First Quarter of First Grade

It's been a long first quarter of first grade and so my posting has gotten sporadic. Doodle's grandfather was diagnosed with cancer and hospitalized recently - so life has been hectic around our house.

The good news for us is that Doodle is doing well in school. Her teacher reports that she is able to pay attention in class this year and has made some friends. She is a wiz at spelling - one of my big worries at the beginning of the year. She has gotten only one word wrong total on 8 tests - that's 79 out of 80 correct! She was also placed in the top level of her class for reading - she is an amazing reader and I'm so proud of her!

Math is proving to be more difficult for Doodle. While she is a great reader, it's really hard for her to read a math problem and translate that into an action of what she needs to do to solve the problem. Maybe I'm getting old, but I don't remember having to tackle story problems in the first grade. The great news for this week, however, is that Doodle aced her math test! She was able to complete her math homework without assistance and got all of the problems correct - then she aced her math test this week. Maybe something is starting to click.

I don't know if other parents with autistic children experience the incredible ability for their child to procrastinate? Doodle is a master procrastinator and it makes school mornings tough on me. This past weekend I devised a new system to help my mornings go smoother. I made tags with pictures of the activities she needs to do in the morning: Get Dressed, Brush Teeth, Eat Breakfast, Put on Shoes/Coat. Then I hung up 2 hooks - I Can Do It and I Did It. She moves each tag from the I Can Do It hook to the I Did It hook after she completes each task. This week she was up and dressed in record time. I didn't have to nag her about anything. I'm not sure how long it will last, but it sure made for a much easier morning this week.