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    Joined: Apr 2013
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    Originally Posted by Tallulah
    TripleB, I can totally relate to the tears, and to wanting your kid to learn along with others, not alone.
    Agreed.

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    If you feel comfortable sharing the approximate range of your son's score it would help.
    It would help whom? While there are levels of gifted (LOG), and a school may offer different tiers of service, some may say it is possible to introduce these ideas to a parent without needing to know their child's test scores.

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    What is great for one child can be pathetic for another child, and a large part of the fit is found in the distance of their IQ score from the mean.
    Some may say that a child's interests, personality, learning style, specific areas of strength, and any areas of challenge may be important considerations in educational planning and advocacy. A test score is just a snapshot, a measurement at a point in time.

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    Originally Posted by Mana
    TripleB, our DD is turning out to be far more musically talented than both my SO and I put together. I freaked out and cried a few nights last summer because I was so sure DD would suffer because neither of us was competent enough as a musician to help her practice at home past intermediate level.

    I just wanted to say, I know exactly how you're feeling but your DS is doing as well as he is now because of all the support his parents have given him thus far. His IQ test result is not going to change that. smile

    Funny you should mention the musical aspect. For the past 2 months my son has said that he would love to learn to play the piano. So I started researching it and many people said that unless your child has a piano at home to practice (they said a keyboard isn't the same thing) then piano lessons aren't really a good idea. I don't want to crush his want to play music (I played saxophone for 7 years growing up)...but can't afford a piano. What instrument(s) is your child playing? Any advice you can give?

    Thank you for your last paragraph....makes my wife and I feel a lot better!!![i][/i][u][/u]

    I appreciate your input.

    TripleB

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    Quote
    I started researching it and many people said that unless your child has a piano at home to practice (they said a keyboard isn't the same thing) then piano lessons aren't really a good idea.
    Long ago, there were "manual" typewriters and "electric" typewriters, and each had a different reach and feel. Specifically, the rows of keys on a manual typewriter were more raised, and it took greater finger pressure to cause them to strike the ribbon. Yet, many children whose families had only a manual typewriter to practice on at home learned to type on an electric typewriter, through lessons at school.

    Similarly, many children whose families have only an electronic keyboard to practice on at home, enjoy piano lessons. Some may say at this age it is better to let him try the piano lessons, practice on a keyboard, and see how far he'd like to pursue this interest. What he learns from piano lessons will benefit him in other areas.

    ETA: Kids can change their interests quickly. Gifted kids have been known to change passionate, intense interests quickly.

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    My just turned 7 year old pg son entered kindergarten early. So he's already skipped one year. But that clearly was not enough. Kindergarten was okay just because everything was new, but come first grade he flipped out. We had some serious behavioral, depression issues, so something had to be done. We ended up doing EPGY math, which I would go to the school and help him with. Little did I know that he advanced through to algebra in about a year. I'm no math genius, so we had to hire a tutor to come over and work with him. This is a teacher at the school who my son absolutely loves. So it's working out really well. Also in first grade, we pulled him out of reading class all together. The 5th grade reading teacher would work with him and so would I. My son does not mind learning without being in a classroom setting, but I know that some kids would feel isolated in a situation like this.

    He is now in second grade and we ended up putting him in advanced 3rd grade reading classroom setting. They are working on the fourth grade curriculum, which seems to offer some challenge for him. The math is still going fantastic and he is absolutely completely challenged there. Is everything perfect? No ,absolutely not. But it is pretty close. I have kind of realized that the main thing is to look at the demeanor of the child and say to yourself "is he happy?" So we are leaving it as is. Another grade acceleration might be a good idea, but the fact is, he does not want it. I feel the day he decides he might want it himself, we might consider it. He is getting to know the kids he would be with since he does the language class with them, so if we did end up doing a full grade acceleration it wound't be too scary for him. I think it is important to look at the child, listen to the child. I used to think they have to be pushed to the level they are at, but I realize now that as long as they are happy in the situation and you know that they have certain areas they are challenged in, it really is all good. Yes, he complains sometimes that science and French is way too easy and too slow, but I think he still gets enough stimulation from reading class and math, art and music to feel he has a purpose to go to school . How is your son feeling about school?

