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HUH??? You don't think honors and AP classes and dual enrollment options are a program for advanced students???
I don't believe the school should be catering to my dd. I don't believe she should be required to do different work than anyone else in her class. I think she should be in the class that works for her.
If your daughter is as advanced as you say and is in the position to advance 2 full grades, no, AP classes are not enough for her nor are dual enrollment classes at a community college. Quite honestly, yes, a school SHOULD cater to your DD. It isn't any different then a school designing a special program for a child with an IEP and technically the "school" is not catering to anyone, the individual instructors and the guidance office are the ones that facilitate these programs (and the G/T director in the middle school). Around here the AP and dual enrollment are for the college bound kids, most of whom are above average but they certainly are not promotable by 2 grade levels, they are just bright kids that do well in school. If your child needs more than that, she will be bored moving to high school too.
If your daughter is as advanced as you say and is in the position to advance 2 full grades, no, AP classes are not enough for her nor are dual enrollment classes at a community college. Quite honestly, yes, a school SHOULD cater to your DD. It isn't any different then a school designing a special program for a child with an IEP and technically the "school" is not catering to anyone, the individual instructors and the guidance office are the ones that facilitate these programs (and the G/T director in the middle school). Around here the AP and dual enrollment are for the college bound kids, most of whom are above average but they certainly are not promotable by 2 grade levels, they are just bright kids that do well in school. If your child needs more than that, she will be bored moving to high school too.
I, totally, disagree. The world will not adapt to my dd, she must adapt to it. I don't want the school teaching her she deserves special treatment beyond her placement. After all, that is all the world will do for her. She'll have the corner office and the responsibility that comes with it. She will have to work with people from all walks of life and get along with them. She will have bosses who have unreasonable demands. She will, often, be bored with her assignment. While she can rise up in the corporate world, it will not cater to her...unless she has something so special to offer they can't get it anywhere else that is.
You act like something will be lost if she's not handled just right when the truth is something will be lost if she's handled with kid gloves as she will never learn to adapt to a world that won't adapt to her. My daughter isn't special ed. She doesn't have a learning disability. She doesn't need special treatment to learn. She's doing a fine job of that as things are.
They're not advancing her two grades right now. She's already been advanced one grade and they want to advance her another grade. She has chosen not to take them up on that. IMO, there are pros and cons either way so I'm ok with her going either way. She thinks she'll be happier if she stays with her friends.
And could you please provide proof of your statement that most college bound students, where you are, are graduating with 1-2 years of college credits completed? I'm calling that one bunk.
I would not do this. It is not difficult for many subjects to your daughter to get the appropriate level of challenge, while remaining socially with her peers.
S.
This assumes that "peers" and "age-mates" are synonymous, which for many children is not the case.
Again, the research on the importance of whole education is almost entirely one sided in my favor. It is important to note that this is not a comparison of daughter versus her peer but which schooling environment can help the daughter blossom in the best girl she can be.
Please read the research -- and there is a lot of it -- on acceleration of gifted students. Here, just for you ----> link.
Quote:
I offer a simple test. Get Margaret Lial's Beginning Algebra textbook. Have her take the final exam. If she can score 80%+ correct, she can handle competition with older peers (and it is on to her psychology and physical development). If scores 30-50%, then she needs more seasoning. If she scores <10%, then the parent should realize that part of her excellent performance has perhaps had more to do with the low quality of schooling (and a lateral move to a better school is warranted). If she is indeed in this latter grouping, then even a lateral move will require supplemental education if she is indeed able to compete.
I'd say that seems fair enough. Obviously, I'm not IT, but I think it's a fair enough test, and I understand your concern about grade inflation from a lesser-quality school. But supposed, SP, that she really *does* score well above 80%. Then what? I'm sure you understand that all too few elementary or middle school teachers are proficient at algebra, much less proficient enough to teach someone past the beginning algebra stage. There's only so much bullpuckey "enrichment" one can do in math -- and at least speaking for around here, "math enrichment" = Sudoku puzzles.
This assumes that "peers" and "age-mates" are synonymous, which for many children is not the case.
One of the reasons acceleration works well for gifted students even on the dreaded "social" level is precisely this: it's very difficult to make those true emotional connections with people whose I.Q. is very different from your own. We tend to choose people who are about the same I.Q. as we are, whatever that may be, for the obvious reasons: to folks who are too far outside our own personal "zone," we just don't have much to say.
Case in point, I know of a 3rd grade-age child who's like Ivory's in some ways. Though this child gets along well in playing with peers, s/he often is perplexed by their behavior and ends up wondering why they're acting like babies -- impulsive, distractable, unfocused, or disrespectful. It's tough to explain to him or her that those other kids are not acting like babies -- they're acting like 8- or 9-year olds.
I, totally, disagree. The world will not adapt to my dd, she must adapt to it. I don't want the school teaching her she deserves special treatment beyond her placement. After all, that is all the world will do for her. She'll have the corner office and the responsibility that comes with it. She will have to work with people from all walks of life and get along with them. She will have bosses who have unreasonable demands. She will, often, be bored with her assignment. While she can rise up in the corporate world, it will not cater to her...unless she has something so special to offer they can't get it anywhere else that is.
