Originally Posted by RoyalBlue
Coming from a more traditional educational background, I found it a little frustrating that they never compared her to other students. I always secretly wanted to ask, “And how many other children have been introduced to division? Is she the best at it? What is her percentile rank?” smile However, those comparisons are just not part of the Montessori culture, and if you aren’t comparing the children to one another then there isn’t as much reason to label a child as “gifted”.
Ideally those questions aren't part of gifted "culture," either. Really the only question that should be asked (particularly in lower grades) is, "Is my child engaged at school and being challenged in a way that's appropriate for them?" Being labeled as gifted is simply a recognition that the normal standard for teaching is not going to cut it. It doesn't require direct comparisons between children.

Last edited by George C; 05/13/16 09:14 PM.