...(how do you do that quote thing?)
You can use the buttons, or use the quote button and then make note of how it appears in the box (vs. when it is submitted) on either side of what you've quoted.
Taminy! YES! I think it is the weirdest thing! DD9 was given challenge homework in Math...She told me about it and she acted like she won a prize claiming that "They called it harder work, Mommy, but really it's easier!" I looked at it...It was much harder. She did it all correctly and quickly.
Another weird thing she does - In her summer workbook (Singapore Math 4B)
There was a question: circle the higher fraction...
Number 1. a. 1/4, 3/5 b. 2/6, 7/8
Number 2. a 3/6, 6/9 b. 5/20, 6/10
I don't remember the actual fractions, but you get the idea.
So, she was trying to combine each set of fractions to see which set was higher, a. or b.
I used to just think that DD12 just wasn't concentrating or "trying" when she would make careless errors, but in some of our conversations this year I realized that she really didn't understand work that was below her level. It wasn't so much that she was offended at being given easy work (although that happened at times too), it's just that she couldn't imagine what the teacher could possibly be looking for because the answer seemed so obvious that it felt like it must be a trick (perhaps why your DD didn't answer when asked what color an orange is), OR, she knew she was supposed to elaborate on the answer, but she couldn't deconstruct and explain a response that was completely fused into a simple phrase in her mind. Other posters have written of similar issues to the one you described with the fractions--deciding what doesn't belong or interpreting a direction (inferring what is not explicitly stated or asked for) is a big problem for students who see multiple possibilities and are wired to reject the one that seems too obvious to be the actual intended answer. I always did worse in my hs and college classes when given a multiple choice test, than I did in classes that used short answer or essay formats. I can recall arguing over lost points on almost every mc test because my interpretation of what was being asked made sense with the wording, but didn't match the teacher intent. I was overjoyed to get past my prerequisite classes and leave those tests behind!
This year DD confessed to me that she was starting to write answers on her test to make the test itself more interesting to her. She said it as if she was doing something subversive and stated that her teachers would probably get mad. Of course, her teachers didn't get mad and she started getting higher grades because she was finally starting to show some thought. If your daughter is a "pleaser" or afraid of getting in trouble or disappointing the teacher, it's possible that she isn't showing what she is holding back because she is trying to do what she thinks is expected rather than employing her creativity.
As far as the math, I have a very similar DD, especially if asked to "show her work" on problems that aren't at all challenging to her. With my own students, I hand math tests back with circles around problems with errors. If a student can correct their own errors I do not make them continue to work on the same material, but we do have a conversation about standardized tests, which can only judge on the original work. We might even talk about the difference between what their grade would be in other situations compared to the grade they are going to recieve with their corrections. My hope is that it will help them become increasinly aware of the types of errors they make so that they can start to adjust their approach to test taking.
It can be frustrating to see errors happen, but it helps to be aware that the reason that it is frustrating has to do with other peoples' interpretations based on myths that gifted children would get 100% on everything. In other words, it is less about your daughter than it is about other people. You'll still want to coach her.
ps. The decision to not skip 4th grade math was because skipping anything isn't allowed...ever. They didn't care what her tests looked like...or her work...When I asked if her CMT scores would matter when they came in, the VP said "I'm sure she got the whole thing right. But our teachers are qualified to alter the curriculum in the classroom she is supposed to be in." [
That's frustrating! Perhaps you might approach it by asking for a clarification meeting and bringing along copies of your district's standards. You could say something like, "Thanks for meeting with me. I really appreciate your willingness to do the extra work to provide advanced instruction in the classroom, but this is a little bit new for me and I'm not sure I have a clear sense of what you mean. Can you help me understand what DDs math will look like in the classroom? Which grade level standards has she already met? [you could pull out the standards at that point and ask them to highlight standards they think she's met]. What will she work on when other students are learning those standards for the first time and who will instruct her on the skills that are new to her? What materials do you use for that? I'm trying to picture this in a way that doesn't leave her just trying to learn on her own, especially since I know she needs guidance on interpreting the questions/directions even when she understands the actual math"
If they are unable to highlight the standards, or what they have highlighted doesn't match what you see, request that they test her to ceiling and schedule a follow up meeting with you to look at what they find. You might even have your daughter join you at the end to go over her test so that she can make corrections on any concepts she actually does know.
I can't promise that school will be receptive, but if it's of big concern it might be worth a try.
