Second Grade Issues - Too Late?

I would call her or stop by the classroom. It is the end of the year. They are having class parties, the mood is lax, it is nearly summer and kids are not paying attention.....

I suggest you consider getting some kind of tutoring this summer in math if he isn't able to do it.

I can honestly tell you that a "B" in math is not the end of the world. It is above average. An "A" is not average, if it were then it would be worth the 2.0 that a "C" is worth.

He may not have a gift in math but might in reading or science. Maybe he will always make "B"'s in math. He might be able to have a sudden light bulb moment too and suddenly math makes sense to him.

The teacher is just going to say have him do stuff like the homework he brought home.

I would start looking at online sites that have free tutoring or programs to strengthen the skills you don't think he has. That way you are looking at the stuff he had this year and what this program says a 2nd grader should know. That way you are reinforcing his existing knowledge and not trying to introduce new material he isn't ready for with out the foundation being there.

If you want a response, email and call her again and say something in a pleasant tone to the effect of, "If I don't hear from you by Tuesday, I'll stop by on Wednesday". Believe me she'll call. For some reason, people don't like having conversations in person anymore.

I always call my kids teachers if I have concerns. Even if I email I make a follow up call. Is there a reason you are not using the phone?

There are a lot of last minutes things the teachers must deal with. Sorry but I think not calling sends the message this was worth a bit of typing but not a call, at least to me it makes it sound unimportant. Maybe it did for the teacher as well. Maybe you got the email address wrong, maybe it changed...the phone number is still the same. :)

It's too late.

One week left and NOW you want make-up work? That's a bit unrealistic.

Most of the time grades are "due" the Friday before the last week of school. So, my daughter finished yesterday..... but they didn't have any "work" due this week, because teachers had all turned in their final grades last Friday.

Typically there is a business etiquette rule that would dictate a 24 hour return time on emails. However, being that your request is a bit unrealistic - to want to bring up a grade the last couple of days of school, and she is busy trying to get everything submitted and cleaned up before she goes on break, she may not respond to you.

Is that right? No. She should respond.

I agree that you don't need her to tell you what your son should study over the summer. Enroll him in a Sylvan or Kumon center to work on math skills or go to WalMart and buy a workbook. starfall.com is mostly reading, but I think they have some math.

Also - just go back over the tests that he brought home. What kind of material is it that he's not "getting"? focus on those concepts. Did you ask him what he doesn't understand? Is it that he doesn't understand the homework..... or in a "timed" setting, is he not reading and clearly understanding the directions?

Good Luck.

At this point, teachers are breaking down their classrooms. They're preparing grades and trying to get everything together for the summer break. (Which really isn't a break for many of the teachers. They have continuing education, workshops, etc.)

I wouldn't worry about his grade this year too much. It's done. Chances are he can't bring it up. At the worst, the kid has a low B in math. (Unless there are worse grades you haven't mentioned.) If you want to work with him on his math, check online for third grade math. Print the materials off and work with him on that.

As far as the teacher "checking out" and not giving homework or tests, this is normal. My kids haven't had homework in just over a week now. They haven't had a test since last week.

You do not need her to tell what he needs to do in math for the summer. Go buy some math workbooks. One for grade 3 as a review and one for grade 4 to get ahead.

Grades in grade 3 do not matter. What matters is the learning of the material.

Yes, she should have answered your email, but please remember your son still has a few days with her. Don't piss her off. Your son will suffer.

Instead, send a handwritten note thanking her for the year and she will probably then return your email. Yep, she is trying to end the year without responding. Soften her up for your son's sake.

End of the year and with all that goes with that definately NO, she is sooooo busy.

Also, if he hasn't "gotten" it by now, not sure he will by the end of next week....actually B's and a C isn't that bad, but if you didn't like the first B I think you probably should of contacted the teacher way back then, not now with the unrealistic view of she has to respond right away because of your son's C, especially with all the special activities that go on associated with the EXCITEMENT of schools out for the summer!!

