Kid five grade levels ahead

[Anonymous]

Man, there are some bitter, jealous people on this thread lol!
-np

[Anonymous]

No some of us actually have gifted children and know how the process works.

[Anonymous]

I would recommend piano lessons that includes lots of music theory work. I teach and had a kindergarten student who was extremely smart. She taught herself to read all the notes on the staff, devoured everything about music theory, and learned Fur Elise by the end of the year among other advanced songs. She practiced several hours a day not by force but because it was "fun".

If not piano, find another outlet for your kid to focus on.

[Anonymous]

Op get therapy

[Anonymous]

I was in the 99th percentile in standardized tests and I did just fine in my normal school and grade level.

[Anonymous]

OP - What you will find is that A LOT of kids in this area test at the 99% percentile and are 5 grades or more above the national average, particularly in "reading," which is kind of a nebulous topic.

Because there are a lot of smart, high achieving, kids in the area, your child likely has a peer group of similar kids. Nothing you have told us suggests profound giftedness, or a need for anything other than normal support for a bright kid.

[Anonymous]

Some answers:

Kid was part of a pre school research study, plus school testing since pre k, so lots of tests already.

Yes, the school testing does provide current grade equivalent.

Reading test includes comprehension, vocab etc. It's not just a decoding exercise.

Yes, child is currently doing (simple) algebra and plenty of math beyond my ability to recall.

Doesn't complain about being bored. Reads constantly (and yes, lots of non fiction - will happily read encyclopedias cover to cover). Does math for fun (long multiplication, calculating area, square root etc) without worksheets or homework. Asks lots of questions, sops up info like a sponge. Generally I think is doing just fine and doesn't need any extra support but sometimes I wonder if we should be doing more to challenge our child.

Thanks for the suggestions.

[Anonymous]

What a bunch of jealous suspicious types on here.

My children are similar to yours and are lucky to be in a gifted program in this area.
Be aware that testing several grades ahead does not necessarily mean that your child could do the whole curriculum for that upper grade. My son was reading at a 12th grade level since mid-elementary, but that did not mean he could have been parachuted in a 12th grade literature class at 9 years old!

OP, do you know whether your child's school could accommodate this by either letting him or her work on his own during class, or sending him (for math) to a different grade?

Alternatively, you can explore private school options which might be more accommodating, through smaller class sizes, or think about homeschooling your child.

The first thing you can do, however, is further investigate your child's abilities by doing a full neuropsychological evaluation.

Good luck - it's tough but exciting to have such a child!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP - What you will find is that A LOT of kids in this area test at the 99% percentile and are 5 grades or more above the national average, particularly in "reading," which is kind of a nebulous topic.

Because there are a lot of smart, high achieving, kids in the area, your child likely has a peer group of similar kids. Nothing you have told us suggests profound giftedness, or a need for anything other than normal support for a bright kid.

Not been even close to my experience. Where are all these other kids? They are not at my child's school and I haven't found them at the playground, summer camps or in extra curriculars. It would be great to meet them. Kid would love a same age friend to share books and interests with instead of much older kids.

OP.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
What a bunch of jealous suspicious types on here.

My children are similar to yours and are lucky to be in a gifted program in this area.
Be aware that testing several grades ahead does not necessarily mean that your child could do the whole curriculum for that upper grade. My son was reading at a 12th grade level since mid-elementary, but that did not mean he could have been parachuted in a 12th grade literature class at 9 years old!

OP, do you know whether your child's school could accommodate this by either letting him or her work on his own during class, or sending him (for math) to a different grade?

Alternatively, you can explore private school options which might be more accommodating, through smaller class sizes, or think about homeschooling your child.

The first thing you can do, however, is further investigate your child's abilities by doing a full neuropsychological evaluation.

Good luck - it's tough but exciting to have such a child!

What would a Neuro psych eval tell us?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP - What you will find is that A LOT of kids in this area test at the 99% percentile and are 5 grades or more above the national average, particularly in "reading," which is kind of a nebulous topic.

Because there are a lot of smart, high achieving, kids in the area, your child likely has a peer group of similar kids. Nothing you have told us suggests profound giftedness, or a need for anything other than normal support for a bright kid.

Not been even close to my experience. Where are all these other kids? They are not at my child's school and I haven't found them at the playground, summer camps or in extra curriculars. It would be great to meet them. Kid would love a same age friend to share books and interests with instead of much older kids.

OP.

I was unaware that reading levels were evident at the park. Does your kid seem super smart while doing the monkey bars?

[Anonymous]

So did I. Consistently. Turns out I am gifted at tests.

Honors classes sufficed (I'm older than AP)

[Anonymous]

OP - your DD sounds amazing. I have a DD17 who always tested in the 99% from kindergarten through the SATs. Getting As was never an issue so we always focused on effort and her social skills. Even though you obviosly know it, do not tell your D she is smart. Rather reiterate that you like how hard she worked or how impressed you are that she challenged herself. Good luck!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
What a bunch of jealous suspicious types on here.

My children are similar to yours and are lucky to be in a gifted program in this area.
Be aware that testing several grades ahead does not necessarily mean that your child could do the whole curriculum for that upper grade. My son was reading at a 12th grade level since mid-elementary, but that did not mean he could have been parachuted in a 12th grade literature class at 9 years old!

OP, do you know whether your child's school could accommodate this by either letting him or her work on his own during class, or sending him (for math) to a different grade?

Alternatively, you can explore private school options which might be more accommodating, through smaller class sizes, or think about homeschooling your child.

The first thing you can do, however, is further investigate your child's abilities by doing a full neuropsychological evaluation.

Good luck - it's tough but exciting to have such a child!

x1000

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
What a bunch of jealous suspicious types on here.

My children are similar to yours and are lucky to be in a gifted program in this area.
Be aware that testing several grades ahead does not necessarily mean that your child could do the whole curriculum for that upper grade. My son was reading at a 12th grade level since mid-elementary, but that did not mean he could have been parachuted in a 12th grade literature class at 9 years old!

OP, do you know whether your child's school could accommodate this by either letting him or her work on his own during class, or sending him (for math) to a different grade?

Alternatively, you can explore private school options which might be more accommodating, through smaller class sizes, or think about homeschooling your child.

The first thing you can do, however, is further investigate your child's abilities by doing a full neuropsychological evaluation.

Good luck - it's tough but exciting to have such a child!

What would a Neuro psych eval tell us?

It is a full battery of tests, including the WISC-V (for IQ) meant to explore a child's learning style, memory, ability to calculate, see spatially, decode, comprehend, etc.
Thus every skill is broken down and allows the psychologist to identify and analyze strengths and weaknesses. This is very important for children who are out of the norm, whether above or below it, because their gifts can mask some disabilities, or their disabilities can mask some gifts. Whereas a typical child will score similarly for various skills, a child who is out of the norm may have extreme variations in their skill set, which can explain various struggles at home or at school (emotional, behavioral, academic). It's a good starting point, which you can then use to advocate for your child in their school setting. It's much harder for a school to argue with such scores and a psychologist's report, than it is to sweep school test results under the rug, as was done to both my children.