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Hi,
I am new to this forum. I am hoping to get a little more insight on my families situation I am a mom of five children all very bright and well adjusted kids. My 4th child is 7 years old and in the second grade. he has always been very bright and very aware of his envirement. He loved being read to. He was always very attentive and just aware of his envirement. He started finally reading on his own at age 3. I thought this was very normal because all of my children love to read going to the library is like going to the candy store. I relized one day at in a mommy and me class that the other children didnt know how to read. I justified this achievment, by well he is the youngest out of 4 and all my children are avid readers and all read to him. We went on living as we do without question to us this was very normal. In preschool at age 4 He was asked to come up to the table to write his name the teacher was standing on the opposite side. He proceeded to write his name but he wrote it upside down and backwards from where the teacher was standing it was perfectly written she ask why did you write your name like that His response so you can read it from where you are standing.He is very clever and very mature but a very happy boy. In kindergarden was another wake up call he was reading The Magic Treehouse series, a book every other day. Once again while helping out in the classroom I started to relized that this wasnt so average. his teacher gave him more challenging work and just called him smart. He never broke any rule never was complained about being at school. He was the perfect student.In first grade once again was the ideal student forget learning the first grade cirrculum he had already mastered it in the first week. Finally I asked him do you get bored in school and he said no. I do other things when I finish my work like I count everything it is quite fun. I now relized he thoght himself to multiply, divide, adding lage numbers and so on. The teachers response is he'll probably go into the gate program in 4th grade.He is so content and well ajusted let him be. The more I push the school to do more for my son the more they brush me off as the doting mom. He does have 4 great friends his own age plays baseball every chance he gets and is very in tune with himself.He is a leader and has succeeded in everything he has attempted even self teaching himself to play the piano. He is now in second grade and recently shared with me that school is getting in the way of his way of learning.His reason for going back everyday his 4 best friend since kindergarden he would miss them to much. Our household envirement has always been a creative one and non judgemental anything goes as long as the rules are followed. Feelings in our house are deeply respected.Thats why I am here looking for advice. There is know that that he isnt very intelligent and clever and sensitve. He has never had a IQ test.Things have always just gone so well for until now. I'm not sure whee to go from here?
Baseball mom

Hi Baseballmom and welcome. I don't have much in the way of help, but I can say that we have had a similar situation to yours in that K and 1st grade went really well and second was the beginning of trouble. DS8 was tested in 1st grade for the gifted program at the request of his teacher and is in the pull out program a couple times a week. He was beginning to exhibit signs of extreme boredom earlier this year (his teacher thought he was depressed.) We have been working with the teachers and administrators to help address this and some of what they are doing is helping.

Can you set up a meeting with the teacher and address your concerns? At least start with getting her take on the situation. This might be enough to start a conversation on possible accommodations that can be put into place to help him before the situation has a chance to go downhill.

Hopefully others will check in with more advice to help you.

I think a little chat with teacher to 'keep them in the loop' is a good idea. I would also spend time observing a 4th grade gifted program and see if it's anything that would challenge and interest your son, that will prevent you from putting all your eggs in the wrong basket.

How old are the siblings? Having a close enough in age older sib is a great comfort to 'outside the norm' kids.

I'll bet you a dollar that the 4 best friends are also in need of further accommodation and perhaps it can be arranged for all of them to spend time in the gifted 4th grade math or reading room for part of the day.

I would try requesting, in writing, an IQ test, now, for your son. If you school has a gifted program, then you probably also have a gifted coordinator. Try do convince her or him to spend some time with your son and see what is going on. If that doesn't work, I would look around for a tester who is familiar with kids 'who teach themselves to read 'such and such' at age 3' ((what constitutes reading varies quite a bit from person to person))and pay for a test out of pocket, as insurance. It might be worthwhile for you to find out how your school accepts kids into the gifted program, to let the tester know.

I'm glad that your son is having fun and behaving, but that doesn't last forever in SOME kids, and a little insurance goes a long way.

Best Wishes,
Grinity

I would definitely get an QIQ test for him. It seems that you know where he is- but you need some data to back you up and make you feel sure of your conclusions. The test will tell you how big of a discrepancy there is between his current academic work and his ability. I am looking into getting a full-scale test done for my dd because she came close to the cap at the one given by the school. A local psychologist that works for a private gifted school indicates he would charge $400.00 to administer a full scale IQ test. I will use the results to advocate for my daughter and to better guide me on what acceleration I should request. Unfortunately, the private school is at least an hour's drive and we can not do the drive because of our work schedules (also very expensive). However, I think our school district is somewhat open to working with parents...

I will add that I think waiting until 4th grade for the gifted program is a long time to wait. Perhaps you could consider some alternative in the interim. Could his teacher give him more advanced work in the classroom he is in now?// Maybe home schooling or private school until the gifted program starts???

Good luck!

I would also recommend asking the school to do achievement testing for your DS. If the school finds on its own tests how much your DS is advanced, they might be more willing to try to differentiate for him before any GATE program begins. Also, your DS seems very mature, and maybe he can help out by doing a little self-advocacy. (I only have a DS6, so I'm no help in offering up how the self-advocacy would work, but maybe others can chime in.)

Thank you for all that has responded.My other children are 18,16,13,and 5. They are all great companions for my DS and are very close.I am fortunate.Asking for a achivement test is a good place to start.and my husband I are looking into some private testing. I hope it wont be to expensive!I also like the idea about visiting in the 4th grade gate class.Iknow it's a must that I start avocating for my DS I just hate the fact that people just look at me like a doting mom. After reading one of the responsives about his 4 best friends. They are all very bright children in a matter of fact thinking back they are all very diverse. One child is white and moron and female, one is half black half asian and catholic and male,the others are jewish one male and one female and of course my DS is hispanic and catholic. They are attracted to eachother because they are all differnt.They all bring something new to the table. Thank you for all who replied.