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does seem like an informal take on have the smart kid teaching the other students. In my own experience this was not terrible and a bit of a learning experience about other kinds of learners. But it does certainly beg the question of why there isn't material for your daughter specifically if that is what is needed. Hanging out with her friends is basically a free period sounds like, with a new bit of info from time to time.
It is not differentiation, at least I wouldn't call it that.

Differentiation would of course be the teacher taking the time to find harder, deeper material for your child, even if the GT class is already harder and deeper for most gt kids.

If the teacher can't do this for just your child, maybe she can dream up an extra project for this new 'group'?

This is not differentiation, it's pacification. It does address the emotional toll of going to school with nothing to learn, but it does nothing to teach a work ethic, perseverance, or help overcome perfectionism issues where they exist.

Okay that's a new one for me. Sometimes it seems the schools are all using the same "manual" for what to do with the gifted students, and then sometimes there is a new idea (not necessarily a good one) being generated.

I agree with Dude. It might actually lead your child to figure out that skipping school altogether is more enjoyable... Ahem, some personal experience here...

Yes, I am glad that dd is having fun with her friends, but I was worried that it would make it harder to take her out to homeschool. Up until this new method of differentiation, dd was concluding that contact with her friends wasn't enough to offset the lack of learning, but with all this free play time, well, I wasn't sure.

SAHM, thank you for that point. It makes great sense. And supports homeschooling.

I realize it's not ideal due to total lack of learning, but for dd, she needs to be emotionally happy, and this new method of differentiation seems to have perked her up. I say kudos to the teacher for noticing and putting her with her friends!

just an opinion. I think it's ok if different years of school are different. An 11 year old is old enough to tell her, look, this year is great and I know you're having a lot of fun. I'm glad you're having fun right now. Everybody needs a great time sometimes. But when it's time to buckle down next year I expect you to. I don't it's beyond a child to understand or learn that things change and there are different circumstances or different times.

Don't tell her, but an eleven year old girl, I'd expect her to pout or cry and say it's not fair (maybe) next year if it's harder and this year was all play, only for a little.** If you want to homeschool her you could afterschool her litely so she knows your expectations are more rigorous ahead of time. I would go with a streatched out pace, as in schedule the after school only a couple times a week, just with high expectations. You're not piling on tons of work or worktime, you're showing her consistantly how rigorous you're going to be.

**only remembering myself in childhood. kids adjust. there is a transition period.

Yeah. Is it possible to schedule a chat with the teacher to find out what the teacher's perspective is? She may be doing something really strategic-- or really off base-- but you won't know the underlying purposes until you ask.

As you of all people know, MON, approaching it as a non-confrontational conversation about your DD could yield some information and maybe let you suggest a few adjustments to the plan that would get the learning rolling again while also keeping the social fun in the mix.

DeeDee

...and here. In my case, with absolutely no consequences in high school. Pulling the same thing in college didn't go as well for me.

... nor for me.

This is a very strange form of differentiation. I can see why your DD loves it! I would definitely worry that this is what your DD will come to expect from school and that would probably not be for the best.

On a slightly different note, how is this affecting the other girls in the group? I'm assuming the teacher doesn't believe that she has nothing to teach any of them. Are they also just doing their own thing and no longer participating in class?

I would have been so upset if a teacher told me that I couldn't participate in class, though there were times where I made this decision for myself. I would like to think that there is an answer other than encouraging your DD to "check out" in her class.

I wish you luck with whatever you do. Socialization vs academics can be an incredibly hard choice.

As much as the chatter of 6th grade girls drives me to the edge of madness every day, that chatter is important and age-appropriate work. Howard Gardner and I agree that personal intelligence (the ability to know what's going on within yourself and the ability to understand what's going on with others) is the most important kind of intelligence. If your daughter can't learn to work with other people and enjoy their company, her academic and professional life may never match her verbal and logical ability.

Teachers are always trying to put together heterogenous groups with stronger and weaker members of the class in each group. This is great for everybody else, but it keeps the strongest students isolated from their intellectual peers or near-peers. I'm excited to hear that your daughter is getting the social experience that is so important in middle school, that she may have been lacking.

And may I suggest that a sixth grade classroom is a better environment for learning to balance academic achievement and a vibrant social life than a freshman dorm?