Gifted Issues Discussion homepage Forums Identification, Testing & Assessment Let's give up perfectionism, and lead!

Fact: Every Person who uses the word gifted has their own idea in their head.
Fact: We will never, ever be able to truly make catagories that fit actual real live breathing children.
Fact: That if we don't make catagories, imperfect as they may be, we can't lead others to our way of thinking.
Fact: Whatever we do will get twisted and perverted by unthinking people, and used to hurt the ones we want to help the most, sometimes, but if we do nothing, then very little will get accomplished for most Gifted Kids under most conditions.

((If you can bear to hear the truth you've spoken
Twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools,
from --Rudyard Kipling's If))

Proposal:
I propose that the products of education be divided into three tracks -
1 - Skills - such as handwriting, keyboarding, telling time, multiplication facts, taking turns
2 - Knowledge of the World - facts and how they interrelate
3 - Critical Thinking Skills



So I could come to school, tell the District that I have tests that show my child is functioning

Age+6mo on Track 1
Age+4y on Track 2
and
Age+5y on Track 3


and they'd say - that's terrific, we'll put him in this class where they work at age level on skills and above level +4 years on new knowledge and critical thinking.


Of course these tests don't exist yet. (These classrooms don't exist yet either, outside of a few schools and homes) When States and Homeschool curricula put together their scope and sequence, the topics could be divided onto the three tracks. Then a parent wouldn't have to spend money on an IQ test that the school district won't credit anyway. The parent could just bring in a tape, of their child performing the skills, reciting the knowledge, and discussing the topic/showing written product using their critial thinking skills along with the grade level guidelines that match. The district can view the product to confirm that it does match the intended grade, and have a short interview to met the child and confirm that it's not a hoax. Placement decisions can flow from there.

I think that we haven't wanted to be too clear about levels of Giftedness to avoid hurting people's feelings, but we here at GI toss around Ruff 2,3, and 4 and people are pleased for each other. I think we don't want to make divisions because what if a child underperforms with strangers and hides their talent? With this system, we can discribe, in the present, what a child is ready to learn, without getting involved with their future prognosis, their future value to the world. I believe that all children are valuable right now, as they are, valuable enough to deserve an educational experience that give them a clean chance at being their best selves.

What about the children who are extra creative. I propose placing a "c" next to which ever strand demonstrates the unusual creativity. As in:
+3 Skill,c for the child who has beautiful handwriting and invents calligraphy as she goes.
+2 Critical Thinking, c for the child who makes very creative arguments.

Also, I think there is a place for children who are particularly focused in a particular area. This could be denoted:
+2 Knowledge, with +6 in knowledge of the Environment.

Well my Dear Ones, I hope that someone else has already written all this down, and that we can get to work promoting it, or that you have objections and improvements to suggest. But for now, I'm having a very exciting day. Who has ideas?

Love and More Love,
Trinity