Observations at School

Chance continues to do really well in school. He is catching on to what he needs to, and is excelling. Starting in March, Chance will stay in the mainstream classroom after math without an aid. He already keeps up and in fact excels in math with out the need for an aid in the classroom. In March, he will stay in the mainstream classroom after math instead of going to a School for the Deaf teacher. He will still get some specialized languages class time after lunch, which he needs, but we'll see how he does on his own in the afternoon. Both teachers are confident that Chance will do just fine.

Maybe I should explain what the aid does. She is great, we love her. She is in the classroom because there are 2 deaf children in there, but she helps with all of the kids. She watches to make sure that Chance and his deaf friend are catching on and keeping up. If she needs to she will help them, but the goal is to have the kids be as independent as possible. Chance's class has around 26 students and there is not a regular aid in there that is there all the time except the aid from the School for the Deaf. She has told me that Chance is doing really well and does not require a lot of help.

I go in and help in the classroom at least once a week which allows me to see how Chance is doing and if he seems to be struggling. Many times I am reading with the kids or helping with assessment tests. Chance is holding his own and beyond with the other kids. I have stood out in the hall when Chance does not know that I am there to watch and see how he is doing too.

I have also watched Chance in P.E. a few times. I was curious to see how well he was hearing in that big gym with sound bouncing all over the place. I was actually surprised at all that he was able to catch. If he doesn't hear what has been said, he can watch the other kid s which I am sure that he has done once or twice before to catch on:)

The only thing Chance has said that he does not like at school is the lunchroom. He says that "It is too loud." I have eaten with Chance in the lunchroom before and loud is an understatement.

The one thing that Chance does wonder about though, is why some kids only have to go to school for half a day. Chance never had half a day school except in preschool. In kindergarten, he went all day so that he could have extra language help. He has figured out though that other kids only go for half a day and he wants to know why they only have to go for half a day. Then he tells me that he wants to go for half a day.