Gifted Issues Discussion homepage Forums Parenting and Advocacy ability peers

I'm wondering about ability peers. In DS's 3rd Grade class, there are kids who would beat him in Math facts, and there is someone reading at his level AR books. The school says he has peers. Do you think they know if this is true? He has 140 IQ. Do you think they know this if they have never did above level testing on these kids and they don't have opportunities to work above level except for 40 mins pull out GT enrichment? It seems school doesn't get what my son needs, so how can I believe this?

Is there a way to understand the difference in terms of education between IQ or 100, 120, & 140? Generally, I get that he doesn't need to study what he is learning now, he could learn with less repetions than ND, he could understand more complex info, ect. I need a way to get them to understand.

I wouldn't take AR book levels and quizzes as a reliable measure of giftedness. What I would like to know from the school is, how they differentiate learning for your child and the other children they refer to? The mere fact that they co-exist in a classroom isn't really accelerated learning or education to their abilities. It may be a fact that there are other GT kids, which is wonderful and the school should develop a plan for all these kids. Subject acceleration is a free strategy and so is grade skipping. What do you hope from the school?

Have you gone through the Iowa Acceleration Scale? What does that suggest for your child?

Jen

We have some condensing in Math. He is doing 3rd and 4th Grade Math this year. His school does not understand his needs and is not interested in him pretesting or bringing in a Math course, (unless it's for extra work). They think everyone must do all the perscribed work for each grade or they will not be prepared for the next.

I am looking into other schools. I'm also waiting for DYS membership to become effective.

I did the IOWA accelloration and he was one point away from the hightest score category with out the explore test results.

I don't want to whole grade accellorate until I know where he should be. I would like to try a class, I would like them to understand he would benefit from pretesting, subject accelloration, more appropriate work instead of more work, and being with intellectual peers. If he could be challenged in 2 or 3 subjects and stay with this age group, without feeling like the weird kid, I would like that. I'm not sure this is possible. He is insulted by the level of work and wants to do more on his level. "Why don't they let me come up with my own answer" is a typical type of question that says they are holding him back.

He has made some good friends at school this year. He seems to want to be with the smart kids. He has felt a bit outside at times. I think he likes his current age group.

I messed up and sent in the application without DS's signature. I can't believe I caused my own delay, but it should be very soon.

I wonder if peers are really an issue?

I feel like he is doing good at recess. He will be kept together thru out his schooling with a boy, the next smartest boy at school. We are lucky we live in walking distance from this boy. They are growing a nice friendship.

The Math situation makes me sad. DS doesn't just do Math he loves it. I think he would be ok to do an online course of Math eventually at school (if school would allow) and hopefully get to interact with peers who feel the same passion.

I think he is already "that math boy". He is desperate enough to do it a little bit different but it depends how different. Trial and error....

I agree about the fighting a difficult battle. I'm also still trying to define what am I really fighting for. I admire the people here that can just say put their child up a grade or two and that's it. My kid doesn't like change too much and seem a bit behind socially, emotionally so I need to define my big picture still. Maybe it means move him to another school, but I wish I could keep him with his local friendships he has been building friendships with.

I agree with Dottie about older kids choosing their peers. DD has found her closest friends to be 8th graders in her math GT classes. Finding the right fit in math can sometimes create enough breathing room and challenge to endure some easier classes.

DD was recently bumped up a year in math and even in our wonderful GT friendly school, her teacher met us with some resistance. Her point was that there were 5 other students with straight A's who are not asking to move up. Since DD was the one pursuing the change, I didn't talk to her teacher but I thought her point of view was odd. Some kids are content with an easy A, some work very hard for that A and none of them seemed frustrated with the class as DD did. Your teacher should also not consider other children as the measuring post for your child. Since he seems to be a mathy kid, getting the math class to the right level might be a great first step.

Jen

Thanks for the encouragment. I have been felt like if they moved him up a grade it would just feel like more work instead of the right work. I also think he likes many class mates. Somehow he knows which ones are smart and gravitates to them.

His first year at this school, In first grade he was playing teacher and brought in his Mindware Math worksheet for the kids to do at playground time. I thought this was funny. Maybe he was looking for peers, or just trying to share his interest or trying to get the kids caught up to him. LOL

I did not realize this. Thank you. I am still trying to define this battle.

Definately agree! I fought for two years to get the proper placement/dual enrollment for my DD. It was great for a semester, and lasted two. It was a success in my book. The success is just so short lived.

(Dottie, you don't know how much I envy you your school district.)

I think it might be a good idea to get a mentor into school or give him his own Math Online class at some point. Money will be an issue but maybe somehow we can do it. Somehow I need to get them to pretest and/or condense more.

I'm very hesitant to accellerate him in the Math. I think it will be too slow. We have Saxon Math and the school seems to be worried about him skipping some of it. I feel like I need to have a way to let school get more comfortable with the idea and then make it easy for them.

He needs to be able to share this math passion some how. I wish they had Math Club. They do Math counts in 6th ? I think. I'm not sure how much time that involves. I would like a yearly thing.

My husband was the best in statistics in college of anyone the professor ever taught. Might that tells us something with my son? I'm not sure if this is a silly question.