Hi Laura:

We faced a similar commute to get to a decent gifted program and opted for the local public school, which stated it provided individualized education in a heterogeneous classroom.

I would advise:

1.Get information about what is REALLY happening in class.

Talk to your child about what happens at school: Daily routines, who he sits with, who he works with, who misbehaves, how the teacher handles it. What they do at morning meeting, circle time, after lunch, etc.

Talk to parents of other kids at school to find out how much your child ISN'T telling you. I found out a lot that way.

2. Go in and talk to your teacher ASAP. It won't always help, but it sometimes does, and from DS's experience and my observations of what kids of pain in the a$$ parents get, I think it's worthwhile to go in and talk to teachers A LOT.

What worked for me: I talked to DS�s 2nd grade teacher about DS�s thirst for knowledge and sponge-like ability to remember everything from just hearing or reading it. I talked about how sad he was on days when he learned nothing new, and how he came bounding home on days that he did learn something new. I explained that he had gotten so tired of never getting called on that he never bothered to raise his hand any more. I got her a copy of �Teaching Gifted Kids in the Regular Classroom� by Susan Winebrenner. I told her that with so many bright kids in class, this book was bound to be a help, and I explained that it was written by a teacher, and that it talked about practical classroom strategies for differentiation and even how to handle issues like the gifted kids who wants to answer every question.

She actually read it! DS got a little more differentiation and he was more satisfied in class because she used some of the book�s strategies, like asking questions that kids would answer and discuss in mini-groups, so he always got to share his opinions. She also developed creative activities that required more analysis, rather than just fact repetition. For example, he had to develop a board game based on a book he had read, and explain how it related to the book.

Differentiation for reading was easy because the school follows a reader�s workshop model, where students are assessed regularly for their Fountas-Pinnell reading level. I think this is a great reading program for smart kids because it is so flexible. All books in class have their reading level (A-Z) marked on them and kids are supposed to pick books at their reading level. She paid attention and always made sure there were plenty of books on DS�s level in the classroom that he hadn�t already read (unlike his teacher from the year before). If you�re looking at schools, I think picking a school that follows this model (pretty common in NYC schools) would help your DS.

Differentiation in other subjects has proved much more difficult. The school uses TERC math and DS just coasted along, mostly talking to friends during math workshop and barely finishing (if finishing) his problems before the end of workshop. He didn�t demonstrate anything exceptional, and he wasn�t given any differentiation.

I�m hoping that should change this year, since the school this year started giving prescriptive tests at the beginning of the year, and I�m assuming they�ll see he already knows a lot of the third grade curriculum. I plan on following up with the teacher to see how DS scored and what type of accommodation teacher will provide as a result. Your local public schools should also provide this type of testing, since it is now required for NYC schools (see
and select periodic assessments) and helps schools figure out how ready students are for the state tests.

Also, I will need to follow up with the teacher to see what type of differentiation is actually being provided, perhaps make suggestions, and hand out Susan Winebrenner�s book again.

Also, a word on what I should not have said when I was talking to parents and teachers-- not because it wasn't true but because it was totally unproductive:

"DS is gifted":
Many teachers (and other parents) are turned off by the word "gifted" and will want to say that "everybody is gifted in some way." That may be true, but your child is a gifted learner of academic material, who needs something more at school. People seem to have a reallyhard time hearing that kids have different intellectual abilities. Parents of kids in DS's class complained when K teacher called my son (and another child) "geniuses" because they thought it was hurtful to the other children in the class.

�My child could do x,y,z at two years.� Most teachers will not be moved to action or cooperation when they hear about your son's precociousness. Many think that children learn at different paces and will eventually even out in abilities. Or they will assume no child would actually develop these abilities on their own and you must be some kind of psycho mom who drilled her kid into learning to read or count or add. (We don�t think so:) ) I�ve heard this (in perhaps less exaggerated version) from teachers, parents and even the principal, about other precocious children at school.

It�s more helpful to talk to your child�s teacher. about what your child is doing now or ready for now. Ask them how they assess a child�s readiness and what do they do to assess for beyond-grade-level readiness. Some will say classroom observation. That�s the trap I fell into when DS was in 1st grade. DS rarely finished his math assignment (basic, one-digit addition and subtraction, which he did before he turned 3) so teacher determined he didn�t need anything more, and at that point, I had no testing to support my claim that he needed more. If the teacher says she�ll differentiate based on whatever needs she sees in classroom observation, ask what they do anything beyond grade level in class on a regular basis to really allow kids to demonstrate their abilities. If they aren�t doing anything, then you have to be bold and tell the teacher that classroom observation will not be enough, and that many bright kids who are bored with a task won�t finish it, and many who have gotten accustomed to work that is too easy will shy away from work that might make them feel less than smart.

At any rate, the bottom line is it will take a lot of advocacy whichever route you take. At least by middle school, there will be decent options at gifted magnet schools closer to home. And your child can take the Hunter test for 7th grade! Good luck.

Bk