Need workbook or online resources for gifted 4th grader

[velochic]

I don't post here much, as we've not yet had issues that needed to be addressed with our dd (9).   She is advanced academically in a school that is already academically aggressive.  She is particularly gifted in languages and science, and in math, as well, but to a lesser extent (and interest).  Her teachers have asked us to help out with additional work in class this year (in class, when she gets done early with her work).

We've exhausted the workbooks from mindware.com. We get workbooks at the bookstore, too.  I get crosswords online for dd to work on.  I feel like I'm running out of options.  I really need something to occupy dd in class.  At home we have no end to interesting things to do, but they are often tactile and involve more than just paper an pencil.  She gets plenty of supplemental education at home, as needed, but still needs something to occupy herself during those times at school when she need to be quiet and engaged.

I'd appreciate any references or thoughts that anyone has to help out with this.  TIA!!

[moominmamma]

Has she been through www.khanacademy.org? Tons of whiteboard lectures, worked problem sets and so on. Lots of math, but also sciences, some civics, history, etc.

We're not a big workbook family but some of the offerings as www.criticalthinkingpress.com have been interesting and challenging for my kids. 

My 8-year-old is doing some work in Ed Zaccaro's "Challenge Math" book. It's terrific for kids who are zooming through middle school math and don't necessarily need to advance through the curriculum any faster but want a deeper understanding of mathematical problem-solving and enjoy exploring advanced concepts and applications. 

HTH!

Miranda

[moss]

have you looked around on the hoagies gifted website?  there are so many great learning ideas there for gifted kids, there's bound to be something that will appeal to your daughter.

[velochic]

Originally Posted by moominmamma 

Has she been through www.khanacademy.org? Tons of whiteboard lectures, worked problem sets and so on. Lots of math, but also sciences, some civics, history, etc.

We're not a big workbook family but some of the offerings as www.criticalthinkingpress.com have been interesting and challenging for my kids. 

My 8-year-old is doing some work in Ed Zaccaro's "Challenge Math" book. It's terrific for kids who are zooming through middle school math and don't necessarily need to advance through the curriculum any faster but want a deeper understanding of mathematical problem-solving and enjoy exploring advanced concepts and applications. 

HTH!

Miranda

Thank you for your reply.  The first link went to a site that has just online lessons and I'm looking for workbooks.  The second link took me to a site to register the domain name and a list of related sites (advertisements).

However, I looked up Challenge Math on Google and got here.  That was more what I was looking for.  Thanks for the suggestion!

[velochic]

Originally Posted by moss 

have you looked around on the hoagies gifted website?  there are so many great learning ideas there for gifted kids, there's bound to be something that will appeal to your daughter.

Yes, we have availed ourselves of their resources for years (for home).  Thank you for the suggestion.  There are a million great links there to ideas and places to purchase things and maybe I just need to go back and do a more thorough search again.  Great idea!

[moominmamma]

Originally Posted by velochic 

Thank you for your reply.  The first link went to a site that has just online lessons and I'm looking for workbooks.  The second link took me to a site to register the domain name and a list of related sites (advertisements).

However, I looked up Challenge Math on Google and got here.  That was more what I was looking for.  Thanks for the suggestion!

Oops, sorry. Your subject line did say you were looking for "workbook or online resources" so I suggested an online resource. Thanks for clarifying that this isn't what you're looking for.

For anyone else reading, the correct link to Critical Thinking Press is this one: http://www.criticalthinking.com . Shouldn't work from memory, should I? Did you find the actual Challenge Math stuff? You can look at it here.

Miranda

(links double-checked this time)

[karne]

Barnes and Noble had some workbooks that were targeted toward the gifted/high achieving student-I think they may have been discussed in this forum.  Something along the lines of, for example, math for gifted 4th graders.  I've been meaning to check them out.

Does your school subscribe to any on line resources that your dd could do while she waits for her classmates to finish her work?  That might be slightly more engaging than a steady diet of workbooks.

Does your dd have the opportunity to move ahead for subject or grade acceleration?  We are doing subject acceleration right now, which is far better than trying to supplement in the regular classroom.

[velochic]

Originally Posted by moominmamma 

Oops, sorry. Your subject line did say you were looking for "workbook or online resources" so I suggested an online resource. Thanks for clarifying that this isn't what you're looking for.

For anyone else reading, the correct link to Critical Thinking Press is this one: http://www.criticalthinking.com . Shouldn't work from memory, should I? Did you find the actual Challenge Math stuff? You can look at it here.

Miranda

(links double-checked this time)

Thanks for the updated link!  That works!  I apologize that I wasn't more clear about what I meant for "online".  I meant online worksheets to download and print because dd needs to bring it in to the classroom.  I should have said as much instead of being so ambiguous.  Thanks again!

[velochic]

Originally Posted by karne 

Barnes and Noble had some workbooks that were targeted toward the gifted/high achieving student-I think they may have been discussed in this forum.  Something along the lines of, for example, math for gifted 4th graders.  I've been meaning to check them out.

