Spin off... if your child gifted?

[Magpie]

it really isn't to make fun of those with gifted... at least that's not why I started it.. I really do what to know how you found out that your child was gifted... what these tests are that they've been given... like I said I dont think I know any really gifted kids. there seems to be a lot here... please tell me about them..

Okay, I'll bite. (Ignores the voice screaming, "Danger, Will Robinson!")

I suspected my daughter might be gifted when she was just over 2 years old, I had her in my lap while I was silently reading a newspaper, and she pointed at a word on the page and said, "That says 'the'!" To be fair, though, I should have guessed back when she was 11 months old, sitting in her high chair, counting her peas to that Sesame Street song, "One, two, free, four, five..." with one-to-one correspondence.

I suspected my son might be gifted when he was thirteen months old, and figured out how to operate the TV remote. Also finding him under the door with a broom handle, trying to pop the latch, was a clue, too. I suspected he might be learning disabled when he was in kindergarten and still couldn't write his letters.

They've been given the WIPPSI, the WISC, and tons of other tests. They were both tested privately, by a psychiatrist, over several days. Based on the test results my daughter was classified by our school as "profoundly gifted - 99.98th percentile". My son was found to be "highly gifted and learning disabled".

My daughter's now fifteen. She has not cured cancer. But she's happy and healthy and causes us no concerns (other than we think she reads too much junk). She wants to earn a doctorate of some sort, preferably in medical field. She skates through school with a minimum of effort.

My son is thirteen. He's working his butt off to stay on top of things in the gifted classes. He's reasonably happy, but we have had to get a psychiatrist for him, due to the stresses he's under in school. He doesn't have any specific plans for the future, but he really wants to travel and see more of Europe. I see him backpacking, playing guitar, maybe cooking...

Are they "really gifted"? I'd say yes, but your definition may be different.

 

[Uncle Remus]

Ours is gifted with 2 fabulous parents.

 

[NY Disney fan]

My uncle was gifted but he totally slipped through the cracks as a child. He was not recognized as gifted. As a teen he used to carry around his notebook filled with math equations. He would try to explain them to me and I was like "Wha...?" And in his spare time he use to build model planes and cars. He fell into drugs in his early adulthood but then cleaned himself up. He's an airplane mechanic.

 

[MoonFaerie]

it really isn't to make fun of those with gifted... at least that's not why I started it.. I really do what to know how you found out that your child was gifted... what these tests are that they've been given... like I said I dont think I know any really gifted kids. there seems to be a lot here... please tell me about them..

My ds had what they called an educational evaluation done by a psychologist. Part of it was an IQ test. It was done at the school's request, and it was about the same time that we were also having the ASD diagnosis done.

 

[bellebud]

I know one child personally who I would call 'gifted'. He was in our homeschooling group for one year because he was supposed to be in 5th grade, but he was so ahead, all the school could do was offer to put him in 8th grade.

The parents didn't like the social aspect of that, so decided to give homeschooling a try. He took very advanced on-line courses offered by John Hopkins University, and aced everything he took (others taking them I believe were extremely gifted, older kids, and I believe he did the best or was at least in the top percentages).

Anyway, the parents put him back in school for 6th grade, and the school put him in an 11th grade AP history class, and I don't know exactly what other classes.

Lost touch this past year w/ the family, so don't know what's going on now... I assume more of the same. I cannot see him doing high school for 4 years - he's probably almost past it now.

He's the only truly "gifted" kid I've ever known personally.

The schools themselves have their own definitions of gifted, so there are many, many "gifted" kids all around the place. But this kid was different than all of them. I don't know if OP means this type of "gifted" (a 6th grader taking an 11th grade AP course), as opposed to all the kids in schools now taking grade level AP courses.

I don't know... heck, I took a few AP courses in high school, and none of it was "hard", and I'm no rocket scientist! Maybe standards have changed since then (I graduated in 86).

 

[brookmey]

As a former teacher, I cringe when I hear "gifted and talented." I have seen so many students who may struggle academically, but are amazingly gifted in other areas, like the arts. I once had a 9th grade student who could not grasp the checks and balance system of the US government, but yet at the local library he painted the most beautiful wall mural, floor to ceiling. Was he gifted academically? No. Artistically? Definitely yes.

I don't care if my kids are academically gifted or not. They're both smart and grasp new concepts very quickly. DH and I have nothing to complain about. I want them to do well in school so they can get into a good college and find something that they love and want to spend their lives doing.

Sometimes I get frustrated because other parents think there is something wrong with me because I just want my kids to progress normally and be happy. They don't have to be number 1 at everything they do. As long as they work hard and do their best, I'm happy. I do expect them to work to their potential and give it their all, but I don't need them to be more advanced than their peers at everything they do. For some parents, that's extremely important. It becomes a competition as to whose kids are the best. And I think the "gifted and talented" programs at schools, especially in the elementary, contribute to that competition.

