Gifted Issues Discussion homepage Forums Parenting and Advocacy Seek guidance on Kindergarden Kid

We just moved states and our 5 year old took a test called MAP in school. The teacher called us in and informed us that our kid was in the 99th percentile in math and reading and recommended that she join an gifted/accelerated class for 1st grade.

Our kid is a fun loving girl and loves to do a bunch of thiungs (Swimming, Dance, music etc). I am thus not too sure about putting her in a academic intensive program.

Seek your guidance.

Does that mean right this minute or that is her recommendation for next year? Why don't you go talk to the new class's teacher and see if you can observe?

I would present it in a positive light to your daughter, and ask if she'd like to be moved to a class where she can get more interesting work. She can do all the extracurriculu/nonacademic activities you listed as well as being in a gifted class, and I'd trust the teacher on her recommendation for a more appropriately challenging environcment unless you have a specific reason not to.

Agreed with Lucounu. Perhaps this represents a positive all around. She may well find this work much more enjoyable, or at the least no more taxing than her current environment. I doubt at this age it would impact her time for extracurricular activities, and if the issue comes up down the road, you will have time to think it through and plan with your daughter. It's very possible to have enjoyable sports and creative pursuits while also having a stimulating education.

If your child scored 99% on the MAP, it likely means she can already read pretty well and do basic math and may be entirely underchallenged in a regular 1st grade classroom. Also, accelerated and GT classroom doesn't necessarily mean academic intensive. For example, there is less homework at my son's GT school than there was when he was in the regular classroom. They are accelerated at least a year (so, e.g., they do 4th grade math instead of 3rd, so they're learning more appropriate material). I would investigate further into what the GT program is like if I were you. You may be pleasantly surprised.

Here's more info on NWEA MAP:
See p. 55 for Reading percentiles, RIT score; p. 67 for math. NWEA MAP norms

then plug the RIT numbers in here to see the types of things your DD is ready for: RIT info

WOW I would have loved that choice for my kinder ds! Do you have her scores to share?

For her, "intensive" is probably "fun" and "interesting."

Here is a success story for a GT girl.

http://www.palmbeachpost.com/news/s...t-15-already-heading-to-mit-1406226.html

I'd go observe the GT class. You might find that your child even outperforms most of the kids in there. Or even let her spend a day or two trying it out.

Some literature.

http://www.gifteddevelopment.com/What_is_Gifted/learned.htm



http://www.sengifted.org/archives/a...girls-in-elementary-and-secondary-school


http://www.aboutourkids.org/articles/gifted_girls_many_gifted_girls_few_eminent_women_why

I just wanted to add, that my son is skipped by a grade into an accelerated program that works 1 year ahead and with a much deeper curriculum. He loves it. He has little homework. Even the middle school kids only have 30 min a night. He also gets 2 hours a day of recess.

Thank you for all the feedback. I did not get the scores. But I will ask.

As st_paul_girl indicated my kid can read pretty well and do some basic algebra I do not think she is "gifted". I have not seen her do anything extra-ordinary like do complex equations or anything else.

Only unusual thing I have noted is her musical taste. She seems to like only Opera.

How can one tell if she is gifted or is accelerated classes for the non-gifted as well?

Keep in mind that this is a kindergartener you are have here! Understanding basic algebra in kindergarten is very atypical and complex equations are not expected of gifted five year olds. Gifted and one in a million prodigy aren't the same thing although the one in a million kid certainly is gifted. All gifted kids aren't that far out there, but they do have different needs none the less. Have you taken a look @ Hoagie's website at all yet: http://www.hoagiesgifted.org/gifted_101.htm

Where I live, accelerated or gifted classes are primarily filled with bright but non-gifted kids, so I'd say that, yes, they are designed to meet a broader spectrum of needs than just those of the gifted or highly gifted. The further out of the norm the child, the less these classes actually meet their needs. In your instance, like others have said, I'd want to know more about the admission criteria for the program and what it looks like to know whether it is a program designed solely for gifted kids or also for high achievers who may not be gifted and how they differentiate for differing levels of giftedness.

Re how you can tell is she is gifted, aside from things like IQ testing, I think that a good place to start is to read up on some of the characteristics of giftedness and see how they fit your daughter. That is what helped me realize that my oldest was gifted when she was six. She, too, wasn't writing symphonies or solving quadratic equations at that age, but she is highly gifted.

Some of my favorite articles are:

http://www.stephanietolan.com/is_it_a_cheetah.htm

http://www.bertiekingore.com/high-gt-create.htm

http://www.giftedteam.org/pdf/links/Understand_What_Giftedness_Is_and_What_It_Is_Not-Delisle.pdf

Where I am, the gifted program is pretty much the way to keep your kid away from the troublemakers. My wife is already planning to send our DS6 to private school if he can't get into the gifted program.

So, the most important thing is to figure out the type of kid who is in these programs in your area - you can always talk to their parents and get an idea. Also, see how much time the kids in the program have for swimming/dance/music.

I agree with all of the other posters who have suggested that you find out more about the program and go observe. You seem to have some preconceived notions that may or may not be true.

I've had three kids go through regular kindergarten before moving to gt classrooms. Only one seemed bored and miserable in kindergarten. The gt class wasn't necessarily more work, it was different work at that was more at their level. All three of them found the gt classes to be a relief of sorts, particularly in math (their strength area). Even though they all skipped a year of math going into the program, none of them felt like they had missed anything. I still remember one of my kids looking at me and asking what they would have done in first grade math. When I responded that you spend a lot of time "making ten" and playing simple math games, she thanked me for not making her suffer through such boring math.

I did talk to few of the parents in the program. Feedback very consitent with those on the board. It is really not about being "gifted", but more about the ability to work a little ahead of what is usually done in 1st grade.

I wonder why folks just don't use the term advanced class. Gifted should mean something more than just working a grade or two ahead. All that usually means is the kid's parents doing some work at home with them and nothing more.

I think you're suffering from the same thing I was, which is thinking the term gifted only applies to child prodigies! The gifted range is much larger than that, and having your child in a class that is better suited to her academic abilities is not a bad thing at all. But I do agree that if that is all the class is providing, then they should change the name. It downplays the correct use of the word when it's used so freely.