School for gifted in Orlando? (Winter Springs, Oviedo: home, school districts, gated)

[prhottie1]

I'm contemplating moving to Orlando next summer, probably to the North side (Oviedo, Winter Springs, etc...) based on what I've read in the postings...

I have a gifted 6 year old boy that will be starting 1st grade next Aug '09 (he has a Nov b-day, so he's currently in Kindergarten) and I'm looking for a school that can accomodate his needs.

He's currently in a charter school in CO, which I pick based on curriculum, but it's not working for him, he needs more challenge, he's reading at about 4th grade level and his math and cognitive skills are amazing... so I'm looking for a school that can truly challenge him.

His behavior can be disruptive when he's bored, so I'm looking for a school where learning is more exciting that the "traditional" school..

Also, what are FL views on advancing children to higher grades?

[DailyJournalist]

Page School

Page Private School

[bdpop]

My son is also gifted. We live in Seminole County and their gifted program only consists of taking the child out of the class for one day of gifted instruction per week. They do not have a "gifted class" per se. Although I think his gifted teacher, as well as his mainstream teacher are amazing, I don't believe my son is being challenged quite enough. This can and does cause him to become bored and disruptive in class. With school funding being cut, I am afraid as to what is going to happen to the little they already offer now for special needs children.

[bdpop]

Oh, I forgot to mention my son is in the second grade.

[Mugatu]

Do Orange County public schools have a "gifted" program anymore? I remember when I was a kid in Orlando in the late 70's-early 80's, I got bussed off-site to the "gifted" program. I got exposed to computers in that program before most people had ever used one before, good old TRS-80s and Apple IIs! lol

But I always hated the term "gifted" and also experienced a great deal of resentment from my "real" teachers, like they were offended that their teaching wasn't good enough for the "gifted" kids.

[tilli]

I grew up in Florida and went through the gifted program. As an adult looking back I can say that the gifted program did me no good whatsoever and in fact it created personality problems that took many years of introspection to identify and undo. I am also confident that my fellow gifted students were effected by the program in similar ways. I wish they had never tested me.

Gifted children should not be separated from the general population, made to think that the arbitrary distinction of an IQ score at least 2 standard deviations from the norm makes them superior, and then kept occupied with pointless brainteaser puzzles. It turns them into awkward, poorly adjusted brainiacs with terribly unrealistic expectations about the real world and their place in it.

Instead they should learn how to get along with average students. They should learn how to alleviate their own boredom and how to challenge themselves without disrupting the learning of others. Gifted students need to learn empathy for those who don't learn as easily. They need to learn to aid their teachers instead of challenging them, to lead their peers instead of looking down on them. Most importantly, they need to learn that even though they may be exceptionally smart academically that they also have weaknesses in other areas - usually relationship and/or motor skills. They need to learn how to relate to and respectfully interact with people of all levels of academic ability in order to grow up to be well-adjusted adults. Separating them from the general population is counterproductive, it only serves to highlight their differences and isolate them from their peers.

Advancing their grade levels is even worse, they will always be the youngest child in the class and will not be accepted into the peer group of older children.

[Mugatu]

I agree 100% with you, tilli. It did me no good either, except for my early computer experience. Honestly, I always was sad on days I got sent away to the gifted program, beacuse I would miss out on kickball at recess. I'd have rather just played with the other kids and never wanted "special" treatment. To this day, I'm still somewhat introverted, and I'm sure being "gifted" played a small part in that.

[prhottie1]

Thanks for all of your replies. I do think I need to educate some of you that call yourselves gifted. As a gifted child myself and now having a child who's gifted as well, it's certainly a challenge. Nor I or my child have ever been tested, even though I'm in the process of testing my child because unfortunately from what I have experienced nowadays unless you have your child tested many school districts do not take your child learning seriously.

Looks like some of you had some bad experiences growing up and that's exactly what I do not want for my child.

Gifted is not about feeling above others or being segregated, it's about learning how to integrate to society while achieving educational success. Children that learn at a faster rate at some subjects than other children, doesn't necessarily make them better than others. That kind of attitude would have a lot to do with how they are raised at home. What is true about gifted children is that not only they learn faster, but they learn different. Reality is that public school systems should accomodate these children, just as any other children.

Just like a child with special needs such as Autism, ADD, ADHD and may other special needs, gifted children do have special needs as well, not only for their academics, but for their social development. Putting them in a separate class or teach them like robots doesn't do anything for them. Teachers should be prepared to deal with all kinds of children and be able to teach them self control among other things. But the same way you could not expect a child with a physical disability to do extensive physical work, you could not expect a child that is bored at class, to sit quietly and listen to a teacher mumbling.

I had the greatest experience growing up and that's exactly what I want for my child. I got into kindergarten myself at age 4, turning 5 in Oct. That didn't make a difference between me and my peers, I was only about 2 months younger than the youngest, not a big deal. It always makes me laugh when I hear ridiculous comments about being too young. My child is the oldest in his class and also the tallest, wouldn't that be odd as well? I do agree advancement is not for everyone though. Also gifted children tend to get along with older peers, just a piece of information...

Throughout my school years I was as bored as I can imagine until they started the talented program. I would daydream in class all the time. Once I got in the talented program, I still had the chance to stay with my clasmates, however, I would get challenged work, which I enjoyed doing, not puzzles or anything like that, but useful things such as math problems, advanced reading, computers, science experiments and such and it was lots of fun. I never felt better than anyone else and my peers never looked at me any different either. My teachers were more concerned about student learning than about their own personal need of success.

So... going back to my subject of what I'm looking for for my child is a school that not only concentrates on the academics, but the social development as well.

[prhottie1]

bdpop...

I hear you...

See... that's what I'm trying to avoid. They get the kids bored to death and when one of them starts disrupting the class, they wonder what is wrong with the kid instead of thinking about what can they do to make the kid be more integrated and participant in class so that he/she doesn't get bored.

They have a school in my area (with a long waiting list) where the kids stay in their grades, but at certain times a day they are grouped by level of learning. For example if the kid is reading at 4th grade level, but writing at 1st grade level, the kid would go to 4th grade reading and 1st grade writing, and for the rest of the day the kid joins his/her home class, so nobody feels left behind or bored.

[prhottie1]

DailyJournalist

Thanks for the link... Will look into it.