To tell or not to tell a kid they have been identified for gifted resources...

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
There are posts saying that kids don't notice. It's possible (although those parents may just be fooling themselves).

Those parents are fooling themselves. It would take a special brand of obliviousness for a gifted 2nd grader to be reading long chapter books but not notice that the other kids are reading magic treehouse or easier. Kids also notice which other kids usually know the answers in class and which ones don't. The kids may not talk to their parents about school work or school groupings, but the kids have a pretty good notion of where they stand academically.

I agree there is a special kind of obliviousness that thinks only a gifted child can know answers or read long books. Plenty of children can work for it and do that, it doesn’t require giftedness. That’s exactly the point I make with my child. Being gifted in and of itself really isn’t much despite people like you suggesting otherwise. Also AAP does not equal gifted.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My kid knows he goes to center for AAP but no we have not told him he is gifted or shown him a WISC score or told him he qualifies for Mensa or anything. I’m not saying it is “wrong” but my child does not need that information at this young age. We talked about how just like being tall in and of itself isn’t an achievement, neither is “being smart” because you still need to read, pay attention, work hard, do your best, be kind, etc. Being tall might mean you could be good at basketball but you still have to learn the rules and practice, height is just an advantage. Same general idea.

When I was a kid, I was given an IQ test that placed me in G&T. I definitely knew I was in G&T (hard to miss), but my parents very wisely never told me my IQ score, whether it was just past the cutoff or sky-high. To this day I don't know. I was kind of a timid, unsure kid, so knowing I was in G&T helped me in that it gave me confidence to challenge myself because I was smart. I still worked hard. I can see how this knowledge might have a different effect on a different personality.

[Anonymous]

I never use the term "gifted" because it's so loaded. I explained it as an outdated term that schools made up before even I was born. I said, really, they identify the kids who learn differently from most of the other kids in the grade and teach them how they think they will learn best. It has nothing to do with being smarter or more talented - because people excel at different things at different times. Right now, the schools think you will learn best by being in this new group.
She seems to have accepted that and feels low to no pressure.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
Those parents are fooling themselves. It would take a special brand of obliviousness for a gifted 2nd grader to be reading long chapter books but not notice that the other kids are reading magic treehouse or easier. Kids also notice which other kids usually know the answers in class and which ones don't. The kids may not talk to their parents about school work or school groupings, but the kids have a pretty good notion of where they stand academically.

I agree there is a special kind of obliviousness that thinks only a gifted child can know answers or read long books. Plenty of children can work for it and do that, it doesn’t require giftedness. That’s exactly the point I make with my child. Being gifted in and of itself really isn’t much despite people like you suggesting otherwise. Also AAP does not equal gifted.

PP here. When did I suggest that being gifted means much or that AAP equals gifted? The question was whether kids notice that they're very bright or notice that they've been identified for whatever services. The answer is that yes, they notice if they're in AAP, are receiving APS G&T, are in the highest reading group, or grasp things much more quickly than other kids. 8 year olds aren't oblivious babies. Even if a kid is academically advanced because (s)he has worked for it, the kid still notices that the work has paid off.

[Anonymous]

If it’s AAP don’t bother. That’s not a gifted program. If it’s actual gifted program you may want to give them a heads up. They will wonder why there’s only 3 other people in their class.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Why is it wrong to tell a kid he's smarter than the others? Gives him confidence. I would.

They are smarter in some ways, maybe, but they might not be as smart/savvy in other ways. I wouldn't make it a point to tell my kid "You are so much smarter than everyone else." That isn't necessarily something that you want your kid obnoxiously bragging about in school.