Thanks to all! You've given me a lot of information to ponder. As far as books, Trinity I have none. I only started my research on the gifted. If you can recommend one to aid me in deciphering whether she is or isn't I would be very appreciative.
Cym, I'm so happy your son is doing great now. I've questioned from time to time if perhaps my DD lives with the challenge of ADD. Her pediatrician doesn't think so but had me fill out a preliminary questionnaire for my own peace of mind. It did not seem to apply to my DD. Her conduct is extraordinary; she recently was awarded a medal at a school assembly for excellent character, she's very calm (always has been), and stays focused on things SHE enjoys.
My daughter's interests are varied. She adores music but doesn't care for the piano. I teach her that anyway only to challenge her mind. She's determined (has been since two or so) to learn the flute but I can't find anyone who teaches the flute to a child her age. She absolutely loves to sing and has a pretty voice (even as a very young child). The three of us take French classes and she does a lot better than my husband (I have some French background) although this isn't surprising since most children are capable of learning a new language at a much more rapid speed than an adult anyway. But her main interest are animals. She enjoys going to the Humane Society. Our problem is prying her away. She goes bonkers if we're driving and she spots a stray dog. She will go from this very calm and respectful little girl to a state of insanity at the fact we won't stop to rescue it. She becomes very concerned about it getting injured. She'll talk about it for days. I guess what I'm saying is that whatever her interest may be, becomes a passion and whatever she dislikes she abhors. There's rarely a middle. I don't know if any of this is at all related to being gifted or if perhaps she's just an interesting but ordinary kid.
Many of you speak of spotting giftedness early on because your child learned to read. My daughter did not start reading until she began kindergarten. She started doing Math at about one but had no interest in learning to read. To my dismay this is an area she still doesn't enjoy. She's a good reader and knows well that reading is part of our daily routine so she concedes but rarely on her own is prompted to pick up a book. This hurts because I've enjoyed reading and writing all of my life. I've come to terms with the fact though that she is her own little person and that her likes and dislikes do not have to reflect those of my own.
There are a few children I know who are labeled gifted and yet they don't seem to be much different than my daughter. As I sit here and write I'm discovering that all her friends she prefers to spend time with are gifted. They're all older, too. And yet neither one of them learned to read early on either (I thought of your son, Trinity). Recently a friend of hers said they were learning state capitals in her gifted class. My daughter knows the state capitals not because she's smart but because I chose to teach her. Can anyone explain to me what exactly a gifted class covers that a regular curriculum does not? I question too if perhaps most children are gifted in one area or another and the school system holds them all back to accommodate the few who aren't up to their speed YET? And if so, is this fair? Rather than testing for those who are gifted should we not be testing for those who are not?
As you can see I'm so confused. Our school district tests for giftedness twice a year and a parent can choose to nominate their child to be tested. After reading your posts we will take into consideration having her tested. I like your idea about obscuring the outcome from her.
I've given you some insight to my little girl. Gifted or not I'll continue to fill her little life with knowledge and experiences to stimulate her young fresh brain. As loving parents, don't we all have the same responsibility?
My thanks to all of you!!!!
