New to DC, looking for a school for my "gifted" son (Kindergarten)

[Anonymous]

There are two Montessori schools in the Alexandria/old town area and the commute wouldn't be terrible. There are some good public schools in the area too. Lyles crouch, MacArthur and waynewood seem very popular. For anything specifically 'gifted' at that age you'd need to spend $20000+ on private school and my personal opinion is that the VA 'gifted' schools aren't great.

[Anonymous]

I'm confused as to why he has an IEP? What is his disability? You don't get an IEP for being gifted...it's for Special Education!

[Anonymous]

He's not gifted. He has normal skills and a good knowledge base.

I would suggest stop treating him as a freak. Studies have shown that elementary gifted-track childern end up doing no better than normal-track kids because gifted on tests doesn't mean anything later as the material gets harder. You are welcome.

[Anonymous]

PP no need to be rude. She was told by professionals she trusts that her child has advanced academic abilities and will need something more accelerated than a general ed classroom. Please post links to the studies you referenced.

I suspect she's moving from Pennsylvania - which has Gifted IEPs - no disability required.

What is it with people around here. She must be made to understand that her kid's either not gifted or he's a freak?

Finally, to this poster:

Anonymous wrote:How high is high?

In this area, there is a very high concentration of kids who test at or above national standard levels for gifted identification, both in the gifted or AAP program and in the general ed population.

The standards for gifted placement are much higher than in the rest of the country.

For example, one of my children scored 97% nationally on the qualifying tests for the AAP program. This score, which would have placed her in any other gifted program in the country, was too low for Fairfax County and more than a few points below the cut off. When the scores were separated for just Fairfax county, the same 97% national scores were below 90% in Fairfax County. My child is one of many kids who did not qualify for gifted services here, in spite of scores that would have been a lock in other states.

Nope. Kids in the DC area might be pretty bright, but your child wouldn't be gifted in Seattle or Bellevue, WA either.

OP - start him now for sure. If you return to your current region, you don't want him to be a year older than his classmates.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:PP no need to be rude. She was told by professionals she trusts that her child has advanced academic abilities and will need something more accelerated than a general ed classroom. Please post links to the studies you referenced.

I suspect she's moving from Pennsylvania - which has Gifted IEPs - no disability required.

What is it with people around here. She must be made to understand that her kid's either not gifted or he's a freak?

Finally, to this poster:

Anonymous wrote:How high is high?

In this area, there is a very high concentration of kids who test at or above national standard levels for gifted identification, both in the gifted or AAP program and in the general ed population.

The standards for gifted placement are much higher than in the rest of the country.

For example, one of my children scored 97% nationally on the qualifying tests for the AAP program. This score, which would have placed her in any other gifted program in the country, was too low for Fairfax County and more than a few points below the cut off. When the scores were separated for just Fairfax county, the same 97% national scores were below 90% in Fairfax County. My child is one of many kids who did not qualify for gifted services here, in spite of scores that would have been a lock in other states.

Nope. Kids in the DC area might be pretty bright, but your child wouldn't be gifted in Seattle or Bellevue, WA either.

OP - start him now for sure. If you return to your current region, you don't want him to be a year older than his classmates.

You can't read.

What I said was that scores in the 97% range nationally would place a child in the gifted program in just about any other state in the country. I never said that she was gifted...just that scores which are commonplace here would receive gifted services elsewhere. You are the only person that even brought up the kid being gifted. I am strictly talking about services.

Our family has been involved in gifted programs in five states. What is your expertise on this subject manner?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:He's not gifted. He has normal skills and a good knowledge base.

I would suggest stop treating him as a freak. Studies have shown that elementary gifted-track childern end up doing no better than normal-track kids because gifted on tests doesn't mean anything later as the material gets harder. You are welcome.

Can you provide your source?

[Anonymous]

I suspect she's moving from Pennsylvania - which has Gifted IEPs - no disability required.

Thank you. It isn't Pennsylvania, but it's the same deal. The state where he was tested does IEPs for kids identified as "highly gifted" so they can access funds to provide the extra services the kids need.