 

[Sanchez]

Why do posters just assume "gifted" means you are lying about your precious snowflake?

Because some do. I subscribe to the following theory:

Some people lie;
Most people embellish;
Everyone tells a story from their point of view.

I think that some people just lie about it. It makes them feel better in an anonymous public forum.

There are many that choose to embellish. They have a reasonably smart child and want others to believe that the children are smarter than what they really are.

Finally, there are those that believe that their child is gifted even though they are not. I think that most people (those who make the gifted claim) fall into this category. They are around their child every day and truly believe that the child is without peer. I agree that it does not help that school systems label children gifted when they are not. G&T classes seem to cover a broad spectrum.

Overall, I think that most people wrongfully claim that their child is gifted. Some actively lie and most are simply not aware.

As to IQ, I tend to believe that more people than not are lying. I cannot believe that such a large percentage people know their or their child's IQ. Testing is flawed and IQ scores are rarely relied on in the school setting. IQ is not an accurate indicator of performance.

 

[vgrandy]

"Gifted" is defined as being 2 standard deviations above the norm on most IQ tests or top 2.5%. In other words IQ above 130= gifted.

My daughter was first tested at the age of 5 by the public school. We were having some behavior issues and her brother had several learning disabilities so we wanted to make sure everything was ok. At 8yrs we had her tested by a Neuro-psych as we were concerned about Aspergers. The testing confirmed the IQ testing she had at 5 (despite being told that IQ testing at that age is not usually valid her scores were very consistent and total IQ was exactly the same). Things we noticed in hindsight: at 21 months she knew all her shapes, colors and numbers and could recite the alphabet, a week after her 3rd birthday she was drawing Os in preschool and her teacher asked if she could write her name, she did with no prompts. She started reading at 3 and was doing her brother's first grade math worksheets at 4.

My daughter has a PDD diagnosis and is officially "gifted." I don't talk about it with other parents because I think most people think like the DIS: no one is really gifted and we are all just bragging about our snowflakes.

My son, btw, has a completely normal IQ.

Victoria

 

[mtblujeans]

DD is bright but she is not 'gifted'. I have never liked that term when schools use it for accelerated classes. Few kids are truly 'gifted and talented'.

This.

 

[Magpie]

Because some do. I subscribe to the following theory:

Some people lie;
Most people embellish;
Everyone tells a story from their point of view.

I think that some people just lie about it. It makes them feel better in an anonymous public forum.

There are many that choose to embellish. They have a reasonably smart child and want others to believe that the children are smarter than what they really are.

Finally, there are those that believe that their child is gifted even though they are not. I think that most people (those who make the gifted claim) fall into this category. They are around their child every day and truly believe that the child is without peer. I agree that it does not help that school systems label children gifted when they are not. G&T classes seem to cover a broad spectrum.

Overall, I think that most people wrongfully claim that their child is gifted. Some actively lie and most are simply not aware.

As to IQ, I tend to believe that more people than not are lying. I cannot believe that such a large percentage people know their or their child's IQ. Testing is flawed and IQ scores are rarely relied on in the school setting. IQ is not an accurate indicator of performance.

Let's see if I've got this right.

When someone says their child is gifted, they're either...

1. Lying.

2. Exaggerating.

3. Sadly mistaken.

And testing is useless, because no matter what that test says, IQ doesn't predict performance.

Why are we having this conversation again?

 

[daisyduck123]

One of my children is academically gifted...DD just graduated at 16yo & is off to college in three weeks, already entering with 15 credits (due to those AP exams). The principal once mentioned to me about having her skip another grade, but I vetoed that idea. She would've graduated at 15yo.

I've been teaching in the public school system for over 20 years now, & I do agree with the previous posters who stated that a high percentage of people claim their children to be gifted. Really these children are "advanced", but gifted? No.

 

[timmac]

This has probably been implied by any number of PPs already, but I'll just offer that I generally loathe discussions about "gifted kids".

Sure, plenty of them are (though statistically, if you define it as IQ of 130+, it's about 2% of the population), but too many of the discussions (not just on these boards, I mean in person with people too) seem to hang just a little too tightly onto that terminology, and can be very off-putting.

Certainly it's not everyone, of course, but too many parents get hung up on the phrase in ways that aren't terribly productive.

