challenging an intelligent child

On Sep 28, 12:39 pm, wrote:

snip

I'm NOT going to skip kindy at all. I know how important it is to have
friends of same age. Also, my kid is very social. She talks to every
parent (I'm not kidding) of every child in her class. She knows their
names, how they look, who's having a baby and whether it's a boy or a
girl

Why is it so important for her to have friends of the same age rather
than friends one year older? If she converses well with adults, that
could be a sign that she can get along with older children, too.

I'm not asking about how I should skip a level. I just want to know
how to challenge her more because I know she'll withdraw if she's not
challenged.

I think you have recognized a problem but ruled out the obvious
solution.

On Sep 28, 10:59 am, Ericka Kammerer wrote:

There was at least
one school in which I was effectively a one-person independent
study project all year long for the academic subjects. Worked out fine.

What's the point of going to school every day to study independently?
You could do the same thing at home. It would make more sense to
attend college classes while still living at home. With online
courses, living near a college may not be necessary. If a student has
exhausted the curriculum offered by the school district, I think the
school district ought to pay for college classes. If my kids are in
that situation, I will try to make this happens, whether or not I need
to pay for it.

Hi --

It's hard to challenge an individual child in a large classroom, but not
impossible. Things to ask the teacher:

1. Is there a basket of enrichment work in each subject area (math,
reading) that kids can go to independently once they're done with
the classroom assignment? This can be worksheets, independent
reading books, manipulatives, etc.
2. Kindy is a great age for groupwork. How is groupwork organized?
3. Is your child really an outlier? That is, how many other kids are
at her academic level in the classroom? Kids come into kindy at all
sorts of academic levels, so she may, in fact, have a peer group
already.
4. What are your child's weaknesses? Can she write legibly? Spell?
Understand the stories she reads aloud? Concentrate well? Write a
coherent sentence? Ask her teacher to identify and work on the
areas where your child does need work?

I hope these ideas help,
--Beth Kevles
-THE-COM-HERE
http://web.mit.edu/kevles/www/nomilk.html -- a page for the milk-allergic
Disclaimer: Nothing in this message should be construed as medical
advice. Please consult with your own medical practicioner.

NOTE: No email is read at my MIT address. Use the GMAIL one if you would
like me to reply.

On Sep 28, 1:53 pm, (Beth Kevles) wrote:
Hi --

It's hard to challenge an individual child in a large classroom, but not
impossible. Things to ask the teacher:

1. Is there a basket of enrichment work in each subject area (math,
reading) that kids can go to independently once they're done with
the classroom assignment? This can be worksheets, independent
reading books, manipulatives, etc.
2. Kindy is a great age for groupwork. How is groupwork organized?

I disagree. Group work makes sense when each individual is skilled
enough and therefore has something to contribute. I'd say focus on
developing the abilities of the children in reading, writing, math,
art etc. so that they will have the skills needed for group work in
the future.

Beliavsky wrote:
On Sep 28, 10:59 am, Ericka Kammerer wrote:

There was at least
one school in which I was effectively a one-person independent
study project all year long for the academic subjects. Worked out fine.

What's the point of going to school every day to study independently?
You could do the same thing at home.

I had plenty of guidance from the teachers. I just wasn't
working in synch with the rest of the class.

It would make more sense to
attend college classes while still living at home.

Not when I was only 7 or 8 years old, it wouldn't.

Best wishes,
Ericka

On Sep 28, 11:52 am, Beliavsky wrote:
On Sep 28, 12:39 pm, wrote:

snip

I'm NOT going to skip kindy at all. I know how important it is to have
friends of same age. Also, my kid is very social. She talks to every
parent (I'm not kidding) of every child in her class. She knows their
names, how they look, who's having a baby and whether it's a boy or a
girl

Why is it so important for her to have friends of the same age rather
than friends one year older? If she converses well with adults, that
could be a sign that she can get along with older children, too.

I'm not asking about how I should skip a level. I just want to know
how to challenge her more because I know she'll withdraw if she's not
challenged.

I think you have recognized a problem but ruled out the obvious
solution.

OP here.
I'm not ruling out skipping a level in future grades. I just don't
want to go into this with a mindset that she must skip kindy. DH and I
never attend grade school in the US so this is all new to us. Thanks.

wrote:

OP here. Thanks for your reply.
She currently goes to a montessori preschool. They run it like a
school (attendance, work, etc). I do know what you're saying about
teachers mistrusting though. My child was writing to 200 before I
could convince the teachers to let her use the 100 board. She was
reading 4-5 letter words before they gave her "lessons" on how to read
alphabet. She was so bored in the class and was just wandering all
day. They complained to me that she is not able to choose the work and
therefore she's not ready for more.

