Gifted Issues Discussion homepage Forums Regions Rocky Mountain School for the Gifted, Boulder, CO?

Thanks Cricket! I hadn't even considered that! It's an interesting idea, and it makes a lot of sense. I'll have to look into this deeper. Honestly, I hadn't thought very much about skipping her since my brother was skipped and won't consider skipping his own gifted DD due to his negative experience. On the other hand, I'm not sure he has really considered what it would have been like to repeat a year's worth of subject matter...we moved and the schools were very different in their levels.

I guess I should get that book from the library that debunks all the grade acceleration myths...

We did not grade skip our son. His birthday is the end of September so he was one of the oldest in the class. Our son has always had social issues....even standing out at RMS. He always wanted to fit in so badly, he grew tired of achieving, always being the best at everything and he mostly wanted to be liked by everyone. He burnt out at 8th grade ..and tried very hard to fail, which he did. High School was a disaster. Our son "chose" by himself to leave high school early, so it was his choice that he "grade skip." We tired, the schools tried, it was just that he is "so out there" the top 99th percentile. He HATES to hear that. Having a gifted kid like him was a curse to say the least. He's almost 19 and by being out of high school early, he has make much progress this past year (friendships, college classes). He is moving to Chicago to attend a performing arts college...and I actually feel good about it and think it will work out well.

Got off track there...so back to the grade skipping topic....

Also, if you check standerized testing scores, starting K and 1st there is usually a huge difference in where the kids are, but the studies show that by grade 4 (at least at RMS) or grade 5, they are all reading well enough...the later readers do tend to catch up so that you can have a much more "balanced classroom" at the upper elementary grades. It's better for the "gifted kids" to branch out horizontally, rather than pushing them ahead to be the best reader, math student, etc. It's not such a great thing socially to be so far ahead.
So, hope you all can learn from our experiences!

Hi mnsell, thank you for sharing your experience. It sounds like school was a rough ride for your son. High school is so hard anyway with so much drama and pressure to fit in, that any difference is terribly magnified during those years. I hope he finds his way at college. In many ways its such a better environment than high school.

Its been a long, crazy busy day, so I'm trying to sort out the thoughts to take away from your post...please forgive my denseness. Was your son trying to achieve in those earlier years, or did he always do well without trying because he was so gifted? Do you think things would have been better or made worse with an early grade skip? The huge difference in kids' abilities in the early years makes me wonder if early is better than later. Looking back, is there anything you would do differently or suggest I do?

If you don't mind my asking, is he in the 99th percentile, or the "top of the" 99th percentile? I only ask because my DD is in the 99th, but not the "top of the" 99th, so I am wondering whether it would differ for her? There's such a large difference between the two parts of the same percentile...my DD is gifted, but not PG.

I agree its not great socially to be so far ahead. She's such an avid reader though, that I can't see her slowing down much. She is capable in math, but has less interest so she is not as far ahead in that. We're doing a lot of science (which she loves) and starting history because they are both subjects that aren't covered for a while in school so they won't make her as ahead. My biggest worry is the sheer boredom of sitting around 'learning' things she already knows for long periods of time. I don't want her to lose her spark.

We aren't really an achievement oriented family as much as a 'big picture' family...what does she need to maintain her love of learning and end up in a 'happy place' after graduating (doing something she finds fulfilling and makes her happy). She has always been different than her peers though, and a bit socially challenged. You should see her in her playgroup...square peg, round hole comes to mind. She has improved a ton over the last few years of intensive socialization we've done with her, and I'm feeling fairly at peace with it. I'd be happy to keep her in her normal grade if I can find a way to keep it interesting for her.

My 5 year-old daughter attended Broomfield Academy's summer Kindergarten Prep class this year and loved it. The ILP was perfect for her and she was able to focus on 'the right things' for her. Small school, caring staff, teachers well trained in GT and associated skills.

Madsdad, Thanks for the review! Its good to hear from a parent who has experience with a school. Were there any things you didn't like about the school? It sounds truly fantastic, but it will hurt a bit coming up with the tuition. I do understand that that level of individual attention costs a lot of money. I'm looking forward to seeing it!

To me this just sounds like more of the "all kids catch up by the third grade" that a lot of us on this board hear all the time. My son is and has always has been a very advanced reader. The other kids didn't catch up to him in the 3rd, the 4th, the 5th - they still don't read what he reads.

And as for the "pushing", that word alone has been the topic of many a post here. When you have a child with, for example, an intense desire to understand trigonometry - a topic you know nothing about - and that child asks to be driven to the library to check out a text book on the subject because he just has to know... who is pushing whom?

