OT-tutoring for gifted children

[Aristomommy]

DD8 is in 3rd grade and started Kindergarten early due to her size (she is very tall) and her readiness. Up until this year she has been challenged by the materials provided. She was in a private school until 2nd grade and at that time we moved to a great public school district. This year she has not done so well. She says she has a hard time concentrating because of all the "noise" in the classroom and math in particular is suffering. She knows what she is doing, but does not do well on timed exams (she can do the same exam at home at 100%, but may get 50% at school). She is also "bored" according to her.

Her cognitive and subject specific tests came back in the gifted category (even math ). She is in the 99th percentile for reading and cognitive thinking skills. So I have no clue what I should do as a parent. Is this a lack of test taking skills, lack of stimulation/challenge (she has started talking more during instruction as well according to her teacher), or is it normal? Are there tutoring programs that would help in this situation? Some of the "chain" tutoring programs in our area are Huntington, Sylvan, Knowledge Points, Kumon to name a few. I don't worry about one test or two, but this has now happened over and over again and it bothers her very much. This is my oldest child, so I am clueless. Unfortunately homeschooling or private school is not an option at this time. Thanks for any input you might have.

 

[emerymt]

I would suggest getting hooked up with Stanford's Educational Program for Gifted Children (EPGY). My son took EPGY while in school and then later as a home-schooler. It's all online. I believe it goes down to third grade.
It's not cheap but we found it worth the investment.

He stayed with it through junior high, then went to one of their summer camps and had the time of his life.

 

[Aristomommy]

I would suggest getting hooked up with Stanford's Educational Program for Gifted Children (EPGY). My son took EPGY while in school and then later as a home-schooler. It's all online. I believe it goes down to third grade.
It's not cheap but we found it worth the investment.

He stayed with it through junior high, then went to one of their summer camps and had the time of his life.

Can you tell me more about it and what is involved? Thanks

 

[drivencrazy]

Does your school offer stuff for the gifted children? If she is gifted the teacher should know this and be pushing her and giving her extra stuff that will make that mind work! We just had a meeting with our 3rd graders teacher and she was telling us about the test that she had them all take and now the steps that she will be taking with the gifted... for our daughter she will be doing some before and after school stuff along with different things within the classroom to keep her mind going and not loosing interest. Talk to your daughters teacher and see what she has to offer.

 

[emerymt]

Here's the link: http://epgy.stanford.edu/
Your child is evaluated by looking at standardized test scores she may already have, or if not, by testing she can take right there on the web site (for math). At least it used to be that way. For the other courses they have, admissions is more involved. My son took their test online and was accepted immediately, then we paid the fee (it was $450 a quarter, though it may be less for the primary grades, I don't know). Based on that test, they started him out where he "belonged" in their course- I think it was grade level 5.7 or something like that.

It's important that you try to time it by quarters- it may be too late to fit two quarters in to the rest of the academic year, but it all depends on how much time you put into it each day and how fast your daughter progresses. However, if she does not finish the quarter on time (they go by whole months- the next date you could probably start would be March-April-May), you don't want to pay another $450. My son was getting lazy toward the end of the school year, and the quarter was just about to end. I told him he would still be working in June when everyone else was out playing, but the real reason I told him to get on it was that I didn't want to pay another $450 for a just couple of weeks of classes!

They provide you with weekly updates regarding scores, weak points, strong points, what percentage of the quarter's work is done, etc. So you know exactly what to work on, and how fast. She will be assigned a tutor to whom you direct your questions, especially if there's something she doesn't understand. There is a textbook you can download & copy, but we found it to be a waste of paper, and it certainly would be for primary grade math, since you can easily help her yourself.

Stanford is not the only college with online teaching for gifted kids, so another program might suit you better. My daughter took a writing class but didn't like it because it was a scheduled group lesson and she couldn't interact with the students & teacher as much as she would have liked.

 

[emerymt]

I'm leery of G&T programs at school. They don't need extra stuff they need different stuff. In third grade, my son had a teacher who was wonderful, she let my son work at his own pace, she'd just grade his papers separately from the other kids. When he was finished with the school book, he got a more advanced book. It was great.

In fourth grade, the teacher's idea of "G&T" was to add more homework on top of what he already had. A smart kid figures out that it's better to be average real fast! A really good G&T program will replace the standard curriculum, but these are few and far between, certainly unavailable where I live, because that amounts to a school within a school.

No school program can offer the kind of individualized schoolwork a gifted kid needs, because it needs to go on year after year in a continuum with no "regular" classwork at all. And I do mean "needs". My kid became very depressed and anxious in the fifth grade, and was diagnosed with ADHD. It was clear he was not like the other kids in many ways. So we homeschooled him, which was really ideal. Interestingly, at the very same time my friend with a child with learning difficulties was going through the same problems, and ended up homeschooling, too. Special needs are just special needs, I guess. Schools just can't accomodate everyone, sometimes. Now my son is in highschool and has access to higher-level courses, and after that, the school has a deal with a local college so he can take classes there.

