OK, I teach third and fourth grade in a language immersion school. One of my third graders shows signs of being gifted, or at least VERY academically capable. He's reading two or three grade levels above third grade, which isn't overly impressive until you consider he's only had instruction in reading and writing in English for the past week and a half (up until third grade they read and write in the target language, and English instruction is strictly oral).
He still needs grade-level spelling (he's a crack-ace at phonetic spelling, but has never had instruction in English spelling. He doesn't do much reading for pleasure, so he hasn't picked up a lot of words just through osmosis, though as bright as he is, he might start just "picking it up" as he does more reading and writing in English. His math skills are in the "advanced proficient" range, but closer to his age-peers (partially, I think, because of our district's chosen math curriculum, but that's not my place to decide; I have to teach what they give me :S) and easily accommodated in the classroom.
I want to have a few well-thought out options before I call the mother to meet with her. This is, as I said, his first year with any English language instruction of any real rigor. While she obviously knows he's bright, she might not yet know just how far beyond his peers he is, academically. In the target language, he has been a bright kid, but since language acquisition takes so many other factors into consideration, he has never stood out in the classroom beyond "hey, this is a pretty bright kid." He has, without instruction, gotten himself to a sixth-grade reading level by the beginning of third grade... and that's with having learned to read in the target language, which uses the same letters to represent different sounds.
A few things that I'm considering and their up/downsides:
- One-grade subject-level acceleration: He'd come to reading with my fourth grade group. He'd still be working at a higher level than all of the students, but the "advanced" materials from the fourth-grade reading curriculum would be a little closer to meeting his needs. HOWEVER, my "other half" teacher (has the third graders for the target language while I have the fourth graders for English instruction, and vice versa) is not gung-ho about this option. His language skills in the target language are below those of the fourth-graders. So he'd still be above the rest of the class for English reading, but may struggle (or rise to the occasion???). My "other-half" teacher would likely fight having him in the fourth grade; I don't want her taking grumpiness out on him. I'm also the "new teacher" at our school, and she's pretty entrenched.
- Two- or three-grade subject-level acceleration: He would go to either the fifth or sixth grade classroom for reading, whichever grade has English the same half of the day as we do. He'd be pretty on or above par academically with these groups, but... um... how to say this nicely... these two classes are kind of notorious. I've been told, repeatedly, how lucky I am to have started this year rather than last year, because bullying in the fifth grade is an issue, and the sixth grade is just generally kind of non-academically-focused. If he ended up in the fifth grade classroom, I'd worry about him being a target, and if he ended up in the sixth grade classroom, I'd kind of be wondering if he wouldn't be one of the few kids actually attempting to be academic. One advantage to the fifth grade classroom: there is a child in that class who is working several grades above *his* grade level. So while they'd be working at different levels, they'd be peers in a certain way. Their target-language teacher is great (he wouldn't have her), but their English teacher is a long-term sub as the regular teacher is out on bedrest with a messed up back until her baby is born, and then on maternity leave. HE's a great guy, and WONDERFUL at "teachable-moment-life-lesson" stuff, but not really an academically rigorous teacher, if you catch my drift
- In-class differentiation: Well... This would be me. Advantages: I was a gifted kid in the regular classroom myself; I know what it's like. I have coursework in gifted education and have done a lot of self-education on the matter. Disadvantages: Over half of his class is still functionally illiterate in English. Only three are working "on" grade level. FASD (Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder) is rampant out here. This is a group of students who have been together since kindergarten. I don't want to sit him in the corner, by himself, with a totally different book than the rest of his class (this is a VERY social bunch of kids and I love them for it), but I also can't justify letting him read things that are far too easy for him for the entire year.
- Sped/Gifted services: Nonexistent. Don't ask; see above re: FASD epidemic and lots of struggling students. I had a discussion with our SpEd teacher, and he basically said that he could help me figure out some in-class differentiation options, but that's it. He's kind of an old grouch.
So... WWDGIDFD (What Would Davidson Gifted Issues Discussion Forum Do)? Or, more specifically, what options do you as (for the most part) parents, see that I'm not seeing? His parents, for cultural reasons, REALLY want him at the language immersion school... and honestly, for as struggling/troubled as our students are, the local all-English elementary school has an even more troubled population.
You have a ready, willing, and (somewhat) able teacher wanting to meet the needs of a (probably) gifted student. Someone wave your magic wand and make the perfect solution appear before me. Or give me more stuff to consider.
