"Gifted" status... is it too common and why does it matter?

[Hannathy]

Binny your program sounds like our districts they have a charter school for the highly gifted that you have to test into starting in 5th grade through 8th and next year it will start in 3rd. It was the Best thing in the world for my daughter! They also have regular pull out for gifted but not highly gifted.
She was beginning to hate school because many teachers expect everyone to do the same thing at the same time and she was bored.One teacher even lowered her report card grade in math because she would be done and would read a book and this annoyed the teacher.

These children are different but still children. this program lets them be with others that think like they do and still be kids. After starting in this class she said Mom it is so great to be with kids that understand me, get my jokes and I don't have to explain everything. This group has been together 4 years and are all good friends boys and girls. They know what they want to do with their lives and work very hard toward this goal but still have fun - especially with subs!
They also have teachers who are prepared to challenge them and be challenged by them because they won't sit back and accept everything that is feed to them.
We worry about having enough special ed programs so the lowest functioning groups can reach their full potential I think it is time we start worrying about these kids reaching theirs. I mean one of her classmates took the SAT for fun in 7th grade and scored a perfect score on the math part. Most of these kids are also well rounded they aren't just smart- they play instruments well, or dance or do sports,drama,student council, scouts, etc so it is more than simply ability in one area. I agree too many kids are labeled gifted today but too many kids are label with attention def. disorder also.

Sorry so long !

 

[missypie]

I like the way our middle and high schools handle it.

They have Pre-AP (and in high school AP) classes that anyone can take, where the teaching is accelerated.

Then, they have special Language Arts and Social Studies classes that the "identified" G/T kids can take.

Although all three of my kids have been "identified" as gifted, I think that in reality, the younger two are actually in the "high achiever" category and that only my oldest is truly gifted. He also has Asperger's Syndrome, but in his G/T classes, there are lots of kids who are just as quirky as he is!

 

[janette]

the labels matter when in situations where you want your child to have the opportunities that are provided with the label. My 14yo has been in a G/T program since 2nd grade. She's a not the greatest student but is in the higher IQ levels and really needs the extra challenge provided by the LEAP and pre-ap courses. The only way I can get this for her is to have that label. In her language arts G/T program she is reading at least 10 books a year, the regular class just doesn't do this. These are also not 8th grade reading material, most are considered adult fiction. The times she hasn't been challenged she gets about the same grades but does far less work.

The same goes for almost anything we need from the public schools when our students don't fit that average middle of the road profile they seem to think all students should go into. My 11yo DD is dyslexic, smart but needs specialized learning programs in some subjects and assistance with reading in others. The only way we get those services is to make sure she has the right label.

My oldest is starting HS next year and even in middle school several of the pre-AP / AP classes are open to anyone who wants to enroll. I know there are acceptance tests for math but not sure how many of the other classes. At that point they are allowing students more access to the subject matters that they excel at. I was excited to see that they also have AP art courses and many accelerations in that area which will be wonderful for my 11yo when she gets to that level. I wish they could do more of that at the lower levels.

 

[taximomfor4]

Now we've moved and there is no program at all. No big deal to us, but she sure is reading a lot of books this year as the work is really too easy in most subjects. But, we don't spend alot (any?) of time focusing on the "gifted" thing...she's going to perform at the level she works for no matter what. She CHOOSES to work hard and get everything (and more) done to the best of her ability...we don't even have to ask her if she's done her homework, etc. She'll be put into AP classes starting next year in middle school - but that's her goal, not mine - just ask her!

That said, younger DD can run rings around big sis when it comes to common sense and deep thinking...just doesn't fit the mold for "school learning". She does just fine with her B's and occasional A's and C's. All kids are different and I fully expect both of my girls to succeed in whatever path THEY choose!

Our school's gifted program, called "Quest," is a class for deeper/critical thinking, analysis, etc.

And for sure, just to put it out there, grades do NOT equal intelligence. My dad is the hermit-on-the-hill genius -- like creepy he is so smart...but he was just an average student. My dd is quite a bit like him, she begs him to recite poetry, etc (he has a brain full of that stuff -- like a photographic memory). And she, too, is NOT a straight A student. Even in second grade, she had trouble doing homework just because, when it was stuff she already knew, and was a repeat of the homework's content from the day before. I think this is why statistically, the much higher IQs do NOT become dr's or lawyers...they are often unable to conform their thinking to schoolwork redundancy. That said, we try out best to focus her on her future, NOT on her intelligence. She knows she thinks differently than the other kids...in first grade they never understood her, when she told them things or told jokes. My dad (the supergenius) tells me what a crippling thing that really can be. I hvae always been the straight-A kid.

 

[taximomfor4]

I would agree with that Nana Annie and I have no doubt that there is a percentage of the population who fit those criteria. My problem with the Public Schools and their "Gifted" is when they apply that label to up to 20 to 25% of the student population.