He's still a major geek (it's okay, he comes from a family of geeks) but truly, I can't wait until he can get to college and be surrounded by geeks his own age. That's why he had the time of his life at the EPGY summer camp- he knows there's hope if he can just last through high school.

 

[Aristomommy]

Our school does have a gifted or enrichment program, but until 6th grade everyone gets these special units if a teacher recommends them. DD was recommended for two of them last year and one this year. But the problem is that it is not continuous and it is not in every topic. In 6th grade, there will be separate gifted classes in different topics, but I don't want to wait 2 more grades until that happens. So far the teacher has not addressed her special needs, report card just stated she talks too much in class, otherwise everything was checked ok on the report card. During reading time, DD brings her own books as she is not interested in the books in the classroom. I am not sure how to even approach her teacher about this, as I have never needed anything beyond what the school offers.

 

[hsmamato2]

I'm leery of G&T programs at school. They don't need extra stuff they need different stuff.

I kind of agree here.... I don't know that "pushing " a little mind is the optimum way to help a child who mayneed something different than the traditional curriculum, you don't want a child to feel that being smarter is a punishment,i.e.-" the more and better I do, the more and harder things I'll be assigned,so maybe i'll just quit"
If I were you I'd talk to the teacher about allowing your child to possibly do some things she enjoys that are educational if she's done with work early,etc. Like just being allowed to read a book, perhaps spend some time helping a classroom with some younger kids,like crafts or reading-
the test problems may be that previously the work was simpler,and now it's getting harder, if she started early,sometimes it catches up later on,as a kid who was" pushed forward" in school, I know this to be true....
It doesn't mean that she's no longer intelligent, but she may be encountering some issues,either socially or academically that her younger mind is having a hard time grasping. It happens,as growth comes in stages,and we all have our own timetable for optimum learning.

 

[Whosemom]

There seems to be a maturity jump about 3rd grade, and in response to this, it seems like the 3rd grade teachers are a little less "lovey" or maybe mommy-ish. I can't quite name it hopefully but you know what I mean.

Timed math tests really stressed my dd in 3rd grade, and if your's is a year behind emotionally, I can see her freaking out a little. Is she talking out more, or just acting like a year younger kid? A year's time is huge at that age. I bet if you keep working with her at home to make sure she doesn't miss anything, she'll be fine in a few months, or maybe worse case scenario, next year. My dd is in those %-tile ranges as well (could read the newspaper going into kindergarten) but the most important thing to remember is they are still just little kids who, regardless of academic abilities, are probably on track socially/emotionally, and that we need to love on 'em

When she gets to the age they have the gifted programs, you can worry what to do all over again - I agree with pp, special needs are special needs, and keep the parents on thier toes either way!

 

[Gillian]

I don't know about special programs, my kids are little, and not gifted, but would noise blocking headphones help at all with the math tests? They use them sometimes at my son's school.

Does she play piano? That is another thing I've heard is helpful for those with high math aptitude. That way it's something fun, but still works her mind. My friend's kids, in 1st & 4th grade, really love it! They are supposed to practice 2 x 15 min per day, and they don't but they both want to practice every day at least a little.

 

[Aristomommy]

Thanks for all the comments and advice offered so far.

Whosemom:

I agree that there is a change in 3rd grade and instruction is more serious than in the 2nd grade. Last year DD had a teacher who "got her" and allowed DD to write poetry when she was done with an assignment. I have also asked her teachers each year if DD is doing well in the classroom as she is a year younger than most of her classmates. Every year each teacher has said she is doing very well academically and socially. This may be the first year she is struggling, but her teacher didn't identify anything other than her "talking too much". I think it is either the noise factor as DS states or maybe another issue, I don't know since I am not there.

Gillian: thanks for the headphone idea, I wonder if DD would go for it. She does not play the piano, but started flute lessons this fall. She reads music very well, which was a surprising to me. I agree it is great for their brains. DD refused to play piano, only wanted to play the flute since age 6. I gave in this year

 

[MSSANDRA]

It seems like it may be a maturity issue. It sounds like she is VERY bright but no matter how s mart a child is they still mature at very set rates. There may be demands such as more stress inducing test that she just is not ready for. SHe might be board, but she might also be overwelmed not by the material but by the methoids.

Just a thought...

MsS andra

 

[badblackpug]

I have to agree that this is a maturity problem. No matter how bright or physically mature, she is still a year, emotionally, behind her classmates. My friend held her son back in K, just for this reason. I think that 3rd is a little late for this, but maybe a talk with the guidance counselor can help. I know with my daughter, who is very bright, they put her in the grade ahead for math and reading and she takes her other classes and her "social" time with her age appropriate peers.
In our school system TaG program does NOT offer more of the same work, but alternative work. Things that are more stimulating, creatively, than the "regular" classwork. Also, our TaG program does not assign homework.