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    Originally Posted by TripleB
    For the past 2 months my son has said that he would love to learn to play the piano. So I started researching it and many people said that unless your child has a piano at home to practice (they said a keyboard isn't the same thing) then piano lessons aren't really a good idea. I don't want to crush his want to play music (I played saxophone for 7 years growing up)...but can't afford a piano. What instrument(s) is your child playing? Any advice you can give?


    TripleB

    My DD4 started as a string student when she was 3 but piano is her passion these days. We do not own a piano either but we did get her a starter digital piano.

    A piano teacher published a series of blog entires on this subject:

    http://fundamentalkeys.com/discovering-digital/
    http://fundamentalkeys.com/digital-pros/
    http://fundamentalkeys.com/grand-piano/
    http://fundamentalkeys.com/further-thoughts/

    Of course, it's only one person's opinion and she was already an accomplished pianist when she discovered digital pianos. My DD on the other hand started on an inexpensive digital and I can see that it's starting to impede her progress and we might soon have to upgrade to a higher-end digital soon.

    Ideally, every piano student has a well-maintained grand piano at home with no neighbors in the vicinity but life doesn't work that way or at least it doesn't work that way for us. So we're doing the best we can with what we have.

    I wouldn't let a lack of an acoustic piano at home deter your DS from learning piano. However, you might want to calculate how much piano lessons and related expenses are going to add up if he were to continue until college. We went in thinking that it's keep her for a year or two and I didn't really consider about the long-term financial consequences. We're really feeling them now.

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    Originally Posted by Mana
    Originally Posted by TripleB
    For the past 2 months my son has said that he would love to learn to play the piano. So I started researching it and many people said that unless your child has a piano at home to practice (they said a keyboard isn't the same thing) then piano lessons aren't really a good idea. I don't want to crush his want to play music (I played saxophone for 7 years growing up)...but can't afford a piano. What instrument(s) is your child playing? Any advice you can give?


    TripleB

    My DD4 started as a string student when she was 3 but piano is her passion these days. We do not own a piano either but we did get her a starter digital piano.

    A piano teacher published a series of blog entires on this subject:

    http://fundamentalkeys.com/discovering-digital/
    http://fundamentalkeys.com/digital-pros/
    http://fundamentalkeys.com/grand-piano/
    http://fundamentalkeys.com/further-thoughts/

    Of course, it's only one person's opinion and she was already an accomplished pianist when she discovered digital pianos. My DD on the other hand started on an inexpensive digital and I can see that it's starting to impede her progress and we might soon have to upgrade to a higher-end digital soon.

    Ideally, every piano student has a well-maintained grand piano at home with no neighbors in the vicinity but life doesn't work that way or at least it doesn't work that way for us. So we're doing the best we can with what we have.

    I wouldn't let a lack of an acoustic piano at home deter your DS from learning piano. However, you might want to calculate how much piano lessons and related expenses are going to add up if he were to continue until college. We went in thinking that it's keep her for a year or two and I didn't really consider about the long-term financial consequences. We're really feeling them now.
    As a one-time serious pianist, I am biased toward good acoustic pianos for children, as the ideal, but I also think that a decent digital piano is not going to introduce irretrievable technical flaws into a young child in a short time (at least, not any more than a poor piano teacher will). Given the staying power of even a GT child for interests, I wouldn't make a big investment in a piano until you have some sense that this is the real deal.

    Also, you can buy a decent digital piano with weighted keys for less than a good acoustic. And it saves you a few hundred a year on tuning, which I think is a consideration for young children comparably important as touch. Especially in children with really good memories, and thus some potential for absolute or near-absolute pitch. (Though a really good digital piano/keyboard can run into multiple thousands--right up there with a passable upright--as I know all too well from SO's keyboard habit!)


