Gifted Issues Discussion homepage Forums Parenting and Advocacy Reading in Class

My 2nd grader loves reading - will spend all day and night reading if you let her. I'm struggling with how to tell the teacher to not let her read when she's done with her work. I understand that it's easy - and she is more than happy to sit quietly reading- but I don't feel like it's a particularly useful way to challenge her. The teacher does a good job of creating extension folders in math, etc. but my daughter doesn't choose them. Am I making a mountain out of a molehill?

You have an excellent point, but I think it's not a good idea to persue it, unless you are really looking forward to finding out what your DD's level of giftedness (LOG) and academic needs truly are, and going after some real change if your daughter is more than moderately gifted - such as a gradeskip, subject accelerations, homeschooling.

Don't take away her reading unless you really want to see the void that the reading is covering up. And kids really, really, really do learn quite a lot from reading.

What do you think?
Grinity

I don't mind advocacy - my older son really struggled with fitting the mold - he simply would not cooperate with busy work, so I'm somewhat used to it. But this is definitely a case where kids can be soooo different. My daughter is a pleaser - extremely sensitive. I vetoed the grade skip as she is just really emotionally young and the school has done a fair job of accommodating her thus far - last year she was in her own reading group and the teacher chose good classic literature that is difficult (Wizard of Oz, Black Beauty etc.), but not socially advanced. She was also part of a pull out math extension - so I felt in general she was challenged.

By way of background - the school did academic assessments that put her at 7th grade reading level and 4th grade math - we haven't done the whole battery of gifted testing, although we did go through it with our son. He's highly gifted and as my husband and I are both highly gifted - I figured why spend the $800 to find out she is highly gifted as well -

I'm used to a child that is very vocally unhappy in the school environment - I fear that my daughter is just making her own accommodation by disappearing into books.

I have to say, I don't think that taking away reading is a good idea. Yes, there are other things that your DD could do that would be equally beneficial, however, reading is an excellent tool. Why not choose a more advanced book. She can read nonfiction, biographies, etc. and gain very valuable information from it. Why not do your own enrichment with it and make her do a report on what she's read in her free time? Why not have her do comprehension questions with it or learn about a topic of her choosing. Have her create a Powerpoint presentation about a book she's read in her free time... I could go on and on. The possibilities are endless and reading is really a skill that can take her very far. My DD would read all day and all night too (and she does usually). I am all for it. Just my 2 cents.

My two cents, fwiw:
I think that there is some reason to be concerned if it is all just free choice reading. My DD has had quite a bit of that herself and is now--as I predicted over and over again when she was younger--unaccustomed to meeting deadlines, managing her time, working on things that she doesn't love, etc...

In school there should be SOME purpose (not busywork) behind the reading she is doing. Reading to learn about x....reading to be able to discuss....reading to compare and contrast.... At very least, perhaps an adult (teacher? mentor?) who will read some of the same books that she is reading and engage her in thoughtful, analytical discussion a couple of times per week. A caution though....if you choose to address this, be specific about what would/would not be valuable. Burying a second grader under reading assignments that are writing intensive is not positive. Motorically, writing is still a tiring a task and being able to THINK like an older student doesn't equate to being able to WRITE like an older student

Hi,

So many topics aren't ones we'd think of to explore, and after being introduced find we like them and want to learn more. So I see your point, that she may be just choosing what is comfortable, the rut of reading her books, rather than exploring topics she may later come to enjoy, and learning something in the process.

This is just a guess -- but in addition to making her own accomodation to her giftedness or combatting boredom, she could be using those blocks of reading time to regroup mentally. You say she is sensitive and a people pleaser, probably well mannered during classes all day long because she has good self control and wants to be liked -- but maybe not without some cost? She has time while she reads to be in charge of her own world, only appearing to sit placidly in the corner. Excitement, tension, anger and other emotions she feels reading may be ones she has squashed down all day in order to please the system and fit in. If so, the draw of reading isn't just that it's easy but that it also fulfills an emotional need.

Sorry for the analysis, and that could be way way off base... maybe she's only bored. But if she is why doesn't she seek more novelty by sometimes choosing the teacher's extra activities? They can't all sound awful.

If reading is an important outlet for her, then you don't want to take it away until the need isn't there so much, for example after she's gained more confidence to be more herself all day, or whatever it is.

Either way, fiddling with the reading a little by asking her to choose a book here and there that has educational value can't hurt.

Polly

Hi,
Another thing that you could try is that she writes/types a book review for each book that she reads - this managed to slow my DS down a bit and got him to think about what he was reading (main characters, plot, what he liked/didn't like etc.).

Polly,

I think you brought up some excellent points (sounds like my DD to a T.) She is also highly sensitive and acts like an angel at school, but at home, in her comfort zone,is a different child. She too, had to learn to squash down a lot of her emotions throughout the day. I agree, that "down time" of reading my be a mental escape. Great points!

That's my DD6 exactly too. Last year in K she came home crying everyday after school for the first 2 months. I was so upset and called the teacher several times. The teacher said it's good she is talking to me and letting those feelings out because home is a good place for that. (She is a perfect student and freind at school.) By talking we are building a relationship. I should try to listen and not always resolve it for her. Let her find her way. I realize this is not the answer to everything but this has helped me. I think when I can not be so worried the kids pick up on that vibe and that helps them get more relaxed with their struggles. This is still a challenge. How do we know when it's just necessary venting or when to make a change?

Wow - I apologize that it's taken me a while to get back - major computer issues. But thank you all for your comments. It's made me think about the reading in a different way. I do think it's a coping strategy (beyond boredom) for my daughter - frankly it's one I share with her. I still worry that she's not being challenged in the classroom, but I think I need to address that in other areas, not through the free reading.

Debbie,
I'm thinking that the teacher's 'nice Math' probably isn't going to be advanced enough to be interesting enough for your HG daughter, if we just 'assume' a LOG for her. What do you think about her going up, say, 2 years for subject acceleration in math? If she had some Math that was actually challenging, that would give her less time to read.

Best Wishes,
Grinity