First Question: what is this gifted school like and why wouldn't you send him?
Second Question: if the school starts in 2nd grade, and the testing usually is done in Second Grade - how does that work?
Also-
Is your son happy? Does he like going with the older kids? Is he bored the rest of the time? Is he pretty normal in other respects but just loves Math?
My gut reaction is that if he is gifted enough to be singled out to go with the 2nd graders to the gifted Math time, he has made an impression on someone, somewhere, as 'more than ususally gifted.' Yes? My guess is that they don't even usually offer testing in 1st grade, so why now? Actually, that's a very good question!
Love and More Love,
Grinity
Why wouldn't we send him to the gifted school ? Mainly because the school he goes to is 5 minutes walk from work (I run a daycare) - PLUS, his school specializes in "Math, Science and Technology", which is perfect for him. I think, for now, we'd rather keep him there than uproot him. The gifted school only goes to 5th grade - so if we did send him there, he'd move again to go to middle school (there is no gifted middle school).
He is very happy at school ! He is the perfect kid in class (!), works hard, listens well, behaves himself, has lots of friends etc etc. Although 1st grade work is easy, he is happy to do it. He loves going to 2nd grade math (although he finds it easy, too). His says the enrichment class is harder (they're doing "Hands on Equations"), but still doable. He never complains about being bored.
He likes easy. Apart from math, he is ahead in his reading, too - there is one other child in 1st grade at his level. He gets his own spelling list each week (and also chooses to do the regular 1st grade list)- always gets them all right.
I really don't know if he is gifted or not. He sounds nothing like many of the other kids on here I read about, he didn't really start to read until Kindergarten, though numbers have always been his thing. I do do extra stuff at home with him when school is out, which he enjoys - he has a 4th grade math workbook that at times seems too easy. When he DOES come across something he can't do immediately, he'll get extremely frustrated - but once he calms down and realises he CAN do it, all is well.
Maybe I'm scared that if we do test him, that he'll not do well and lose what they are already offering him ? I don't know. Guess I'm confused at the moment - he's our only child, so learning as we go along
~! Jenny
