And I have definitely not been sure my son(s) is/are gifted. Sometimes they seem so absolutely average to me. And they never were the prodigies I'd see when I occasionally went over to the Babycenter gifted board. But then they'd do something that seemed so scary smart we'd be stunned. But then they'd fall back into being their usual selves...kind of as if a fish jumped out of dark waters and you just see the flash for a minute and are left saying, did I really see that? Are those ripples, or am I imagining things? The doubt has made me really susceptible to believing what people say about wait and let the schools figure it out. I'm really as glad to have finally decided to go for testing just to remove the wondering what we're dealing with as for any other reason.
Lovely discription - much more beautiful than my version:
"If he's so gifted, then why is his fly unzipped?"
Also - I wanted to point out to you that with your friends and family that you mentioned in your early post about gradeskip dread, your kids probably are quite average amoung the people you know best. This is how it often is.
What you describe about being subject accelerated is one of the reasons that I like a full gradeskip, once you get settled in, you can go back to being a regular kid, particularly if you start early. OTOH, if the full skip isn't enough, it can be a 'permission giver' to be with the older kids for a few subjects. Much nicer when you can 'go up' with a friend or two, yes? And with a gradeskip as a base, it's easier find other kids who are ready to go up with you.
Of course the pace will still be a problem, but then again, things don't have to be perfect, just what you said before, yes?
I strongly encourage you to go to your library. CT has a great Interlibrary Loan system as well. Think of it as boldness training. Really. Besides, the librarians have a code of honor, I think. Besides, you can order from home, and pick up when they arrive...
Here's an article about it, with links:
Library From Home
Our Card Catalog iCONN databases Netlibrary-downloadable audio InfoAnytime
Today�s library is more than a physical location. You can access these library resources from home 24/7 for help with homework or to find information and fun books to read! Visit our Bibliomation�card catalog� by clicking here .You can check your record by choosing the �My Account� tab and entering your library card number. If you�d like to check other libraries in the system choose �Bibliomation Global� at the top of the page. If you would like to place a hold find the desired item and then click on the �request item� box in the lower right hand corner.
If you would like to order a book which is not in the Bibliomation card catalog (above) you may try the Connecticut statewide interlibrary loan system, which is called reQuest. If you use this link you do not need to enter your library card number at all. You will be sent to our reQuest portal and the books will automatically come to our library. If you cannot find the item in either Bibliomation or reQuest please come into the library to see if we can get the book for you in another way. We aim to please!
Anyway, you are going to be at this meeting. Tell them he's really unhappy and not playing with others. Tell them you've seen a big increase in his competetivness and a big decrease in his tenderness to others. Tell them to test him on their end of year tests and to keep going until he gets less than a 75%. Don't wait for the scores - they won't mean a thing to the school folks. Don't wait for Davidson YSP, they may or may not be impressed. Just tell them to use their own tests and not to stop until they find where your kid actually is. Then they can try subject or full acceleration for a while and see if it works, and if it doesn't, you can always try homeschooling.
He could do 6th grade 5 times! Start thinking about what your school has to offer like a Menu, One from Colum A, Two from Colum B, and be ready to try stuff.
Also, contact Connecticut Associate for the Gifted and see if you can hire a Parent Advocate to go to the meetings with you.
my favorite trick is to schedule meetings at the end of the day, and not let them go home until your demands are met. Perhaps not this meeting, but the one where they met to review the findings of all the end of year tests they gave him.
Basically you are between a rock and a hard place, so think temporary and short term solutions, ok?
Smiles,
Grinity