[Anonymous]

OP, you do realize it is very common in this area for kids that age to read, write and do basic math. Mine is 4.5 and has been reading for at least a year (can give him a new book or word and he read it), addition and subtraction and other stuff. To me, it is more about exposure than gifted at this age. We work on it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:He's not gifted. He has normal skills and a good knowledge base.

I would suggest stop treating him as a freak. Studies have shown that elementary gifted-track childern end up doing no better than normal-track kids because gifted on tests doesn't mean anything later as the material gets harder. You are welcome.

First, I don't treat him as a freak. Second, I don't care about outcomes of gifted vs. normal-track kids. As a kid I chose not to take advantage of gifted services and one way or the other, all of us ended up with PhDs and academic or research careers. (Big deal, we are all relatively poor.)

To say he has normal skills and a good knowledge base makes me laugh. Not many two year olds can name all of the US states and Canadian provinces, and want to stop and look down every grate in the road to try to figure out where the water is flowing to. Same with drainage inside and outside of houses. Tell him to go to the bathroom and he tells you where in the digestive system he thinks the food is now, or as a our-year-old comes up with bedtime story topics, like "Let's look up gas giants outside of our solar system". It's fine, it keeps us busy. I know he will be ok if he is left on his own, writing his "books", but I was hoping there might be something more available to stimulate him.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP, you do realize it is very common in this area for kids that age to read, write and do basic math. Mine is 4.5 and has been reading for at least a year (can give him a new book or word and he read it), addition and subtraction and other stuff. To me, it is more about exposure than gifted at this age. We work on it.

Yes, I was surprised to hear how competitive people on the east coast are. I come from a rural area in another country and kids went to the local school and did rural kid stuff, not so much focus on "prestige", I guess.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:He's not gifted. He has normal skills and a good knowledge base.

I would suggest stop treating him as a freak. Studies have shown that elementary gifted-track childern end up doing no better than normal-track kids because gifted on tests doesn't mean anything later as the material gets harder. You are welcome.

First, I don't treat him as a freak. Second, I don't care about outcomes of gifted vs. normal-track kids. As a kid I chose not to take advantage of gifted services and one way or the other, all of us ended up with PhDs and academic or research careers. (Big deal, we are all relatively poor.)

To say he has normal skills and a good knowledge base makes me laugh. Not many two year olds can name all of the US states and Canadian provinces, and want to stop and look down every grate in the road to try to figure out where the water is flowing to. Same with drainage inside and outside of houses. Tell him to go to the bathroom and he tells you where in the digestive system he thinks the food is now, or as a our-year-old comes up with bedtime story topics, like "Let's look up gas giants outside of our solar system". It's fine, it keeps us busy. I know he will be ok if he is left on his own, writing his "books", but I was hoping there might be something more available to stimulate him.

Actually my kid does a lot of those things, its really not that unusual...

[Anonymous]

Actually my kid does a lot of those things, its really not that unusual...

Do you have a school you like and can recommend? Does it offer any services? Thanks in advance!

[Anonymous]

OP -- are you aware of the Smithsonian Early Enrichment Program? My child attends. They have pre-k and k. You could put your son in school there and see how it goes -- that way you could transition him into public school after a year and if you decided to, say, do Kindergarten again it wouldn't be traumatic or even apparent to anybody but you.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP -- are you aware of the Smithsonian Early Enrichment Program? My child attends. They have pre-k and k. You could put your son in school there and see how it goes -- that way you could transition him into public school after a year and if you decided to, say, do Kindergarten again it wouldn't be traumatic or even apparent to anybody but you.

That would be perfect since it would suit him well and that is where I will be, but I thought all of the spaces were filled by now (and it is expensive!!?)? Maybe I need to talk to someone there. Thanks for the prompt.

[Anonymous]

So he will be turning 5 in September? Isn't the cutoff Sept 30 (in VA at least). He would be enrolling in K this year normally, right? Rent something in a neighborhood with a strong elementary school and he will have a cohort of like-minded learners. You won't get an IEP in DC, VA or MD just for giftedness. If his social skills are delayed enough, he might qualify for social supports.

What's your rental budget and how big of a place do you need? That's really your starting point.