Gifted Issues Discussion homepage Forums Age or Ability Specific Forums Elementary School Book review for appropriate content?

Michael Clay Thompson's Classics in the Classroom is the resource I wish I'd had in high school, when my questioning mind butted up against literary analysis. The...let's say, "pull it out of your butt" aspects of AP English class drove me up a wall. I found it hilarious that I could write an A paper on Conrad's Heart of Darkness by delving into the deeper meaning of the odor of rotting hippopotamus. LOL. Thompson's approach, and his exploration of Bloom's Taxonomy, helps me to see the WHY of analysis. It's also got a terrific book list.

My kiddo is doing something similar in math, getting frustrated by anything he can grasp quickly, longing to just dive into an entirely novel subject and wrestle it into submission. For mine, though, I do feel like there's got to be some mediating influence. I can't let him do diving-in exclusively...I don't think. Especially not when he also still gets at least as frustrated if he CAN'T force the material to submit to his intellect, at least not without a little bit of direct instruction. (Oh how it galls him to have to watch one of Richard Rusczyk's videos when he's working on Alcumus math!) LOL.

Anyway. Good luck!!

Agree that I would try to steer him towards historic children's and young adult literature, such as Ivanhoe. How about. Jack London, Fenimoore Cooper, Alexandre Dumas, stuff like that? Adventure novels, with sophisticated vocabulary or historical insight but which treat stuff such as love, marriage, sexuality, and death, with the superficial chivalry a 9 yo can grasp. I recall reading a lot of novels too early - for some things, it does take emotional and, yes, physical maturity to actually understand beyond a superficial level, and as soon as you DO understand, yes, they can be very disturbing.

Is there someone who can help me determine if my children are gifted before I continue on this page?

Jbell, you've posted this message in a couple of different places. I suspect that you're getting caught up in new-member-moderation, so your posts aren't posting immediately and you think you're doing something wrong. The first few posts that new members make on this board are moderated as a measure to control spam bots. (Your posts will appear, just delayed.)

We have no gifted police and no one will check up on whether your children are gifted before you can participate. If you suspect they might be, start a thread and ask whatever questions you have. If you have advice for others (e.g., books to recommend in this thread), just post it.

Welcome!