New here, considering early entrance to K gifted school

[runningmama80]

Hi there!

I have an almost 4 year old who we recently had tested. He scored a 139 on the WPPSI. He was also given part of the WISC, and his reading pronunciation is at the 3rd grade level, his reading comprehension is at the 2nd grade level. The test was just this week, so I don't have the full report yet.

The Dr who administered the test felt that a gifted school would be the best option for him, and that he could start K next year. (He is a November b-day, so he misses the state cutoff by about 7 weeks.) He also said that my son "would be a fish out of water" at public school.

From my googling I have read that his score puts him at moderately gifted, and those students do fine with enrichment and more challenging work at a public school. It's the highly and profoundly gifted kids that need alternative schooling.

What is everyone's opinions and experiences with this? Right now he is at a Montessori preschool, where they are working with him individually at his level. I'm not sure if we should keep him there another year, or send him to the gifted school early.

Thanks for your help! I will be poking around here trying to figure this all out.

[whatsnextmom]

You have to factor in more than IQ. Personality, temperment, educational options... all sort of things play into how a child does in school. Generally, you wouldn't skip an MG child particularly in an already gifted or accelerated school. However, tests can be unreliable at that age and so perhaps he is higher on the scale. Maybe he's ultra driven and will achieve at higher levels than an HG kid. Lots of factors.

Personally, and based on my own experiences with 2 HG kids (10 and 13 not) if your DS is happy at Montessori I wouldn't move towards early admission. We enjoyed the freedom of not being in the school system and weren't eager to give it up. That said, we have a December cut-off and so my own fall baby was able to start kindie at 4 and my eldest moved to 1st grade a couple months after starting kindie. They are in public school with a host of accomodations and unique learning experiences... the gifted schools we looked at couldn't offer the same flexibility.

If he's happy and with teachers who will work with him, another year at montessori could be great. LOTS of gifted kids do well in Montessori. The worst that happens is that he's more ready for 1st than kindie and you can skip him them.

[runningmama80]

Thanks for your reply! All very good points. I guess I'm just afraid of making the wrong decision. Where's that instruction book this kid was supposed to cone with?

[KCMichigan]

I would explore all your options, but if he is happy at Montessori- I would leave it alone for now.


My DDs are not tested, but one was reading late 2nd grade before age 4- the other was at late 1st. We do not have GT schools in our area, they have an OCT Bday and misses the state cut off. They are so bored to tears in PreK this year. BUT socially could not have done ALL DAY K at 4.5 with their temperments. One DD tires easily and they are both still enjoying 'little kid' shows (Dinosaur Train, Sesame Street, Sid Science Kid etc)- they could have done 1/2 K though.

Thier teacher estimated at the end of last year at 4.5 my DDs were at a mid 2nd grade and an early 3rd for reading comprehension and they could phonetically 'read' at 4th+. BUT they do not have the stamina/interest for chapter books at those levels, rather we do a lot of high reading level picture books. Both can also do simple math, grouping, simple sentences, and all the K skills easily.

Our public schools have GT classes starting in mid-year K. We will be looking into the ASAP. The area we are in do well with advanced students and I look forward to seeing what they have to offer.


I would revisit it at the end of the school year and see what your options are. It totally depends on your specific DC and your area to be honest. Some kids need sometime for fine motor skills to 'catch up' and struggle with written language even with high IQ. Others need some social maturity....but some kids do great starting K at a young age (before age 5).

Just remember, nothing is for good. You could start K in Jan. You could start K and then decide it is not working, you could stay in Montessori. Do some research and try a few ideas out- it may take some time to find out what works best for your family!

[AllyRae]

Montessori is actually fantastic for gifted children because he can move at his own pace and seek out his own interests. My son falls into the moderately gifted range, but he also has autism. I didn't move him ahead at all and kept him entering kindy when the state cutoff had him enter because socially, he was way behind. The montessori school still challenged him, and now as a 1st grader, he is still doing very well. The areas he's proficient in, he's a couple grade levels above his 1st grade peers (but since it's a 1st-3rd grade classroom, he has access to things 2 years above his grade level), but being behind socially wasn't really a hinderance (again, because of the mixed age classrooms).