And as for branching out horizontally, who says that is best for a gifted child? How far horizontally can one go in, say, arithmetic? At some point, for some kids, the only way to go is up. And that is the best thing for them. Being the youngest in a class brings it's own challenges, but so does being grossly underplaced with a bunch of children with whom the only thing you share is a birthday. There have been many studies to show that gifted children who have been accelerated fare much better on tests of emotional well being than those left behind. Accelerating a child to the proper level means that they are not always the best at everything, and that they will learn the value of hardwork and they won't "always be out there" in class.




To me, this sounds like a definitive argument TO gradeskip a child. You post that your son, after "gradeskipping" himself, has finally found his way, whereas before, when he was held in age/grade lockstep, he was miserable.

We accelerated our son to avoid the very problems that your son went through. He's still ahead of everyone, but the spotlight shining on him is not as bright as it would have been if he was sitting in the 6th grade. He fits in better with highschool aged kids that he ever did with kids his own age.

Having a child outside the norm is not easy. I wouldn't call it a curse, but it does have its difficulties. And every child's path will probably differ from someone else's. I'm glad that your son has finally found his place and is happy.

I compared the tuition with other area private schools. Broomfield Academy was $400/month less than Rocky Mountain School and $800/month less than one other large private school in the area. Yes, it is a lot of money at $1000/month, but appears to be in line with other area private schools, and less than other GT/ILP schools. What I liked: the quality of the teaching staff, their knowledge and experience with GT and ILP's, the large playground area, that all of the staff knew my child, the language instruction, teaching garden, that my daughter enjoyed it more than her previous school and wanted to be there (even in the summer). What I didn't like: it was a longer drive for me. My daughter often wanted to stay a bit after and play on the swings, which put me into a little heavier traffic on the way home.

Hi Madsdad, thanks for the feedback! If the only negative comment you have is that the commute is longer, then it must be pretty great! That your DD wanted to be there even in the summer is another big point in its favor. I like how you looked at the tuition as a relative comparison. Maybe that will help us get over the sticker shock.

Hi sdrothco,

Are you moving ahead then with Broomfield? If so I do hope to see you later this week. Send me a private message if you want to meet up.

Based on what you have mentioned about your DD 1st sounds like an appropriate fit. I was nervous because now my DD will be a year ahead going into K and making a choice like this is staging for a year skip all the way through. All I know is that looking at the other K's, even in private schools, reading is not an expectation, and that was not going to work for us. She writes and invents her own words! This last year at Montessori was a regression and I am starting to understand more and more that challenge and stimulation is intimately linked with a HG child's social and emotional well being. She is already starting to hide her talents, and she was in a multi-age classroom! So all of this combined with my gut I do think skipping is the right thing for my DD. It was a major philosophical shift for me because I had read the book The Hurried Child and was totally freaked out about rushing and pushing my kid. I have come to understand that those philosophies and gifted stuff are not opposing. Part of the shift was also that I also know my limits as a parent. While both my DH and I have lots of gifted traits personally, when she comes to me out of desperation wanting to learn something that we don't have a particular background in, I worry that at a certain point we won't be able to accommodate her needs holistically...anyway, the skipping thing is always on my mind and we'll see how this year goes!

Hi, I am new here so I hope you don't if I chime in. First, I am so sorry for parents at RMSG. What a loss to the community. Good luck to those families.

I have heard only wonderful things about Broomfield Academy. I was a little taken aback by the appearance of the school and lack of facilities and resources.

My daughter attended Boulder Country Day School for three years. This school does not accommodate bright children. She was placed at a corner desk and expected to teach herself. The school lacks in so many areas, History, Geography, Science, Writing. I felt that the school was more concerned with appearances and fancy assemblies. The school day is wasted with too many Specials classes and events (Music, Art, Choir, French, Assemblies every Friday) and not enough core work. My daughter only had 21 days of math in an entire school year. Appalling!!!!

My daughter now attends Flagstaff Academy, which is evolving into a top school for bright children. I see from the website docs, although I am not 100 percent sure about this, that all children grades 1-8 will attend math first thing in the morning. This will enable kids above grade level to attend appropriate math classes. Last year the ability grouping appeared to be limited to each grade. Flagstaff's Middle School appears to be struggling, with low CSAP scores in the 5th and 7th grades. The CSAP scores in Writing were moderate not high across all grade levels.

Dawson has an excellent reputation for Middle School and High School. However, the school does not seem to win many awards, if that matters.

Peak to Peak (K-12) and Summit (6-8) are by far the best schools in the area. However, there are thousands of students on the waiting lists for both schools. I heard that 1400 students applied for 22 spots last year. To get in, one parent would need to be employed there, as they give preference to teachers.

Superior Elementary has the highest CSAP scores in the area and does an excellent job with gifted children. I know a boy who remained in his grade for homeroom but was allowed to attend high school (YES!) for math and language.

Hope this helps. Your input has certainly helped me.