I was labeled Gifted from 5th-8th grade. Which meant that we met for 1 period in 5th grade and did extra projects and brain teasers, etc. 6th-8th I was in the gifted math program and just got pulled for math. High school had no gifted program but had some teachers very against the entire idea of labeling kids. They made it their mission to verbally and academically belittle us for 4 years beginning the first day of 9th grade. Students knew of no recourse and I don't believe any teacher was ever reprimanded. So it's been a cheery experience.
As a parent, I've been understandably apprehensive about labeling my kids. I've read quite a few books about teaching your kids and try to subsidize his school work with work he's capable of doing. I haven't read anything specifically about gifted kids. Hopefully we'll find the books you've listed at our next trip to the library. (thanks for the recommendations) The social and emotional effect of LD are that he's bored and fidgits when he has nothing to do. Last year's teacher suggested we put him in special ed because he couldn't sit still. He would have sat if he had something to do for 90% of the day. His new teacher is much more understanding. She allows him to stand and pace (I'm not sold on this idea because I'm afraid next year's teacher might not be so accepting). I've made half a dozen rice-filled tubes for my son and other kids in the class to lay across their laps or over their shoulders to try to help them stay in their seats. I've seen LD in class a handful of times now thanks to being able to volunteer and I constantly see him walking around, helping other kids, fidgiting, bored. He does the work before the teacher's done explaining it. She writes stuff down on the board, then reads it out loud, then discusses it, then recites the answers verbatim for the students to print out on their papers, then they discuss it some more and wait for the kids to finish their papers. LD is usually done by the second step and waits for 10-15 minutes for the rest. Emotionally he's really outgoing although I've noticed that he doesn't raise his hand to answer questions I know he knows the answers to. On the playground he's comfortable walking up to anyone and talking to them. All the kids in his class seem to like him.
What is the professional help that you're talking about? Rhode Island's not too far away and we have some money we could use. We almost sent him to a private school this year but fell in love with the teaching sytle of his public school teacher. So that's $4,000 saved.
I've read through many messages here and LD seems to fit in with a lot of the kids here although not all. One major difference is that he's not motivated to learn outside of what the other kids are doing unless it's disquised as a computer game. If a teacher gives him an option to do more work IF he wants he'll politely say no thanks and the teacher doesn't push it.
Thanks so much for responding, it's tough feeling like you're the only parents going through this kind of thing. In our town we're looked at like a couple of freaks for wanting to even be involved in our kids' education let alone add to it.