So, if he likes it, I'd keep him there. There's no hurry to move a child if they are doing well at a current placement.

[Linda on the move]

I agree with the others that if he's happy where he is, leave him there.

Originally Posted by runningmama80

It's the highly and profoundly gifted kids that need alternative schooling.

I don't agree with this statement. My kids go to a private alternative school. The school has a very diverse population, from sn kids who don't cope well at public school to gifted kids who don't cope well at public school to average kids whose parent want something different and a little special for them.

I think that parents are best off looking at all their options and considering which is best for their child as a whole person, rather than deciding what to do because a child's IQ falls between x and y, so must mean that option B is best for them.

[RiverTam]

Both of my gifted kids are in a Montessori school that goes to grade 6. We're leaving them there as long as possible so that they can go at their own rate. DS1 is allowed to push ahead as quickly as he wants. He's grade skipped, twice. He skipped K and he skipped 3rd grade. In both instances, it was at his insistence that he wanted to move up to the next class (primary to lower el, lower el to upper el). DS2 declined to move out of primary this year to start first (ie. skipping K) because he has friends in his primary class. That's okay, too. DS2 is being challenged with appropriate materials for a gifted kid in his primary class, but can stay in the classroom where his friends are.

[ollyoxenfree]

Agree with the general thoughts that choice of school and program depends on the child and not just a number (IQ). There are highly gifted children who do well in regular public schools and moderately gifted students who don't do well in any kind of school setting.

I also agree that if he is happy at Montessori that it could be the best place for him right now. My own 2 dc did really well in Montessori programs. They eventually moved into gifted public school programs, but I think Montessori offered lots of benefits.

ETA: It occurred to me that you may want to find out more about admission to the gifted program. Will he be able to enter at any grade, is there ever a wait list, are there transition years that make it easier to transfer in etc.? Answers to those questions may influence your decision.

Oh, and welcome!

[runningmama80]

Thanks for the input everyone!


I know that the number itself is not the whole story when it comes to the child as an individual, but the general recommendations in most of the gifted books I have read do mention IQ scores, and the different levels of giftedness a lot as to groups of individuals that need "xyz..."

I found out on the hoagies website (http://www.hoagiesgifted.org/highly_profoundly.htm) that his score does put him right inside the highly gifted category, so now what the Dr was saying does make sense as far as his abilities.

We met with his preschool teacher today, and I feel confident that he will be challenged appropriately at that school, at least for the next couple of years. The program only goes up to 6 year olds or kindy, so after that we will enroll him in the gifted school. I don't think there are waiting lists, and his score qualifies him for entrance. they will test him when he is ready to enter to determine the grade. They do allow grade skips at that school.

Thanks again everyone for contributing to the discussion. It's nice to hear from other parents who have experience with this!

[Linda on the move]

Originally Posted by runningmama80

I know that the number itself is not the whole story when it comes to the child as an individual, but the general recommendations in most of the gifted books I have read do mention IQ scores, and the different levels of giftedness a lot as to groups of individuals that need "xyz..."

yes, and you asked for input from moms of gifted kids who are older, and we told you what we thought!

[runningmama80]

Originally Posted by Linda on the move

yes, and you asked for input from moms of gifted kids who are older, and we told you what we thought!

I wasn't discounting anyone's advice, just explaining why I was using the score as a guide. I completely agree that every child is different, and generalizations are only a starting point in my decision making.

[loraxc]

Wait, the tester recommended early entrance AND a gifted school? I would think one or the other, no? And I would be biased to the gifted school myself (is it public or private?)

[runningmama80]

Originally Posted by loraxc

Wait, the tester recommended early entrance AND a gifted school? I would think one or the other, no? And I would be biased to the gifted school myself (is it public or private?)

Yep. Maybe because his birthday is in November? I think he misses the cut off by 6 weeks.


The school is a public charter school.