Input needed on Field School

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:PP, that may be true (that your very academic daughter is thriving) but it is not true that most children there do not have learning differences. When we toured we were told that 30% of the class has a diagnosed learning difference. So, it may not be most but it is certainly many. However, I would also add that other people's learning differences should not be affecting your child experience and it is a great place.

Obviously "most" Field students have no diagnosed learning differences, as 30% is not "most." Of all the kids I've known of who chose Field, only one had an LD. That particular kid was and continues to be very successful, attending a college most parents on here would be very happy with. A "diagnosed learning difference" can be something quite minor, and can accompany gifted IQ scores.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:PP, that may be true (that your very academic daughter is thriving) but it is not true that most children there do not have learning differences. When we toured we were told that 30% of the class has a diagnosed learning difference. So, it may not be most but it is certainly many. However, I would also add that other people's learning differences should not be affecting your child experience and it is a great place.

30% is not most.

[Anonymous]

After many years of teaching, I have found over and over that (bright) students with learning differences can be exceptionally creative thinkers. They add much to the class mix, and offer unique insights.

This is a different category than kids who disrupt class, are behavior problems, can not retain information or do not grasp difficult concepts. Some of them have to work really hard to produce "regular" papers, homework, etc. If they are willing to do the work, they can be a gift to the class.

I do not teach at Field.

[Anonymous]

What about St. Andrew's? I have heard that their teachers are well-trained in learning differences. You might want to look for a school with a learning specialist. Most have at least one, often more.

[Anonymous]

Is St. Andrews a good school for kids with ADD?.

[Anonymous]

Absolutely. My kids are at St. Andrew's, and while they don't have ADD quite a few of their friends do. Almost all the teachers are great -- really engaging in the classroom and know the kids really well. Since they are really trying to develop best teaching practices, they are very tuned into the needs of ADD kids. Of course, kids with ADD can present very differently from one another and I don't know your child.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote: Absolutely. My kids are at St. Andrew's, and while they don't have ADD quite a few of their friends do. Almost all the teachers are great -- really engaging in the classroom and know the kids really well. Since they are really trying to develop best teaching practices, they are very tuned into the needs of ADD kids. Of course, kids with ADD can present very differently from one another and I don't know your child.

So there are a lot of kids with ADD at St. Andrew's?

[Anonymous]

I don't know what you mean by "a lot." There are enough kids with some degree of ADD that it is not uncommon, it is not shameful, and in the culture of St. Andrew's the kids are quite open about such things with one another and that's the only reason I know this. You would not know most of those kids have ADD if you met them -- either because it is mild, they are on meds, or they have other coping strategies. By the way, some of them also do very well in school, very well on standardized tests, and very well in college placements, but each child is different and we can't generalize.