Gifted Issues Discussion homepage Forums Parenting and Advocacy Math Acceleration

DS7 is in a tracked 2nd grade class (unoffcial "GT" class out of 5 2nd grade classes) and was recently subject accelerated to the 3rd grade GT math class (compacted 3rd & 4th grade math). Although the acceleration idea was brought up by his teachers last year and this year, when I finally pursued it with the administration, the process took a while and was much more elaborate than I had expected. Essentially, DS7 had to demonstrated mastery of end of year math skills at least 2 years beyond and after that had to qualify based on his ability to solve problems that he had never encountered (new materials) as well as articulate/write step by step solutions.

Initially, I was puzzled why a student would have to be so far advance in order to accelerate at all. Now I kind of understand because it is clear that the subject accelerated student would have to be far more advanced that the typical student in his new class, partly because he would not have the same scaffold/support in place. For example, DS7 essentially jumped in the middle of the course without the prior background and due to scheduling issues there are days when DS7 would not be able to attend the class, but would have to complete the classwork anyhow.

While I already have dismiss the suggestion of grade acceleration and don't intend to subject accelerate him further at this point, it has become clear to me that when a student is accelerated in this manner, there is simpler no way for him to ever be in the same position as a typical student. By that, I am referring to the opportunity to be in a class where the bulk of the material will be new and/or challenging.

What in the world do parents do? I already have refrained from teaching math curriculum to DS, which had actually caused him to miss a few questions on the end-of-year mastery test as he didn't know all the vocabulary and the teaching conventions.

That there is the issue of what math options DS7 will have come 5th grade, which is the end of elementary school. He brought up the question a couple of times and I really didn't have an answer for him. As things stands now, he will be studying Algebra in 6th grade, upon entry to middle school. There already is established precedent for the most abled-students to take Algebra in 6th grade at the middle school.

I am sort of rambling, but I am just realizing that there really is no good fit for certain kids.