Book Report & Test?!

[miss kiki]

DF and i had a parent teacher conference last night.
richie is doing great! so i'm super proud of him. he's really improved in the past year and is above average on his skills, while last year he was on the brink of being left back. :yes:
becca has done better in two subjects and she needs to apply herself a bit better in another two. :yes: i'm also proud of her, don't get me wrong. her personal growth and school habits though have gotten worse, and i think that has to do with her regression that she's been feeling for the past few months. :( she gets special help for reading and math, so her other two teachers were sitting in with her homeroom teacher for the conference. it was nice to finally sit and be involved in their schoolwork, since i never did before since i moved in. :)
her reading teacher said that she never did a book report that she had a month to do! i was FUMING upset! she had the two weeks off from school too, which i would have helped her with it-which was for xmas and new years. supposedly she said she didn't finish her book and she handed in a little paper with a picture on it, while all the other kids brought in poster boards with all this nice stuff on it. i was really shocked, because that's not the becca i know. her teacher gave her an 85 on the book report, which i think was too good of a grade. way too good!
her homeroom teacher also said she had a test today for social studies. becca didn't even bring her book home, so i sat there, looked at her test, and her teacher let me copy the vocabulary words down and bring becca's book home with me, so she can study a bit. she said becca can take the test on monday, but i said no. i don't mean to be strict, but becca has to take some responsebility.
i came home and i asked her what's going on. i knew she didn't finish that book and i asked her how come she didn't ask for help. i really don't know what to do for her. i'm at wits end i think. her teacher just said that hopefully she'll snap out of this regression stage and pick herself up. otherwise she's not doing SO bad in school, which is good news. :yes: she also had her notebook for her test in her bookbag, but she didn't even bother studying. she just thought about playing. how can she do something like that?! i felt so embarrassed not even knowing about the test and she usually tells me when she has a test, so i can help her study and i'll test her. :yes: i ask her every week, so i'm surprised she hasn't told me about it.
i guess i just needed to vent a little and let it out. it's so frustrating, because she knows i'm here to help and i want her to tell me these things and i want her to do good. :( i kind of feel like i'm doing something wrong or i'm missing something. i ask her every week, in the beginning of the week about the tests she has. she knows she can come to me for help. maybe i should start looking in her bookbag from now on. she also forgets to write some stuff down in her school planner, which i told her she needs to get used to doing, because the test wasn't even written in there either! i don't know what else to do. maybe all i can do is wait for her to get out of this regression stage and start caring a bit more.

[kezabelle]

I have known a number of kids going htrough similar schooling experiences for one reason or another, and although this doesn't solve Becca's actual problem, a communication book has worked in their cases. Basically, just an exercise book or something that the teacher can write messages to the parent regarding things of importance in class such as homework, etc. Becca and her parents can also write messages to the teacher. It helps Becca to become organised, ensures you know what is happening at school and allows the teacher to give information they know is being received. It's imprtoant that it's not used as a disciplinary measure or to convey anything to do with behaviour. Simply a "Book report due on this date regarding this" or something from you saying "Need more information regarding this test" or "assignment sheet needs to be replaced". A simple thing that allows Becca to become organised and responsible - teaching her to control this herself with your guidance.

[Mad Old Cow]

Kezz that sounds like a great idea i know Sammy was slack in year 4 & the first half of year 5 but she picked up half way through last year & told me she is going to try extra hard this year because its High school next year, i do tell her why she needs to apply herself & that she can be anything & anyone she wants to be but she must work at it & she has promised me that she will try really hard so my fingers are crossed for her because up untill 6 months ago she was just so lazy .
Becca will improve i am sure Kiki but you know we can't all be good at everything (shit at school work i was hopeless in everything) but please don't tell my Gkids lol

