Parent-teacher conference

After an uncertain start, the school year is really settling in nicely.  Gabriel is comfortable with his current placements.  I think it also really helps that he comes home after school to a one-on-one babysitter, who happens to be Latina as well.  I realize now how much large-group daycare really upset him.  He is still building his sense of security here, so coming home is a good thing.  One sign of increased emotional security with him is that he talks a lot more.  He is getting pretty good at spontaneous, initiated conversation.

I met with the developmental Kindergarten teacher today.  She has been observing him and believes he will be diagnosed with a learning disability someday.  In the meantime, she is adapting her style to play to his strengths, which are visual and gross motor learning.  He is learning to write his name, and recognizes the letter G wherever he sees it.  The school district requires her to rate the Kindergarten kids in terms of literacy readiness.  Gabriel got a zero on the scale, but that doesn't upset her or us.  We know he is not there yet.

One thing she said that strikes at my heart is that he has a hard time sustaining interaction with other kids that it is more than just running around.  He has a hard time learning names, so if he can't use the other child's name, it hinders their interaction.  After all, that is the first thing you say on the playground, "what's your name?"  Often he will meet a child at the park and have a lot of fun, then will ask us about 20 times to tell him the child's name, over and over.  I believe he is trying to remember it, but he just can't.  Tough for us to watch.  He can learn names, but it takes a lot of repetition.  He usually refers to his babysitters as "big girl", but the name of the one who comes after school every day he has managed to learn.

I really think the difficulty with names is related to his trouble learning colors, to count, etc.  It's all naming concepts, if you think about it.