That may just be more about the Montessori approach (at least
as implemented in that school), or perhaps teachers who are
inadequately educated in how to handle children outside the norm,
than it is about teachers being suspicious. In my experience, while
it is common for teachers to be suspicious based on just hearing the
*parents* talk about their children, most of them clue in rather
quickly after dealing with the *child*. And really, you can hardly
blame them given the number of parents (at least around here) who
stomp in demanding all sorts of accommodations for a child who
is really of average ability and simply has been coached to within
an inch or two of his or her life.

I'm not asking about how I should skip a level. I just want to know
how to challenge her more because I know she'll withdraw if she's not
challenged. Thanks again for your reply.

I think you really want to talk to the teachers about this.
The tricky bit is how to approach it. You are likely to encounter
defensive behavior if you march in and start asking administrators
and teachers how they're going to deal with you're gifted child.
Sadly, there are just enough rotten apples to have spoiled it for
everyone else. On the other hand, you absolutely do need to be
proactive in advocating for your child.
I would suggest that you go visit the school she'll attend
and ask for an orientation tour. While you're at it, ask general
questions about how children of varying abilities are accommodated
in the school. Keep it general at first. You may well get answers
that make you comfortable at that point. If you don't, another
tactic is to have the preschool teacher write up an assessment (or
get another third party assessment--preferably one recognized by
the school system) and get that to the school in time to factor
into their placement decisions. Then, let her settle into school
for a few weeks before talking to the teacher, so that the teacher
is already aware of at least some of her abilities. Then you should
have some foundation to work from to fashion a solution that will
work well for her.
I would also second the idea that there may well be a
group of her intellectual peers in kindy. Our schools GT centers
start in 3rd grade, but even before then it wasn't like my kids
were the only advanced students in their classes. There were
always at least a few advanced kids, and the teachers found a
number of ways to keep them challenged and engaged.

Best wishes,
Ericka

On Fri, 28 Sep 2007 10:59:48 -0400, Ericka Kammerer
wrote:

You'll note that Chookie didn't say to demand that
the school put the child in a higher grade. There are other
potential ways to deal with a child who is advanced.

Exactly so. Both of my children were advanced in different ways when
they went to kindergarten. Both were bright. Both were given
differentiated instruction and this was back in the mid-70s. My dgd
has been tested as having completed the K curriculum here so they put
her in a group with others who are similarly advanced and will
continue to give her new things from the first grade curriculum. I am
sure that if they have a child who is more advanced, they would
continue on from where s/he tests.


--
Dorothy

There is no sound, no cry in all the world
that can be heard unless someone listens ..

The Outer Limits

On Sep 28, 3:44 am, "Donna Metler" wrote:

OP here.
I'm not ruling out skipping a level in future grades. I just don't
want to go into this with a mindset that she must skip kindy. DH and I
never attend grade school in the US so this is all new to us. Thanks.

Kindy is probably the one grade which should not be skipped.

Kindergarten is the grade that legally can be skipped -- I think
states do not require it. When did full-day kindergarten become the
norm? I don't think it was so long ago. Is there evidence that more
children attending kindergarten has been beneficial? I think a
motivated and educated mother at home could prepare a child for 1st
grade just as well as a kindergarten could.

Universal preschool has become a favored political cause among
Democrats, including Hillary Clinton, who would "invest $10 Billion in
Universal Preschool: Hillary has a detailed plan to provide universal
access to high quality pre-school for all four-year olds through a
federal-state partnership." http://www.hillaryclinton.com/feature/youthopportunity/
.. I have sent my oldest son to preschool because our babysitter does
not mentally stimulate our children, but if my wife stayed at home, I
think she would do a better job teaching and socializing our kids than
a preschool.

On Sep 28, 5:01 am, "Donna Metler" wrote:
"Beliavsky" wrote in message

ups.com...



On Sep 28, 3:44 am, "Donna Metler" wrote

Kindy is probably the one grade which should not be skipped.

Kindergarten is the grade that legally can be skipped -- I think
states do not require it. When did full-day kindergarten become the
norm? I don't think it was so long ago. Is there evidence that more
children attending kindergarten has been beneficial? I think a
motivated and educated mother at home could prepare a child for 1st
grade just as well as a kindergarten could.

TN requires kindergarten, period. It cannot legally be skipped and is the
one grade which cannot be.

That is not the case in most states http://nces.ed.gov/programs/digest/d02/dt150.asp
..