Gifted Issues Discussion homepage Forums Age or Ability Specific Forums "Children even out in reading by 3rd grade..."

Hi, I know this topic has been covered but I'm sorry I needed it spelled out for me again.

When I mentioned my cousin's DD 4.5 can read anything already, my friend repeated what she had been told by a teacher. "All children even out in reading by third grade." I decided to not question it.

Is that true?

Absolutely, positively NOT true.

Yes. In my experience, gifted girls who receive no accomodations at school learn to turn off learning completely by about year 2. During this shut down, it sure looks like everyone catches up but that's coz the gifted girlie has been coerced into standing still...

jojo

You know, I don't have so much of a problem with this idea if people would clarify it in that children that are slow to pick up the ideas associated with reading compared to the normal children are more likely to come up to par with the 'average' when given assistance. So by saying average the bell curve is brought into the equation and with a bell curve you will see the majority of students in the normal range with still some on the lower end and of course those on the higher end. So no: "ALL" children do not even out by third grade. The problem now is that the teachers and parents pass the line around and parents accept it when the teachers use that logic to not teach the advance child and have them wait until the others catch up.

So in the end: sure if the child is forbidden to progress at his or her on rate than I guess in time they all would catch up.

This is my usual answer, too.

Yes, teach a child NOTHING NEW for 3 or 4 years while you teach new things to everyone else, and the bright kid doesn't advance. Go figure!?

<beating head on wall repeatedly>

Okay. Thanks. This is what I thought I understood.

I'm guessing that my friend heard that statement with respect to slower developing kids catching up with ND kids by 3rd grade, like you said, KatelynsMom. I think my friend then turned around and applied that to an advanced reader.

My friend's DH is HG, and their DS had to be evaluated for some developmental quirks. The jury is out on whether he is gifted, ND, twice exceptional, or delayed.

I'm glad I didn't try to correct her in the moment.

What they said. Hell to the no...

Thanks for posting this. I have also heard the kids level out in 3rd grade. I didn't make sense to me, b/c my 2nd grader reads at a 5th grade level. That would mean every 3rd grader would also read at a 5th grade level, or, does it mean my 2nd grader would forget how read and comprehend.

Seablue ... I am going to bet your friend heard that statement in reference to her own child. I have heard parents spout that comment over and over when it comes to their own children reading by the time they go to kindergarten. Teachers make that comment in reference to an above average child all the time. My friend in South Africa just sent me a note about her meeting with the preschool principal and informed me she got that same argument in reference to her clearly HG+ kid. And then on top of that the stupid article I read on cnn.com this morning stating the same thing when it comes to 'gifted' children.

If you can't tell, I really have had my fill of it today. :P

The majority of kids do even out in 3rd..... but not all kids.

There is always a group way ahead and a group way behind.... generally the kids who are way ahead are highly, extremely or profoundly gifted.