My son was 4 in dec, he has been at nursery for over a year now, today his teacher said to me that she thinks he isnt ready for school in august because he doesnt listen to the teachers when asked to stand in a line.... my son is soooo bright and very tuned in and in my opinion ready for school, should i take her advice or do you think i know my son better and i should be the judge of whether or not he is ready?
2007-01-26 10:25:02 · 37 answers · asked by law 2 in Pregnancy & Parenting ➔ Toddler & Preschooler
Maybe you can talk to your son about standing in line and why he needs to do it. Maybe he just doesn't understand why it's important.
Also, is there anyone other than that teacher you can talk to about how your son's doing? There are good and bad teachers, obviously, and the other teachers may have different perceptions. There's a lot of pressure on teachers these days--I've heard more than one complain that it's difficult to bring every kid up to No Child Left Behind standards, especially when some parents show no interest in helping--and it could just be that she thinks dealing with a kid who's not obedient is too much work on top of everything else. I don't know if failure to listen is really an age-dependent thing; did she offer any advice on how you can help him progress?
2007-01-26 10:52:44 · answer #1 · answered by serenity_ii 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I would suggest getting a second opinion, even if just to reassure you. The problem you have here is that the nursery teacher sees kids every day and so is a better judge in an educational capacity, but at the same time, you know your son and how he reacts in certain situations.
Children need to be able to listen when they get to school, and if he can't or wont do as he is told, he isn't going to benefit from being there and so is likely to get upset and not enjoy it, making it potentially traumatic for both of you. That said, as you have pointed out, he is only 4 years old! Also, if he wont do things like stand in line when asked, then it could be potentially dangerous when going on trips etc.
By law, your child will need to be in school by the time he is 5, so you have another full year before he HAS to be there, so relax and take it at your child's pace - if he is ready, then put him in, if he isn't ready, he isn't going to be harmed by waiting till next term to start. (Not sure if they do an intake in April, if not, next one will be september)
Good Luck, I hope he enjoys school whenever he starts xx
2007-01-26 12:52:59 · answer #2 · answered by Tracey Wright 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
If he is not behaving in a manner when he is away from you that is expected at school then he will have a harder time. It could be the adults he is around at the nursery. I would follow your gut instinct but think and talk to his teacher with an open mind. Ask her if there is any other reason other than him not wanting to stand in line when asked. Sometimes brighter children become bored and act out by not listening because of the boredom. Maybe it's time to get him out of that nursery. Or maybe you don't expect him to listen at home. How many times do you have to tell him to do something before he does it? I'd think about all of this and then make your decision. If he's not going to listen in school then he'll be labeled and have a harder time the remainder of his school days. Good luck and God bless!
2007-01-26 10:36:15 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
I would take the teachers advice my son turned 5 in August and i started him when he was barley 5 and he is getting by but struggling. My son is very intelligent but school is hard. My son would be excelling now instead of struggling if I had waited. I found out to late the general rule of thumb is start boys at 6 girls at 5. Development and intelligence are 2 different things. I hope this helps
2007-01-26 10:35:35 · answer #4 · answered by Marilyn M 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Trust your instincts and don't listen to the teacher. She doesn't know your son like you do.
August is still 8 months away and there is still lots of time for maturing.Part of school is learning to listen.
Don't let one teacher's opinion make you lose confidence in your little one's ability.
I made that mistake when my eldest was at nursery,one lady said he was not good at concentrating and wasted paper by not filling the whole page when he drew.
I felt I had failed as a mother. I am now older and wiser and feel she was the one with unrealistic expectations.
My son is now 14 and doing extremly well in school especially in maths and science.
2007-01-26 22:01:05 · answer #5 · answered by mistyblue 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Let me just start by saying that I am not yet a parent (God willing, that will change soon). However, from what my parents tell me, I was just like that in school. After some basic IQ tests and such, they discovered that I was to smart for my class. Once I was in a different program for more intelligent (god that sounds so mean) children, my brain was being put to better use I guess and my behavioral problems went away. Maybe some small tests and possibly a different school/class would be better for your son. Don't give up though! Good luck!
2007-01-26 12:33:10 · answer #6 · answered by jpiglet86 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Of course he's ready- not all children behave in the same way and it doesn't mean that one is anymore advanced than the other. He will learn to stand in line etc at school and go along with the routine of the class. School is alot more structured than nursery and many children don't start to begin to understand rules properly until school age. I've worked in nurseries and seen many children who 'don't stand in line' who were perfectly able and ready for school. You know your child best- don't listen to her.
2007-01-26 11:39:35 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
A very hard decision. We lived in Santiago Chile for 2 years and the boys were 2 and 4 when we returned they were 4 and 6. The teachers thought that they were retarded . After much discussion it was determined that the boys were hearing in English and translating to Spanish . A slow process but it supplied the teacher with a plan to slow down and answer their questions.
2007-01-26 10:39:20 · answer #8 · answered by JOHNNIE B 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
My first thought would be to take a closer look at the teachers. Have you spent a day visiting his classes, to see what the interaction is? If your perception of your son is so different from the teacher, maybe something is happening in the classroom - may be he has a sugar imbalance that alters his behavior - may be he and the teacher don't get along.
Don't immediately assume the teacher's perception is correct. Investigate all the factors - including the teacher.
2007-01-26 10:35:41 · answer #9 · answered by Uncle John 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
It sounds like he is intelligent enough to go but if he can't follow instructions from teachers then he's going to have problems.
Explain to him that he should stand in a line when the teacher asks him to and also to do as the teacher tells or asks him to anyway. There should still be plenty of time to rectify any issues between now and August
2007-01-26 10:44:19 · answer #10 · answered by Sonny Walkman 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