Does your school subscribe to any on line resources that your dd could do while she waits for her classmates to finish her work?  That might be slightly more engaging than a steady diet of workbooks.

Does your dd have the opportunity to move ahead for subject or grade acceleration?  We are doing subject acceleration right now, which is far better than trying to supplement in the regular classroom.

Yes, we have gone through those workbooks from B&N.  She's in 4th and just finished up "Reading for the Gifted Student" at the 5th grade level.  We like these workbooks, but the exercises are very similar throughout the book  There are only so many critical thinking/reading comprehension exercises one can do before it gets old (and at 9, of course that means "boring!").  We've gotten workbooks for other bridging activities for advanced grades.  These seem to engage her more because they mix up the exercises.  Ultimately, she loves logic puzzles, venn diagrams, analogy crosswords (and other crosswords and word games like bananagrams).  She does math workbooks, too, but we find those to be somewhat rote like the reading comp exercises.

Dd doesn't have online access in the classroom.  They do have resources, but they use those for their technology period each day.  I agree that workbooks get old, which is why I'm looking for other resources.  They still have to be "off-line", but don't have to be workbooks, per se.

Grade acceleration isn't a possibility.  It's already academically advanced and they have differentiation within the classroom for various subjects in both the target language and English. The smaller class sizes have always met her needs.  This year is different and I appreciate the teacher getting us involved.  She told us that she's "just never had a student like dd before".  She recognizes that we know her needs best, but I honestly don't think grade acceleration is the answer because of the nature of the school.  Due to how the campus is set up, getting pulled out for a single subject isn't possible, either.  Dd has a friend that is beyond exceptional in math facing similar challenges (he does calculus in his head).  Thank you for the suggestions!!

[karne]

One more suggestion---would an independent project that was longer term in nature, and could be worked on in pieces, ie down time as she waits, be an option?  To me, that might be more worthwhile than worksheets because it would seem less like busy work, and more like it has a purpose, and could be engaging.  My own experience is that giving an opportunity to go deeper into a topic is often a good option.

[homemademomma]

When I was your daughter's age, I took books to school and read when I finished before the other students. Is that an option? It won't get boring and it will give her something enriching and fun to do, with virtually endless variety. Or how about something simple like paper and colored pencils? I think if your dd is finishing early, she should be allowed to do something "fun" with the extra time, as long as it is enriching and appropriate for the school environment.

However, iIf she is finishing significantly early (like, before the class is half over) then that is a huge problem and I don't think bringing in extra work/books/art etc from home is really an appropriate use of her school time in that situation.

My kids are not gifted AFAIK but I was a gifted child, so that is where my experience comes from. 

eta- karne, the project idea is great! 

[RiverTam]

Stuff that we gave DS last year when he had this problem (besides Math for the Gifted Student and Reading for the Gifted Student):

The American Story (not a workbook, but engaging reading)

http://www.amazon.com/American-Story-True-Tales-History/dp/0375812563/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1320420480&sr=1-1

She might also like the Let's Read and Find Out series. The Level 2 books might be good for her. They're picture books, but they're pretty complete and not too simple.

http://www.amazon.com/Drop-Blood-Lets-Read---Find-Out-Science/dp/006009110X/ref=sr_1_13?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1320420947&sr=1-13

Frank Lloyd Wright for Kids (along with Lego Architecture kits)

http://www.amazon.com/Frank-Lloyd-Wright-Kids-Activites/dp/155652207X/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1320420538&sr=1-1

Draw Buildings and Other Structures

http://www.amazon.com/Buildings-Other-Structures-Step-Step/dp/0385417772/ref=pd_sim_b_2

This year DS has decided to read his way through the entire Magic Treehouse series starting at Book 1. He hasn't shown much interest in fiction previously, so I'm grateful. (Well, other than Wimpy Kid and Captain Underpants, which get a little old for me.)

[Tjej]

There are some really intense dot to dot books out there - I've seen them on Timberdoodle.com, I think.  They go up into the thousands and are quite interesting.  That might be a fun one to mix things up.

When I was around that age, I remember working on my cartooning skills, drafting my own floor plan for my dream house, practing writing backwards (mirror writing my notes or whatnot), practicing writing with my non-dominant hand, and writing poetry back and forth with another girl who needed something to do during class as well.  Actually, I developed a teaching system for others to practice non-dominant hand writing and mirror writing, wherein a number of the other kids were my "students".  And I wondered why I felt different from others... :)

HTH

Tjej

[Lakeeffectsnow]

I wasn't gifted as a child, but I tested at reading at a college freshman level in fourth grade, I was and still am a speed reader.  I took a book to class (and just about every where I went) with me and read when I was finished with my work.  It seems like a fairly simple solution as long as the book is appropriate for school (no bodice rippers or such).  I think by the end of fourth grade, I had read "A Tale of Two Cities", "To Kill a Mockingbird", "Emma", "Jane Eyre", "Pride and Prejudice", most of Mary Stewart's books, "Water ship Down", and the Lord of the Rings series.  I'm not sure how much of the nuances I understood of some of the books, but it certainly gave me a jump on high school and permanently branded me as nerd.

