Gifted Issues Discussion homepage Forums Parenting and Advocacy grade skip preparation

>8^( lots of things to think about!!

socially, I feel like things were a bust for Mite this year. He had a wonderful natural group in k-2 and that was busted up when he moved to the gifted cluster. Also the SPED things were very hard for him and at this point Mite really doesn't have any close friends in class, though he does have close friends in the school.

I've heard that trivium idea about waiting for math instruction. I would do it without blinking, but DH was raised with rote math being drilled from age 3 on. He thinks that is the only way to go.

What is the "rubber tree"?

Opps - schould have said bamboo tree - that for three years the root grow, and nothing appears to happen above the ground, and then in the third year - 20 feet of growth - or something like that - any have the exact story?

Smiles,
trin

ah! I know what you are talking about. I learn like that. I remember stuggling as an undergraduate with statistics. I did ok...got a b I think....but never "got" it. Then suddenly about a year later had to do a data analysis at work. I was in dread, but I found my old book and started reading and it was like the light bulb went on and I was flooded with a deep comprehension and respect for what I was reading. I understood the normal curve, the mean of means, predictive reliability, etc. It was a beautiful flood of knowledge that I carry with me today.

I've met other people since who received A's in that class but who don't remember a thing or understand statistics.

I think it is part of the nature of giftedness to take in so much (ok this is a known nature of giftedness) at the time and to feel confused because we know we don't really understand it fully even if we can understand it to the point of getting good grades. Then when it has processed in its own time, the knowledge blossoms far beyond the understanding of the typical.

I've seen this in Mite and Rite. They seem confused and almost like they are delayed (VERY slow processing speed for both of them...ld) but then when it "hits" it is deeply rooted, fully understood AND they are able to connect the learned concepts to other ideas and knowledge that other people just can't do.

Some things take only a few more hours or a few days, but for mathematics, it seems like it would take forever for Rite and I think Mite leans that way, too. However, Rite is now plowing far ahead of others in his age group. He's almost completed his Algebra II (in 2 months studying only for about 30 minutes before school) and has started his pre-calc. He spends almost no time studying because it just comes so easily and with depth in comprehension. He is even working on his own math tricks and is journaling them to write a pamphlet for his friends.

This from a kid who was kicked out of the gifted cluster because he "seems so confused and lost", back in elementary school.

chuckle. Bamboo tree indeed!!

Is that what you are talking about Trin?

Yeah, Willa Gayle - bingo!

Go Rite!

So I guess now we need to create a metaphore for the poor left out Rubber Tree - huh?

Smiling,
Trin

The rubber tree brings lots to mind but the most I think of is flexibility.

what's a flexibility metaphor we can use, Trin?