Gifted Issues Discussion homepage Forums Age or Ability Specific Forums Elementary School 2nd/3rd Grade 2011-2012

DD is starting her first year at a gifted magnet school next week. The materials we have gotten from the school so far make me very optimistic.

So glad to catch up with everyone and to hear good beginning stories from you early bird folks!

Open house is this Friday. DS7 is supposed to be in grade 3 math, but there's a new integrated curriculum. Worried about what that will mean for the accelerated kids. He's still reading/writing about 2 yrs ahead.

Biggest issue is still the fact that he doesn't actually complete schoolwork. I swear that child can turn thin air into something more interesting than the work he's supposed to do. School is supposed to place him with someone who will work with us to solve this issue, so fingers are crossed at the moment.

Let me start by saying... school hasn't started yet.. tomorrow is dd7 first day. We were told in the spring and confirmed (so I thought) last week, that she would be accelerated to 3rd grade math. Tonight at meet the teacher night, I was told by the principal it won't be happening as they do not have a plan in place to make this happen. I am not a happy camper. He said they will differentiate in the classroom. They tried this last year with a small group.. where they did enrichment and then after spring break they were moved to second grade math. Of that group 3 kids were to move to third grade math. grrrrrrrrrrr

I have a meeting with the principal on Thursday morning (while my k-er is taking the ISEL test. He is also supposed to be accelerated in math based off spring MAP testing he was at a mid 1st grade level at that point.

ok, day 2 and so far so good. DD8's teacher has prior experience teaching special ed (last 10+ teaching gifted, before that was Sp.Ed.) and there are other sensory/processing issue kids in the class. She asked if i could get her a copy of the OT's report. The school already has it since she has a 504, should I get the school to give her a copy or just informally give her a copy myself?

f&j's mom - How frustrating! I hope it get straightened out. I can't believe they just pulled the rug out from under you like that. gggrrrrr indeed!

DS7 starts next Tuesday. There was a mixup in classroom placement, so I had one day of thinking that DS would not be in the same class as his friends (which we've been telling him all summer). But it was a mistake, and so happily he'll be progressing with his classmates. Yay! (One day of panic, all better....)

Just got a message from ds8's 3rd grade teacher - she's trying to figure out how to get him into 4th grade math - the schedules just aren't meshing. The best she can come up with is to have him miss afternoon recess in order to go to math. Don't know how well that will go down with him Though she did also say that he'll be going to 4th grade for reading, during part of her 3rd grade math, which is something new ! I guess we'll have to see how it goes. Wonder how she'd react if we suggested he just moved up to 4th grade full time ?

NCPMom,

A full grade skip sounds like a reasonable request, if he is already going to be there for reading and math. I'd go for it.

I'm glad things turned out happily, but that one day must have aged you 5 years, eh?

Hi everyone.

DS6 loved his first week of second grade. He says the work is easy, but I hope he will be in for a surprise once they get past the review work. He says he gets along with the kids in his class. He did say that a group of girls were saying he was small, but he said they were joking with him. I'm not sure if they were picking on him and maybe he just didn't understand that they were? There is also a girl who is 8 who keeps saying DS isn't smart because he just turned 6. The teacher had talked with her, but this girl really hurts DS's feelings.

Had a great first meeting with DD8's teacher today. They're going to group kids by ability across classrooms for math and reading. All math and reading instruction will take place in the small groups, and each group will be able to progress at its own speed. The math group is starting out below DD's level (and below the level of at least one of the other kids in her group), but it should be able to rapidly move through the review work and into the fun new stuff. DD8 isn't as advanced as DD10 (she's only 1-2 years ahead, rather than 4+), so this should be perfect for her.