Gifted Issues Discussion homepage Forums General Discussion 'Outliers', anyone reading it??

It depends on the "population". Ours is such that the student is placed in a class that is still disinterested and slow. They are still bored, but with older kids. Once they are in Middle School, there are often more choices. However, in my daughter's accelerated classes, there is enthusiasm and a much more thorough learning experience so they can jump ahead in seventh. However, I still want her to stay with this group, not with bored older students with attitude.

This is why I think parents of GT kids should just move into school districts where the districts get it. So much energy is wasted fighting alone for one kid, rather than working together to improve something that already exists. And the kids find kinship and a secure place to grow - and, importantly, so do the parents.

In Texas, if your son is good at football in the 7th/8th grade, then there are about a half-dozen places you live if you want him to progress with similar peers.

Yet, do we see the same thing in academics?

No, because schools are supposed to provide an appropriate education for everybody. I think that is something worth fighting for.

Schools are not required to provide appropriate sports opportunities for everyone.

Re: Outliers-- I thought it was an interesting idea, but not necessarily book-length material. I think Blink was a better book.

I don't like the idea that the whole family has to move to make sure that one child gets an appropriate education. If it's convenient, then I think it's fine for a family to choose to move. But I don't think we should have to move just to get an appropriate education.

If it's not worth the fight--as it wasn't for me--then there are other options besides selling the house in a down market, uprooting other family members and moving.

Sadly, the real world is the inverse of this. In most high schools, sports - especially football, gets a lot of resources and attention thrown at it. It is an institution.

If your DS can run a 5.5 sec 40 yard dash when he is 12 years old, that will get him a lot more attention than a 190 IQ.

Furthermore, most school districts do not have the numbers of GT kids to where they can group them together in the same class so that they have true peers and can have the specialized instruction and curriculum they need.

Did you guys like the raven's matrix puzzle on p. 78 of this book?

I really enjoyed solving it--I thought that Gladwell went overboard though in saying that "most of you probably won't be able to solve this"...

That was condescending and likely incorrect. Why would he underestimate his audience like that?