You can go online or to Borders, they have TONS of material out there for summer and you know what he is learning and having trouble with so you will be able to tweak what he needs help with.

She will respond, maybe just not as rapid as you expect, she has a lot of students and issues to help and tie up before the end of the year.

Only 6 days left? The teacher has not checked out, she's swamped with year-end stuff! I'm very involved in my 2nd grader's classroom and the school, and all of the teachers are working hard to wrap up everything for the year. Yes, the teacher should have at least sent a quick email to say there's nothing to do at this point and she will get back to you later about summer work. But give her a break! I'm sure you can find some stuff online for your son to practice over the summer. Forget about the grade...it has no bearing of any importance except to tell you he needs a little more practice. You sound like a good mom who will help him be prepared for 3rd grade. A grade lower than an A can be a good learning experience for both of you. It doesn't mean your son isn't smart, it doesn't mean he won't continue to have academic success. Personally I would downplay the grade and turn the focus to the value of learning. Tell him it's ok he didn't get an A (if he even notices), and you'll review the material over the summer because it's important to learn, regardless if he's being graded or not. Have a great summer!

I would make a surprise visit. I would tell the teacher that I tried email but didn't hear from her so I decided to stop by. She should be happy you are concerned since there are parents who could care less. You are his biggest supporter so do whatever you need to do to get what he needs. If she doesn't like it too bad. Good luck!

You probably e-mailed her Wednesday later during the day, it is Friday morning near the end of the year, on a holiday weekend....a whole 36 hours. She is swamped!! It really seems unrealistic to pull the grade up other than doing well on today's test and having that calculate in.

I hope you don't pull him from baseball because of a C on a test. At the worst he gets a B in math and the rest are As in second grade?? It's second grade, not medical school. Just work with him over the summer so he doesn't forget what he has learned.

Grades are pretty much done as of this week and must be finalized by Tuesday in our district. May is also chock full of field trips, assemblies, and tons of other activities. Frankly, it is difficult to maintain the typical schedule so I would suggest calling her. We have seen huge improvements in math in our kids by having them work on online games. Take a look at my website over the summer and have him play a game daily, rocketlaunchers dot org on the launchpad, then click on math. Good luck!

She should have replied. She's probably pre-occupied with end-of-the year grades and paperwork and events and such. If it were me (when I was an elementary teacher), I likely read the email when it came in (lunchtime, middle of a lesson) and then thought to myself "Let me email her back later" and then I forgot. But honestly, 2 days is a long time. Show up at school or call the office and leave her a message. Say something like "Well it's too late to get a reply about the test this friday, but I'd really like your help before the year is up so that I can work with my son this summer so he'll be on track for next year."

Give it until this weekend. Our school doesn't even give letter grades in 2nd grade already... But I've gotten annoyed not hearing back from a teacher quickly and then I've learned that they do get back to me and when they do, it's been way more thoughtful and lengthy of a reply than I expected. Your teacher may do the same. And one teacher has sent her replies at midnight so I do think "wow, maybe she really is that swamped. I'm not emailing people at midnight." So wait until next week and if no word, then follow up. There's really not that much urgency at this point.

I remember having the same dilemma with my son. It was about the end of his first grade, and I wasn't sure if he needed an IEP meeting before school ended, or if summer school was recommended. I also asked for suggested reading over the summer as he had trouble with reading comprehension. She emailed me back the following week with just a two sentence answer. It sounds like his teacher checked out as well. It's unfortunate, but it happens. My sons teacher this year has been a dream. So, if you do need to know right away, I would write a written note for her to respond to, and put it in his backpack.

i always got straight A's except math.. in elementary school and middle school id get b's in math but once it came to highschool one marking period i got straight a's and a D in math !!! lets just say no oen was happy about that including me.. id say try the teacher again... do u pick him up from school can u ask her in person she may just not have checked her email i know i never do.. get him help now while hes still young.. if he is the way i was with math it just slowly gets worse
.. if u cant get any kind of responce from the teacher before the end of the school year id start searching on the internet about what kind of math he will be doing next year and get him practicing

You can always work with him over the summer by making up your own questions. You know where his weaknesses lie because you are involved with homework, etc., so I'm not really seeing why you even need teacher involvement.