I also agree that many kids with differring types of intelligence do think best outside the box. However I think nearly every kid should be encouraged to "think outside the box," beginning with moving away from stupid Standardized Multiple Choice tests.

And I honestly think the current trend of tracking students into higher level classes at 2nd and 3rd grade is ridiculous. There are numerous children who do just horrible at younger grade levels and then mature into excellent students as late as High School or College. Taking opportunities away from these kids because of their 4th grade test scores were low is simply ridiculous.

The neighboring district has an all-day every day gifted SCHOOL. It is half of an elementary school (the other half is for neighborhood kids). In order to make that cost-effective to maintain that many gifted classrooms, they had to lower the qualifications to get in. I think IQ 125, much lower than the usual for these programs (about 135). And if the kids are not able to keep up, they are taken back out of the program and sent to their own neighborhood school. In our district, it is much more exclusive, really. When dd was in 3rd grade (the first year of our 1x per week program), out of 7 3rd grade classrooms (around 20 students each) there were only 9 kids.

Oh, and here, for the higher level classes, they don't start till 7th grade Honors classes. Those are based purely on your grades in THAT subject.

 

[laura001]

I have three children, the two oldest have the "gifted" label and the third doesn't. It is true that the third does not do as well in school, but is "gifted" in many other ways, she can sing and play the piano like no one's business, yet the other two couldn't even come close!

I too believe that the "gifted" label is nothing but some glorified way to tier the system! I personally think it is a joke.

There is only one plus that I was able to see, my oldest daughter made some great and like minded friends in high school because of being in the "gifted" class, the teacher's alway said that it was easier to teach this class because they wanted to learn, that is not saying that there are other students in other classes that don't want to learn, however you don't have to weed out the one's that don't want to be there.

 

[mickeysgal]

Well, I can say that there is an advantage to being in the "gifted" program here where I live. We live in a very rural town that runs the whole spectrum from gangs/gang-like hoodlums to the cliques of the ultra affluent and everything in between. Being in a gifted class (elementary and middle school) or honors classes (high school) or even the next class level down in ability separates your child from most if not all of the rougher-element students (I'm trying to be kind here). In many cases, it has been a safety issue. You're still walking the halls with the rest of the student population, but believe me...you'd want your child in these classes if you want anything of a normal education for him/her. The teachers have their hands full just trying to keep ings safe and keep the noise level down in some of these other classes, not to mention actually be able to teach. Its like a mix between an inner city rough school and a suburban high school.

 

[LadyTrampScamp&Angel]

I just came across this thread and I guess have to add my 2 cents 'cause I've been there with the gifted child.

Maybe the term gifted gets overused, as it seems every school district may have different criteria for it. Here kids that fall in the 97-98% on the IQ tests given in 2nd grade are termed "academically gifted" and offered services with an AG teacher for 2 hours/day. Children who test in the 99% of IQ and I think it's 97 and up in achievement are offered services in the "highly academically gifted" program, which is an all day separate classroom with a teacher trained to teach these kids, an accellerated AND enriched program. This is where my DS fell and it's made a world of difference from last year (2nd grade) and this year (3rd). So, yes it's my belief that it's important to serve truly very gifted children differently.

Many valid points already have been made here. My DS was not the best student, but here's how a psychologist explained it to me. Highly gifted children often don't develop a great work ethic, because so many things come easily to them, so it's important for them to be constantly challenged intellectually. They need to develop that work ethic because otherwise when they do encounter a challenge (which is a lot more rare in the regular class)they will become frustrated quickly and give up. They DO learn differently, they are very different from the poplulation that falls in the middle. Before HAG class DS got into a lot of trouble in the classroom, he was BORED, and had lots of time on his hands to become the class clown etc, NOT a good situation. He got things so quickly that his teacher didn't understand that he already had it. His 2nd grade teacher actually told me he would probably do poorly on those IQ and achievement tests because he wasn't on task (he does have some attention problems) but the tests came back with an IQ that puts DS in the top .5 percent of the population and in the 99% in achievement also. We recently had him tested again with a private psychologist because he does have problems with written expression. The tests came back verifying his IQ and we also found out he most likely has dysgraphia (we'll see an OT). While we think his IQ is a great thing it also presents it's share of problems, this is what the HAG class helps with.

It was hard for DS to be in the regular classroom. Other kids called him a nerd, they weren't interested in the same things he is, etc. When we went to a presentation on the HAG program this is something they talked to us about. In HAG they are all nerds, if you want to put it that way. They are interested in the same things, get each other's jokes, like stuff like the chess club - again, a WORLD of difference. I can't tell you how much better it is to pick my son up from school with all smiles and enthusiasm, when last year he would get in the car, often in tears, telling me how much he hated school, his teacher, etc.

I'm passionate about my child too and I can't ever see him without a program like this. It isn't offered everywhere so we'll probably have to stay in this school district until he's completely through but I will do whatever it takes!