Dear Aleta,
I have a story to tell you!! Leora and I often walk home from school. It is a mile walk up a huge hill. One day before taking your course, Leora was having a very bad day at school. She told me that she almost grabbed her coat and walked home in the middle of the day!!! She was going to play in the yard until we got home from work!!! That reminded me how she truly was struggling and feeling very upset and frustrated at school. Of course I told her how dangerous that would have been and the school would have called the police etc. etc. We came up with an alternative plan, safe plan.
Over all everything seems to have gotten better at school, since taking your course. Leora's friend Julia is the teachers pet, even I have observed this!! The teacher constantly praises Julia over the top. This use to drive Leora crazy!!! Now she just doesn't care. This is a big deal for Leora, she use to talk and cry about it nightly. Not anymore!!!
Leora is mostly wanting to read 2nd grade books, like magic tree house. She doesn't like not knowing some of the 3rd grade words. 2nd grade books are very easy for her to read now. I figure when she is ready she can move on. Leora loves to write and now her spelling is usually correct or at least phonetically correct. On her last spelling test she only missed one 2nd grade word and one 3rd grade word. We are just amazed at how well she is doing.
Now about math. The teacher ( Missa's) poor teaching style was stressing me out!! The week after they completed the 7th times tables, she started division and gave homework asking questions like 56 divided by 7. I finally went in and asked her teacher some very direct questions about math expectations. I found out, her teacher would like her to know the 2, the 5 and the 10 times table. If she knows some others times tables it's good, but not 2nd grade work and not expected. Right now she just wants the 2nd graders to understand the concept of multiplication and division. (sorry this email is sooo long!) So I am going to edit the homework and just omit work that makes no sense for Leora to do, and remind Leora that half of the math at school is not for her, but the third graders. The problem, I am sure you realize is Leora might be developing emotional triggers around math since she is presented with work above her level on a regular bases. Missa repeatedly tells the class this is really 3rd grade work, but my 2nd graders are so smart I want the 2nd graders to try it as well. We were spending soo much time on learning the times tables, we weren't doing any other math.
Christian was skeptical about the Davis program, but not anymore!!!! We are both amazed at how well Leora is doing!!
Thank you so much for all your help!!!
Just wanted to let you know how well Leora was doing. She really enjoys school now!!!! She is doing very well, especially in reading and writing. She is doing good with math, but I don't like the schools crazy math program!!!!
Thanks for all your help, you did a wonderful job with Leora!!