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My 3rd grader is in a gifted school 1 day a week & neighborhood school the other days. Even though the neighborhood school is ranked "exemplorary" the gifted school is where he loves to learn the most. I think he enjoys being around other super brainy kids!
I say gifted program hands down. I do not agree with those who think that one has to be creative to be in them. If you child is extremely smart, she will be left behind in a normal classroom. She won't get attention from teachers at all. She will be bored out of her mind. It will very possibly make her hate school. I'm talking from first hand experience here. Please do not let her be left behind in the normal classroom.
I agree here... I was mostly in gifted program but took some normal classes too, the normal classes were pointless and got my only c in a "honors" english class. The gifted class I was tops in some things, others were tops in others...this will probably be how it goes for your child too.
We took a bunch of different subjects they were not learning in normal school public or private. I don't think you have to be creative or artsy to do well in gifted... I wouldn't consider myself either, just smarter than your average bear. Gifted program all the way. As in another post I had already maxed out the regular school system by my junior year...there weren't any other classes for me to take. In my elementary school, about 80 people in my class I was definitely the top student and scored the highest math score in the entire county in 5th grade going into middle school...and at college reading level already by whatever those scores are scoring 99 percentile in the u.s.
The format here was ...
dual enrolled public then were at the gifted school 2-3 days out of the week with all the gifted students in the region and did both the regular work and the gifted work.
By the time I hit middle school I was taking the classes I could early with 8th graders being in 6th grade and taking classes with seniors my freshman h.s. year.
Even getting back into grouped with everybody in the "have to take" fresh/soph college big general courses I had issues with and did better in the 300/400 level courses.
My best friend in high school had a rediculous IQ. She was double promoted twice. She graduated at 16 and promptely flunked out of college. Seems she'd never learned to study. She never had to in high school. She also didn't know how to teach herself. She'd never had to learn things. She already knew them before the rest of the class was taught.
good point I had a similar experience not being pushed which gave me a "wake up call" when I failed calc II the first time taking it and not doing so great my freshman year in college, then I got my butt into gear. I think it is definitely better to push the limit and not reach the top than to not see how high you can go. I felt the same way in middle school in h.s., I never studied except a little bit for AP Sciences and Calc. I did the same thing first 2 years of college, I didn't even go to class for a few of them...ever, it was pointless to do so and they didn't take attendance, as you said, I already knew all the stuff, so just showed up on test days and took them (did this with Bio, geology, macro econ, sociology, history) , but when going into Calc II and a few others (Fin accounting)... "wake up call" ... you mean I actually have to study this and go to class to pass?...
The rest of your post irks me... as I felt then, and looking back now, I really had nowhere to go once I hit high school, hated the few normal classes I was required to take (kind of like a culture shock)... and I couldn't take stuff at comm college either hitting 11th/12th grade. I took one class my senior year out of 8 possible which was AP Chem... I had already taken every other class offered in AP my 10th and 11th grade years. It was fun at the time...but looking back my senior year of h.s. was a waste. I finished h.s. in 99, 10 years later, I guess nothing has changed and sorry to hear that even though I don't have kids.
I'm not sure what the OLSAT is, but I will tell you that I never scored lower than 97 percentile on standardized tests. I usually got 99. However, you had to be creative to escape normal classes. It's even worse now than it was then. Now they slow the pace of the class down to the pace of the slowest learner in the classroom. She would get so much more out of a gifted program.
I would be very careful about labeling a 5 year old gifted. My experience with my own 3 kids indicates that there are quite a few 5 year olds who are very heavily coached by their parents. These kids learn to read early because they were taught early. That doesn't mean they are gifted.
My own 3 kids did not learn to read until they were in K simply because nobody taught them (we are not big proponents of pushing them). However, once taught they quickly surpassed those kids who were not gifted but had parents who thought it was important for them to get a jump on kindergarden (or who were just interested).
Our school does not have a formal gifted program until 2nd grade and the phenomena I describe above is given as the reason why there is no formal program. There were a few early readers in my middle son's K class who were placed in gifted (via parental overide-they did NOT test in) and those kids were not able to keep up once the kids were in 3rd grade.
My kids went through a gifted class in a regular school (charter school). It has been a really good experience for all of them. They thrive in a class where the pace matches their ability. There is much more self guided learning in a gifted class than a regular class. I like that they are in a regular school though. They have contact with kids of different ability in their specials (they mix with other classes) and other school activities. It has worked out well for them.
