Gifted Issues Discussion homepage Forums General Discussion I should've brought it home in a jar...

I have been MIA due to being crazy busy at work and a little thing called my appendix. I should've brought it home in a jar! DS5 would've been fascinated. Maybe I will get back into the swing of things soon and FINALLY (after what 4 months or so?) get y'all my long-winded introduction! hehe.

PS. We had K "preview" last week, and I was told DS5 could not be tested to grade skip or go to 1st/2nd for reading... FAB. Of course, they DID look totally dumbfounded when I tried to explain his abilities are that of someone at least 2 years older than he is, as if it's totally not possible. Ah, the joys of dealing with this state's "policies" (note slight sarcasm).

Sorry to hear about your bad news:(
I am afraid I will have the same problem with my DS in a few years, he has almost mastered K at 2, and our district does not grade skip for K. My school does offer enrichment but nothing new.
Of course your school may change their mind after school gets going and see that you were right! We Wish you LUCK!!

Welcome and Welcome back JJ'smom!
Heal Well, and start planning your escape routes. Of course I hope he'll get a wonderful teacher who really gets him and you wont need to do anything of the sort, but I would start 'Formal Afterschooling' now so that DS gets used to working at his readiness level with you, every school night, even if only for 10 minutes, as a formal family tradition.

I have seen kids do well, even with far out abilities, even without grade skips IF they have the kind of relationship with their parents when the parent demands and expects the kid to work at their readiness level even though the other kids in class aren't expected to do anywhere near as complicate homework. I know one mom who arrived in school one the first day with her daughter and a stack of workbooks that she 'expected' the teacher to give the child to do instead of the regular seatwork. And the teachers always did. (The family was unusually high status in their very small town, so mere mortals like us may have a harder time.) Still, the girl sat at her desk right next to the teachers desk all through elementary school and personally that is like a nightmare to my mind. Talk about your 'least worst option.' She has grown into a lovely young woman.

To be honest, it takes a certian amount of flexibility in a kid's personality for this to work well. My kid was not having any of it, and understood that he could make everyone around him just as miserable as he was. If idle hands are the Devil's tools, then my son's idle mind was like a whole machine shop! So document document doument what his abilities and behavior is like now, before school, so that when someone tells you he has a behavior problem, you can bring in dated work, in his own handwriting, that shows that no - he and the school have a 'educational readiness level' problem. I pray it doesn't happen to you, but better to be prepared.

Love and More Love,
Grimity

So sorry your first experience hasn't been so great. I have to say, that although schools haven't done things before doesn't mean they can't. My DS's school recommended him skipping K...but they also said they have never really done that before. They have had a few kids skip later on, and a few kids that have subject acceleration, but that is it. I did pursue testing before hand and had them review it and meet him so that it was there idea. I assumed they would see that K wouldn't work for him, and they did. I don't think skipping K is for all gifted kids...there are lots of other factors that should be looked at. But if they aren't skipped they should at least be able to provide more acceleration as needed within the K classroom or in another setting. It really makes me sad that people say they have policies like that, when legally they have to meet the needs of individual children. So they should have a K screening, and if they see that he knows all that stuff, they should do more for him. Our school has a "policy" that all children get K screenings. Yet they told me that DS didn't need to get one based on all the testing I had done. Policies can change based on students needs, and they should. There are always exceptions to rules. I live in an awful state(for gifted needs at least it is one of the worst)...but thankfully the school so far has been understanding and talks about meeting his needs as an indvidual. We will see when school actually starts but I am hopeful. I wish you the best of luck in your future of advocating : )

JJsMom,
Is it a full day or a half day program? This seems to make a huge difference...

Has he done daycare or preschool? how did that go for him?
Best Wishes,
Grinity

I tried to take my placenta home last time I gave birth, and the staff said they couldn't permit it. I believe your appendix had to be discarded with medical waste at the hospital, so don't feel bad about leaving it behind.

I hope you're feeling fine now...

LOL, Lorel & Thanks.

Grinity, he's in public pre-k right now, but he's been in "preschool" since he was 8 weeks old (you know, no one wants to call it daycare anymore). And thanks for the advice. I have workbooks that we do now b/c he enjoys it. I don't really want him skipping grades, but he's not in K now b/c of his birthday (December). So it's not like he'd be THAT far behind everyone if he was in K now... oh, and it's full day K.

I just really get most annoyed with the disbelief. Like there's no way that he might just have slightly above average intelligence at such a young age.

He's already got a teacher "fighting" for him because of how polite he was and how advanced his drawings were compared to the other kids (the kids got to go "experience" the classroom while the parents were "orientated"-ha).

I'm not THAT worried yet. I just want to be proactive, not reactive. And I have kept almost every drawing (like before his houses and detailed faces before he turned 2) and dated them, etc... so I have everything ready.