Update on reading

[conuly]

So, yesterday I totally forgot Evangeline's homework book at home. So I left an hour early to pick her up, and brought it with me!

Two things I saw when I saw Evangeline: First, she looked incredibly lethargic and bored. She perked up as soon as we left the school at dismissal. Dear god, is she ALWAYS like this in school? If so, I understand much more... but this raises SO many new questions! I'm definitely snagging a spot at the "visit during the school day and see how we teach!" thing if I can't make Jenn or 'dul go.

The second thing I saw was her teacher, who wanted to tell me they'd found the doctor's note that they thought we didn't send in. And she told ME that the problem with Eva's reading is she can't (or won't) retell the story after. And also she's not doing her work.

On the train today, I tried her on Frog and Toad are Friends, a book Eva has read once just before school started and that nobody has ever read to her. Had her read me the whole first chapter on the train. Had her retell the story. And... no problems there other than the ones I already noted.

So I don't know what's up with that.

Comments

[kyrielle]

I'm remembering school as the interest-killer some years because nothing I had to do was anything but baby-exercises, boring ones, and the teachers were just going through the motions. I knew it didn't matter, and more than that it was tedious. Tedious like a college graduate in computer science being asked to un-jam the copier at the company, and type into spreadsheets. (Yes, different levels. Same effect.) The brain just...shuts...off. Especially if others in the class are actually having trouble, meaning you go over things again and again. (And, honestly? There's also social pressure not to outperform everyone. Though that's easy when you are bored nigh unto death, which more matches what you saw of her when you came by early.)

Of course, on "come see how we teach" day - they'll be putting forward their best, most engaged foot. You may not see everything as it always is. To put it mildly.

[conuly]

Yeah, I know*, but honestly is there ANY way around that? Short of sending Eva to school with a hidden camera, I mean?

*When I went to Ana's in first grade, she confided to me later that "she noticed something strange". What was strange? "My teacher was a lot nicer than usual!"

[kyrielle]

Unexpected drop-ins on a regular day if permitted, but...even there they'll alter behavior at least somewhat to the moment. :|

[conuly]

It's definitely not, and I wouldn't expect it to be. Seems likely to be disruptive to the students.

[caprinus.livejournal.com]

She sounds like she's REALLY bored. Too bored to be bothered to retell a story for a bunch of people she knows are only pretending to care, unlike you...

[conuly]

I'm having traumatic flashbacks to my own childhood, where every day I left home, went to school, and spent most of the day reading under my desk.

I did not do my homework. I occasionally did my schoolwork. I handed in my tests, and I went back to my book. Even in middle school I sometimes went whole classes like this and the teachers didn't notice or care to stop me!