My older kids are currently in private school. Our school does not have gifted classes, it has honors classes (7-12). It has worked out well for my kids. My oldest is in honors in everything except Spanish. My middle in honors everything except English (he is taking the same Spanish as his older brother). The flexibility to be accelerated in subjects where they are strong, and not accelerated in other subjects is one of the prime benefits of private school (along with small classes).
My wife thought her how to read using both methods. She learned the alphabet first; them she was taught sounds, letter combinations and, finally, recognition. Math she understood at 3, reading a bit later. With math she started with fingers, now she does it in her head.
My only concern is that prior to Otis-Lennon test we have purchased some training material and studied it with her. Maybe it is just training material ?
I agree that testing before second grade can be mis-leading. Right here^ the OP says that they "purchased some training material and studied it with her."
I believe that truly gifted children learn differently and faster but I think there are many kids that are classified as gifted that just have enriched learning at home and probably have to work hard to keep up. Nothing wrong with working hard, but you don't want to pressure your child so much that school is no longer enjoyable.
I agree that testing before second grade can be mis-leading. Right here^ the OP says that they "purchased some training material and studied it with her."
I believe that truly gifted children learn differently and faster but I think there are many kids that are classified as gifted that just have enriched learning at home and probably have to work hard to keep up. Nothing wrong with working hard, but you don't want to pressure your child so much that school is no longer enjoyable.
I wonder how the kids who are pushed at home fare in the long run?
I don't think pushing at home results in kids working hard in school. Kids who are worked with at home are likely ahead in school and don't have to work. I think the risk is they won't learn how to work because they are coming in ahead of the other kids.
I agree on the gifted being different. You don't have to push them at home. If you have to teach a child at home, I'd venture to say he's probably not gifted.
I just finished working on research in the area of giftedness and I want to encourage all of the parents who believe their children to be gifted to become involved with advocacy resources. Gifted education does not receive the same support as other exceptional learners.
Additionally, I have to wholeheartedly agree that testing isn't a great measure of giftedness. I don't want to comment on the abilities of the op's child... there's not enough information to determine that within these posts... but high achievement and true giftedness are entirely different animals.
Sadly, I believe that it's the high achievers that have skewed education and led to grade inflation, etc as being valued over enriched learning. It is not just a myth that some very brilliant individuals end up doing poorly in school and in life. Schools (even a lot of gifted programs) are set up for achievement... so the high achievers will thrive over everyone else.
I recommend heading to google and especially begin learning about the "social and emotional needs of gifted learners." For fun, take a google gander at the number of psychotherapists who specialize in the field of gifted adults. TONS! Wanna guess why??? My guess is because so few gifted children are adequately supported and end up with maladpative and dysfunctional behaviors as adults.
Good luck to the OP... these decisions are difficult... just remember that nothing is permanent and you can adjust your decisions as your child's needs become more apparent.
My wife thought her how to read using both methods. She learned the alphabet first; them she was taught sounds, letter combinations and, finally, recognition. Math she understood at 3, reading a bit later. With math she started with fingers, now she does it in her head.
My only concern is that prior to Otis-Lennon test we have purchased some training material and studied it with her. Maybe it is just training material ?
Who led the learning, your wife or your daughter? If the former probably you do not have a gifted child. Also how often do you have to explain something to your daughter before she gets it? Gifted kids just get things the first time and often they deduce thing themselves.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Momma_bear
I would be very careful about labeling a 5 year old gifted. My experience with my own 3 kids indicates that there are quite a few 5 year olds who are very heavily coached by their parents. These kids learn to read early because they were taught early. That doesn't mean they are gifted.
I agree.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Ivorytickler
I wonder how the kids who are pushed at home fare in the long run?
I don't think pushing at home results in kids working hard in school. Kids who are worked with at home are likely ahead in school and don't have to work. I think the risk is they won't learn how to work because they are coming in ahead of the other kids.
When my 2yo showed interest in the letters, my pediatrician told me to make sure I didn't push her. She said all kids even out around 1st-2nd grade.
What can happen with pushing is that it can easily backfire. My dd learned the entire alphabet between 24 and 27 months. I then tried to show her that letters make words. When she didn't seem interested, I let it go. My MIL came to visit when she was 32 mo and pushed her. After my MIL left my dd didn't want to know anything about letters to the point she completely forgot them. It is now at age 4 and in pre-school that she is again interested. Not as much as before. She prefers numbers.
Pushing can turn kids against learning very easily.
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