Challenge words

Lastborn got a 100% on his spelling pretest today. So he gets the challenge word list. While I am proud of him, I really don't like the idea of spelling tests being graded in first grade to start with; considering that this is a new concept to them and that the teachers are already pushing the concept of inventive spelling on the kids. Some of the first graders have not mastered phonics enough to read at a rudimentary level, and letter transpositions are still common in first grade. So how are these kids expected to be able to have graded spelling tests already. It's not age appropriate.

So, I would be happy if my child got his perfect paper and then was not asked to take the test again on Friday. That would be enough for me.

But no, in our ever more competitive quest for the perfect genius children, it can't be enough. No. Instead, we must challenge the first graders. Lastborn was given 6 challenge words: Sentences, thunderstorm, freezing, contractions, directions, and cooperative. Tonight, he must look up the definitions of these words and write them down. Thursday, he must put them in alphabetical order and write a sentence for each one.

Now, Lastborn has not yet learned how to use a dictionary, and his skills at alphabetizing words are still a bit weak. The only dictionary we have at home is one that was issued to Firstborn in 3rd grade. While is is more basic than any of my dictionaries, the definitions are still a bit long for a first grader to have to write down. Just teaching him the layout of a written definition was hard enough. He sat down at the dining room table and cried as he asked me what he was supposed to do. Then, when I found the first definition for him, because there was no way he was going to navigate a 400 page book to find a definition, he nearly cried because he didn't even understand what the words defining the word sentences meant.

Let me point out here that the wording on this homework assignment was, "Your child's homework will be Monday night to find the definition of each word and write it down." Refraining from correcting her grammar, let me point out that this sentence implies to me that the work should be done by Lastborn, not me. It also implies that he should be writing down the definition he finds. The definitions in the 3rd grade dictionary are totally not appropriate for a first grader. For example: Sentence - A combination of words which express a though, beginning with a capital letter, ending with a period.

We will also ignore the inaccuracies of this flowery definition to express our horror that our first grade son, who's handwriting is not too bad for a first grader, but is in occupational therapy for handwriting/grip issues would have to write six of these definitions for homework.

Thankfully, halfway through, he figured out how to put the definitions into his own first grade words. Sigh. But will that be enough for Uber Teacher who seems to want to ever increase the challenge provided to her cunning tutees.

Methinks I smell a parent assignment here.