Last year DS6�s teacher recommended that we get him tested as he was �on a different plane�. DH and I thought that he was bright, but then he was our first child and just what we were used to. The result was that he is gifted and it took a long while to get our heads around this.
He recently started a new school where they said that they could cater for him, but unfortunately so far it is not quite going to plan. Before they started the option was to accelerate him (which we were told would need to be by at least 2 years to have any impact) or to leave him at his grade level and do a special curriculum for him. We all decided best to leave him at Grade level. We are now well into school year and DS6 is telling us he is just getting �baby� work and it is all too easy. I have given teachers examples of previous work, but the only subject he is getting differentiated work in is Maths and even that is not challenging enough. DS says it makes him feel as if he has �no brain�.
DH and I are going to try to resolve this next week. I suggested that DS request harder work from one of the subject teachers if he wants it, which he did but the response that he got was �I am only one teacher and can�t split myself in half�. It is the first time DS has actually asked for something himself and unfortunately the response was not positive.
So yes, let me get to the point � in your experiences what is the best solution � pushing for a differentiated curriculum or just asking for the acceleration? The problem is that he is good at all the subjects so everything would need to be extended for him � is that unreasonable? To me the acceleration seems to be an easy opt-out, does anyone have experience of a 2 year acceleration? Any advice / suggestions welcome...
