Gifted Issues Discussion homepage Forums Parenting and Advocacy Need Advice on Grade/Subject Acceleration

I have just recently found the forum and am so thankful I did. I have a gifted son age 12 in 6th grade who was tested gifted in Kindergarten. We looked into grade acceleration but were really discouraged from it because of social issues, etc. Needless to say even though they had a special full day gifted class I believe his learning was limited by the limited exposure he had to new materials. As I privately refer to it, he was dummied down while waiting for the rest of the kids to catch up. His main gifts were mathematics. Fast forward I now have a daughter who is 6 and in first grade and was just tested for gifted. Her scores are General Conceptual Ability 150. Verbal 140, Non Verbal Reasoning 142 and Spatial 157. Her gift is really language arts. I talked with the school extensively and they finally agreed to have her spend a 2 1/2 hour block in 2nd grade for language arts/reading. She is in the top group in 2nd grade and all is well socially.

I am considering pushing for whole grade acceleration and have her move into 3rd grade next year. I know it will be a battle with the school, but feel that if she continues in her current grade level she will eventually "dummy down" waiting for other kids to catch up.

Having her always be pulled out for a subject acceleration seems like it would set her apart from the other kids in both classes and cause more socially issues than just skipping ahead a grade. Plus what happens in the last year of elementary school when there is no grade to be pulled out to accelerate with? Her other subjects are ahead as well and her teacher currently has her working out of the 2nd grade math book too, but in the 1st grade room. Her language arts skill level though is at least 2 years ahead while other subjects are closer to 1 year ahead. I don't work with her at home on any of the subjects as she is already so far ahead of her peers. What are reasons to stick with subject acceleration versus grade acceleration?
What is this Iowa Acceleration Skill thing I hear about? Is that something I can administer at home or is it done somewhere? Are there other methods for evaluating whole grade acceleration? Does anyone have any tips on going to the school to ask for it? According to our school district, the principal makes the decision whether or not kids are accelerated. I'm sure they gather information from some sources, but don't know what those sources are. Thanks for any input.

Hi Dorthys, I am in the same boat w/a DS6 who did skip Kindergarten and we are having social issues. I guess skipping really depends on the child. Overall, I think girls are more mature and more able to handle skipping than boys are. But of course just my opinion, many will disagree. I dk really what to do next. I can't believe I am even considering homeschooling. I think NYC is not really in favor of grade skipping you prob have better luck in Iowa.

Welcome Dorthy S -

The Iowa Acceleration Scale is an instrument to gather various data and help with decision making when considering a grade skip for children in grades K-8th. There is a delightful book about it called the Iowa Acceleration Scale Manual, which is worth owning.

You daughter, however, is already proving herself more than any predictive instrument could do. You thinking about the drawbacks to subject acceleration are right on, so yes, I would encourage you to seek the gradeskip. She may also need additional subject accelerations on top of the full skip, or future skips with scores like she has. Take the first step and then monitor and take the second step...

BTW - don't give up on getting your son into a 'better fit' academic environment, even if it's only during the summer, doing a talent search summer camp, or at a saturday gifted class. Or maybe they would let him get that 'one day' program with older kids? Post more about him and his interests and we'll help you think about him. And, I do hear you kicking yourself over not asking for more when he was little. It's ok to have regret, but in the long run, you have to play the hand your were dealt, and remember that we weren't for you here 6 years ago. I'm so glad that we are NOW!

Love and More Love,
Grinity

Tracey - please don't be so quick to blame your DS for the current social issues. He may be behaving perfectly fine and friendly in the middle of a competitive bunch of nasty kids. Or there may be just one nasty kid who is leading the pack. Of course once a child is gradeskipped there is a tendency to blame every bad thing that ever happens on the gradeskip, that's one of the worst parts, but you have 4 months to practice flexiblity, so make good use of that time and explore. The answers will come in time...

Love and More Love -
Grinity

So does this book actually have some type of assessment you have the child complete, or do you complete something, or is it just more general information to help you make a decision?

Try these links:

http://www.hoagiesgifted.org/iowa_accel_scale.htm

http://www.davidsongifted.org/db/Articles_id_10053.aspx

http://www.amazon.com/dp/0910707553...41&creative=373501&link_code=as3

http://www.amazon.com/Iowa-Accelera...IKX0DER&pf_rd_r=1X6EW4PENHKBBPWTSY7J

I think of this book as a way to organize the information you already have, and of giving you greater insight into the information you already have. I also like that it's research based, not someone's idea of what works.

What happened at our house was that when DS was in 4th grade I read the book, finally understood 'above level tests' filled out the form, decided I was in favor of a gradeskip in our particular situation, gave the book to our principal while negotiating for a subject acceleration in Math. The principal and the assistient superintendent hadn't ever seen the book before, and stayed up all night calculating their score, which was similar to what I estimated. Then we all had a meeting and they told us 'No Way.' But we did get once weekly invitation to the 5th grade Math Club, and 5th grade music lessons. Which really helped a lot, amazingly.

The next year we switched school to the local private school. I had given up on the gradeskip idea (messy handwriting, very immature appearing - emotional kid, not compliant) but within one month he was reading books during class discussions again, so I asked for a skip, and within a week, he was a 6th grader. They didn't use the Iowa Acceleration Scale, just gave him the algebra readiness test that they use on end of 6th grade, and were guided by the school psychologist who had a similar son.

Advocacy is tough work, and one can do everything right and still get slammed. ((shrug))

Hi Grinity,
I think I just read this now.
My DS is very emotional and could be exaggerating.
I went for his bday and kids were crowded around him etc.
Of course it was his bday.
I spoke to the teacher she said it is true he doesn't have one friend he hangs out with so maybe that is what he means when he says he has no friends maybe "no best friend".
She tells me he talks to everyone etc.
So I dk.

Hi Traceyqns-
There is another way of looking at this:
Combo of OverExcitabilities and
Outward Directed Perfectionism.

The OE's mean that every happy and sad moment are intensely happy AND intensely sad. He's not really being very emotional compared to other people who are like him.
And the ODP means that the has a picture in his head of what would be under ideal circumstances that 'haunts him.'

These are daily occurances for all the members of my family. I gave DS12 the quiz in the book 'The Optimistic Child' and he scored 'off the charts' for both Optimism and Pessimism. Just a different normal, I think.

Love and more Love,
Grinity

Hi Grinty,
Boy you are very knowledgable, are you a therapist?
I think you really nailed it, both OE and ODP really describe my DS6. A small disappointment and he will say it is the worst day of his life etc. and then something good he will be over the moon w/excitement (I always just say he is very emotional). And for ODP geez I could give a million examples.
Playing any game and say a pice maybe broken or a piece of lego is missing , well he will flip saying "it is ruined, it is not the way it is supposed to be, fix it, I can't play w/it etc" Disaster, game ruined day ruined etc. Or say his grandmother usually comes on Fridays if she doesn't make it one day well then Friday is completely ruined, he flips out.

Kind of like having the base and treble maxed out?