5 year old (Y1) clowns around when he finds things too easy

[Oggy]

Sorry if this gets long but need some advice.

My son just started Y1, with new teachers.

He is doing very well generally but he has a rather set habit of cocking around and doing things in a silly way when he finds them too easy.

He is on books from school that are several levels lower than what he reads at home. When he reads the appropriate level book he reads fluently and has fun with the stories but when he brings his reading book home he gets it out shouts "too easy" and starts reading it in a stupid voice, not doing it properly and generally acting a clown. It takes a lot of stern talking to about doing it properly and eventually he does.

He is the same with his writing, he got his first keywords writing homework and did the same "too easy" as he took his homework book out and proceeded to scrawl crap across the page. I got angry and ripped the page out and stood over him with assorted threats until he did it properly.

He is the same out of school with his taekwondo and swimming (so its not just a school work thing). Mucks around when he can already do something easilly.

He recently had a reading assessment and I was relieved and thought that he will get a higher level book and will be able to enjoy doing it properly but he came back with the same level and a note saying he ready it fluently but his answers to the questions were not "relevant". I know his comprehension is fine (from my own reading with him) and am confident he was just giving silly answers to muck around.

The school take a very gentle, non-pushy approach and I am sure they are not giving him the "do it properly" stern approach that in my experience he needs, and I can understand that, for all they know he is mucking around because he can't do it and it is only right they don't push them like that if they are struggling.

I want to speak to them and say they need to push him more to do things properly because I know he can do it and is just fooling around out of boredom, but obvioulsy school need to see him demonstrate he can do it before they move him on (rightly so) but as longs as he pisses around I fear we will get stuck in a perptual cycle of him getting stuck doing boring stuff because he doesn't do it properly and gets more bored and just becomes class clown or something.

Should I just relax and hope he grows out of it? Should I speak to teacher (I don't want to tell her how to do her job)? If so, how should I approach it? Am I being too pushy with him and perhaps creating the problem myself by pushing too much?

Argh - any thoughts or similar children out there?

[hermionestranger]

Marking my place, DS1 sounds exactly same and I too would like advice.

[2BoysTooLoud]

Talk to the teacher and just say what you have said here about 'silly' behaviour if things are too easy.

[coccyx]

He may find some things too easy, but does not excuse his behaviour

[Bonsoir]

It's hard. My DD just switches off when school is too easy and she isn't being challenged, and then she gets told off for "not listening". But, tbh, I'd find it very hard to listen/read some of the dross she is supposed to do. I think she is mystified as to why she is being asked to do such basic tasks.