Gifted Issues Discussion homepage Forums Identification, Testing & Assessment Tests and help for my gifted 2nd grader in Fairfax

My 2nd grader is gifted--has great creative ideas, verbal ability, and an intense love of learning. We had him tested independently and his Wechsler test score was in the highly gifted range.

In school, the teacher admits he smart, but is frustrated because he doesn't want to do what the rest of the class is doing. He'd prefer to read the history time-line in the back of the dictionary, or skip ahead to problems that actually challenge him in his math book (he can multiply and divide but is still being taught basic addition and subtraction). He is not thrilled about improving his handwriting (not his strong suit) or cleaning his desk either (he has constructed a hiding place in the back so that only he knows where things are).

I feel that he is bored and that his needs are not being met. Now, I've received his group test scores (Naglieri and Cognative Abilities), which average scores and in one section, below average. Any ideas about what I should do next, and how I can get the school system to recognize that he needs more challenges?

Thanks!

My 5 year old Kindergartner is having similar issues, but I can't even have him "officially" tested until 3rd grade (they keep telling me.) I will have to look into this Wechsler testing you mention and am mad that I waited this long to try to test him privately. We are in Richmond, VA.

His reading test in October was at a 98% level and they are still making him learn letters he knew before he was 2 years of age. Trying to move him itno 1st grade - but suffering with behavioral issues as well. Can't tell if they are totally relatd to boredom, and slow to develop because he is also clever in other areas, or whether there is something else wrong.

Hope to find out some more information from other parents as this is my first visit. At least your son is reading the time line. My son keeps getting in trouble and wants to play (only child). He does well with one on one attention at home and gets really invovled in puzzles and 1st and 2nd grade math.

My son also not thrilled with the handwriting thing - I don't think boys like that as much as girls keeping in mind my own experience and not wishing to sound sexist.

I'm sure that if we test our son he would score lower in some areas, espeically regarding the acting out.

At a minimum Fairfax will retest upon parent request. They might even use an individual test the second time around - definitely get back with them on this, the sooner the better.
Also examples of his work that you feel are above grade level or especially indicative of high potential could be submitted before they make their decision for this year. Have you read their website on their gifted ed. programs? It seems to be a pretty good place to start for retesting or finding out if they will admit the results from the previous test. (that would seem ideal)

MON,
This is great advice for parents of kids who can handle what you suggest, but I would like to point out that my own HG+ child, at age of 8, 2nd grade, had the normal emotional intelligence, and couldn't have done as you suggest. Each child deserves to be taught at their own 'readiness level.' Certainly 'getting along' is a lesson that needs to be taught at some point, but a stressed out 2nd grader is not ready for 6 hours a day of that lesson.

Now - how to do it.
1) Request a meeting to sit down with the teacher and show her the IQ tests and samples of work that he has done at home with you at his 'readiness level.' Explain that as long as your son isn't interrupting the classroom, you want her to stop asking him to do work that isn't 'mental-age appropriate.' Tell her that you don't care if he does or doesn't learn to color. Get her to agree to what is essential, and see if she is willing, for the time being, to let him entertain himself during the day. Follow up with an email restating what the 'minimum expectations' that were agreed to.

2)Set up a meeting with the school's gifted coordinator, or principle if there isn't one, and show them the work samples and IQ test. Ask them to work with you a way for your child to be faced with learning that is at his readiness level at least half of his day. This is meant to generate a trial plan, and you will all need to monitor and make further changes based on how your son reacts.

3) Look around at homeschooling resources and alternative schools. Prepare yourself to meet more people who say: 'First he has to demonstrate that he is willing to do what his agemates are doing,' and have alternatives ready if you get no where with the school.

4) Call your tester and explain what is going on and ask for advice.

5) Keep in touch with us. We are full of ideas. You are not the only one who has been down this path.

Love and more Love,
grinity

Love all the advice given so far. One thing that we were not prepared for was the school's assumption that our child's behavior issues (they call 'reading all day instead of participating' a behavior issue) are the result of bad parenting, so you may want to prepare yourself for that battle. They wanted to coach us on how to parent instead of discussing appropriate work for our child. We also (still) keep getting the "until your child finishes the assigned work, I won't provide anything at a higher level" even after presenting IQ test info, portfolio stuff, etc.

Grinity's right: At your son's age, you can't count on him to play along to get to the good stuff. I grabbed a great analogy from this forum in response to their point that our child has to learn to do things that they don't want to do. I explained that we agree - that's what making her bed and brushing her teeth are for. We take care of that important lesson at home. However, she is at school to learn other things. And now for the great analogy I stole from someone here: I explained that while most people balance their checkbook even though they hate doing so, these are the kinds of kids who, if allowed to flourish, will create the next online billpay because they hate the tedium of paying bills.

I would add that you can also familiarize yourself with the district's mission, vision, etc. You can use a few quotes from their own documentation saying things like: "I know that we have the same goals. The district's mission even stresses 'individualized education', so I'm sure you want my son to learn what he needs to learn. I'd like for us to work together to find the best and most cost-effective way to ensure that he learns at least half of every day."

Nice post WannaGT!

I didn't think to post this part because I thought that only happend to us! Isn't it all my fault? The school was very very content to take that path for 2 years. I'm ashamed to say that I was a compliant little parent and it took me 2 years of following their advice in the face of more and more obvious misery from my kid to 'wake up.'

IMHO, every time the school says - he must act this way before we accomidate him, mentally picture a school trying to say the same thing to a child on the other end of the special needs spectrum. Both kids have special learning needs that must be met. High IQ doesn't always equal extraordinary emotional coping mechanisms.

Smiles,
Grinty

Thank you all for your insights and ideas. It's nice to know that I'm not the only one!

Ariana,

I am pretty sure that the county will take the WISC score and give it same weight as they would have given the COGAT/ NNAT for GT entrance. Do you have a GT coordinator in your home elementary school? If so you should schedule a meeting with her. Also you need to get your parent referral stuff ready if you want to get your son into the GT program. Some kids just don't do as well on the group tests as the individual test. It is given orally and if your child is highly verbal not being allowed to read might depress his performance. Honestly though if his WISC is high you really should not have any trouble at all getting him into the GT curriculum - at the very least for Language Arts.