Gifted Issues Discussion homepage Forums Parenting and Advocacy what kids don't learn

This was linked in a thread last year. I have found the thread but the link has broken. Did anyone save a copy?

Ps. It was about the skills gifted kids don't learn when underchallenged such as how to fail and try again.

I've got a PDF, and with author's name in hand, was able to find a new link:
https://www.wku.edu/gifted/documents/resource_articles/what_a_child_doesnt_learn.pdf

Thank you so much. I have a meeting with the principal of another school tomorrow and I need to explain that being at a higher grade allows him to learn skills he is not going to if he is the most advanced in the class.

What a great resource! Thank you for asking and posting.

Great information! Thank you!

Thank You!!

Kudos to puffin and Platypus101! This is a great resource.

"What a Child Doesn't Learn", by Tracy Inman (bio here), posted on the Center for Gifted Studies at Western Kentucky University (WKU). The article opens with a quote by Susan Assouline (who many may be familiar with, from her work on A Nation Deceived).

As a new school year is beginning for many families, I'm going to summarize this article briefly, listing the ten skills mentioned as those which children develop through effort, but may not develop if under-challenged: The appropriate challenge level is often called the zone of proximal development (ZPD).

Adding a link to an old post which had an impropmtu list of drawbacks to children who are not presented with academic & intellectual challenges.

Kids need this appropriate level of challenge and they also need academic/intellectual peers.

These observations may signal that a change is needed and may be overdue.

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NOTE: The article, "What a Child Doesn't Learn", by Tracy Inman, is archived on the WayBack Machine - https://web.archive.org/web/*/http://www.wku.edu/gifted/documents/resource_articles/what_a_child_doesnt_learn.pdf

indigo,

Thank you for summarizing the article. These are exactly the skills that we worry that our DS7 would not develop due to under-challenged. So we are hoping the CTD weekend classes and once a week tutoring will bring some challenge, while we are still advocating with the school for more challenged curriculum.

It's the first day of school for DS7 in 2nd grade today. I just checked the 2nd grade math curriculum. Besides some of the items listed on measurement and data, DS7 pretty much already mastered the other areas. What is he going to learn in math at school if there is no acceleration

Many families supplement an ill-fitting education with afterschooling and enrichment, such as a weekend class.
Tips:
1- You might try to structure your child's experience so that he has an opportunity to work on developing some of the 10 skills listed in the article. For example, he might decide where to keep is book and homework (for example, on his desk or in a desk drawer), he might help manage his time by setting out his clothes the night before class, etc.
2- Keep a list of all of your child's extra-curricular activities, as this information may come in handy when applying to other opportunities, creating a first resume, etc. The degree to which the activities are chosen by the child, they demonstrate the child's interests.

While this not ideal, some children avoid utter mind-numbing boredom by studying the process of teaching/learning in the classroom, observing interactions, etc.

Hopefully your child will be provided with appropriate curriculum and pacing in his zone of proximal development... with academic/intellectual peers. What are your thoughts on single-subject acceleration (SSA) in math? For example, taking math class with 3rd grade students or 4th grade students?

Thank you for your tips on helping my DS to develop some of the skills needed. Those are great advice.

Last year in first grade, the school came up with an individual plan for math. He was given a math packet to do in class on his own and met with the math specialist once every week or every other week to check on his progress. It did not work out as well as intended. He wasn't really interested in doing the packet. I suspect that he did not like the idea that he was the only one doing the packet and he was not at the point where he would learn new math topics on his own without any instructions from the teacher.

According to the MAP test (for 2-5) he took in winter of last year, he was at about middle of third grade level. That was before we really started to expose him to more accelerated materials (Beast Academy). So when I talked to the principal, she actually suggested to do the in-class differentiation for the rest of the 1st grade and start him off with 3rd grade challenged math in 2nd grade. I agreed to that plan because I thought challenged math in 3rd grade math would be a good start when he's in 2nd grade. However, after she discussed this with the district, they would still like him to stay in 2nd grade math. They think the new math extension program they are setting up this school year for advanced 2nd grade math learners will challenge him. That's probably not going to happen until they have the MAP test and CogAt done in the fall. I am not sure how advanced the other kids will be in this extension class and I haven't heard what the format it will be (pullout? in-class differentiation?), since this is a new program for the school (gifted programs start at 3rd grade).

Right now, I have little faith in the school to provide the appropriate learning pace and challenge for my son. So we are doing all these after-school enrichment to keep him challenged. We are not considering grade skipping because of social skills and maturity reasons.