[quote=Kriston
That kids read to keep themselves busy is one thing. But I gotta say, that you think reading in class is "a time-honored way to handle the problem" is disconcerting to me. Shouldn't we insist on more? on better?
I don't mean to be argumentative, but I really do find this pov to be troubling... [/quote]
I do agree with you that this isn't the way things should be and that it does harm many children. I know some of those harmed kids, many of them kinesthetic learners, and I would like to see more and better options in the public schools. Sorry if I implied that I thought this "time honored way" was just fine; that was not my intent.
All I was trying to suggest is that school is not harmful or torture for every HG+ child (just like it isn't good for every one either). I know lots of HG+ kids, including one level 5, who made it through 13 years of public school and, I believe, are living up to their abilities and are not dealing much psychologic damage. I know that these kids are out there and life isn't all bad for them. But I not suggesting that every (or even most) gifted kids can just be like them.
I would hardly call the reading I did under my desk as "babysitting." One of my teachers gave me a list of "what every kid should read before college" and I read most of the books on it: Scarlet Letter, To Kill a Mocking Bird, Sidarthur etc. I really enjoyed the books a lot and I appreciated the reading time. I got a lot out of school even if the academics weren't challenging. And, in some ways, I think I benefitted from having much of my learning be self directed rather than imposed by the school. I was moderately extroverted and we lived way out in the country. The closest private school was more than 1 1/2 hours away. If I had been homeschooled, I would really have been pretty miserable. I felt like going to school and having enough spare time (from not being challenged by the work) to choose what I read was kind of the best of both worlds. I may be in the minority in experiencing school this way, but I know I am not alone.
