[FMT]

I have never had this struggle before so please help.

I have a low to average group. I know this because that was the plan when making classroom placements.

It has its good and bad points. I have children who need help in reading. I have spoken to a few moms and told them I have some concerns with how their children are performing. All school records from the past support this. I have been gentle but at this point I know this grade is crucial.

I am troubled by one little girl and her family. I know the mom did not like the message. She claims the little girl is afraid of me and is so nervous that she makes mistakes when she reads because of the fear she feels. I am doing everything in my power to make the girl feel confident. I feel like the girl does not trust me overall. I am noticing a few things in math like before between and after, too. This little girl is very well behaved. Her brother is gifted. Mom is nice but she appears to me to not be buying into some of my concerns. I am going out of my way to help her be successful but I feel like I am stepping in to uncharted waters. Her scores were very low and when she reads she stumbles often. I have asked the support teacher for some info like her reading level but she has not shared. Can't say if she does not want to share or does not know. She knows the early scores were low, that is why she is getting support. The support teacher knows the mom is upset and might not want to be a part of this. It was suggested to me by the team teacher to use a lower level book. It was not a written directive but suggested to me to help the low students rather than drag them along in something they can't read. My fellow teachers are mad I stepped out of the norm to do this but I know my school is pushing this and going in this direction.

I feel this is an unpopular place to be but my intentions are good.

If a go back to the previous teacher it creates bad feelings so I am leaving it alone. Meanwhile I feel alone and a little concerned with where I am with this little girl.

I am working with her in a small group trying to build her confidence. I am keeping her in the materials everyone is using. I am offering extra support so if she does fail the grade level materials she has the backup of using the support materials for a grade. I am trying to avoid giving a D or F and so far she squeaked by with a very low C.

Simply put, what do you think?

[Love2nd]

Using a lower level book is a great idea. Does your school support Guided Reading? It's all about having levels within your classroom and using leveled books to support their reading level. Right now in my classroom (I teach 1st) I have a below level group (6 children, 5 of who are on IEPs and are very low readers and one who is a regular ed student but a very struggling reader). Then I have two "on grade level" groups who are reading at grade level, and one above grade level group (5 kids who scored 6+ on their DRA).

By using a leveled book it will build this girls confidence because she won't be struggling and missing many words. She will read more fluently and realize "Hey, I can read!" She doesn't need to know which level it is. Then when her confidence level is higher, and she feels comfortable with you (you won't always be correcting and pushing her along in a book that she feels uncomfortable in) then you can move her up to read leveled books at the level of the class.

hope this helps!

[pitta]

Are you saying a DRA level 6 is on grade level for grade one? I always thought 10 was right on at grade one for the beginning of the year, 20 for grade two at the beginning of the year etc. That is how it is stated in the guide book. Am I misunderstanding something?

[Poppins]

It sounds like you are doing everything you can to help your student make gains. It is very challenging to not have support from a parent who is in denial. It can be very difficult for parents to hear that their child is under performing, especially if they have another child who is designated "gifted".

Do what you know to be in the best interests of the child, and document, document, document--especially any conversations/conferences with the parents and administration. Also, document all accommodations, strategies, and interventions you do with this student. It might be helpful to document comparison of student's scores to her peers' average scores on each benchmark assessment. I would also request parent signatures on all test score/progress notifications to further bolster your records of consistent and frequent communication to parents of student progress (or lack thereof) throughout the year.

If the parent continues to voice concerns that her child is afraid or intimidated by you, perhaps placement with another teacher needs to be considered.

Keep doing what you know to be best for this child!