</soapbox>

 

[princessmom29]

The definiton of "gifted" vaires widely depending on who you are asking. In some school systems iti s IQ of 115. In some places iti s 130. Some schools base placement in "gifted" classes on standardized test performance. It can also get stretched to include more kids when there is funding to be had. I don't think most kids classified as "gifted" are goingto become doctors at 15, but most are smarter than the "average" kid. Some of them really do need something other than what a regular classroom is providing. Elementary school is tought for these kids becuase there are no "advanced classes" to put them in. In middle nad high school I think the needs of most kids labled "gifted" can be met throuh honors and AP or IB courses. The truly exceptional kids who aren't being served by these program are few and far between.
I was one of those "gifted" kids. The school's answer when "gifted" classes weren't enugh was to suggest skipping a grade. NOPE! Thst would have been even more of a social disaster than being the "smart kid" already was. School was academically pointless for me at times, but I needed the social development of being with kids my own age. I did great with adults, but I was an only child, and really just didn't relate well to kids my own age. I it is typical for gifted children to be more comfortable in the company of adults.
As for my DD, I think she is just smart, not truly gifted. She doesn't have to work hard in school to get the material, and the only thing we study is spelling, but she is learning in school, and happy there. I don't think she needs to be identified as "gifted". She is fine where she is.

 

[Sanchez]

Let's see if I've got this right.

When someone says their child is gifted, they're either...

1. Lying.

2. Exaggerating.

3. Sadly mistaken.

And testing is useless, because no matter what that test says, IQ doesn't predict performance.

Why are we having this conversation again?

Yeah, that about sums it up. Gifted kids are few and far in between.

In the end, is it that important for someone to prove on a message board that their child is gifted? I choose to believe that most of the gifted claims on the DIS are not entirely true. You want to prove that your claim is true. Does it really matter?

 

[Aisling]

Poll coming

Okay I'm not gifted and can't remember how to make them into polls anymore...

Did your child graduate Harvard at 5? become a dr at 10? cure a disease at 12? lets hear about all those gifted kids we have here on the dis...

There's not one child truly gifted child here on the Dis. I'd bet my house on that. I think the youngest high school graduate that's been mentioned here was 16 years old. Nothing to go wow about.

 

[momz]

At our school, this is referred to as "high ability". The school identifies the top 5% of kids at the end of kindergarten. Then, in 1st grade, there is testing administered to these students (they will also test others if a parent requests it) at different times in the year. For my son, it was the Ottis-Lennon School Ability Test that was given in November, he scored in the 96th percentile. Then, in February, he was given the Iowa Test of Basic Skills, he scored 99% in reading and 97% in Math. All of these tests are compared to other children in the same grade. I think it's interesting to note that it is not possible to score 100%. If the child gets all the answers correct, he is given a score of 99%.

So,there were a total of 5 kids in his grade that were identified as high ability, unfortunately, 3 of them moved out of the district during the summer, so, now there are 2.

They put these 2 kids together with the lead teacher for the grade, they are in the regular classroom, but will be pulled out for reading and math (at least for 2nd grade), all other subjects are with the rest of the class. They will stay in the program until they are tested again in the 5th grade, or until the parent requests they be pulled out of it. But, if you make the decision to leave the program, you cannot re-enter until 5th grade testing.

However, there may be other kids that are identified in the meantime, so it might not stay at just 2.

I hope that helps to answer the OPs questions.

Just wanted to add...we have no intention of advancing him to the next grade...emotionally, he is where he should be, with other 7 year olds. There is plenty for him to learn socially as he matures with others his own age. I've never understood the rush to get through childhood. So, measuring a child's "giftedness" based on how quickly they finish high school doesn't interest me in the least.

 

[Sanchez]

One of my children is academically gifted...DD just graduated at 16yo & is off to college in three weeks, already entering with 15 credits (due to those AP exams). The principal once mentioned to me about having her skip another grade, but I vetoed that idea. She would've graduated at 15yo.

I've been teaching in the public school system for over 20 years now, & I do agree with the previous posters who stated that a high percentage of people claim their children to be gifted. Really these children are "advanced", but gifted? No.

Aren't you making the same claim?

 

[vgrandy]

There's not one child truly gifted child here on the Dis. I'd bet my house on that. I think the youngest high school graduate that's been mentioned here was 16 years old. Nothing to go wow about.

Would you like to read the testing reports? They are rather lengthy but get the point across. I would love to have your house!

 

[Sanchez]

Would you like to read the testing reports? They are rather lengthy but get the point across. I would love to have your house!

I think it would be an interesting read. Give us a link.

 

[Aisling]

Would you like to read the testing reports? They are rather lengthy but get the point across. I would love to have your house!

I meant truly gifted, as described in the original post. There are tons of high school graduates at age 16. This thread is asking about the truly gifted, those who have graduated COLLEGE at that age and younger. Think Doogie Howser.

I think my house is safe.