 

[alicenwonder99]

I heard that 3rd grade is the year that most students catch up to each other. That is, some children who are academically ahead in the earlier grades will seem "average" in 3rd grade when the other children catch up to them. If a child comes from an academically enriched environment when growing up, it will show. But by 3rd grade, those who are truly "gifted" will start to grow academically, while some students will start to slow down and actually be "average" academically.

OK, I'm really paraphrasing what I read about this, but you get what I'm trying to say.

Does your school district report your child's IQ score? We just got our dd's IQ score. She is one of the children who taught herself to read, always comes home from school and gets her homework done (without me telling her to), she reads at a high level, always gets 100% on her work, etc. But her IQ score is just in the average range (but on the high end). I would have thought for sure she was in the "genius" range. She even got 100% on her Standford tests. I think a child can be the smartest one in the class, but if their motivation isn't there then there's going to be a problem. It seems like your dd's motivation isn't there. Maybe she just got a "bad" teacher this year. Or maybe this school district prepared their 2nd graders more academically than the private school your child came from. Maybe the children in her class learned more last year, and your dd is trying to catch up to them with the schoolwork.

I say cut your child some slack. If she is having a hard time in school maybe having her do MORE schoolwork after school isn't a good idea. Let her get through her regular schoolwork before you pile on more work for her.

Good luck with this.

 

[MomofM&M]

Perhaps you should talk to your pediatrician about your daughter's school issues. Some of what you describe is classic for problems with attention. Girls with ADHD are typically inattentive, not hyperactive. Problems with timed tests, difficulty transitioning from private to public schools, difficulty concentrating due to a noisy classroom point to a possible attention problem. Talking during instruction might be a problem with impulsivity. She might do well with private tutoring but if she has ADHD, her classroom performance might not improve. It would at least be worthwhile to discuss with her pediatrician, who can rule it out.

 

[momof5boys]

As soon as I read your message I thought ADD or ADHD. Most children with it are actually very bright and have above average IQ's. If she is having trouble staying on task and concentrating I would consider having her tested. 3rd grade is a common time for ADD to become noticable. If she has ADD or ADHD she can have a specialized plan made for her to help. Maybe be allowed to test in a separate room where there isn't anything to distract her. I have 2 children with ADHD, now that the older one is in high school and can work at his own pace he has been off meds and making honor roll. Unfortunately the 10yo(in 5th grade) is hitting the worst of it right now but we'll get through it! Good luck!

 

[dfarner]

I heard that 3rd grade is the year that most students catch up to each other. That is, some children who are academically ahead in the earlier grades will seem "average" in 3rd grade when the other children catch up to them. If a child comes from an academically enriched environment when growing up, it will show. But by 3rd grade, those who are truly "gifted" will start to grow academically, while some students will start to slow down and actually be "average" academically.

Alicenwonder99, you are correct. Children often start school more academically prepared than their peers. This does not indicate giftedness, it simply indicates that perhaps they attended a great pre-K program or had parents that worked with them to prepare them for their first years of school. Some children start Kindergarten without knowing their full name or how to spell it, phone number, letters, etc... while other children start Kindergarten knowing how to read some words. By 2nd and 3rd grade, it seems that children do level themselves out so to speak. At this point, it is the teacher's job to identify the difference between those performing at grade level and those that should be tested for giftedness. In my experience as an educator and parent, teachers are pretty well in tune to the needs of their advanced/gifted students.

Aristomommy, I applaud you for having the foresight to pick up on your child's situation. My suggestion to you would be to conference with your daughter's teacher and get his/her input. Together you can probably put a plan of action into place. Remember to stand your ground, if needed, to get the results you think are the best for your daughter.

 

[Aristomommy]

Thank you everyone for your thoughtful comments and advice. I think I will get in touch with DD's teacher this week (we have a snow day already annouced for tomorrow ) and see what she has observed specifically. Hopefully that will open the dialogue about DD's educational needs and we can move in the right direction. I haven't made a big deal with DD, just asked her about the situation once so she doesn't get more anxious about it. I feel that I can post about this topic here, as many parents at her school react very differently when you share your troubles about a "gifted child" . As someone mentioned, special needs are special needs no matter what they may be. Thanks again, I knew I'd find some great advice here.

 

[weirdpaintballr]

Just be careful not to allow the school to give your daughter 'special' treatment for things like testing in a noisy situation. You need to give her a chance to adjust and to figure things out. Middle and high school will be a rude awakening if your daughter is allowed to test in a seperate room in elementary school. Just my thoughts that you may want to be careful.....and I would consider getting her tested for ADD and ADHD.

 

[abeyst]

There are many 'gifted' web sites out there that will tell you too many gifted kids are misdiagnosed as having ADD/ADHD because they tend to learn in a different way than the way public schools teach them, and therefore are bored. Don't be too quick to let them label your child. Check out all avenues, then listen to your instincts on what is best for your child - even if that means going against what the school tells you you should do becaue they're just trying to fit you into their standard routine so everything can be run the same.