Has anyone ever told you that your child just couldn't learn?

[Paz]

I was just thinking about this today. When my dd was in Kindergarten we met with the teacher for a parent teacher conference. She explained that my dd did not know her letter sounds, could not count to 50, and even complained that she colored her pictures too dark on her coloring pages. She later told us that same kids just can't learn and intimated that our dd was one of these kids. We prompted pulled dd out of school. She gave us the courage (or the necessity) to homeschool and it has been the best thing we could've done. And, btw, she really can learn. :lol: A lot, in fact!

[Hotdrink]

Child can't learn = teacher can't teach your child

That teacher was ignorant and appallingly rude. Either she didn't know how to facilitate your child's learning, or she wasn't willing to. It really makes me angry that schools often blame the child when insufficient learning is happening.

[ktmo]

I don't know if it is a true memory, but I remember being told by my third grade teacher that I would never learn to read. I don't know how it came about (I can't believe a teacher would say that to a student), but I at least remember being told that she said that (Mrs. Harris, I don't remember all of my teachers, but I remember her). Soon after that I was diagnosed as GT/LD. This was almost 30 years ago. And it still impacts my life today. I am struggling with sending my DD to school (we need to send her to school, so I'll afterschool her). I don't want her to encounter a teacher like that.

[Jumping In Puddles]

I was just thinking about this today. When my dd was in Kindergarten we met with the teacher for a parent teacher conference. She explained that my dd did not know her letter sounds, could not count to 50, and even complained that she colored her pictures too dark on her coloring pages. She later told us that same kids just can't learn and intimated that our dd was one of these kids. We prompted pulled dd out of school. She gave us the courage (or the necessity) to homeschool and it has been the best thing we could've done. And, btw, she really can learn. :lol: A lot, in fact!

:eek: That is the EXACT thing that my brother's teacher told my mom in 1975! My mom almost fell off her chair. She said "what do you mean he can't learn? He already knows that stuff!"

Unfortunately for my brother, my mom had no idea about homeschooling and my brother suffered his entire life and I believe is still suffering (depression, anxiety) from the education and treatment he received.

[Ottakee]

Well, my 14dd just had IQ tests done and her overall score was a 35. This puts her in the severely mentally impaired range and about a 4 year old level.

Her math scores were late 1st/early 2nd grade. Her reading decoding skills were early 4th grade, comprehension 2nd grade. This is RIGHT where I had been teaching her.

She IS impaired but not to the level that her IQ scores would suggest.

[Shay]

Ottakee,
You are going to have to update your signature! I see no 14 year old daughter there :001_smile:. Your dd's reading level is really amazing, and I know it comes through much dedication and hard work from both of you.
Shay

[Ottakee]

I just updated my signature:glare: These kids need to STOP growing up.

The I See Sam books are what really got her reading. We are still working through set 6 here at home. We also never gave up. She is a real worker and now LOVES to read.

[Laura Corin]

I was told by his school that Calvin would never learn to write adequately. He writes just fine now - a bit slowly, but quite legibly.

Laura

[fivetails]

Very few people have ever had the nerve to say it to my face, but it's evident from the behaviour/reactions of some that it's been thought.

{Even from fellow homeschoolers now & then.}

Our ds10 has a lot of challenges - being blind & autistic are two of the major ones. Yes, teaching him takes patience & creativity ~ but that's a world of difference from not being able to learn.

No child is unable to learn, whatever their challenges may be. :)

[Hotdrink]

Maybe some of these so-called educators who relegate children who are a bit different to the Too Hard Basket need to be reminded of the many famous people who experienced similar treatment, were told they would never amount to anything and yet went on to reveal amazing gifts and make remarkable achievements? Some teachers look at a child and see the potential, but others seem to be unable to cope with anything more or less than average.

[mchel210]

That sounds like what the school told me for my son. Then in 3rd grade, they told me they had to stop teaching him to read since he cant learn how. They gave me all the info for books on tape! I was furious! So...we switched his school to a private school for slightly LD kids...and he was reading on a 4th grade level in 3 months!

So yes...I agree with the pp... Child can't learn = teacher can't teach your child

Now my son is reading very well. No problems with reading even though the PS gave up on him.

[Catherine]

He pioneered the suzuki method of music pedagogy. In this book, he writes, "In my opinion the chid who cannot do arithmetic is not below average in intelligence; it is the educational system that is wrong."

This book was the beginning of my radicalization.