Gifted Issues Discussion homepage Forums Twice Exceptional Davidson portfolio for 2E 9 yr old

Yesterday, Katie Anderson, the applications coordinator with Davidson called to make sure I had received her email. She sounds really nice. As she said in her email, they need other samples of work he is doing at home (since he is homeschooled) in order to determine where he is functioning academically and as I had already mentioned, a writing sample, that I am not even going to try to get until after summer break. She said it was fine to wait a couple of months before sending anything else in.

I was thinking of including videotapes of him reading. Now I am wondering if it is really all that unusual for a nine-year-old gifted boy to be able to read college level textbooks and answer questions over what he had just read. Last night, for example, he read several paragraphs regarding child custody and child support from his sister's college level Introduction to Law and the Legal System textbook to us. His dad, who works in an office that deals with legal issues sometimes talks about his job and my son also likes to watch court tv type shows (I only let him watch if I am right there and can change the channel quickly if a topic comes up that I am not comfortable with). So it is possible that he heard some of the terminology in the book before which might explain why he is able to read and understand this so well. Now I am wondering if this might be normal for even a moderately gifted child and without an IQ score I need to provide proof that he is at a higher level than that to be accepted into the Davidson Young Scholars program.

He is also able to do the same with his sister's Psychology textbook because he finds it interesting. I don't let him read everything in that because there are things I am not comfortable with. He has an aunt that majored in psychology and like her, he finds it very interesting.

At five, his favorite book to read for pleasure was a children's science encyclopedia so science books are easy reading for him.

Historical fiction and biographies are his favorite books to read now. But the strangest thing is that he doesn't sit around reading all the time. There is no reason for him to be able to read at the level he does. He read his first easy reader book at 2 1/2 but he couldn't read more than a paragraph or two without resting his eyes until he was 7 1/2 after he had completed vision therapy. I don't know if this makes any sense, but it looks to me like his reading level increased just by listening to me reading to him and the science and history shows that he used to watch that contained high level vocabulary. I know from having watched him audition with the much older kids (high school age) reading lines that he hadn't seen before that he could read better than they could. The older kids noticed it too and a 16 year old told me that if my son had to go back to school they would have to put him in high school which would never happen. They have seen him read the Psychology textbook and instead of making fun of him, they make positive comments about it and ask him questions. I know that these kids are also gifted, but they are gifted in math. Most of the kids in his musical theatre class are gifted but he is one of the youngest and he seems even more "different" than they do. A new girl in the group who is three years older commented that he was speaking in a "geeky language that she didn't understand" when she heard him talking to a group of older friends about video games. He feels comfortable using higher level language around his friends and he was not talking to her. But people often notice and they make comments. I wish teenagers could fill out the recommendation forms. There are a few kids that have aged out of the musical theater group and are now in college. Maybe I could get them to fill out the recommendation forms. Would this even help? We only asked one person to send in a recommendation and she had not been around him as much as these kids. The kids really get to know each other while doing 4 hour rehearsals.

We are practicing for the Pee Wee spelling bee which is supposed to be for kids up to 4th grade level. One of his friends told me I would be lying to call him a 4th grader, but by age he should be going into 4th grade. I have noticed some of the SAT words that my son likes to study on the Pee Wee list. He wasn't that interested in spelling and we only used a real spelling curriculum for one year and that was when he was six. All of a sudden he can spell at a high level--I think probably at least 8th grade level. He is able to spell words for me while he plays video games because he has this multitasking ability. Should I get a video of this, or is this normal for a lower level gifted child.

Since my son is 2E and hated worksheets and writing, I let him do most of his work orally or online so I don't have much to document his high ability, so I could use more suggestions.

Hi Lori,
What a delight to hear about all the things your son enjoys! Thanks for sharing with us.

I love your idea of having teenagers write his recoomendations. I think that will be just fine, afterall, there is research that show that kids are much better at spotting giftedness than classroom teachers.

I think videos of your son reading college level textbooks and spelling words while playing video games would be just what Davidson is looking for. Remember that kids who are "mildly PG" have IQs that let them do work similar to what average kids about 3 years older than they are can do. It sounds like your son is well past that mark in many ways.

So start making videos, and hand out those reccomendations! Get your application in. Don't let perfectionism carry you away, just do the best you can, ok? They will ask for more if they need it. If you are stuck, call Katie Anderson back and ask for guidance, ok?

Best Wishes,
Trinity

Thank you. I think this might even be a fun thing to do if my son doesn't get nervous because we are videotaping him. First I have to figure out how to use this video camera. My husband has always been the one to do it. I tried once when we first got it and I accidentally videotaped over something I really wanted to keep and I haven't tried it since.

