Gifted Issues Discussion homepage Forums Learning Environments Left handed 4 yr old writing w right hand at schoo

I have a 4 year old ds in a play based preschool. 99.8 percentile. 143 score. Last year he was in montessori and HATED it. Although he was happy at home at school he was "depressed, anxious and aggressive." We had him evaluated and were told a) montessori is a bad fit and b) accelerate him into a 4 year old class even though he was 3 (he missed cut off by 4 weeks).

This year he is in a good play based school who agreed to put him in the older class. He's a very social kid and does seem much, much happier. He is adamant that it is not school, just a "play place." What concerns me is some odd behavior. For example, he can write his name perfectly -- with no assistance -- but at school it looks almost illegible. I realized its because he is writing his name at school with his right hand -- but he's left handed. Also, his art work at school looks like scribbles. Maybe because he's never really been into drawing but still ... It's where he was two years ago.

I should note that he has never been "pushed" academically so it's not like he's rebelling against something. Also, he soaks up learning at home and thrives on it but at school he just doesn't seem to engage and doesn't want to do the activities, all of which appear to be fun...maybe not cognitively stimulating...but fun. He is happy and he socializes well, but why would he "work" so far below where he naturally is?

It sounds like he might be trying to mask his abilities to blend in. He's seeing other children's abilities don't align with his and is falling prey to social proof.

Does the teacher know he is left handed? Some teachers are just bad at instructing kids who are left handed. He may just find it easier to try right handed in that situation. Like maybe the teacher is giving directions and he is just following them???

He could also be trying to create some additional challenge for himself in an understimulating environment.

The teacher does know he's left handed. I'm not sure she "buys into" the idea of giftedness and she doesn't seem concerned about his writing. Very little academics are done there until kindergarten so I don't think he has a lot of opportunity to notice that he's advanced. Most of the other kids there (small class of only 7) are a full year older but my son is super tall (youngest but also tallest in class).

I am unsure if I should let it be, not worry about the academics and just let him grow the social/emotional skills.... Or do I need to step in and "correct" or redirect his work habits, effort, etc so it doesn't become a problem later on down the road. I don't want him to think its ok to do the work part half way but I also don't want to create more of a problem then it is...

I'm well aware that motivation and engagement are huge keys to success so at this ground level I'm focuing on it more so than the skills themselves (plus he's already well well well beyond what's expected of him.)

Any advice?

I can't even tell you how much the OP sounds like DD! Crazy! Also lefty, also observed sometimes using her right (I think to fit in). Also in her second year of montessori pre-K Noticed her saying she just can't do things she used to do readily and recently confided she didn't like school. Some of her work is half done (I think because she is distracted by checking out what the other kids are up to). She wants her stuff to be the same as the example and gets frustrated when she can't. She knew her ABCs super early, and I now have to correct that darn "l-m-n-o" part.

I'm needing to decide between the public charter montessori K or a traditional public K and am just so torn between what will be best for her? She, like me, can fit in great, but I want her to fit in somewhere that she'll use her brains the best.

Her "progress report" looked like she's above where her peers are in everything but handwriting/scissors, but I'm wondering if that's a lefty thing that she'll catch up on. She'll just have turned 5 at the start of K.

I am a lefty who just gave up and learned to cut right handed with rightie scissors. All other fine motor leftie. Sports...right handed....housework...switch hit.

I think I am a true leftie though.