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Joined: Jun 2008
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A friend of mine who has an academically advanced (not ID'd gifted) son in 1st grade said his teacher is giving him differentiated math that is outside of the curriculum. This teacher told my friend not to tell anyone. You'd think they were giving the kid drugs instead of harder math problems aaaaaahhh!!! That is just scary.
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Joined: Dec 2005
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I think we came across as constructive, sane, and honest. Of course when DW got a bit passionate during the meeting I think that helped a little too JB Well Done! I bet you and DW did come accross well. A little 'good cop/bad cop' never hurt...in this case it's 'informed and firm daddy plus worried, possibly emotional mommy' is about the best combo possible. Of course, most states don't have laws as strong as PA, and even the best advocacy work by parents can be tossed on the wind. You do have 'Due Process' in your back pocket - DOK! It sounds like the school is aware and on the ball. I want to say a word for the middle ground. Let's say that they put your son in 3rd grade 'honors' math. Let's say he still isn't 'challenged' but at least is 'occupied' and you just can't bear the idea of 4th grade math for whatever reason. I want to say that although being taught at one's 'readiness level' is ideal, that being taught 'just a bit below' one's readiness level is much, much, much better than being taught at with age-peers. I figure that many of the more flexible HG+ kids can handle being a bit below readiness level without having their spirits ground away. They may not learn good work ethic, but in my mind, they are being preserved so that in the future when they are in a situation that gives them an opportunity to learn good work ethic, say at age 8 or 11, that they will be able to make use of it. I want to suggest that there is a range of 'poor fit' from what my son faced: 'mortally offended' to what kids with a couple years of subject acceleration face: 'not challenged, but not shamed.' I think the worksheet is a very positive sign. You and DW are doing great! Go Baby Steps! Love and More Love, Grinity
Coaching available, at SchoolSuccessSolutions.com
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Joined: Apr 2008
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<Mounting the soapbox>
In my experience (such as it is), when differentiated work for GT students works, it's usually as simple as a bottle of white-out and a "x" sign.
It's all but free, quick, easy, it doesn't even require great creativity, but it makes a HUGE difference to a kid... <stepping off soapbox> And it did make a big difference to DS. As DW and I started talking to him explaining why we met with his teacher (to get more appropriate work for him) and that he may go to another school (he'd be bussed once every 6 days for the pull out program) to learn other things, he coined a new term. How did he put it? It was something like "is that I-don't-know-stuff or I-know-stuff?". He got very excited when he found out that he'd start getting "I-don't-know-stuff". JB
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Oh, and not to shoot down the white out thinking, which is very valid in K, 1st and 2nd, but perhaps some of their fears are for down the road, when the kid is way beyond the white out fix, LOL! (And speaking of drugs, isn't that a controlled substance? ) Seriously though, I'm not defending the nay-sayers, but eventually someone has to bite the bullet and cough up more than just harder worksheets. I agree. We did a little bit of a happy dance because this appeared to be the first time that they've really tried to understand where DS is at. (It wasn't perfect either as DS didn't know that he had missed a few questions and the teacher probably didn't review them with DS.) This is a teacher that told us at our first conference that she would not give DS any multiplication problems this year at all. So the fact that we're breaking down this barrier is a start. Our objective is to get the GIEP a little bit better and then sign off on it for this year. The Goals section was vague and nebulous but we'll leave it alone for this year (too much to tackle all at once). But when we meet late spring for next year, we're going to focus on real tangible goals like "90% proficient in 3rd grade math by mid term" and so on. So that will hopefully force a truely differentiated curriculum. JB
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Joined: Sep 2007
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Indeed. As I said, I don't like white-out--or differentiation in general--as overarching GT policy. (Usually I'm the one arguing it isn't enough to settle for that, so I'm enjoying this aspect of the conversation. ) I agree with all my heart that we need more for our kids. White-out is a stopgap measure. But it can be an important--and telling!--stopgap measure, since if a teacher or a school won't EVEN pull out the white-out, you know you're in BIIIIIIIIG trouble! And differentiation isn't the only cheap/free way to teach GT kids. There are plenty of others: subject acceleration, grade skips, class grouping, etc. All free! (And most working better generally than differentiation.) White-out is just a nicely symbolic shorthand for those. In the language of drugs, it's the gateway accomodation!
Kriston
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Case in point....today was my day to meet with other moms to pray for our schools. Typically I love this time, but imagine the irony of one mom praying that the middle school "lighten up" on their expectations, while I'm quietly praying that my gang really gets some appropriate challenge, . It reminds me of when two football teams are praying for their boys to win. LOL! I love grouping, too. It is really such a great help. And again, NOT expensive! *sigh*
Kriston
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One argument I've heard for not grouping is that the kids who are academically at the bottom really benefit from being grouped with gifted kids. Sounds counter-intuitive to me. If I were struggling, I think I'd feel more comfortable with kids who were also behind and also more inclined to stick my neck out and speak up in class.
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Joined: Jun 2008
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Yeah, I think most people want to be taught and interact at a level where they feel they're making progress, not falling too badly behind and yet not completely knowing everything before they even get into the classroom. (not just gt people and kids, not just folks with learning issues....) I think Dottie's prayer is right on - appropriate challenge! (for all
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What I've read about grouping says that everyone benefits from it--high, low, and in between! Interestingly to me, one of the biggest beneficiaries is supposed to be the group of kids just below the GT kids: the bright-average ones. They get to shine when not grouped with the GT kids, and their self-esteem and achievement go up quite a lot. In fact, grouping experts recommend strongly that the GT kids be the top of one class and the high-average kids be the top of a totally different class, so that both groups do better. I'm less sure I have this part right, but I think it's also recommended that the kids struggling the most should not be with the GT kids. It is better for them to be in the class with the high-average kids. Can't cite a source off the top of my head, though I should if I'm stating specifics like this. Sorry! But I'm pretty sure I've got it right. Does this ring a bell for anyone else? Where AM I getting my info? Remembering my sources was always my biggest failing as an academic...
Kriston
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Well, apparently DS took more tests today. This time he claims "50 pages"! Ha.
Well, hopefully this is going in the right direction. I'd like to think that they are giving him progressively harder tests. Maybe even CBA tests. That'd be nice.
DS tells us that the tests are "complex math that his classmates can't do" but that it's not yet multiplication. But maybe borrowing and carry over. Hard to tell when he's had a busy day and doesn't want to communicate a lot.
I'll take it as a positive sign. May be good for the next GIEP.
JB
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