I hope you get into it Lori. If you can figure a way to get the camera hooked up to your computer, then you can explore using http://www.jumpcut.com/ to edit your material. That way you won't have to worry about erasing stuff anymore. I haven't found the time yet to try it, but will, one of these days. Your kids might find it interesting also. Forgiving yourself for your video accident is a great way to show your family that even smart people make mistakes, and that it's good to go slow and be careful, and that it's also good to try again, and not let mistakes stop us, even when it's scary.

Enjoy!
Trinity

Okay. So far I videotaped him reading from Popular Science, National Geographic, and Wikipedia--things he is comfortable with and has been reading for a long time. He is a little nervous about being videotaped. I also got him to read some things off of the Runescape website and also talk about it in his own words so they could see how he normally talks. So far the things I have videotaped him reading only come up about 11th grade Flesch-Kincade level when typed into Microsoft Word. He wanted a break so I will have to get him to read from the college textbooks later. He would not read through stuff before doing it on camera because he said that would be cheating.

I will have to have him do the spelling while playing video games tomorrow. He keeps reminding me that this is supposed to be his summer vacation.

I don't know if I should get video of him practicing piano. He is not particularly advanced in that--only Level 3 but he only practices a few minutes the day before his lesson and he still makes progress. He likes musical theater and likes to sing but he isn't particularly interested in piano and says he would much rather take guitar lessons.

I wish I could think of a way to document how he is able to go into "adult mode" when necessary because I think this is an example of higher mental age and leadership ability. Several months ago he had to help me take care of my mother who has Alzheimer's when my dad, who takes care of her at home, unexpectedly had to go into the hospital for a couple of days. My parents are both in their 70's and live next door to us. I was upset and my son helped me to calm down and figure out the medication my mother needed to take and patiently answered her questions over and over. He has an extraordinary ability to make jokes and help people get through difficult situations. My son put aside video games and books and did what adults in my family would not do because it is very, very hard. My son read somewhere about the stress that caregivers are under and how it can affect their health so he regularly visits his grandfather because he knows that his grandfather really enjoys his company. My dad is addicted to Fox news so they watch and discuss the latest news together.

I think you are well on your way. If he is complaining that it is summer, you have a few options -
1) ask him what he thinks would show "his self" best
2) wait a week before taping the college texts
or
3) tape him discussing the news with Grandfather, and leave it at that.

You are very close to having "enough" and they will ask for more if they need it.

BTW - good for him for not wanting to 'cheat' and good for you for respecting his perspective. I think it is probably more convinsing if it is obvious that he didn't rehearse.

Best Wishes,
Trinity

Lori-

I don't mean to rain on your parade, but I'd hesitate before submitting taped reading sessions. It might be a good way to demonstrate precocity in a very young child, at age two or three, but not so much at age nine. Even if the material is advanced, it doesn't strike me as being as "far out" as you need for DYS. A tape of your son discussing his reading would, in my humble opinion, be MUCH more effective. If you could have him toss around ideas with an adult mentor who specializes in his particular interests, that might be eye-opening indeed.

I see this is old, so perhaps it's not helpful, but I wish you luck anyway.

Hi Lorel

I think I remember you from another message board a couple of years ago, but I don't remember which one.

I wish I had videotaped him reading at earlier ages, but I didn't. I didn't know that I needed to do this. All I have is witnesses. I also kept a lot of written records. I might have a video of him reading The Night Before Christmas at age 5 but that is all. He didn't go to preschool because he was already reading and doing math but I was also afraid he wouldn't fit in because of his physical differences--the hypotonia, the fear of going up stairs, going down slides, etc. He just didn't seem to fit in with other kids so he stayed home with me. I only took him to Sunday School a few times when he was 2 1/2. I noticed that he was a lot more verbal than the other kids his age and was spelling some words. I think the Sunday School teacher might have heard him spelling words and I thought about asking her if she remembers anything like this but she is very strict and I think my son kind of got on her nerves. I am sure he refused to do her coloring sheets because he hated coloring. I am afraid that might be all she remembers about him. I thought about asking her to fill out one of the DYS recommendation forms if she remembers anything helpful, but I haven't yet. I would only do it as a last resort.

I am taking my time on the portfolio. I refuse to worry about it. I am not even sure what Davidson would do for us if he was accepted. There was no Davidson Young Scholars program when two of my uncles managed to become engineers in spite of growing up without a lot of money after their father died. They went to public schools and worked their way through college. One of my husband's sister's is a geologist and was a geology professor for a number of years. His brother is extremely successful in a business that requires college degrees, yet he does not have one. They grew up under very difficult circumstances when their mother died. My husband had to start working nights at age 13 just so they would would have enough to eat and then the kids were split up to live with different relatives, yet they not only survived, they thrived when life was challenging.

Maybe I don't need any help except for occasional advice on message boards like this.

Maybe my son is only highly gifted. I don't know. Maybe I will never know, but I know he has the necessary intelligence to succeed at anything he might want to do in the future, just maybe not the physical ability or endurance necessary to do some things.

We will continue to do the best we can with what we have, whatever happens.