You act like something will be lost if she's not handled just right when the truth is something will be lost if she's handled with kid gloves as she will never learn to adapt to a world that won't adapt to her. My daughter isn't special ed. She doesn't have a learning disability. She doesn't need special treatment to learn. She's doing a fine job of that as things are.
They're not advancing her two grades right now. She's already been advanced one grade and they want to advance her another grade. She has chosen not to take them up on that. IMO, there are pros and cons either way so I'm ok with her going either way. She thinks she'll be happier if she stays with her friends.
And could you please provide proof of your statement that most college bound students, where you are, are graduating with 1-2 years of college credits completed? I'm calling that one bunk.
I posted a link to the program, feel free to do the research yourself.
Highly gifted students fall under the special education category, like it or not. SHE DOES have special educational needs, just at the opposite end of the spectrum. Your choice though to have her meet her potential or hold her back because you think she will get some false sense of superiority out of the deal but face it, if she really is that smart, she WILL get that corner office and what ever else she wants in life.
I agree that she will be happier with her friends, which is why our G/T program in our schools is so nice-it challenges the kids yet keeps them with their friends.
I, totally, disagree. The world will not adapt to my dd, she must adapt to it. I don't want the school teaching her she deserves special treatment beyond her placement. After all, that is all the world will do for her. She'll have the corner office and the responsibility that comes with it. She will have to work with people from all walks of life and get along with them. She will have bosses who have unreasonable demands. She will, often, be bored with her assignment. While she can rise up in the corporate world, it will not cater to her...unless she has something so special to offer they can't get it anywhere else that is.
You act like something will be lost if she's not handled just right when the truth is something will be lost if she's handled with kid gloves as she will never learn to adapt to a world that won't adapt to her. My daughter isn't special ed. She doesn't have a learning disability. She doesn't need special treatment to learn. She's doing a fine job of that as things are.
They're not advancing her two grades right now. She's already been advanced one grade and they want to advance her another grade. She has chosen not to take them up on that. IMO, there are pros and cons either way so I'm ok with her going either way. She thinks she'll be happier if she stays with her friends.
And could you please provide proof of your statement that most college bound students, where you are, are graduating with 1-2 years of college credits completed? I'm calling that one bunk.
I hope that you are not teaching your daughter that she must enter the corporate world and work under someone else, if that is not what she wants to do. Since she is so intelligent, and since academia comes easily to her, she has the potential to do anything she wants... from owning her own company, to pursuing her dreams in traveling, art, music, etc. Sitting in a stuffy corner office is not necessarily her destination; don't make her feel as though she has to sutff herself into a literal and figurative box. The world is at her fingertips... it does not have to cater to her; she can cater to herself and make what she wants to out of her life and world.
One of the reasons acceleration works well for gifted students even on the dreaded "social" level is precisely this: it's very difficult to make those true emotional connections with people whose I.Q. is very different from your own. We tend to choose people who are about the same I.Q. as we are, whatever that may be, for the obvious reasons: to folks who are too far outside our own personal "zone," we just don't have much to say.
Case in point, I know of a 3rd grade-age child who's like Ivory's in some ways. Though this child gets along well in playing with peers, s/he often is perplexed by their behavior and ends up wondering why they're acting like babies -- impulsive, distractable, unfocused, or disrespectful. It's tough to explain to him or her that those other kids are not acting like babies -- they're acting like 8- or 9-year olds.
I have to disagree here. I've had two "best" friends in my life. Both had IQ's above 150. That's about where they think dd is. Her best friends aren't even close to her. Where they match her is in empathy. The one thing I can say about the group she runs with is they care very deeply about others. She doesn't compete with her friends intellectually. She plays with them. They ride bikes, swim and go window shopping at the mall together. They do each others nails and make up (play as she's too young to wear it outside yet). They play Monopoly and Pictionary and Guitar hero. My dd is smart but she doesn't hang with the kids she competes with in school. She hangs out with the kids she has fun with.
I can't light an intellectual candle to either of my best friends but we get along just fine. We just don't solve differential equations together. We go bowling or shopping. We talk about issues with husbands and bosses.
As to dd thinking kids younger than her are babies, she doesn't. She never has. The kids she's gone to school with are quite respectful. That's what they've been taught at home. She doesn't care to play with them simply because they're not into the same things she is.
I hope that you are not teaching your daughter that she must enter the corporate world and work under someone else, if that is not what she wants to do. Since she is so intelligent, and since academia comes easily to her, she has the potential to do anything she wants... from owning her own company, to pursuing her dreams in traveling, art, music, etc. Sitting in a stuffy corner office is not necessarily her destination; don't make her feel as though she has to sutff herself into a literal and figurative box. The world is at her fingertips... it does not have to cater to her; she can cater to herself and make what she wants to out of her life and world.
She wants to be either an architect or a lawyer. For the time being anyway. Both involve offices. Hence the reference to the corner office. I have no doubt she'll rise to the occaision no matter which she chooses.
Honestly, as bright as she is, she needs to learn at the feet of the masters for a while. That will probably involve a cubicle for a while but she will have her time as one of the masters too.
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Both involve offices. Hence the reference to the corner office. I have no doubt she'll rise to the occaision no matter which she chooses.