Gifted Issues Discussion homepage Forums Parenting and Advocacy Enrichment vs. Accelerated Work

Can I please get your opinions?

DS6 is in 1st grade after having skipped K. He's doing very well, although the academic stuff is generally still unchallenging. He's getting challenged in reading on occasion and he can read anything he wants at home so I'm not worried about challenge there. But I am worried about challenging him in math.

He knows virtually everything taught in 1st grade math, as well as regrouping, multiplication (although he doesn't have the facts memorized, save 1s, 2s, 5s, 10s), some division, fractions, time, etc. and just generally seems to have a good sense of how numbers work. His teacher knows he is beyond the 1st grade curriculum so she 1)has him in a small group that I pull out once a week for a math game of some sort, and 2) has provided him with a packet of problem solving activities that he is supposed to pull out when he is done with his work.

He is scheduled to take the MAP test this spring sometime with the 2nd graders (since our school doesn't test the 1st graders in math) so we can get some sense (and proof) of where he is math-wise. His teacher has commented that he's ready for 3rd grade work across the board, but she thinks he's socially where he should be and that he's still not great at sitting still all day since he's had one less year of practice than the other kids (she has never thought it was a problem).

We (his parents) have been thinking that subject acceleration would probably be the best way to go next year. The problem is, DS has been getting frustrated with the problem solving enrichment packet. He gets really upset that it doesn't come easily to him and that he doesn't always know the anwer right away, and he'll sometimes get frustrated and cry a bit. I kinda think it's just because he's never had to really think much at school, so it's good for him to feel some frustration. But I also talked with him about how it's okay if he doesn't know it, try his best, take it slowly, etc. It's possible he just doesn't know how to do these types of problems without someone to walk him through it a bit at first.

Does the fact that he's getting frustrated with problem solving enrichment (without any instruction) mean that we should focus on that since it's important and forget subject acceleration? Or, is subject acceleration still an important thing since he's working at a 3rd grade level and he could benefit from direct instruction?

Thanks if you've read this far!

Oh, I should add, that DS has started to get careless with some of his work. On his last math test he missed three problems for adding three to some of the numbers in the "math machine" instead of two and he missed one problem for miscounting pennies. Clearly, work that is very easy for him. I'm pretty sure his teacher would agree that those were silly mistakes, but still, it doesn't put his work in a good light.

Our ds9 is in a mostly enrichment type of gt program, but there is also regular class time acceleration by subject for each child. He had at the beginning of the year a series of 'thinking maps' he had to work through, before getting to any of the 'interesting' work for the gt class.

Well...these things just took him forever (compared with most of the kids). Part of this was lack of familiarity with the work, as well as it not being his cup of tea. I think it was good to work through these despite not enjoying it a bunch; I do think he learned some things, definitely not stuff that he would normally gravitate towards and just absorb.

No way would I say that backing off on his advanced reading/writing group would make any sense, however (if that had been suggested while he worked his way through this meta-cognition stuff).
This is a different kind of work and the kids need all of it they can get!

This was the cycle I was working to break from the very beginning. Our son was being spoiled by knowing everything all the time -- without any real effort -- and he had no clue what effort was required of most of the kids his age.

In fact, it wasn't until he met the evilest of all evils -- 3-digit long-division -- that he was faced with a genuine challenge in school. Because this challenge came 3.5 years into his schooling, he was really thrown for a loop. He's since slain that dragon and while he still groans deeply when it comes up, he (I think) appreciates how hard he had to work, and that he doesn't have to be afraid of challenges like that any more.

We work with his teachers behind the scenes trying to keep him from getting too comfortable (lazy?) and it is wonderful watching him tackle new challenges as they arise.

If you haven't already seen it, take a look at this article, "What a child doesn't learn," it adds some interesting perspective to the discussion:
http://www.wku.edu/academy/?p=430

Dandy

I think (based on having one, having been one, and a bit of reading) that mathy kids need two kinds of stretching:
1) a steady flow of new concepts to grapple with, AND
2) plenty of work solving novel problems which can be solved using only concepts they already know.
In the end, (2) is probably more important (in terms of developing real mathematical talent), but it's often the hardest for very young children to get to grips with. (1) is what you get out of subject acceleration, the kind where your DC just gets put with older children and taught alongside them.

It sounds as though your DS is currently only getting (2) and not really getting any support with it, and it's not surprising he's finding that hard. Looking at my DS and then generalizing wildly :-) I think it's important to have both together for young children because (1) actually contributes to (2). The process of understanding a new concept is itself a kind of puzzle, in that they have to deal with looking at some maths and not understanding it immediately. It's a rather tame kind of puzzle as there will be a path laid out for them into the new concept, but this can actually be helpful if novelty itself seems a bit scary.

