HK's Epiphany relating to the flip-side of "What a Child Doesn't Learn" has officially drawn me from lurking mode. (I've been following the "To Skip or Not" threads for awhile.)
I must also echo her experience with what I consider to be some sort of a reinforcing effect when a grade skip fails to yield meaningful challenge: HK -- "Then in the wake of acceleration, if there is an unresolved lack of challenge, the child interprets this as normal."
I think we are battling this same issue, which, if anything, makes me much more confident that the early grade skips were an absolute necessity. Although now I am finding that they have not been enough.
Our son is in 8th grade @ age 11 (Fall BD), and takes Geometry across the street @ the HS everyday as his first period. Depending on the comparison state, he's two or three years ahead of his age peers.
He's maintained a 4.0+ throughout 7th & 8th and as I look back, it's almost like 2nd & 3rd grade all over again: this stuff is just not challenging enough for him. (Either that, or he is just *that* good at making it look easy!)
Geometry, however, has proven to be the leveling factor. He has maintained a B, but only because the teacher gives credit for *completed* homework, rather than *correct* homework. As a result, the A for homework masks the C for quizzes and tests, giving him a B in the class. And because it's considered an Honors-level course for an 8th grader, he gets 4 pts, hence his 4.0 GPA.
BUT... (cue HK's Epiphany)... because he has been conditioned by his other classes that hard work is not necessary... that note-taking is not necessary (unless graded)... that actual *STUDYING* is not necessary... he doesn't have a gosh-darned clue how to tackle his Geometry debacle. And I guarantee that the total-fantasy B he's getting in Geometry doesn't help the situation much.
Unfortunately, I have no bloody idea where to go with this. When I raised my concern with his Algebra teacher last year, he said, "Bah! It's a maturity thing -- he'll pull it together. After all, he understands the material." And his Geometry teacher this year essentially plagiarized the Alg teacher's answer.
Bottom line for me is that DS is screwed when he runs into real educational challenge -- like those pesky college courses -- if he doesn't get his poo together NOW! Heck -- I'm not so sure he'll have to worry about college classes if he bombs his SAT math section.
So there. That's what's been percolating in my head for the past several weeks (months?). Thank You to HK for sharing her epiphany.
What now? Any suggestions?
Dandy
