Wow Cransaer!
I loved hearing those stories. I'm so pleased to hear about the cross grade math! You really stood up for that little guy. On behalf of Parents of Gifted everywhere - Thank you!
I was wrong in thinking that the kid who got skipped must be a female with good handwriting, but I do think it's telling that he boy didn't act out, rather he was "acting in." Still I love the way you didn't ask for any expensive testing, just gave it a try.
As for Pre-testing - Wow - Wow! The only time that my DS10 got a pretest at school, the teacher made much of how amazing it was that he got the concept without being taught it, and then proceded to subject him to the complete "learning experience." I'm always asking for Pre-testing whenever I get school meetings regarding accomidations, and am always met with blank stares. I was told that a particular Math Program didn't have tests, so no pre-test could be done. I called the company, and they said that their learning objective could certainly be used as a pre-test. That didn't get me anywhere.
I agree heartliy that pre-testing to 85% is a lovely way to protect a child's will to be in a school environment. If you are pretesting, then you are totally off the hook. I'm believing you when you say that the child is definitly challenged. When my son was being turned down for subject acceleration or grade skips it was never about what he knows and what he is developmentally ready to learn. It was all about:
his "immature" behavior
his tendency to be "off topic"
his handwriting
his difficulty talking about his thought process in Math.
Example: How do you know that 2 plus 1 equals three?
DS: I thought about 2 plus 1 and the number 3 showed up in my head.
(for those of you who are now mystified - the "correct" answer was -
I had two cookies and I got another cookie, and I counted them up and got three.
OR
I looked it up on an addition table
OR
I started on the number line at 2, and when one jump to the right. I looked at the number at that place - It was three.)
I actually think that this is wonderful and important, and that my son learned a lot of good skill trying to do this activity. If they had been able to do this type of learning at a level where he could have also learned some Math, I would have been very pleased. Instead, it became a reason to hold him with age mates - not ok.
This is what makes me so curious about what teachers look for to know that a child needs an acclerated course.
I do agree that parents are quite confused at looking at "A"s on report cards. What do they mean? Is everyone getting them? I know a classroom where all the children got 100% or higher on a quiz, recently. One of the children didn't study. What kind of message is that child getting from their 103%? Can a PG child in a regular classroom get all "A"s and be underachieving? It seems likely that this will be true much of the time.
Thanks for being so game and answering my questions.
any other lurking teachers or Admins who dare follow your lead?
Trinity
