gifted class but not gifted?

[onyxravnos]

So DSD has been recommended for the gifted class at her public school... Now don't get me wrong she's a very smart girl but...well... I don't think she's actually gifted.

 I think because she had a Oct birthday so is a year older then most everyone else in her class (and therefore more ready for academics then the younger kids) that she appears to be doing gifted work. I worry that if they put her in gifted classes she will be expected to do work she can't and will lose the drive to learn at all, or think she is dumb...

thoughts? tips? just try it out and see? i also worry that if i am right, they put her in gifted classes just to have to take her out again that the same issues will apply..

ty mamas!

[ollyoxenfree]

I'd want to know a little more about the gifted program. How is it structured, what is the philosophy and methodology, how does it differ from the regular class, who is teaching it, who are the other students?

Is it mostly an enrichment class for high achievers? It sounds like students are admitted based on teacher recommendations, without any kind of psycho-educational assessments, IQ testing etc. If that's the case then the criteria for admission are probably fairly broad. Likely, there is a broader spectrum of students in the class compared to a gifted program that requires assessments and a specific IQ result for admission. In other words, the class probably has a number of early high achieving students and not just gifted exceptional learners. Even if your DD isn't gifted (and she may or may not be), she may still fit in well and the program may suit her. 

Are there good reasons to move her into a different program now? Is her teacher unable or unwilling to meet her needs? Does her teacher predict that it will be tougher for her in a regular classroom in future? Are there better or wider learning opportunities in the other program? Do you see problems for your dd in the regular classroom? How does your DD feel about her current class and the idea of a move into a gifted program? 

I would also want more information about requirements for continuing in the gifted class, since you raise that issue. The gifted programs I'm familiar with all require an assessment and have a benchmark IQ result for admission. Gifted learners are considered special education students. Once identified, a child could never lose that status. The only way they would leave a gifted program is if the parents requested a change. So there would be no question of a child being "kicked out" of a gifted program. If your school has some kind of ongoing achievement standard for enrolment in a gifted class, I'd want specifics. I think that kind of standard would create an atmosphere in the classroom that I wouldn't be happy with.

Edited by ollyoxenfree - 11/11/10 at 2:12am

[eepster]

have some faith in her.  Teachers don't go around giving out these recommendations all willy-nilly.

If she sees/hears/figures out that you don't think she is capable of handling the gifted class, then she is likely to start underachieving. Stop doubting her and start just being happy for her.

[whatsnextmom]

Many gifted programs are really more high-achiever programs. I know this is a frustration for some with gifted children (and myself included at times) but when it comes down to it, gifted learners aren't the only ones that need a little extra sometimes. If your DD is ready for more, she should get it no matter what her label is. It may be she was reccomended because she's older but someone felt she was a fit for that specific program. I'm always in the "try-it" camp. Worst that happens is you decide to pull her and blame it on your thinking it's too much "extra work" or "you don't like her to miss regular class time," ect. If you treat it as no big deal that she's going into it, then if you pull her out, it'll being easier to sell as no big deal.

You should also consider that smart/gifted can be a very thin line. 2 points could make the difference between being "gifted" and "high-average." Gifted children can look like anything under the son. The gifted scale is quite diverse. Some are obvious but many just scoot through school being "bright."

[emilysmama]

I was in your position almost two years ago.  My dd tested into a gifted elementary magnet school.  I looked at a very brief summary of the test results, and as far as I could tell, my dd was only a little bit above average.  I'm not sure I interpreted it correctly, but since the goal for testing as far as I was concerned was to see if dd could get into the school, I didn't bother to try to understand the purpose of the test.

I have met a couple of the top graduates from this gifted school, and those children were so brilliant, they almost crackled.  These children were able to take math classes 4 or 5 years ahead of their grade level, and were never bored. This indicated to me that the school is very flexible about meeting the needs of even the most extreme child.

My dd is nothing like that, so I hesitated to send her.

But I did decide to try it for a year (K), and I was very pleased.  My dd is back for a second year. She surprised me because she is at the top of her class.  I still don't think gifted is the right word for my dd, but she is definitely smarter than my husband and me, and we were labeled gifted as children.

The range of aptitudes and abilities is still enormous, but the school seems to be able to adapt to each child really well. 

I say, take a tour to observe the class, and then try it for a year to see what happens.

When I was in fourth grade, I was sent to a gifted classroom after my mother put up a big fight with the school system.  I didn't seem brilliant.  But that gifted classroom was the making of me.  I blossomed there and learned that I could be good at school.  If I hadn't made that discovery, I would never have had the mindset to eventually go on to get a Ph.D. in physics. I meet people in my line of work who are what I consider truly gifted, so to this day, I don't consider myself gifted.  However, that program was a fantastic fit for me, and I contributed a lot to the classroom learning as well.

[contactmaya]

My ds seems so goofy compared to his classmates. He is admittedly almost a year younger than many of them due to the charms

of the cut off dates for enrolement. He's at a private school.

He surprised me though, when he scored in the 99th percentile in the Gifted and Talented test. I wasnt sure if he would do well or not. I was surprised that he did that well.

I think intelligence manifests itself in different ways. I wish i could figure out how to fix a zipper, or get my cable to work properly. Im forever complaining, 'i wish i could understand!'

But im good an analysing abstract concepts that dont serve a purpose to most people, or even to myself.

I say give it a try. I agree that the teachers wouldnt have sugggested a gifted program without a reason.

Maya

[ChristaN]

I'd second what a number of the pps have said to try to find out more about the program.  Where we live, and in a lot of other locations, the gifted programming is a program aimed toward high achieving kids.  Although I understand the intent behind the comment above about the difference being maybe a matter of a few points on a scale, I really believe that the difference between "gifted" and "bright" is much more qualitative than that.  Gifted kids process differently, learn differently, and are able to make connections that are not as frequently made by the bright high achievers.  Ironically enough, they also may not achieve as highly in a traditional school setting as bright but not gifted kids. 

None the less, if your gifted program looks like ours does, you'll have 10-20% of the kids in it -- making it a perfectly fine fit for a bright, but not quite gifted child.  I'd venture to say that gifted programs that admit 10% or more of the kids are a better fit for high achievers than they are for gifted kids.

[whatsnextmom]

Originally Posted by ChristaN 

I'd second what a number of the pps have said to try to find out more about the program.  Where we live, and in a lot of other locations, the gifted programming is a program aimed toward high achieving kids.  Although I understand the intent behind the comment above about the difference being maybe a matter of a few points on a scale, I really believe that the difference between "gifted" and "bright" is much more qualitative than that.  Gifted kids process differently, learn differently, and are able to make connections that are not as frequently made by the bright high achievers.  Ironically enough, they also may not achieve as highly in a traditional school setting as bright but not gifted kids. 

None the less, if your gifted program looks like ours does, you'll have 10-20% of the kids in it -- making it a perfectly fine fit for a bright, but not quite gifted child.  I'd venture to say that gifted programs that admit 10% or more of the kids are a better fit for high achievers than they are for gifted kids.

But the point is that the gifted scale is quite vast. Gifted kids can look as different from eachother as they do to their average peers. There is a cut-off and those that are on the border still qualify as gifted even though they may not seem like obvious cases. They aren't neccessarily thinking so divergently as much as have the ability to process information faster but still in a traditional manner. They are deserving of services too. Truth is, it would be best to have a GATE and a Highly Gifted program within a school though we haven't been all that impressed by the HG program and my DD's high school so far.

[chrysgee]

Point spreads aside, I'm just thrilled to see some positive press about gifted education.