Not doing any work....

[bbbiscuits]

Probably not G&T but put here anyway for advice....

I'm a bit worried about DS aged 8 as although he is very able he has done practically no work in the last term at school! Went to parents evening last night and all his books says things like 'where's your work?' eeekkk.

Teacher says she knows he knows all the answers and more when she talks to him but won't put it on paper. She needs evidence of him working at a higher level but has not got it. Is going to start him on year 4 objectives anyway but they don't start them until Easter for the top group for some reason.

DS has always loved maths and got good reports. 9 for maths in foundation scores, all 3's (apart from writing 2a) in year 2.

He goes to Explore Learning where they put him high 4's for VR and Maths. He goes because he loves the computers and he asked to go.

Any tips on getting him to do any work? or is he just totally bored???

It's practically everything english, re etc... I think the maths was a bit better. He does not like writing though and does do what you describe when I try to get him to write something down. Writers block style tells me he doesn't know what to write. He's not doing anything when he's supposed to be writing just day dreaming. The rest of the day he spends reading - so much that he hasn't answered his name at registration all term as he's been so engrossed in a book!

I would advocate some gentle bribing at home to get him writing. And a bit of support, give him a subject, make it clear what it is you want, reward him for small efforts.

But I would also have a very serious talk with him about manners. If he is reading a book when he should be listening for his name at registration, then he should be told that that is quite simply rude. And has nothing whatsoever to do with being gifted: listening at registration and in assembly is equally boring for all children regardless of giftedness. Perhaps you could ask the teacher to take the book away from him at any time when reading is not what he should be doing?

bbbiscuits, ds1 is a little like this. his teacher called me in last term and asked if there was anything wrong at home, as sometimes he writes nothing at all in class. (he's on and off - perfectly capable of writing pages and pages of flawless whatever, but sometimes, just, doesn't...) he's fine in maths, incidentally, just writing seems to be a bother.

this term, instead of keeping on at him (which i would prefer - as cory says, it's just bad manners and adhering to the same 'rules' as everyone else) she tells me she just thinks it's an einstein thing. that one day he will come up with something that benefits the world and we should just let him get on (with not doing any work when it suits him, presumably)

that said, i'm wondering if something like the green learning academy might suit him better. he has a thirst for knowledge, and a photographic memory. he's asked before about home ed, and i think part of that is him choosing how he wants to learn...

www.greenlearning.com

the jury is still out. he's moving to middle school this summer, so we'll see how that goes.

I am having similar conversations with DD2's teacher. She's in year 3 and is apparently capable of producing level 4b work but is often doing nothing or working at 2c to 3c instead.

She is being assessed for Asperger's Syndrome and Sensory Processing Disorder (SPD) - for many other reasons - and the OT thinks that her work is erratic because of the sensory environment. Lights, noise, touches and smells all bother her and some days she can't deal with them and do her work so she 'zones out' in self defence.

Could your DS be doing the same if the room is too noisy or busy for him? Lots of people have one or two mild ASD/SPD symptoms in isolation without having any other problems. It doesn't mean they have ASD.

I found out how she felt at school by asking her to design her perfect school. It was really telling.

explore is good because they work with headphones on, which would cut out any distractions from the environment, so it would make sense in that context.

not the op, but the as/asd thing has been suggested for ds1, Al1, one gp said he made the hairs on the back of his neck stand up . he's had a number of sensory issues over the years, and is still having problems with continence at 9. nothing specific enough to formally dx, but he is quirky.