Gifted Issues Discussion homepage Forums Identification, Testing & Assessment Upcoming IQ test: question

Hi...my first post.

DS6 is having his first WISC soon. He will also have an achievement test at a later date. Last year he was at a montessori and they were impressed with his abilities. He learned multiplication and complained daily that he wanted to move on to harder work but the teacher told us she needed to focus on the kids who were slower.

This year, against the advice of his pediatrician, psychologist, teachers and principal, I enrolled him in public kindergarten. He hasn't learned anything he didn't know three years ago.

We are planning an IQ and achievement test this month so we can figure out what we're dealing with and help him accordingly. The problem is that, again, he hasn't learned a thing this year and is artificially stunted at the public K level. I don't know if he even remembers multiplication! How is he going to perform well on the achievement test? He learns what I teach him almost before the words are out of your mouth. I'm worried that with normal achievement scores the school won't respond to our advocacy efforts. Does anyone know anything about this? Should I hothouse him over the next three weeks? It seems so unethical.

IMO, this would not be hot housing--it would be refreshing his memory. If your son resists I would stop but I can already predict that he will probably be excited to relearn some more challenging concepts. I doubt you will even need to give him more than simple prompting for multiplication. Good luck!

My ds7 just took the WISC IQ test and there was no math questions in it. In a couple months, he will be taking the achievement test. I asked my psychologist what I should do to prepare him. He said just review the topics of math with him.

My ds was way ahead in math before KG. Just like your son, he did not learn anything in KG and I did not push it. In first grade, I couldn't wait for the school to differentiate, so I started supplementing him. It took me at least few weeks to bring him up to speed.

O.k. Wow. Thanks for the recommendations. I will bring him back up to speed. Do either of you know where I can get appropriate materials? He knows all of the K sight words. I read to him every night. I've gone through "What your kindergartner needs to know." by E.D. Hirsch. Where do I look for more? I have about one month.

I mean to be clear: I'm not asking for possible test questions. I'm looking to move forward with his education so that we can accurately assess what he's capable of learning. We haven't been doing any formal educating whatsoever because he finishes the entire month's homework packet in less than ten minutes. I have feared that teaching him ahead would cause more problems/boredom in the classroom so I've limited working with him to looking up particular areas of interest and answering his daily questions.

I'm glad you are going to give Afterschooling a try. I let this fear limit what would have come naturally to me with my son, and it still didn't help, it only made it harder for the school to understand what kind of learner he really is. And it gave him the message that 'academics aren't really that important.' We had him memorizing the lyrics to every Simon and Garfunkle song out of timidity! It took a few years to correct this mistake for us, but I predict it will only take a week or two for you!

And yes, you will have to face that he won't learn anything in school, but he isn't anyway.

Love and More Love,
Grinity

I hope my question doesn't sound accusitory. this is pure curiosity (or pieces to the larger puzzle) ,

why did you decide to enroll your son in public K despite the advice? do you feel like your edicational options were limited?

It sounds like you may have had a compelling reason to go against advice from several parties who have some knowledge of your son...

Also, is there a reason he started in kindergarten instead of first grade?

For resources on what they should know by X grade I have seen some workbooks in Barnes and Nobles. They have a whole section dedicated to this. If I am not mistaken, they are by subject area and then further broken down by grade. I don't know how good they are but you might be able to browse them and get an idea of what they are learning.

We did it to save money. Private school starts at 10K where I live. The stress public school has caused us has not been worth the savings. Huge huge huge mistake and it won't happen again. Just trying to get through the rest of the year.

The reason that he started K instead of first is that everyone that I spoke with (school district, vice princicpal...) was very upset at the insinuation that DS6 is smart. The vp responded with "all the kids here are smart." I tried to talk to a few other moms about my dilemma and encountered rage in response. Even my family members have reacted angrily. My older cousin said, "I think he's smart but not that smart." She played a game with him that he had never seen along with her two kids who are both older. He creamed everyone. She told me, "He's played this before." I said, "No, he hasn't. Honey, have you played this before?" He said, "No." She said, "Yes he has, I can tell." Her husband sarcastically told me, "Everyone's kid is smart...everyone's kid is good looking, aren't they?"

This is certainly one way to find out who your friends are!

Wow, you really got a taste of it didn't you? Let me guess; all student's even out by third grade too. My husband has heard the same comments of everyone's kid is smart and good looking from peers at work. He has just learned not to share, so when we go into the office and the peers are asking our DD simple questions they are always shocked she answers them correctly. Just makes me laugh because they have no idea. But I think more than anything it is the competition game. Your cousin doesn't want to admit that another child could be smarter than hers which means they are the ones with the problem of not wanting to believe any child is smarter or better looking than theirs. I personally would love to meet a child smarter than mine. It would be refreshing.

But on the other info about public vs. private... I hope you aren't thinking that just because it is private your problems will be over. Just like public school there are many levels of private. But I will have my fingers crossed that sending him to private will mean they teach him what he needs and not limit him. Here is to hoping.

Yikes!


BIG HUGS TO YOU!

It is such a huge decision already! Balancing your kids needs against finances. So tough! My son will be old enough to go to K next fall which would save us big money over his current Montessori. But then, would it be worth it in the end? Sigh
I am not in your shoes yet but I kinda know how you must feel.

You know, we do the best we can at the time. I am sure if you knew then (at the start of K) what you know now.... Hindsight is 20/20 and all that...

And on to top of it friends and realtives giving you grief instead of support. bah!

Anyway, hang in there. There is a lot of support on this board.