Gifted Issues Discussion homepage Forums Parenting and Advocacy I need a sanity check

Ack! Remember the boy who didn't want to do subtraction facts? Well, the teacher has succeeded in motivating him. He declares that he will "wallpaper his room with awards" and brought home his first certificate for level 1 addition and subtraction facts on Friday. I don't even know how many levels there are, but now he wants me to do flashcards with him and in three days (about 10 min/day) he has mastered subtraction up to 18. He has started incorporating multiplication cards as well.

I'm starting to feel a bit panicked...this is a good thing, right? I wasn't expecting him to get them this quickly--it took DD quite a bit longer. Does this mean his placement is too low in math? Or just that it soon will be?

Hm, I think I remember your other post...this turn around sounds pretty cool, the only thing that I'd even worry a bit about is the 'wallpaper his room with awards' part. I wonder what the teacher told him?
I think it might be good to (eventually) find a richer source of motivation for learning than awards, but heck, if this gets the ball rolling...it sounds like he's just plowing through these facts which I must admit I am jealous of!

How old is he again? (re: the placement thing - others might be able to weigh in on that part, I don't think I'd be much help there - or for that matter with the sanity part )

He's 5 yrs. 10 mos. and just started 2nd grade.


I know what you mean about the awards. The teacher also pays the kids in play money (plastic coins) for finishing work and good behavior. DS was already somewhat obsessed with money...I don't want him to think that he has to get paid just to do his work! Am I crazy to worry about this? He seems happy and motivated.

You know, this is really the first thing at school he's ever had to sink his teeth into. He just grabbed it and is bulldogging the heck out of it. I think he's enjoying himself!

Maybe I'm just not used to seeing him engaged with schoolwork. He's also started wanting me to quiz him on spelling. I discovered that he knows how to spell "raccoon". Maybe that's not so amazing, but I wasn't even sure how to spell it. I had to look it up to make sure it had two cees, so I know I wasn't the one who taught it to him!

I think his competitive nature is kicking in. I don't think it's unusual for a child that age to be motivated by external things, that's why the teacher uses play money to reward the children. The trick is to have him internalize those feelings of accomplishment and having the satisfaction of doing a job well, but that will take some time.


I don't have a clue about what you'll be doing to challenge him next month, but I think it might help to have a short chat with the teacher soon.

wow, you two are fast posters!

Ok, I will stop obsessing about rewards I know the teacher is partly doing it to encourage the kids to practice counting money.

I will try to play it by ear, Dottie, but that's a challenge for me . I like to have everything planned out or I start to feel a bit frantic.

I have been thinking about having a chat with the teacher (see obsessive planning above) but I have trouble visualizing how the conversation should go. I will just have to put it off until I know what I want to say and figure out how to say it.

I think I'd start it by saying, "wow! you sure picked up on a way to motivate DS! What will we do when he has all these facts memorized?"

It sounds to me like you have a kid and a teacher on the same wavelength and that she knows what makes him tick. I think it sounds wonderful. Clearly she has won your DS's respect. That goes a really long way in this world.

We have been fortunate to have had many such teachers in DS's life and I think that that is one reason we have never had to do more than subject acceleration.

Thank you, OHG!!!

I think acs said it better than I. We have been blessed with teachers who have really helped GS excel, and I always make a point of telling them how much I appreciate them.