Why do children of the wealthy and successful need tutoring ?

[Anonymous]

Even if the Texan read the annual reports of the top 12 schools in DC (which makes so much sense), that tells him nothing about the number of applicants this year compared to past years.
And since no AD is going to divulge that data, I continue to call bullshit on that statement (The US economy is struggling, so the 8 best schools in the least-affected city in the country therefore have fewer full-pay applicants.)

[Anonymous]

At a recent school playdate for K, I counted up the number of student nametags on the table, and multiplied by the number of playdate weeks available on the schedule. That calculation suggests well over well 200 applicants for only about 25 slots. It seems like there is no lack of competition for those slots.

[Anonymous]

[quote=Anonymous]Someone on this forum said that the biggest predictor of IQ was a parents educational level and HHI. So, I'm curious, why all the tutoring before the private school entrance exams ? Is better the enemy of good ?[/quote]
Zip code + household income = intelligence!
If you are an American and live in America, then zip code + HHI = intelligence
This is entirely and American phenomom. Do not try and export the American education system to other nations. The American theory can be applied only in America

[Anonymous]

One reason you have to find a tutor is because everyone else is doing it. The level of expectation rises and your normal kid who is average in math or reading can't keep up. It sucks.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:At my school, a vast majority of the children of the wealthy have tutors and work with the in-house reading specialists because they can't read or write.

I'd love to know where this is. But I'm sure this is just another "if you knew what I know but I can't say" post.

"Vast majority" strikes me as hyperbole, but certainly our Big Three has kids of the wealthy (and not-as-wealthy) who are working with in-house specialists because they can't read (and/or write). It's a school that starts at PreK -- of course there are kids who can't read or write. Some of whom need (and all of whom may benefit from) access to a learning specialist. My kid didn't but I think learning specialists fall under the category of resources an excellent private school should provide and I certainly don't resent the fact that some of our tuition $$ go to funding their salaries.

[Anonymous]

Why do you care OP? Maybe mind your own business and worry about your own kids. I only hired an SAT Prep tutor for my kid. It was worth it considering where she ended up.

[Anonymous]

The use of the words "learning specialists" usually indicates a learning disability. Learning disability and IQ are not relative. Actually a High IQ and low performance is an indicator of a learning disability.

I don't think wealthy need tutoring more - just can afford tutoring more - it's like $50/hour for specialists that help with your child's specific LD.

Tutors/Learning specialist/etc are very expensive. Also, Private schools - ours at least - has 15 kids in a class room.

So I would say that many parents choose privates because of their kids LD - because of the smaller class size and the fact they have art and gym daily - which gives LD kids a break - not because they are trying to get into Ivy.

Tutors, specialist also help kids with frustration. Frustration is like - hey why is everybody getting their homework done in 1 hour and it takes me 3. I don't think I am stupid but I sure feel stupid. Our private works closely with hw assignments being too much for kids with LD's (like do every other problem) while still challenging the kids that need to be challenged.

Many publics don't actually provide IDPs or IEPs for kids with mild LDs so it almost forces a group of parents to go to private with tutoring.

Also, kids with LD's specifically have more issues in 3rd-8th. K-3 is learning to read (most LD kids can fake it or learn whole words), 3-8 is learning from reading (which sucks for dyslexic kids - and scores plummet and parents have to do catch up for the kids that were not diagnosed until 3rd+) and then HS should be more applying knowledge to higher thinking (which is easier for mild LD kids - sometimes this is where they shine) - though parents may want to help with spell check.

They may also continue to need to learn executive functioning skills as they get older.

You can review my english grammar - I am LD also - my grammar is terrible but I can do computer programming. BTW.

[Anonymous]

Sorry, I find all of the LD this LD that a bit suspect. My God, reading the prior post one would think all of America had a learning disability, needed medication and tutoring to get through grade school. How did America get this far off course. This is sick. Stop aiming for perfection, let the kids do there own work and eventually they will develop ian age appropriate manner and be just fine.

[Anonymous]

One can be on the wrong half of the Bell shaped curve and not have a learning disorder. If IQ is fixed, as most here believe, one's neuronal DNA intelligence potential is fixed. I guess, everyone on this board must think intelligence is not fixed, hence the mad rush to the other half of the Bell shaped curve through tutors, prepping, steroids for the brain and accommodations for homework and sitting for tests and exams.

[Anonymous]

[quote=Anonymous]Sorry, I find all of the LD this LD that a bit suspect. My God, reading the prior post one would think all of America had a learning disability, needed medication and tutoring to get through grade school. How did America get this far off course. This is sick. Stop aiming for perfection, let the kids do there own work and eventually they will develop ian age appropriate manner and be just fine.[/quote]

You sound like my mother - we were fine and we never used car seats. You guys use to wrestle in the back of the station wagon.

Do you want to get rid of IEP's in public school also?

Yawn to ignorance.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:One can be on the wrong half of the Bell shaped curve and not have a learning disorder. If IQ is fixed, as most here believe, one's neuronal DNA intelligence potential is fixed. I guess, everyone on this board must think intelligence is not fixed, hence the mad rush to the other half of the Bell shaped curve through tutors, prepping, steroids for the brain and accommodations for homework and sitting for tests and exams.

IQ is fixed and since they can measure that with some sort of accuracy and a kid with a high IQ is not able to read in 4th grade there is a need for extra help. Schools are not designed to teach certain children to read - they need a different methodology - there are schools that use that methodology and some don't. Which is why public goes from phonics to whole word methods every 7 years like the economy. It's basically lame.

I actually have a working relationship with my kids teachers and don't expect all kinds of accomodations that take away from the other kids and we just simply put them in some tutoring. I don't have my kids tutored based on grades but based on frustration.

I am very happy with a C and feel blessed with a B. A's are non existent in our house - except in gym.

BTW - the Bell Shaped Curve has been proven in education to be a bad model.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:One can be on the wrong half of the Bell shaped curve and not have a learning disorder. If IQ is fixed, as most here believe, one's neuronal DNA intelligence potential is fixed. I guess, everyone on this board must think intelligence is not fixed, hence the mad rush to the other half of the Bell shaped curve through tutors, prepping, steroids for the brain and accommodations for homework and sitting for tests and exams.

If your IQ is in the 90% and your school grades are on the left side of the curve then yes you have a LD.

[Anonymous]

Too much inbreeding among the wealthy and successful.

[Anonymous]

IQ is fixed and since they can measure that with some sort of accuracy and a kid with a high IQ is not able to read in 4th grade there is a need for extra help. Schools are not designed to teach certain children to read - they need a different methodology - there are schools that use that methodology and some don't. Which is why public goes from phonics to whole word methods every 7 years like the economy. It's basically lame.

I actually have a working relationship with my kids teachers and don't expect all kinds of accomodations that take away from the other kids and we just simply put them in some tutoring. I don't have my kids tutored based on grades but based on frustration.

I am very happy with a C and feel blessed with a B. A's are non existent in our house - except in gym.

BTW - the Bell Shaped Curve has been proven in education to be a bad model.

If your height, weight, body surface area are not fixed for a given individual at birth why do intelligent persons think IQ is fixed at birth?

Not so intelligent after all.

[Anonymous]

If your IQ is in the 90% and your school grades are on the left side of the curve then yes you have a LD.

What if your IQ is 40% and your school grades are on the far right side of the curve?