Wow - and we sometimes wonder why it is all so hard (from a teacher on another forum).......
"xxxxx has given her teacher point of view and I would like to give mine....
First I think it is too young to know yet.
Second there are money grabbing professionals just waiting for parents whose children are "gifted" and they will be more than happy to support it while you hand over HUNDREDS of dollars to prove it
Third ...as a teacher and this drives me to distraction, there are parents that focus on the "gifted" side and want extension and push and whinge and carry on and are general PITA (sorry- I have been teaching a LONG time) yet their child can't catch a ball or make a friend or write a sentence that is legible - which gets ignored
Fourth ...and lastly let your child be a child.... don't single them out as better than other children- they are going to want to be like everyone else...not different. When you are going to have to do something is when there is trouble at school- when they do start getting bored and causing trouble, when they are reading newspapers and the rest of the class is reading run spot run, when they choose to watch documentaries instead of Thomas the tank engine etc etc.
OK I can't stop... Fifth.. there are extension classes like the Opportunity classes that start in Year 5 and 6 FOR A REASON. Selective schools start at high school FOR A REASON. And that is let them be children for as long as possible. I have seen SOOOO many anxiety ridden children at the age of 6!!!!!!! because mummy wants to extend their giftedness and they just want a tickle fight
Now I am not accusing anyone here of any of this but I have seen too many UNHAPPY children because of the way the parents handled it"
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