Gifted Issues Discussion homepage Forums Parenting and Advocacy HG 5th grade - What should we do?

Wow! Good for your boy! My daughter has been using a math program from beestar. There are two kinds of math programs. We are using the regular one. Maybe your kid can have a try the Gifted Talented Math. The worksheets are full of real life world problems, challenging stuff to help kids thinking. Pretty great. Have fun!
Lisa

Thank you all for sharing your thoughts. We've decided to keep him at his current school and in his current grade. The principal came through and told me on the first day of school after the Holidays that they will start letting him go to middle school science. He's going to start this week. Crossing fingers that it will work


Lisa, thanks for the info. I will look into it and let him try some of the exercises.


Elastigirl, we tried the ALEKS math for 1 month free trial. Both my DS and I think that they didn't give enough instruction. Like you, I had to sit down with him and gave the direct instructions. ALEKS is good for review, though ... As he just finished SM 6B, we're trying to decide between NEM and AoPS Intro to Algebra. Will it be too crazy to use both? I've heard that each one is an excellent program on its own and should not be used as supplements. Any thoughts?

Did you access the ALEKSpedia portion of the instruction before attempting new problems? When he first started using ALEKS, my son was reluctant to read first and then attempt problems - he would only read the explanations they gave if he got the problems wrong, not the long discussions and explanations that you could access at any time from the ALEKSpedia pages about that topic. He eventually came around, though...but it was a while before I even realized that he had the option of reading about the topic first because the program didn't require that you get instruction before attempting problems.

I am not sure how many times I've had the staff at our school tell me ds10 will get different work then of course it turns out he has to finish the other stuff first (he is not a speed demon so this never happens).



I noticed that when we did an Aleks trial several years ago. The EPGY courses seem to have an excellent level of verbal instruction from a (nice sounding) instructor, along with a video of what he/she is writing. And the info comes in bite-size chunks, then problems, then more lesson...I prefer that, and I know ds has been doing well with it. (just for future ref.)
I mentioned EPGY to our ds' gifted teacher and she was pretty excited to know they had courses for younger kids now, much to my surprise.


We are in a similar boat for middle school. Ds is interested in the math/science magnet but pretty sure he doesn't want to 'start over' making friends, which I agree is a big deal for him. The chances of getting into one of the few slots for the transfer to the magnet are small, but we applied anyway, almost hoping for a 'no' so we can just be ok with the regular school (lol!). That is odd too, because it is only going to be his school for 1 year, there is a new school opening in 2012 so he will move again (unless he goes to the magnet). Probably most of his buddies will move to the new school, however.

Thank goodness the regular high school is probably exactly the right one (technology magnet).

Grinity, I agree the schools sometimes seem to jump to suggesting problems in kids that are not fitting in, but at least in my experience it hasn't been out of any actual 'sense' that they are not doing their jobs!!
Seriouly, I think they are probably mostly genuinely concerned teachers out there, but oblivious to the differences in students at the upper end. Sigh.

Thanks Chris - that is much better put. On the individual level I agree that it's mostly perplexed and concerned individuals. You put it much better than I did. I was trying to convey a sense of how the whole system works (or fails) in an impersonal way. I do believe that most of the people involved are very good caring individuals working off of a 'bad map.' But good caring individuals have historically done lots of things that look pretty bad in retrospect because they were working off the only 'mental map' available at the time. And those mental maps are so appealing to us humans, we are loath to give them up when better data comes along. It does make me all the more grateful when I interact with the few school folks who 'get' our situation.

Love and More Love,
Grinity

Cocopandan,
That is wonderful news! I hope he has a great experience, and I bet that he will!
Grinity

Hi Cocopandan! You're welcome. I will be very happy if it helps.
Lisa