Gifted Issues Discussion homepage Forums Parenting and Advocacy Trying not to be too pessimistic

Hard to say, in my observation. The two things seem to be twinned, and have been present in my DD since birth.

Well, seemed to work for literacy and some motif/theme applications in the humanities for my DD, too, fwiw. Also; a variety of developmental milestones like walking, etc.

Montessori methodology was a real treat with a kid like this, I'll just say. I mean, the method behind that pedagogy was fine, though it was absolutely maddening how much work it was instructionally for what seemed like incredibly little engagement on DD's part... Teach-show-learn just seemed to happen as teach-show-refusal-show-show-refusal-show-show-refusal-~blink~MASTERY. Then we'd be right back to refusal. Because, you know, she DID do it. Perfectly. What did I think she was, anyway? A trained seal? A circus poodle? What is this "practice" thing you speak of?

DD13 still occasionally has this surreal mismatch with assignments. For example-- AP Lit has 'test prep' modules, where students run through a selection, answer questions about it, and then do a short write up of strengths and weaknesses, highlighting areas for personal improvement, etc. DD hasn't ever missed a question in those selections. So she's a bit bemused by the instructions; how is she to 'explain' why the correct answers are "better" than HER answers... if she didn't miss anything? While I can understand the use of such an activity, it's also clearly missing something in translation for my DD in particular. KWIM?


Oh, and it definitely works for organic chemistry. You just have to understand the top-down concept, which is beyond most college sophomores' readiness level. Once you understand electron density to a predictive level, o-chem is obvious and easy. Like Legos or Tinkertoys-- it's a matter of understanding how the parts match up and go together. Biochem and lots of life-science topics are the same way.

I would add that it worked that way for potty training here too. People always think I'm crazy when I say he potty trained himself (at 18 months). He insisted that he needed to use the potty (no prior experience) at 18 months. I finally gave in and held him on the much too big potty and he peed and pooped. We bought underwear and that was that.

Math was more the bang your head over his lack of one-to-one correspondence then in 6 months he progressed from counting to multiplication, division, square roots.... and still going.

I am really struggling to explain that yes we were at point such and such so many months ago and yes we are way out here now. Moving target is so right! My phrase has been "his growth isn't really linear as much as sudden enormous leaps". So hard to pin down and plan for!

We finally gave up trying to plan, really. This was unbelievably difficult when homeschooling. We did eclectic homeschooling not by choice but because it was the only thing that we could afford for very long. Curricula would seem "challenging to the point of maybe TOO challenging," then (often VERY briefly, just days) "awesome and fun" and then "not very interesting" (again often just days) and then "completely below level" without warning.

Not even "self-adjusting" software can accommodate it very well-- because she has such low tolerance for "demonstration" once she has mastery. She won't give the 'correct' answers for those next eight or twelve items before she gets the bump to the next conceptual level.

Our objectives now are to improve her tolerance for the world being pretty often out of step with HER (e.g. more patience with "you need to demonstrate" and linear pacing in instruction) and to get her to tap into that inner black box and learn to make it do HER bidding, rather than being at its mercy.

She has shown an ability to do that now that she's 13. That is, she can learn at that super-human rate when she wants to, and not just when it happens naturally. I was very worried about that when she was younger. Because she really couldn't seem to force her brain to engage before it was ready-- or something. I don't pretend to understand HOW this works.

What about the linear pacing in instruction? In a lifetime experience, when is this important outside of school? What percent of the skill pie is needed? I'm just curious. I never thought about it until I had DD.

Well, you do have to put up with it in training/learning that isn't self-directed, and even some that is if it's also automated and designed for more conventional learners.

Pretty much anything that isn't specifically autodidactic in nature, there will be some of it.

[the epiphanic learning thing DEFINITELY applies to history and experimental archaeology. jus' sayin'. Don't know _any_ EAs that don't rely on those leaps.]

Well, I went to the meet the teacher night tonight. He did imply that he liked working with gifted kids plus he does a lot of science and technology (he used to teach older kids). However scoping around the room he appears to be in the top reading group and it appears too easy - I hope the other kids in the group have been reading all summer too. We shall see after assessments. Will update then.

Thanks for your advice.

Ps. I don't think I am HG but I am probable MG or near. I think as I was quiet I just got to read a book not creative jobs.

Blah. It sounds like he had the number 4 test yesterday. When he had it last year he got 51/60 with about 5 of the errors in section 3 (the others were just careless mistakes). This time he spent so much time making sure section 3 was right that he ran out of time. I wonder how the other tests will go. I guess we will be after-schooling.