Can I asked for accelerated academics in a private school?

[Anonymous]

Not the DMV. 5th grader tested multiple grade levels ahead in each subject at the end of last year, and finally seems bored this year. They don't have the maturity level to skip grades, but I am not sure what reading chapter books with the rest of their class will accomplish. Is it inappropriate to ask if they can be challenged in some way? I'm a public school graduate and unfamiliar with the culture.

[Anonymous]

You can ask for anything you want -- without knowing the culture of the school, none of us can know how it will be received. I'm confused, though, why you think a 5th grader won't get anything out of reading chapter books with the rest of the class. At that age, they are no longer learning how to read/decode, but instead engaging in higher order reading comprehension. If your child is gifted, surely they can learn to think more deeply about whatever books the class is reading.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You can ask for anything you want -- without knowing the culture of the school, none of us can know how it will be received. I'm confused, though, why you think a 5th grader won't get anything out of reading chapter books with the rest of the class. At that age, they are no longer learning how to read/decode, but instead engaging in higher order reading comprehension. If your child is gifted, surely they can learn to think more deeply about whatever books the class is reading.

Well, they don't discuss the books the teacher reads out loud or anything - if it were a book club type situation, I'd agree with you. They want to read more advanced, longer, and "interesting" books.

[Anonymous]

This is a hard question with many variables. How large is the school? Is it a parochial kind or one that is considered top tier in your city? Simply being ahead of the class in a subject or two doesn’t make the kid stand out that much. Half the class is over the median, and that doesn’t account for supplemental studies. We have not had great luck with the school accommodating our kids ability above great level (and it was particularly noticeable in math where they were 3-4 years ahead, depending on the kid). But the kids get a lot out of the school in other subjects and socially. The subjects they excel in, we can easily continue to supplement in. For what is is worth, we are at a top academic school. Good luck.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You can ask for anything you want -- without knowing the culture of the school, none of us can know how it will be received. I'm confused, though, why you think a 5th grader won't get anything out of reading chapter books with the rest of the class. At that age, they are no longer learning how to read/decode, but instead engaging in higher order reading comprehension. If your child is gifted, surely they can learn to think more deeply about whatever books the class is reading.

Well, they don't discuss the books the teacher reads out loud or anything - if it were a book club type situation, I'd agree with you. They want to read more advanced, longer, and "interesting" books.

Nothing is stopping them from reading more advanced, longer, and interesting books. I would be more troubled by the lack of analysis the class is doing than the so called difficulty level of the book. In 5th grade they should be starting to analyze and write about themes, etc in the assigned readings. From a teacher perspective, additional/extended assignments on the same material is an easier ask than working on completely separate books. That might be a more effective way to approach the situation!

[Anonymous]

In our experience I think you'd have an easier time making a case for a grade acceleration/skip in math than one for reading.

[Anonymous]

It's easy enough to read more advanced books at home. I doubt the school will do much on that front.

[Anonymous]

A strong private school will already be quite accelerated, I wouldn’t go in assuming you will need something special for your child.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You can ask for anything you want -- without knowing the culture of the school, none of us can know how it will be received. I'm confused, though, why you think a 5th grader won't get anything out of reading chapter books with the rest of the class. At that age, they are no longer learning how to read/decode, but instead engaging in higher order reading comprehension. If your child is gifted, surely they can learn to think more deeply about whatever books the class is reading.

Well, they don't discuss the books the teacher reads out loud or anything - if it were a book club type situation, I'd agree with you. They want to read more advanced, longer, and "interesting" books.

How much of 5th grade is read aloud time?

[Anonymous]

Assuming she did the tests through the school do they have suggestions/ideas?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Assuming she did the tests through the school do they have suggestions/ideas?

What tests specifically? Because, for example, reading "at the 11th grade level" does not mean your child should be in 11th grade English classes.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Assuming she did the tests through the school do they have suggestions/ideas?

What tests specifically? Because, for example, reading "at the 11th grade level" does not mean your child should be in 11th grade English classes.

+1. Are we talking fluency or comprehension? Being able to decode the words in an 11th grade text
is different than being able to understand and analyze them.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You can ask for anything you want -- without knowing the culture of the school, none of us can know how it will be received. I'm confused, though, why you think a 5th grader won't get anything out of reading chapter books with the rest of the class. At that age, they are no longer learning how to read/decode, but instead engaging in higher order reading comprehension. If your child is gifted, surely they can learn to think more deeply about whatever books the class is reading.

Well, they don't discuss the books the teacher reads out loud or anything - if it were a book club type situation, I'd agree with you. They want to read more advanced, longer, and "interesting" books.

DP: I think you are missing the point. What is being taught in language arts post-first grade, is not longer reading per se. They will use easier texts to teacher finer points that will then make the more difficult texts more easily accessible, etc. It's not about the difficulty of the book they read in class, it is about the lesson being illustrated by the text they use.

[Anonymous]

You can ask for anything you want but IME the private schools know their kids pretty well and if your child was performing so well she should be accelerated they often do that. DD's friend was accelerated and the family did not ask. The teachers approached the family.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:A strong private school will already be quite accelerated, I wouldn’t go in assuming you will need something special for your child.

+1. Our kid was reading at the college level in 5th grade (per the catholic school testing). Moved him to a rigorous private where everyone is accelerated and the boredom problem you described was solved. He further challenged himself by taking 9 credits of community college English classes during HS.