My son can home with paperwork from school to be checked for learning Disabilites he isn't even in first grade.The teacher says he can't read common words (like, what, to, you) Are they pushing kids to early in school or does the teacher see some thing i don't?

pushing too early.

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In Kindergarten he should be given sight words. Havent you got them? He has to memorize them and if he doesnt theyll think hes not retaining it or learning right. If you arent doing them with him then he wont learn them.

Trust me, the teacher sees something you don't or at least suspects something. Go through the process. He may not qualify for anything, and it could be early, but early interventions are where you see the most growth through help. Don't be offended or upset, have a conference. You can bring an advocate (friend, relative, husband) to be with you for any meetings. Write your questions down, and look at the process as a fact finding situation. Best wishes.

Yes... IMO they push kids too hard & too fast in PreK, K, 1st, etc. It's that "no child left behind" nightmare. Kids in public school MUST be at a certain reading level by a certain time or the school & faculty lose money... which means the kids lose things like art, PE, music, history, science, field trips...... the list goes on & on.

"No child left behind" is leaving A LOT of kids behind in everything EXCEPT reading.

Im a tutor through the NCLB and the only failing I have seen is with the schools and teachers themselves. They dont tell the parents about everything the NCLB offers, they are more into those end of grade tests. I dont think the schools are pushing kids too hard. The younger they are the faster they learn, this is scientifically proven. If you dont like the way public school teaches you can always opt to homeschool like I did.

Just so you know, where I teach they try to NOT assess kids in K, which I teach. I've seen many kids fall though the cracks and by 2nd grade they are really behind. NCLB is great in theory--unrealistic in practice. Early interventions are best!!

No, they aren't pushing, my son is 7 and these are sight words, meaning that he should know these words by the time he gets to first grade, my son has algebra problems and social studies children need all of these things to help them in today's society, read with him and make up cards for him to read, I agree, with the other mom his teacher probably, sent some sight words home on a list for him to study, don't worry he'll do fine and so will you, just remember that school is not what we remember it has changed ask any mom who has children ages 5-11 and see how much more advanced they are becoming in pre-k even! God Bless You!

I think she sees something you don't. My son is in preschool and they are working on some of those sight words.

It's not going to hurt to do the evaluations. If it comes back that there's nothing, GREAT!!! But you know you need to work on reading with him a little more...and stay in touch with the teacher more. If they do find an issue, then you can get him some help early enough that it can (and will) do some good!!

Early intervention is key...I have one kid with a severe speech delay, one with moderate fine motor skill and speech delays and one who two years ago was diagnosed with a SEVERE fine motor skill delay. He was three at the time and could NOT separate his fingers to form a "V" or even hold one finger up by itself. He's now 5 and is about to go through a re-evaluation for declassification! HUGE changes in the last two years!

Hey! My dd is almost 6 and in K. I think kids progress at different levels. Unfortunately, the teachers have criteria to go by. This is probably going to sound silly but my daughter loves to try to read the menu on the tv ( whats coming on etc...) its a game to her & it helps her , I pick out ones that I feel are on her level like ....."what not to wear" , we also do flash cards on a regular basis. Your child is probably fine but start reading with him every night ( I know that is easier said than done...lol) and then see what your gut tells you. You can also have a confrence w/ the teacher, it could be that at school there are more distractions around him than when he is at home reading with you which would explain why the teacher feels something is wrong & you don't.

I think they push kids way too hard. My son is in 1st grade and they are moving so fast he can't keep up. In kindergarten they never got sight words (at least none that came home) then all of a sudden in 1st grade he was expected to be able to read and then a few weeks after school started they were doing spelling tests. He is 7 and still can't read really. He only knows basic 3 and 4 letter words, nothing bigger.
Some kids benefit from the push to read early but others, like my son, just whither away from it. The more they push him the more upset he gets with himself and then refuses to try at all. He is in Title I classes twice a week and tutoring after school every other Monday plus we all work with him and he's to a point that he hates school, hates himself and thinks he is stupid because he can't keep up with the class.