I have a 5yr old boy in Kindergarten. I had him tested before he entered because he just seemed to be moving a lot faster than expected. He indeed was going in around the 1st/2nd grade levels in math and reading but the school said that they don't really service kids until 3rd grade. I asked for modifications but I haven't had any luck getting a decent response. I was told that there was one self-contained gifted program in the district but I was discouraged to look at it because most parents found it too challenging for their students. I feel like we are being pushed to the side and that no one is listening. Any ideas?

Maybe you can get some info about what your state requires for educating gifted kids on your state's department of education website. Some states require that a school gives a kid appropriate learning materials even if there is no "official" gifted program in place until later grades. Also, I would ignore the person who discouraged you from looking into the self-contained gifted program and check it out for yourself. You know your kid best.

Also, how does your DS5 (dear son age 5) like kindergarten? If he seems to be liking it well, maybe there's no need to do anything just yet? If he's unhappy and really not learning anything, maybe you could check out the 1st grade, and if it seems a better fit, suggest to the school a mid-year grade skip to 1st?

Also, check out Hoagies gifted. They are full of info on gifted kids. Here's a link to the advocacy page. http://www.hoagiesgifted.org/advocacy.htm

good luck!

Thank you so much!!! I will check it out!!!

LOL - what would be the point of a self-contained gifted program if most parents found that the work was just right for their child?

Anyway, I agree to
a) apply to the gifted self=contained program. It may be good or bad, but you won't know until you try, and what's the harm?
b) institute 'Parent demanded homework' afterschool. It doesn't have to be more than 10 minutes 5 days a week, but make it a family tradition, so that by the time he is old enough to balk, he's just 'used to it.' Let half the time be for things you think would be challenging, and half the time for topics he is interested in, but again, at a challenging level. It will take a bit of twiddling to find his 'readiness level' for the various subjects. The point is to train him to expect to 'work a bit' from a young age, because even if he's perfectly happy at school, that is one important skill that he won't learn there.

Question: What exact kind of test(s) did he take? What is the school system like?

Welcome,
so glad we are here for you,
Grinity

Dear Mguinta,

My kids were in a self-contained gifted program. A lot of parents and teachers continue to "bad-mouth" the program for reasons I cannot understand. Part of it may be jealousy. Classes are small and regular-ed teachers with classes of 20-25 are resentful of a teacher who only has 8 or 9; we had legislative money to buy computer and science equipment. The kids in the class with high IQs tend to stick together on the playground so people think they're socially maladjusted. Some are strange kids (people would say that about most asynchronous populations) who have different interests that their agemates.

Anyway, I re-iterate st pauli girl & grinity's advice to check out the program for yourself instead of listening to others. We ask that a qualified student spend a day in the class to see for themselves how they'd fit in. Most everyone finds that one day is enough to understand that it is precisely where they belong--and an enormous breath of fresh air. We have had kids who left because there was too much work or because they opted to homeschool, but at least 95% feel the self-contained class is fantastic (and as good as you make it if you're an involved parent).