[miss kiki]

that is an idea, but i guess i don't want to have control over her school work in a way with that, because i want her to feel like it's her responsebility to do it on her own and to write it on her own. what happens when next school year comes and she's going to have to give this book to her teacher every day or whatever, instead of getting in the habit of writing stuff down for herself? that's my concern. i rather have her come to me for help when it comes to her school work, not the other way around, IYKWIM.
if this continues, then i have to admit that this might be a good idea for me to do. :yes: BUT for now, i think i'm just going to check her bookbag and make sure she brings everything home. if she brings home signed papers and i see a test that i didn't help her study for, or homework that she missed, whatever the case is, then i'll think about getting this little book for her for me and her teacher to write in. :yes: thanks ladies. :)

[dragonfly97]

i hope everything works out for you keep us posted hun

[Heather]

A communication book is a very good idea, but it has to have to complete endorsement of the three parties involved.
I know my TT is older than Becca, but I had the same problem for two years when he entered High School.
I solved it by getting a monthly planner and attaching it to the Pantry Door....both he and I would write down when assignments were due (at school and at TAFE), homework etc.
I would remind him that he had something due in a few days, but it was left up to him to actually do it.
It took a while, but the last couple of months of schoolwork were much better organised by him.

[miss kiki]

she has a planner that the school gave her. :yes: but i don't think she's used to writing down her homework yet, so that's why i've been trying to get her used to writing her homework and test dates down. :yes: i think it'll take awhile and i'll have to just make sure she's writing everything down, along with reminding her of test dates, etc. we'll see how it goes! the teacher also said that she'll remind the students on tests and all, so that'll be a help too. :)

[kezabelle]

I was going to say, get her a planner if you'd prefer. The whole point of it isn't for you and hte teacher to be in charge, but to guide her along so that she gets herself organised. Organisation is such an improtant skill, and also a very hard one ot learn. You've said she's having problems with making decisions, etc. It's obviusly all connected and she probably just needs that extra push/help to get her going. I like Heather's idea too - something visual that you ask her to fill in each night or whatever.

[miss kiki]

well, she does have that planner-and maybe you're right! she does need that exstra push and help to get herself organized, so that's what i'll do. and if it doesn't work, i'll get a planner or something for home too, so she'll have one for home and one for herself. :)

[Heather]

Just make sure it is in an open, central place....and it wouldn't hurt Richie to write down his schoolwork too....then there is no discrimination.

[miss kiki]

richie comes home with a sheet of paper everyday that has all the days of the week on it and all his homework assignments are written down on there. i then have to sign it when i'm done checking his homework, so he's fine. :)

[kezabelle]

Kiki - that's exactly the kind of thing that would work for Becca! Obviously they only do it in certain grades? Shame, because kids of all ages could do with that I've found! :)

[miss kiki]

they do something similar for becca-her teacher is the one that looks at her planner and initials it. :yes: i've seen her initials in becca's planner, but i don't think she's really looking and making sure that becca is writing everything down. now that i've mentioned it to her, hopefully she'll look at becca's closer. :yes: OH and it was so cute, because on friday becca's teacher walked her class outside and the first thing she did was look for us and scream out 103! so me and DF came closer to the door and the teacher said becca got a 103 on the test. :yes: i was so proud! i asked her how she felt with getting such a great grade on the test and she said she felt great! and i asked her, are you going to ask me for help now and we'll study together?! she said yeah, so we'll see what happens. hopefully she just snaps out of it and gets a bit more motivated. i LOVED getting great grades in school. :yes: that's what keeps me motivated is seeing all those A's. :hehe: i just got my last 2 report cards and i got all A's and it really makes you feel good. :yes: i hope she realizes that! :)

[kimba]

Thats fantastic Kiki:y: As for the good grades I have to agree- I loved getting good grades and when it comes to my girls I am tring to teach them the same:yes:

[miss kiki]

same here. i even put my report cards on the fridge, so hopefully the kids will see and will try hard in school too. :)

[kezabelle]

Now you see, I loved getting goods grades too - and my kids love it as well - but not enough to try that hard...