Hi everyone! I�ve lurked around this forum for a while, and I finally decided to register and join the conversation. I�m a former (graduated) DS who was never identified in youth, and I�d like to share a bit of my schooling history and some things I�ve learned from having to find my own path.
I was a notoriously poor student in elementary school. I saw school as a monotonous routine I had to trudge through in order to watch TV and play video games in the afternoon. I never cared much for my subjects either; I didn�t have any ambition for the future, and my interests were in gaming and enjoying myself, so I didn�t see the point of learning anything that didn�t directly support my gaming life. My mother (the only parent I grew up with) was very busy with her job, and she never had the time to advocate for me or inform me about the importance of schooling. I don�t blame her for what happened, as I was aware of our mediocre socioeconomic situation and knew she was doing her best (love you mom!). I was a C student all throughout elementary school. Needless to say, I was never recommend for gifted testing and never invited to attend the summer gifted camp, which took aptitude test scores in the top 5 percent. Some MAP mathematics scores during that time:
Name: Score | Percentile
3rd grade MAP Math: 203 | 64
4th grade MAP Math: 216 | 70
5th grade MAP Math: 243 | 95 (I decided that day I would spontaneously put in more effort)
I started to take an interest in academics during middle school after I became obsessed with �leveling up� my real-life skills (inspired by videogames). I became a straight A student overnight, though I was still put in average classes due to my subpar elementary school performance. I was never upset about my class placement however; I enjoyed always being two steps ahead of my teachers. Reading was still a challenge for me, since (at that time) it just seemed excessively slow-paced and dull compared to mathematics (I was in grade level classes for both, however). Some test scores from that time:
7th grade MAP Math: 266 | 99
8th Grade ACT Explore:
English: 19 | 85
Math: 24 | 98
Reading: 18 | 84
Science: 17 | 63
Composite: 20 | 92
I was allowed to choose my own classes in high school, so I finally caught up to (and eventually surpassed) the gifted students in my grade, though by this time they had formed a �gifted clique� from spending so much time together in the program. I took up speed reading as a means of challenging myself (using Acceleread, an app that's sadly been neglected over the years), and my interest in reading grew substantially as I was now able to inhale entire paragraphs in a matter of seconds and synthesize the information rapidly using images in my mind; reading became extremely fun and exciting! My ACT score was a testament to how far I�d come using my own resources:
11th grade ACT:
English: 36 | 99
Math: 36 | 99
Reading: 36 | 99
Science: 36 | 99
Composite: 36 | 99.9 (Explore predicted a 28)
I found ways to make academics fun in grade school, but I never found my passion, as strange as it sounds. I didn't realize how all the preparation I'd done was about to pay off for me in college. When I finally found my passions in economics and astrophysics, my academic foundation allowed me to chase after them at breakneck speed. I feel my self-made enrichment was enough to rival the gifted education I could've gotten from my district. I also took my first official intelligence test (the WAIS-IV) after graduation as a followup to some medical history:
WAIS-IV:
VCI: 150 | 99.9+ (Ceiling scores on 3/3 subtests)
PRI: 144 | 99.8 (Ceiling scores on 2/3 subtests)
WMI: 150 | 99.9+ (Ceiling scores on 2/2 subtests)
PSI: 140 | 99.6 (Ceiling scores on 1/2 subtests)
CPI: 160 | 99.9+
GAI: 160 | 99.9+
FSIQ: 160 | 99.9+
So what have I learned from going through school my own way? If your child isn�t motivated in school, I recommend connecting school subjects to something he or she enjoys. Ask about your child's favorite game and specifically what he or she likes about it, then connect that to as many subjects as you can, the same way I connected my love for leveling up in games to leveling up in school. Secondly, if your child is already interested in academics but wants to be challenged (and the school refuses), find new challenges in the subject outside of school. Since you�re on a DYS forum, you�re already doing that! Some other fun challenges I came across were timed mental math, Duolingo (languages), brilliant.org (STEM subjects), and speed reading, of course. It might not fix class in the short run, but it�ll keep your kids engaged, and hopefully they can test into a higher level class later on. Your child may not know exactly why he or she is learning these subjects, but these subjects will become fun, and that's what matters early on. As your child becomes more accustomed to academics, he or she will be better prepared to find a passion later in life. Though I might've qualified for more enrichment in elementary school, these strategies kept me engaged and interested in academics even though I was never placed in a gifted program early on.
Whew, sorry for the novel! I hope you got something out of my story, and I wish all the best for you and your children. Feel free to PM me if you have any questions about your child�s behavior; I remember most of my feelings during schooling very vividly, and I�d love to help out if I can.