He's in second grade - it really doesn't matter is he gets a "C" or a "B" on his report card. It's not like they are going to look at his 2nd grade math scores when considering him for college.

Also, the first couple weeks or month of the next school year is spent reviewing and refreshing the material from last year so if you work with him over the summer and he gets the refresher at the beginning of next year he should be fine.

It's only second grade, don't worry so much.

I think the teacher is busy. Just get some workbooks and have some fun doing math with your son over the summer.

Check out Cluefinders. Not free, but not expensive, either, at $10 a game on amazon. And super fun.

Also, it's amazing to me, how many kids don't know that

King Henry Died Monday Drinking Chocolate Milk

Kilo Hecto etc.

We had one old school second grade teacher that NEVER responded to my email. She claims to have not seen them. So I took it upon myself to bring my DD to school early and talk to her in person about my concerns the few times that year I felt the need to get help with an issue. After speaking with her in person, I was fairly satisfied. She wasn't an email person. Fair enough, but it is still her job to respond to parent concerns. Make time to show up in person in she doesn't respond. She could be swamped, but I don't believe in mentally checking out before the last day of school, though it is human nature for kids and adults. I've never experienced kids getting letter grades so young, but I would not worry too much over one C on a test in 2nd grade. Take the lower test scored papers and find some resources for him to practice those concepts this summer. Does your city have any math tutoring centers? You could sign up for a few sessions if you think it would benefit him.

Not everyone checks their email...

My suggestion is to look up some online resources and go over this with your son yourself...you're right about teachers "checking out"... in our school this week and next week are a total waste of time. I have my child enrolled in summer learning classes to make up for all this messing around. It makes me furious that our tax dollars are wasted.

Honestly, if you don't supervise your child's education...the schools will let them fail. Sad but true.

my daughters teacher does not answer emails prompty eaither.. drives me crazy.. some times she will respond almost immediately.. other times.. she wont respond or will respond a week later.

I would make a point to talk to the teacher before the end of the year.. see if she can tell you (or you can figure out from his work) what exactly the problem is.. what is he not understanding.

if it is weights .. and measures.. that is easy to do at home.. empty gallon of milk.. pouring in cups of water...

I wouldnt worry about the grade on the report card.. I woudl worry about material that he didn not understand.. becuase they may not go over it again in the next grade..

Yes...too late.
It's second grade. Relax!

I buy the grade-appropriate math work-books for my children at Mardel (you can order them online too). My 2nd-grander does great in math, but the workbooks help keep her challenged. She can work ahead of her class if she wants to. Perhaps this would work for your son, you can go over the worksheets with him and give him a different perspective of instruction than his teacher is giving him.

It sounds as if he has a lazy teacher, not to say she isn't teaching the children correctly, she just doesn't return calls/messages as she should & THAT can be frustrating & send up red flags to we parents.

I purchased summer workbooks with fun games, etc. in them each year for the kidz. We also bought games for the 'puter from Scholastic & another company that eludes me right now. (maybe I need a refresher myself! ;) )

Third grade math is a doozie so definately keep him on track over the summer with fun stuff, there are sites with good teachers that you can subscribe to as well as the games & workbooks if you see the need once you start working with him.

I would check out his 3rd grade teacher, ask now which teacher he is going to be placed with & talk with other parents about her teaching habits.

Good luck & happy summer to you both!

I am not sure how they do it there but my kids get out in a week and they in 3rd grade they are really not doing any work next week to speak of. I would not stress too much about it they will review at the beginning on next year and I am sure you can find stuff to help him over the summer. I have had some teachers never answer emails. Usually at the beginning of the year is when I ask what is the best way to communicate with you. Some didn't do email but would answer a note in the folder. Yes it is very frustrating. The end of the year is very busy and I know at this point even my middle school son is a little checked out everyone is ready for summer!