I'm looking at a gifted program for DD for next fall (going into 4th grade), and they take test scores and put kids at the right level. I talked to one of the teachers and told him that DD's current computerized achievement test scores for math are somewhere above the 99th percentile. He said she would need to be tested again but she would be most likely placed into a group doing 6th grade math, so she would basically skip 4th and 5th grade math. The gifted program includes grades 4-6 and they mix all the kids up depending on their level. So she would be doing 6th grade Holt. What is that, Pre-Algebra? I have no idea. They also had textbooks for Algebra I and Geometry, so I assume those would be for 5th and 6th grade.
I asked him what about the gaps? She is currently in third grade in a ridiculous school that does not give any accelerated work, so she is doing the third grade math curriculum. She tests so high on the computerized testing (like MAP) because of the little I do at home. For instance let's spend 5 minutes learning about equivalent fractions. Got it? Good. But I am not doing any special curriculum in any order. He said he expects there to be gaps and he will figure out what they are and quickly accelerate through the 4th and 5th grade curriculum. He said Holt spirals so it will come back to that stuff anyway. I guess I'm just kind of skeptical, and wondering if I should maybe get the Holt textbooks and go through the 4th and 5th grade levels with her this summer. Or what else should I do? I'm thrilled that we found a school that will do something for gifted kids but also wondering if it's too much. Since she was already grade accelerated she will be 8 years old doing pre-algebra.
Oh, yeah, I also need to add that DD is twice exceptional with ADHD and they said that's fine, probably 20 percent of the kids there are twice expeptional and they will do whatever modifications they need. I mentioned that she's slow with writing and they said they have another kid who types his work, they will figure it out. I practically hugged the teacher, couldn't believe it. I'm wondering what I'm missing because it seems almost two good to be true.
My only concern is that they admitted that there aren't really good supports at the Junior High or high school for these kids, there's no real progression (although I think they will bus Junior High kids to the high school for math if needed), and they would be thrown right back into the mix with not much gifted support. I guess we'll cross that bridge when we come to it.
