Originally Posted by no5no5
Do you think that it is possible that as a member of the HG+ community you may have unreasonable expectations for kids who are not gifted? Personally, I try pretty hard to remain neutral about ND kids and their education, because I have found that I really have very little idea of what is normal for them. I don't mean to sound elitist, but there it is.

Reasonable question as I've been on email lists where parents of gifted kids express shock when confronted with lists of standard milestones and no, that's not where I'm coming from. I'm pretty well versed in typical child development and the general scope and sequence of what would be typical for different grades. I have a very wide view of what is normal and I'd think nothing of a seven year old who wasn't reading. I'm instead talking about stuff like: thirteen year olds who can't read, middle school aged kids who are unfamiliar with the four basic math operations and who are unable to use a calculator. Yes, more quirky kids homeschool and that could be some of it, but over time it is hard not to notice when you see kid after kid who is unschooled who is really far off what they will need for adult life. I'm not talking about stuff like knowing chemistry, I'm talking about core skills necessary to have any form of higher education.

Last edited by passthepotatoes; 08/24/10 10:22 PM.