Is getting proper extension a difficult thing here?
That may depend, in part, on what you mean, specifically, by "a proper extension". If you can articulate your expectation in the concrete, practical terms of
Who-What-When-Where-Why-How (
5Ws ), this may help. Thinking in terms of 5Ws may also help decode any gifted program
differentiation or
buzzwords. For example, a few possible questions for each dimension:
Who: who is involved? your child alone and/or in a cluster group of children with similar ability/readiness (from same grade or a mixed-age group from multiple grades)? with a teacher, a volunteer parent, or working independently?
What: what will be taught? advanced curriculum in one subject area? several subject areas? working one year ahead? several years ahead? or going into more depth/breadth with enrichment activities? what are the learning goals?
When: when will the extension take place? frequency? duration? once a week? for 20 minutes?
Where: where will the gifted program take place? in-class? or pull-out?
Why: why do children participate in this gifted program? have children demonstrated a need for extension by means of qualifying IQ/achievement which signals ability/readiness?
How: how is the material delivered? mode/media used? worksheets? computer-guided learning? specific books?
You may wish to check your district policies (often found online), and also read up on advocacy. The
Davidson Database has many resources listed. This link includes several:
http://www.davidsongifted.org/db/Articles_id_10291.aspx