[karne]

Originally Posted by Lakeeffectsnow 

I wasn't gifted as a child, but I tested at reading at a college freshman level in fourth grade, I was and still am a speed reader.  I took a book to class (and just about every where I went) with me and read when I was finished with my work.  It seems like a fairly simple solution as long as the book is appropriate for school (no bodice rippers or such).  I think by the end of fourth grade, I had read "A Tale of Two Cities", "To Kill a Mockingbird", "Emma", "Jane Eyre", "Pride and Prejudice", most of Mary Stewart's books, "Water ship Down", and the Lord of the Rings series.  I'm not sure how much of the nuances I understood of some of the books, but it certainly gave me a jump on high school and permanently branded me as nerd.

Me too....always had a book, sometimes a classic, sometimes trash.  I think my generation was more apt to carry around a book because 1. no video, handheld games, etc., and 2. as far as I remember no one was really paying attention to buying workbooks or enrichment materials....it was just a different time.  

I have to say, I would not be happy to be paying private tuition and having to supply workbooks for my kid.  I get it because we left a private school that was supposedly so enriched that everyone's needs got met-baloney.  That's just not possible.  In our PS, my kid needs more math, so he goes to a different grade.  OP, why exactly can't the school meet your dd's needs if she is so profoundly ahead of her class?  Maybe a grade skip would be worth exploring?

Or, again, a project based experience that is meaningful.  Is she computer savvy?  I'm wondering about some sort of research and power point presentation, or plain old presentation on a topic of interest?
 

[moominmamma]

Oh yes, the recent contributions to this thread have reminded me about some other options. At the summer music school I help run we have a quiet room, where kids are welcome to drop by and spend some "chill time" between classes. Here are some of the things we've provided there over the years:

Tangrams ... diagrams and pieces

Greatest Dot-to-Dot books ... these are amazing! Some involve puzzles, grids, etc. too

Hidden Feathers / Hidden Camoflage / Modern Patterns etc. coloring books from Mindware

Knitting ... the "Knit-a-Squillion" project of 8x8" squares for AIDS orphans in Africa was great fun

Origami. A pile of 6" origami paper and a book like "The Origami Omnibus" was amazing... hours and hours of quiet amusement and puzzling over 3D illustrations

And of course ... reading.

Miranda

[stik]

What is this school that cannot deal with this?  My kids just moved across the country and my older dd's teachers have gracefully handled the "problem" of having her repeat curriculum that she learned in her multi-age classroom last year without consulting me once.  She's not "just sitting" either.  She did some exploration of non-decimal number systems, she put together a detailed presentation on the Inca, and they have found challenging literature for her to work with during language arts.  You know.  In the school library.  It's not open every day because of budget cuts, but the teachers have keys.  I'm all for teachers keeping parents in the loop, but asking you to supply your own busy-work for a child who works at an accelerated pace seems like a weird low point in unwillingness to differentiate.  

In any case, I would send in some good books.  Silent reading is a classic solution for students who don't all finish their work at the exact same time.

[Geofizz]

 DS cannot be practically accelerated in math right now, so our evolving plan to keep him busy and engaged in math is:

Playing SET and 24 as a solitaire game.

Singapore Math challenging word problems

Kenken and Sudoku puzzles

[Geofizz]

Originally Posted by stik  I'm all for teachers keeping parents in the loop, but asking you to supply your own busy-work for a child who works at an accelerated pace seems like a weird low point in unwillingness to differentiate.  

Yes and no.

The OP's daughter clearly goes to a school that does not take the easy way.  I don't know the details here, but it seems as though this is an ongoing issue for a child well outside the norm.

The OP isn't looking for busy work, and it sounds like the teacher is looking for more than keeping her busy.  Sometimes, the challenge work that teachers have set aside for kids becomes busy work very quickly.  Sometimes a kid goes through a teacher's stash of challenge work in the first quarter, which was my daughter's habit until her radical subject acceleration.  Often times it is the parents that can identify what's appropriate. 

In our case, DS has already exhausted the kindergarten and first grade challenge math work.  Grasping at straws, she told him to add the numbers 1 through 10.  He told her the answer on the spot (he already knows the trick).  He's stumped the district math curriculum specialist.  So yeah, they've opened a conversation with me about what I wanted.  We worked together to find a set of activities that will last and are appropriate.  No, this isn't a long term solution, but should hold us until he's in school a full day and they can subject accelerate him.

[velochic]

Thanks for the resources.  I think we've found some that will work from the links you all have provided.  We have the tangrams at home and found a travel tangrams that I've ordered.  Those are are nice and something different.  Thank you for the reminder about those. 

I want to say that this is new for the teachers, too.  They are not used to combined classrooms, either.  I don't have a problem with their approach and do think that education can be a joint process between school and parents.  BTW, it's an IB school, so the curriculum is based on a unit of inquiry.  That can be more difficult for the teachers to find something for kids to work on outside of the lesson, I would think.  I'm really O.K. with giving something for dd to bring along in her backpack for those times she needs to occupy herself.