Gifted Issues Discussion homepage Forums General Discussion Very depressing article

It's been a while since I read this. May not be appropriate for kids, but it IS appropriate in the context of a GT kid awakening to their gifts, then having them squashed. Many think that its an allegory on special ed, but its also an allegory on the development of unusual abilities.

Maybe he can read it and write on it?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flowers_for_Algernon

ha... excellent... thanks!

Great post! Totally agree.

I agree that any one or two or even several milestones reached early mean nothing in and of themselves. I think LOTS of milestones reached early can be an indicator of GTness.

I think Ruf helped me personally because she offers concrete groups of milestones that work together to indicate just how "serious" the giftedness is. If the milestones indicate level 4, that's a different scenario than if they indicate level 1 or 2. I thought I had a level 2 kid; the milestones said he was a level 4 kid. That opened my eyes, and they needed to be opened.

I don't think her levels are the final word on giftedness, anymore than I think one test is the final word on giftedness. But I think milestones are one more tool that can be useful in seeing kids as completely as possible so that their needs can be met. More tools are better than fewer.

The danger I see in milestones is if they lead people to think that a given child is *not* gifted because s/he didn't do everything early. That's problematic.

As for the article, at least they gave the kids an extra year. Usually they say everyone catches up by 3rd grade...

TOTALLY agree! As someone who flew under the GT radar until late high school/college, I have a special place in my heart for HG+ kids that are underachieving. My 2 kids (1 HG+, other TBD) have little natural work ethic. They expect everything to just fall in their laps. DS works comfortably 3-6 years ahead of grade level with prodding from me a couple hours a day, could easily do more, but would much rather re-read comic books. He does a little dramatic play every time I expose him to a new math concept, and is doing it without effort 5 minutes later. I shudder to think where he would be right now had he not been IDed in his PS kindergarten class. He is much better than when we first started HS.

My son started reading at 2, was reading fluently on a first grade level at 3, was reading fluently on a third grade level when he started kindergarten, and after vision therapy during kindergarten was reading on a fifth grade level. Now in second grade he reads on a solid middle school level overall and at an adult level in areas of interest.

I fail to see how his more average peers are going to catch up with him by fourth grade.

They must be doing something wrong at Spring Hill School if their precocious readers start to fall behind by grade four.

LOL! That's my kindergarten days to a T...and so true generally. If people are "catching up" to early readers, something's gone wrong.