Daughter Not Finishing Work at School

I'm not sure what you mean by "She tested in for kindergarten" but it sounds like she may have begun too early, before she was really mature enough for first grade; however, you can't undo that now. She seems to lack the maturity to stick with what was a good rewards system for her.

It's late in the school year but don't let this slide. I would have a talk with her teacher(s), in person and not via e-mail, saying you are concerned about this dislike of school, focus on wanting to play, giving up on a reward system that worked, etc., and you would like advice about whether she's mature enough to go on to second grade. Has the teacher or the school said anything about holding her back? Do her overall grades justify that or not? How is she doing overall compared to peers in her grade and class in terms of finishing work -- are they all at her level when it comes to how much they finish, so she's not really as bad a finishing as you think? You need to know these things. Don't let the teacher or school put you off or make it a quick in-the-hallway talk; schedule it, be sure they have a good amount of time to talk, with no interruptions, and ask that all her teachers be there, if she has more than one.

If they suggest repeating (and I'm not saying they will), now is the time. Better to repeat first grade than third or fifth, when the social issues are much tougher. If they say no, she's fine to move on, ask what specifically you can do over the summer to help her work on finishing tasks. You do need to work on this over the summer no matter where she is in the fall. As grades progress, more and more is expected of kids.

It can be a lot of things.
My daughter turned 7 in 2nd grade. She is born late. She was fine.

Your daughter not completing school work can be many things. Doesn't the Teacher have any insights?? After all, she is the teacher and is in class and a teacher usually knows, the kids.

Some possibilities:
1) boredom
2) vision (maybe needing glasses)
3) does not understand the work
4) is a slow worker. Meaning, not as quick paced as the other kids.
5) I'm sure she is not the ONLY one, who does not complete everything.
6) the expectations... maybe the kids are not given enough time to finish it?
7) Inadequate attention span etc.
- over-tired, lack of sleep etc.

8) In 2nd Grade, be aware that the expectations of the kids, per school work and comprehension and completion.... ramps up. And it ramps up even more, in 3rd Grade. I know, I saw it with my own eyes per my daughter who is now in 3rd Grade. And the Teachers will say this as well.
And the kids are expected to be more self-reliant and independent. Not as much hand-holding, as in Kinder and 1st grade.
So, look ahead.

I would, make a meeting with the Teacher. And talk to her/him about what is going on. Now. So that, over the summer, work habits can be worked on or trouble-shooted.
Ask the Teacher, for ideas.... on how to help your child.
And ask the Teacher, what seems to be, the issue... or preventing her from completing tasks in class.

You didn't start her too early . . . She's Bored! Switch her to a Montessori school, where they have self directed learning. Then she won't spend most of her day waiting for the other kids to pay attention, she can go back to learning, and it will be in a fun environment. Many public school districts have at least one free school. If not check out scholarships. I would do it soon, before you loose her on school period.

have her evaluated by sylavans learning center sounds to me like there is a start of her not understanding what is going on.

The school did your daughter a huge disservice by allowing her to start early. It is not working and now your child dislikes school and is not doing well at all. I would keep her in 1st at the new school.

Soooooooo many possibilities as to why your daughter struggles. Here are some thoughts...

1. Is she tired? Children need a lot of sleep, 8-10 hours a day. Are activities getting in the way of a stable, and early, bedtime?

2. Is she getting proper nutrition during the day? Would the teacher allow your daughter a chance to eat some protein mid-morning, like string cheese or a few almonds or even a glass of milk?

3. Is the teacher's room conducive to getting work done? When my son was in the 2nd grade he needed a very quiet, structured environment. His teacher's big rule was "ask three (students for help), then me." My son NEVER got his work done because he was too busy "asking three" for help. When the teacher sent him next door to a room that was quieter, he got all his work done.

4. Does your daughter understand the assignments and is she getting appropriate, timely help if she doesn't?

If you have the time, I would strongly encourage you to observe your daughter in class at various points in the day. My youngest had a horrible time with the 2nd grade and I spent countless hours observing him trying to figure out what was going on (this was done on my prep period...I taught in the high school down the street). I discovered that there was nothing wrong with my kid and there was nothing wrong with the teacher or class. It was just a mismatch. Her teaching style didn't fit my son's learning needs. What I should've done was switch him to a different class. Instead, we stuck out the year and the teacher sent all work not finished home for me to supervise. It was sad to discover that he could finish 7.5 hours worth of work in 1 hour, quietly in our reading room.

Good luck.

I would recommend educating yourself about what motivates children. Read the book "Drive" by Daniel Pink. And give a copy to her teacher. This reward system, though commonly used, will work in the short term and always fail in the long run. Kids need to be motivated to learn for the sake of learning, not to "win" prizes. It sounds like you have a teacher that doesn't understand first graders. I hope you have better luck with her 2nd grade teacher. Don't blame your six year-old for lack of teaching ability.

I always blame it on the paid professionals. The ones who studied "education" whatever the "bleep" that is-they can't quite figure it out as it pertains to everyone's child-big pouty face here. Yea-study something else-maybe you'll have something to bring to the table!!!! Help a child-God forbid!

Could be she started too early. Could also be you need to let her fail, suffer any consequences and figure out for herself how to get her work done. If she wants to do well, she will learn how. And let her play as much as possible!