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    Originally Posted by aeh
    ...but I also think that a decent digital piano is not going to introduce irretrievable technical flaws into a young child in a short time (at least, not any more than a poor piano teacher will).

    It is reassuring to know that as an experienced pianist, you think starting on a digital piano is not a deal-killer for young musicians.

    DD has an excellent teacher who have raised two aspiring concert pianists. She has mentioned a couple of times that eventually, she'd like to see DD practice on a grand piano and she wouldn't mind if we come to her studio as often as we can to practice but I wouldn't want to impose that often so we are exploring alternatives but not with a sense of urgency. DD is only 4, after all and there is so much she can do due to her hand size and strength so I am hoping that we don't have to upgrade until she is tall enough to reach the pedals.

    I'd be mad if she decides to quit after we get her a nicer digital piano that costs $3,000+ but we'd be saving over $2,000 a year in tuition so maybe I won't be all that upset.

    The biggest problem with owning a digital pianos aside from it not being an acoustic piano is that every few years, they'd release a newer, shiner version and you have to resist the temptation to upgrade over and over. I'm sure you've seen this effect in your household. grin

    OP, I'm sorry if if this was more than you ever wanted to read about piano lessons!

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    Originally Posted by indigo
    Originally Posted by Tallulah
    TripleB, I can totally relate to the tears, and to wanting your kid to learn along with others, not alone.
    Agreed.

    Quote
    If you feel comfortable sharing the approximate range of your son's score it would help.
    It would help whom? While there are levels of gifted (LOG), and a school may offer different tiers of service, some may say it is possible to introduce these ideas to a parent without needing to know their child's test scores.

    Quote
    What is great for one child can be pathetic for another child, and a large part of the fit is found in the distance of their IQ score from the mean.
    Some may say that a child's interests, personality, learning style, specific areas of strength, and any areas of challenge may be important considerations in educational planning and advocacy. A test score is just a snapshot, a measurement at a point in time.

    But if her child has an IQ of 132, there are many many options, and I'd be quite confident that most schools would be able to do very well at helping them. If they have an IQ of 150, then even mentioning a once weekly pullout to study video editing or other non-accelarative enrichment is a waste of typing, and misleading to the OP. Those people who say pullouts are great and their child is perfectly accommodated or that buying a house in the advanced Smithville school dstrict fulfilled their kids needs are not lying, because there's a range. IQ's not perfect or even complete, but it does give you a ballpark. I'd hate to cry doom and gloom at the OP if it turns out her kid's going to thrive with a few common interventions.

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    Originally Posted by Tallulah
    if her child has an IQ of 132, there are many many options, and I'd be quite confident that most schools would be able to do very well at helping them. If they have an IQ of 150, then even mentioning a once weekly pullout to study video editing or other non-accelarative enrichment is a waste of typing, and misleading to the OP. Those people who say pullouts are great and their child is perfectly accommodated or that buying a house in the advanced Smithville school dstrict fulfilled their kids needs are not lying, because there's a range. IQ's not perfect or even complete, but it does give you a ballpark. I'd hate to cry doom and gloom at the OP if it turns out her kid's going to thrive with a few common interventions.
    This illustrates my point that information can be shared to introduce these ideas to a parent without needing to know their child's test scores.

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    On the educational needs ~ Gather information on what sorts of options people have seen, and go for those that seem to be the best fit for your child. A grade acceleration might be right for one kid, and not right for another, even with the same levels of IQ and achievement (and IAS score).

    On the piano ~ What are your goals for learning? What are your son's? If they are to become a world famous concert pianist, then certainly, you need a great instrument. If they are to be capable on a piano, learn discipline, and learn a new skill, then find something he can practice on, and reevaluate the physical piano in a few years. You should also find a teacher who supports your goals. As a parent, I'm seeking an activity that challenges my child, gives them the skills they need to persist on something difficult, and to introduce musical skills. I've not spent much time with teachers who tell me that my DD needs a $3k flute or that my DS needs a better (half size!) violin. I've selected teachers that instead teach the skills, encourage efforts to be self-directed in their learning, and help my kids love the music on their own terms.

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