Gifted Issues Discussion homepage Forums Learning Environments Gifted School Versus Immersion School

Hello! I have watched the boards for a while and am at a point I really need some advice. I have a 5 DS who is currently enrolled at a gifted school. He scored in the 99.7% on the WPSSI with a total score of FSIQ 140. At his current school they do Kumon and he is stuck and having problems with writing numbers. His teacher says he just won't do the work but is capable. He is in Pre-Kindergarten but because it is a gifted school the work is accelerated. At home is obsessed with math and always asking me difficult math questions. I am concerned that is getting behind at school and his love of school seems to be dwindling. I am concerned he is extremely bored or the IQ test was a fluke. Does that happen? He is not as self motivated as he needs to be. My DH and I have considered putting him an immersion school(public) because of diversity of children and we feel like if he is successful in school he might do better. Any thoughts on privated gifted school where the child is not the smartest one around or public immersion school?

Hi iybuyk - I just found your post in the unanswered posts under Active Topics. I am sorry I don't have a specific answer for you, but I'm bumping up your topic so that others will see it again.

It sounds like your DS5 might be like my DS5 - doesn't like to write. With mine, I think it's a perfectionism issue - he learned early on that the letters and numbers didn't come out how he liked, so he quit trying. He writes a little bit in his preschool, but he's not interested in it one bit. Also, there is a range at when your hands get coordinated enough to actual do the writing, I think. Some recommend Handwriting Without Tears.

I don't know how much you can expect a preschooler to be self-motivated. I always hope the teachers will help with that by providing interesting and appropriate challenges.

Again, I don't have any personal experience in any of this, but as for my thoughts, i've got lots of those! I would think that being in a school where one is not the smartest would be helpful for these really bright kids, because it might help in forming study habits (if they are the smartest ones, and never have to try, they never learn anything about studying). But I think that the right teacher is the most important thing. Can you ask the current teacher for advice on how to help with the writing? Is she willing to explore different ways of doing things that might not involve so much writing? I would try to talk with her first - explain how he is obsessed with math at home, and ask if she has ideas on how to show this without the writing, which he may not be developmentally ready for yet?

Just random thoughts. People with actual experience, please chime in!

My DS6 is the same way with writing. He writes wonderful stories if allowed to use the computer, but if he has to use a pencil, forget it!

I agree with St Pauli that the teacher is the turning point. If you can get the teacher in your son's corner she'll bend over backwards to find a solution.

Hi iybuyk,
Both my dds are in an immersion program. It has been a terrific opportunity for them. My oldest went to a private pre-K that was one year advanced (but not a gifted school) and was bored out of her mind. When we put her in the immersion program she was finally challenged and also had a shared experience of learning a new language with her classmates. My oldest is now in 4th grade. We are planning to homeschool her next year because she is fluent in her second language and elementary school really has nothing further to offer her, but the immersion program was the best option for her up to this point.

Every situation and child is different, but I definitely recommend looking into the immersion program. Though I suspect learning a new language will offer your child some challenges, it won't solve the math problem. I am really surprised to hear that a gifted school is using Kumon for math. Kumon tends to be a drill & kill type of math program and can be stifling for mathematically gifted children.

Hi iybuyk,

I have a DD4 with a WPPSI score similar to your son's (139). She was attending a gifted preschool, but for logistical reasons we had to make a change. The preschool she's currently at is doing the "letter of the week" thing, and she's completely bored. I asked her the other day how it was going, and she said, "Mom, all we do is watch movies and play at stations. We don't LEARN anything." She is starting to balk at going to preschool, so I know what you mean about the love of school dwindling. Unfortunately, we don't have a lot of choice until next fall when she starts kindergarten.

Interestingly enough, my DD4 HATES to write as well. She gets frustrated because she can't form the letters/numbers well enough for her taste, so she avoids writing at all costs. It's hard to get her to practice, as her perfectionism prevents her from even attempting it. This could very well be your son's issue, as I know that gifted kids often "see" things in their heads much more clearly than they can physically dictate - and their frustration can be prohibitive. I wouldn't worry about the FSIQ being a "fluke" - a high score can't be earned by guessing on every question.

As for the immersion school, I know lots of people who love it. I have heard it's great for gifted kids for the first couple of years, but they tend to get ahead of everyone else after that anyway - the language immersion just prolongs the inevitable. We've actually looked at a dual language magnet for Kindergarten next year; we need to take a tour and find out more about it. There is an immersion thread around here somewhere that has a lot more info from others who have tried it. I also agree with St. Pauli about it being a good thing your DS isn't the smartest kid in school. My worry for gifted kids is that they don't figure out how to handle an academic challenge when they're young, and the first time they run into one (high school or college) they don't know how to take it.

Keep us posted on what you decide - I know where you're coming from, as I'm agonizing over what to do for K next year! Good luck!

Hi iybuyk,

Since my DS6 was a baby, I always gave him opportunities for him to develop the strength in his little hands. He played with water, snow, soil, play-dough, rice, noodles, anything he could get his hands on. By the age of 2 he knew how to spell his name with the magnets on the door of the fridge, and on a piece of paper with a marker (scary, considering what could have happened to the surrounding walls of our home). I think back now, and I believe that getting my DD6 to write at an early age had much to do with his early exposure to reading, and constant playing; exercising that mind, and those little fingers.