I took my DD to dance class this morning and the topic of conversation went to possibly holding a child back from starting kindergarten since he doesn't read. (A little background: a live in a highly acclaimed school district where it is very competitive.) I sat there in horror as I listened to another mother bragging about her son and his accomplishments (signs that he is gifted) and then throw it all away with the comment that by 3rd grade they all catch up. (sound familiar?) I was horrified for 2 reasons. 1. she was clearly bragging and practically proving beyond a shadow of a doubt that the other mother should be concerned and hold her child back ... which I will get to in a minute. 2. the fact that people seem to so easily dismiss their children's accomplishments and figure that all children will catch up, which of course makes me wonder in this particular school district if gifted children are more of the norm and normal children are the minority. As the other mothers talked I was checking off so many of the ridiculous comments that was posted by another person on this board. Have parents so willingly accepted these comments as truth? Or am I in such a unique school district that they are absolutely right?
As for the other mother's child, from what she stated her son was a normal kid for his accomplishments and it is sad that she feels pressured to hold him back because he isn't reading or doing simple math by the time he enters Kin.