My DS6 is in what is probably the ideal situation for him: he's in a small class with a very willing and capable teacher, and basically all his maths is individualised for him. He does a wide range of different things in class, including some problem solving (nothing very way out, I think, mostly word problems) and some new material; at home he does Descartes' Cove, Martin Gardner puzzles and anything else we think of, and we keep in touch with his teacher about what he's doing. The main advantage this has over acceleration is that he's still going at his own pace, which is much faster than standard, whereas if he had been simply put with a higher year I'd have been concerned that he'd have been bored and unchallenged again almost immediately. The main downside is that he's not getting to do maths with other children at his own level. I am pleased to see that he still has a pretty good level of perseverance (for a 6yo!) when faced with things he can't see how to do straight away.

I think in summary, no, I definitely don't think you should forget about acceleration (1) because of the difficulty your DS has with (2). Acceleration may well be a step towards dealing with that difficulty. I do think that, if and when you get your acceleration, you shouldn't assume that that will be all that's needed: if your DS is to realise his mathematical talent, he will also need support and encouragement with (2).

I think that the weepy behavior is a sign that his 'learning to learn' skills are very weak, and they are finally being challenged. I don't think it matters if they are challenged by subject acceleration, enrichment problems, or a full grade skip - you have to see what the available resources are and make your best choice.

What worries me is
1) that 6 is a perfectly normal age to be for 1st graders, so if your son is HG or PG an second skip on paper may be needed. If it's needed, then the sooner the better. The weepy behavior may be seen as a response to the general lack of challenge.

2) The teacher says he isn't 'practiced' at sitting still because it's new to him. It could just as easily be because of poor academic fit. (Or not) I would strongly recommend observing the classroom and seeing what she is talking about.

3) When he gets enrichment work, he still has to do his 'gradelevel' work. This is a set up for eventual frustration.

I recomend to see what the MAP test says and keep your options open. What I love about subject acceleration is that he can try it and still get enrichment. He can try it and stop if it doesn't work. He can try it and have it be an opening to a full skip if it seems like that is needed. Enrichment packets are good in their own way, but they don't tend to be followed through on by the next teacher in anykind of systematic way.

I love Enrichment, but it is treated like 'fluff' or 'an extra' instead of being taken seriously - so if you have a choice between Subject Accel and Enrichment and your child is rather more social in their learning style, I recommend to go Subject, and add Enrichment as needed.

Wouldn't it be cool if you could persuade them to place the top 3rd grade MAP tester in Math together so they could get subject enrichment AND enrichment problems at the same time?

Love and More Love,
Grinity

Ditto Grinity



This may also be because the enrichment work is not fun. The fact that he is instructed to do it after he finishes his other work may also be causing the fatigue.
My DD pulls out the old "its too hard" if the work is boring and other times she is just not in the mood to think.
FYI: Masterminds riddle math books are a great enrichment They are fun and challenging.

MY son is 6 and is in 1st grade - he goes to 2nd grade for math 3 times a week (the other 2 days there is a schedule conflict). He also gets math enrichment with the gifted teacher, and attends ULE (gifted) classes one day a week (I think it's a couple of hours - they're learning about space at the moment). I also work with him at home on harder math. He gets VERY frustrated when he comes across something he cannot do immediately, with me - but is getting better at letting me explain a concept to him. The school have already agreed that when he moves to 2nd grade, he will go to 3rd grade for math (though I think 4th grade would be a better fit, I'll take what I can get). He LOVES going to 2nd grade for math. The 2 days that he is in 1st grade for math, his teacher does make an effort to adapt whatever they are working on for him (eg she'll change addition to multiplication) - he doesn't have to do the 1st grade work plus more, harder stuff. I cannot imagine that his teacher would give him work and expect him to do it without explaining it first - so I can understand your son's frustration. I htink subject acceleration would work great for him !

I did it! I finally got up the courage to ask about DS trying out 2nd grade math! Even better, the teacher didn't outright refuse. She said he's definitely ready for 3rd grade math, so she isn't worried about content, but she'd have to talk to the 2nd grade teacher (whose wife had a baby yesterday, so it won't be until after spring break) and the principal, who in the past has been very supportive of my kids. I told her that I didn't want to make it a big deal, and she said that it wasn't a big deal at all. I reiterated that I knew he'd been getting frustrated with the problem solving worksheets and that I thought a little frustration was good, but I thought that letting him go to 2nd grade math might be good for him since he would be getting direct instruction. So, obviously, nothing has been agreed upon, but at least I got the courage to put the idea out there. So, yay for now!