen it before.  Someone suggested that maybe she doesn't understand the significance of numbers so perhaps she isn't real motivated to learn them.  Oh boy, I really hope we don't have to prove to her why we need to learn certain things.  I am pretty sure that is a card I played while trying to get through trig and organic chemistry! Why do I need to know this?! I was most proud when her teacher told me that she is friends with everyone in the class.  We will figure out the numbers, but being a friend is more important right now (to me anyway!)

Sorry, turn your head sideways!

Today Grant's report came home.  He struggled so much at the beginning of the year separating from me, but he overcame that and his teachers are really pleased with his progress.  They don't have any problems communicating with him, but I did have his speech evaluated last week in our new school district and he qualified.  He really struggles with the "s" sound but also "ch," "ck," "g" and "d" sounds and some cluster sounds and sometimes drops "h" sounds at the beginning of words.  He has also had some periods of studdering.  We first noticed it after Mimi passed away, but after a few weeks it passed.  It has snuck back in and some days are worse than others.  I talked to his previous speech therapist and we are not pin pointing dramatic events to his studderring - not that we haven't had a few this year (death, natural disaster, move) but we have to keep an eye on it and make sure we are doing what we can to help him.  It is totally possible that he is having vocabulary explosions and that there is just too much going on upstairs in his head at once, but it could also be something that he always struggle with.  I think we are being proactive and we will continue to celebrate his accomplishments.  Just like with Elizabeth, I am glad that socially he does well in the classroom.  When I picked him up today I could tell something was wrong, but he wouldn't tell me what.  Did you have a good day? What did you have for a snack? What letter did you work on? Did you play well?  He said everything was fine.  When we got home and I was helping him with his shoes and coat and looked at me with the saddest eyes and said "someone took my hat and gloves." I had noticed he didn't have them on, but assumed they were in his book bag.  I assured him that if someone accidentally took them home they would bring them back.  Most likely, I think they got left behind in his cubby.  

The backside said "Grant participates in class and has basic knowledge of his shapes and colors.  Grant has come so far this year - we are so proud of him! He is such a sweet boy and we really enjoy having him in class."  Good job buddy!

He did surprise me by writing his name on the shower door steam last week.  I need to take a picture of his name, because he actually does a pretty job with it.  He can type it on the iPad with no problem and he will spell it for you all day long.  "G R A N T!"  Sometimes when we are working on numbers with Elizabeth he will chime in with an answer and he is usually right (which also frustrates his sister!).  My mom loves to tell the story about how she had my brother and I confused.  She assumed that I was a social butterfly at school and that my brother was very serious.  To her surprise the teachers revealed to her that I was very quiet and studious and guess who was a very chatty? Yep, David.  I think it is possible that I may confused some preconceived notions about my own children as well!  At any rate, they are both doing great, but perhaps excelling in areas differently than what I would have anticipated or guessed!  Good job kiddos!  Maybe we should go out for dinner to celebrate?! (haha daddy is out of town and mommy doesn't want to cook!)