DS8 just entered third grade and we're having a really hard time with the school. In our district the kids change schools every 3 years, so we're working with a whole new admin, teachers, etc. Last year he completed the 3rd grade math curriculum while in 2nd. This year they are making him repeat it because "3rd graders do math at 10 and 4th graders do math at 11 so the schedule just doesn't work." On language arts things are marginally better but they still have him years behind where he is. Ugh. He is sad, miserable, angry and acting out.
We had him tested and he had 142 GAI and all his Woodcock-Johnson tests showed him performing in middle-school grade equivalency (which I know is not a great way to describe the data, but just to give you a sense). Dx with mild ADHD (although one neurpsy questions the other on that) and shows some mild SPD symptoms, too.
We met with the full team (school psych, teacher, gifted teacher, social worker, special ed) at the beginning of the year and they just looked at us like deer in headlights over requests for academic differentiation. I talked to the principal yesterday and he was honestly even worse -- heart of gold but utterly clueless. It's clear to me that we are going to have to be the ones demanding specific academic differentiation and I seriously don't know what to ask for. Do I demand he sit in on 4th grade classes? Try to do 1/2 days at school and 1/2 days at home doing distance learning through CTD, Stanford, etc.?
So I'm hoping for examples from the great and generous minds here -- what do your kiddos differentiation plans look like? What did you ask for? What works?
Welcome!
Last year we were going to ask for both LA and math acceleration and we were told we might as well accelerate him a whole year. Our elementary school was extremely supportive and really, that made all the difference. Our gifted specialist was the one who suggested an IQ test for ds after viewing his Explore test. After the IQ she went ahead and did an Iowa Assessment Scale which essentially determines, based on a number of factors, whether or not a child would make an excellent candidate for whole grade skipping. Once that was done, we all met and talked about options. After a bit of hesitancy on our part, not on ds's, we went for the whole grade skip.
Now ds11 is in 7th grade. The first week didn't count because the state messed up the schools' computer programs and nothing was right. Once the dust settled, I have to say I'm a believer.
I'd read a lot about underachievement and how it can happen with kids who aren't being challenged and therefore learn to tune out, but I wasn't sure how much was hyperbole. Did my perfectionist son
really want a challenge, would he
really be okay with getting less than an A?
So far this year, this is the reality I see: His two most difficult and rigorous courses are his favorites. He was more proud of the low A in his interim report for his most rigorous class and his B for his compacted math class (in which he's learning basically a year's worth of math in six-weeks of review with a bit of supplement at home), than he was of the 100 he received in Science.
It's true. He
wants to be challenged. And a bonus for us is that we can see the grip of perfectionism loosening before our eyes. He's still conscientious and most likely always will be, but his need to be right and perfect is no longer crippling him and silencing him.
It sounds like your school will need more educating and convincing. I would scour all the gifted sites like this one and Hoagies and gather as much data as you can. Also check out "A Nation Deceived." I'd approach your gifted specialist first and talk with them about plans to meet your child's needs. This is the time...before he learns to check out or get by doing the bare minimum. Before he learns to hate learning.
