GT/AAP Center Class VS Pull Out Program Experiences?

[shmoogrrrl]

Our daughter is in second grade and has been accepted into the GT/AAP program in our school district for next year. This means that she has the option of going to a new school (only three miles from our house) to be in what they call a 'Center' (where she will be in a 3rd grade class full of GT kids and the class is geared to them) or staying in her home school and taking part in a Pull Out program, where she and other kids will be pulled out of their regular class for extra work.

Does anyone have experience with either of these programs that they would like to share? We are leaning toward the Center because all the kids will be in the same boat, but I am concerned about how fast paced it is and what happens if she were to fall behind. I mean even in a room of supposedly smart kids, not everyone can be the top of the class, ya know? Of course, on the other hand, the Pull Out program at her current school seems to have its own issues since it is just a once a week thing, and I would think that the kids in that program get labeled by the other kids for getting special treatment. Plus, I wonder if a once a week program is really all that helpful? Does that keep her from being bored in a regular class?

Do you have your kids in a program like either of these, or were you in one? What did you think? Any problems that developed or any great experiences?

 

[shmoogrrrl]

Bump

 

[Cheshire Figment]

I would go with the GT at the magnet school. Basically your daughter will be with people who understand her comments and humor, and she will not have to explain herself to them. It is a much less stressful method of leaning.

Also, from where you are located you might want to go to http://mwm.us.mensa.org/ and look at the local chapter of Mensa; it has a large gifted children program.

 

[shmoogrrrl]

I would go with the GT at the magnet school. Basically your daughter will be with people who understand her comments and humor, and she will not have to explain herself to them. It is a much less stressful method of leaning.

Also, from where you are located you might want to go to http://mwm.us.mensa.org/ and look at the local chapter of Mensa; it has a large gifted children program.

Thanks for the info! I don't quite think that we are ready for Mensa yet. I am still overwhelmed by the whole GT thing. Don't get me wrong, I believe that my precious snowflake is the smartest girl in the school, but I never expected to have these kind of choices to make and now we have to make them in like two weeks! Hehehehe.

 

[K and K's Mommy]

My kids are in self contained GT classrooms. They are bused across the district. Like everything there are pros and cons.
pros - The teachers are G/T certified.
The kids "understand" each other.
My son is in fifth. He has been with these kids since 1st. It's like a family.
Curriculum is faster paced. There is still a wide range in the classroom. We've got kids a couple of grades ahead to kids who could read college material. For the most part, the teachers have been good at individualizing.

cons - See #3 in pros. It is not uncommon for G/T kids to have social issues. They are not mixing with other kids. This is not a huge problem for my DD 8. She's an extrovert and makes friends easily. She is in dancing and gymnastics and has friends from those. My DS 11 has problems making friends so I am worried about his social skills.
We are not at our home school so we don't know nearby kids.

For us it has been the right choice. My DS now 11 taught himself to read at 4. He did not need the regular first grade curriculum. That said, I worry most about him because he has every "quirk" that can be found in G/T kids. His teachers understand this and have really helped me. His peers don't make fun of him. My DD 8 would have been happy and fine wherever. I wasn't even sure she would make the cut-off. She is doing fabulous in 2nd grade. I thought she might get behind but she is organized, a hard worker, and teacher pleaser so she actually has an easier time with school than her higher testing brother.

If you do research on G/T, most things say pull-out is the least favorable option for giving these kids what they need.

Good luck!