Hi All! I posted some time ago with questions about scores on a WJ test my daughter was given with placed her at 99.6 overall. She is 9 and going into 4th grade in public school with no gifted program. I am questioning her abilities lately. I am wondering if her "executive functioning" is advanced. Could advanced executive functioning make a child seem gifted? Her ability to focus on something she enjoys is crazy. She learned to recognize words at 18 months and was reading chapter books in kindergarten...she learned to crawl at 4 months and was potty trained at 23 months. She never needed much sleep and was able to do word problems using multiplication in kindergarten...She is fair, kind and has a crazy ability to understand others. She tells me that our neighbor, who is unkind, is only that way because her parents aren't around. She has been cooking for herself for years, (I was sick while pregnant with second child and she learned to fix herself food and log into the computer and play games on Noggin - at 2) excels at Ballet and taught herself a fair amount of gymnastics. She read Harry Potter in second grade (I made her wait 'til 3rd to read the last 2 books) and writes a lot. She draws the best in her class and picked up reading music easily from school music class. Other girls adore her, but she has no best friends. This year she received all 4 (above grade level) in reading and many 4's in Math and the rest 3's...also 4's in art and music. She frequently fails to read the instructions and gets answers wrong. She clearly comprehends what she is reading (even to her teacher oraly) but fails to present what she understands in written form, so her reading level is only 5th grade...quite under what she reads at home. I guess I'm wondering if this is just a very well rounded child with an advanced executive functioning...much unlike many of the children I read on here with very strong abilities in one area.
I am attaching a piece of writing she has been working on. She rarely finishes what she starts as she has grand ideas of what she would like to do and runs out of stamina only a short way through. BUT she started writing the 8th book to Harry Potter. I understand that this is NOT great writing BUT I can't seem to find any other children who write novels in their spare time. I am attaching it, hoping that you will be truthful with me as to the giftedness of my daughter. Obviously, her writing sample is only a small part of who she is, but it is easily pastable, so I'll paste it. Pardon her mis-use of capitalization and paragraphs.
Some editing will be in order, but she typed it and this is the way she did.
Lily Potter and the Survivor�s Cave
By Vanessa M.
CHAPTER 1
The morning sunlight shone brightly down upon Lily Potter�s bed. Lily, an eleven-year-old girl with long, bright orange hair just like her mother, was sleeping deeply. Both her brothers, Albus and James, had dark black hair. Lily suddenly awoke to the sound of her mother calling, �Lily! Come down! The express leaves at exactly 10:00. We have to hurry because YOU can�t apparate! The Kings Cross station is four hours away. Hurry Albus, James�� Lily scrambled out of bed and out into the hallway. She was so exited! She was going to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. It�s a boarding school, so you must pack. THAT�S when Lily remembered -she forgot her luggage. THAT�S when she remembered a summoning charm her father, Harry had taught her.�Accio trunk!� she said wearily. A big wooden trunk came soaring down the staircase and landed with a thump next to her.
�Wow!� said Lily �It actually works! Next, she tried making it float with the Wingardiam Leviosa charm. All her trunk did was shift a little in place. Those were all the charms and spells her mother and father had taught her, but she knew she was to learn many more at Hogwarts, like Expelliarmes and Impedimenta. Lily hopped down the stairs all the way to the bottom. �Oh there you are,� said Mrs. Potter. �Breakfast is on the table.� Lily was starving as she sat down to eat. �Pumpkin pasties for breakfast?� asked Lily. �Well, being it�s the first day at Hogwarts, I thought a little treat would be fine,� said Mr. Potter proudly. �oh, and Albus, I know you don�t like them so here�s some every flavored beans instead.�Borty Bots Every Flavored Beans were a favorite at Hogwarts. �BLAH! EWW! YUCK! Earwax!� a painful scream came from the other end of the table. �Albus, you�re just making that up because Dumbledore the greatest headmaster at Hogwarts EVER said it to dad after he fought the Basilisk.�Lily said sounding very annoyed. �no, really! Its true! I got Earwax flavored bean! Really, you should believe me�� Lily was not amused. She grabbed one end of the table cloth and yanked it off the table, sending silverwear flying; forks, knives, spoons; plates, bowles and everything on the table: all now flying in the air. Ginny, Lily�s mother cried one word, �Impedimenta!� everything that was about to shatter to the ground was now floating dreamily through the hemisphere. With another flick of her wand, Mrs. Potter set everything back on the table. �Lily! Excuse me! We do not throw things into the air at any rate! Do you understand?� Lily was awestruck. What had she done wrong? Had she even taken a look at these, these people?
�er, I�m sorry, what?�
�REMEMBER WHAT YOU JUST DID?�
�Im sorry whatever you�re name is but I have clearly no Idea what you are talking about, or where I am� oh, do you live here? Its such a nice cozy place.�
�Harry!� exclaimed Mrs. Potter, �I think someone�s� wiped her memory!� everyone was quite silent for a moment, then Lily said, �what does that mean?� �Gamblia!� cried Mr. Potter. Lily was finally back to normal. �but� but Harry, I thought there was no counter curse for memory wiping?� �oh, I made that one up in case of an emergency.� �well great thinking done on you�re part.�
Th whole family ate in silence for the rest of the meal.
