Gifted Issues Discussion homepage Forums General Discussion The ultimate brag thread

At my kids' school, they just used a tack I think? You know the big puzzles with the outlines of the countries? They would outline it on construction paper, and then just punch around the outline, and when they had all of them punched out glue them on poster board. They learn pretty quickly that you have to make the holes very close together for it to be neat. Pretty low-tech! But it requires a lot of focus and persistence (and is great also for fine motor strength) and follow-through to complete the whole map. They were all VERY proud when they were done!

edited to say--a push pin, not a tack.

OMG! I'm so excited! DS3.1 FINALLY read out loud for me! I knew he can read words and I knew he can read more than that because I've been listening to him behind the door to his room but other than when he's alone he's very quiet and never reads for us and never even talks much. Still very much behind on speech. And just now he sat on my lap and started reading in his new I Spy book ... "I spy balloons on the letter B, and snow white ice on an ice cold C." turns a few pages and reads "I spy jewels on the letter J, and bright red kites on the letter K" ... VERY fluently ... the only word he had bit of trouble getting out of his mouth was balloons but absolutely no struggle, just fluent reading. And he did it like no biggie ... you know I can read, mom so why that look on your face? ... I LOVE MY LITTLE DUDE! Since now I finally know he can ready, what's the level ... anyone? Kindergarten I'd guess? I am so excited! Not for me but for HIM ... he's my extreme anxiety child so this was a huge step for him!

Hurray!! That's a really important milestone. My DD has never been much of a 'read-aloud' girl, either. She LOVES to read, though, and that's the important thing.

So excited for you both!

Thank you! This really is huge for him . He still has a big speech delay so I'm sure if the speech wasn't an issue he would be doing a lot more reading out loud. But his speech is getting better every day and I'm really excited for him!

This is one of those weirdo things that will ONLY make sense to others here.

DD, finishing a quiz, begins making clucking, chicken noises, and then snickers while she reads me a few things from the quiz...

She then says "I'm getting better and better... at imitating that most common of domestic birds... the lowly domesticated chicken... by the time I graduate... I should be PERFECT."


Okay-- background is Grandits' Technically, it's not my fault concrete poetry anthology. Just look up "chicken-brain" and you'll see.

I think that the direct quote is as follows:


And I must say, clearly the assessment... um.. gurus... at DD's school curriculum and instruction department are familiar with Grandits' work. Their comprehension could use some work on points A and B above, but they generally nail C and D, all right. No problem with those categories, nosirree...


Why is this a proud moment, hearing my 13yo cackling like a chicken and giggling at her schoolwork?

Well, because she is finally NOT investing so much of herself personally in these beyond-stupid multiple-choice assessments. She's tamed her perfectionism really, really, REALLY well over the past year. That has been like climbing a personal Everest for her.

That she is able to laugh at these now is amazing given where she was two years ago.

This reminds me...I wonder what DD's teacher thought of the notes I "wrote" from our pet chickens to encourage her when she was doing state standardized testing? (We were supposed to send in in empowering "You can do it! ROCK THIS STANDARDIZED ASSESSMENT" notes for them to get every day. DD was getting freaked out by the whole thing so I sent in ridiculous notes from the animals. )

That's adorable, ultramarina!

My DS 7 has a plastic Easter egg inside of a larger plastic Easter egg who is called Mutant Easter Egg.

Mutant Easter Egg makes the most adorable "hop, hop, hop" noises. Mutant Easter Egg also cuddles up to me and says "Nuzzle nuzzle. Nuzzle nuzzle."

DS5 went on a class field trip to a butterfly nursery today, where he identified a bush by its scientific name. The staff didn't know the name, but his teacher told them to go look it up because he was probably right. He was.

This is just THE BEST!! Love that your DS has his teacher understanding him so well and supporting him.

From my dd's language arts teacher, particularly awesome because she wants to be an author:
" In all honesty, M. is one of my all-time favorite students in 21 years of teaching. She is truly a gifted writer. I see her “going far” with whatever she decides to do with her life. On that note, I would be happy to talk with her about the International Spanish Academy; she would greatly enjoy this challenge, I think, and be extremely good at it with her love of language and her work ethic."
So glad to have a safe place to brag. Very proud of my dd!