IM in 4th grade?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don't think it's really an option in the way you might think. MCPS did away with acceleration in math with the new curriculum and most principals seem to stand their ground in this regard. Also her child sounds very exceptional. There are always those 1:100,000 amazingly gifted kids.

+1 A teacher told me during one of the Open House that she knew of one ES kid taking math in a HS. I think they can recognize when a child is truly advanced in math vs. just being able to do some harder equations. The vast majority of advanced math kids are in the latter category, which is why mcps is very hesitant to push these kids too far too quickly.

But OP's kid does sound like an outlier since it's mcps recommending it. OP, see if you can find a support group that can provide some insight on how it would be for a 4th grader in a math class with 6/7th graders. When the time comes, you should also talk to the MS math teacher to get the teacher's advice.

GL.

My DC was truly gifted, not just advanced, but he didn't get any arrangement like OP. Teachers were saying they had never seen such a gifted kid before. Why is it so different from school to school?

[Anonymous]

This sounds complicated. The 2.0 math curriculum is terrible. Why not just have him learn at home with good textbooks (traditional, not common core).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Here is another thing. Do you know that starting in Algebra, your child's grade goes in HS diploma. Will your child be mature enough to turn in all HWs, do team projects (with much older kids), quizzes and tests with As?
Will your child be mature enough for FINALs? PARCC for Algebra?
You may feel proud with 5th grader getting B in Algebra, but you will kill child's GPA...

+1

I think this is the most important point here. OP - I'm really glad that your principal recognizes your child's exceptional abilities. That's fantastic. As the parent of a normal bright but not profoundly gifted kid, I can't really relate but I'm genuinely happy for you. However, I think PP makes a great point about the GPA and high school transcript issue. It sucks that you need to worry about a 5th grader's grade, but it is a legitimate concern. I'd slow it down just a big, as PPs suggest, and give your child the chance to mature by one more year before tackling a difficult course that will appear on his college application transcript.

Wow, I think this is the least important. Yes, Algebra and above goes on HS transcript, but date completed and that it was pre-HS is also noted. If it were to come to taking a HS class as a 5th grader and it were to be a bad grade, does anyone really think it would hurt college chances if the next seven years of work are stellar?

The bigger concern is as other PP have suggested, there are some developmental hurdles between ES arithmetic and later classes. A child who is exceptionally good, now still may not progress at twice the rate of his peers. Sounds like acceleration within ES is working now, he's happy, go with it. But keep options open and don't count on the regular course sequence. If he does transfer to an HGC, repeating a year of math with the 5th grade HGC students or even his own class in that setting could easily be more rewarding than IM at the MS.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This sounds complicated. The 2.0 math curriculum is terrible. Why not just have him learn at home with good textbooks (traditional, not common core).

He might learn at home, but the problem is that my kid cannot enjoy the math class at school and is wasting a lot of time. That is so sad.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Has anyone had experience with MCPS letting their child take a CTY class instead of an MCPS math course?

If you pay for it, the only issue is supervision. IME in another school district this was handled by having the child on a computer in the library, so the librarian is present.

[Anonymous]

OP here- Thank you for all the suggestions. We will most likely be exploring some online math options, including CTY and AOP's online courses which start with pre-algebra. Getting MCPS to be open to that idea will be a challenge. It is difficult to plan too far in the future, because not only is it hard to know what level of math instruction our son will need and where his social skills will be, but MCPS also changes their math program from time to time. While online courses have their drawbacks, I still wonder if MCPS could be willing to consider them for students who do not have the appropriate math course offered in their school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP here- Thank you for all the suggestions. We will most likely be exploring some online math options, including CTY and AOP's online courses which start with pre-algebra. Getting MCPS to be open to that idea will be a challenge. It is difficult to plan too far in the future, because not only is it hard to know what level of math instruction our son will need and where his social skills will be, but MCPS also changes their math program from time to time. While online courses have their drawbacks, I still wonder if MCPS could be willing to consider them for students who do not have the appropriate math course offered in their school.

You have a wonderful kid. It is not easy to get truly bright kids what they need. If you do not mind, please reach out to MCPS AEI office and see what they can help. In case that others have suggested this, please ignore. I have not gone though all the posts on this thread.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP here- Thank you for all the suggestions. We will most likely be exploring some online math options, including CTY and AOP's online courses which start with pre-algebra. Getting MCPS to be open to that idea will be a challenge. It is difficult to plan too far in the future, because not only is it hard to know what level of math instruction our son will need and where his social skills will be, but MCPS also changes their math program from time to time. While online courses have their drawbacks, I still wonder if MCPS could be willing to consider them for students who do not have the appropriate math course offered in their school.

I seriously doubt MCPS would consider online options. I think you really do need to think ahead if you plan to stay with MCPS. No one else will. There is no way I would let them put my kid that far ahead no matter how advanced he was.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
My DC was truly gifted, not just advanced, but he didn't get any arrangement like OP. Teachers were saying they had never seen such a gifted kid before. Why is it so different from school to school?

I think some principals and teachers are philosophically opposed to acceleration and some embrace it. Out principal is in the "opposed" category. Just wanted to add that from my experience with my kid, there is often no way for teachers to see how advanced/gifted some of these kids are. Finish the worksheet faster? Explain a deeper understanding of 2+2? You would think MAP-P and MAP-M scores would be used for something but they are not. Maybe if the parent raises a stink... Never went that route given the atmosphere at our school.

[Anonymous]

OP:

I have an ASD child currently in the TPMS magnet and in the first cohort of curriculum 2.0 kids. He tested 160+ on math IQ and always complained about math going too slowly. Tested in the 99+ percentile on all standardized tests.

In grade 3, they were still refusing to accelerate and his teacher gave him Math Stars logic worksheets that he did with other kids. The kids had to talk out the problems with each other and no adult so that they could talk through their thinking. And they were given problems meant for older kids. He was also accelerated a grade in classroom.

At HGC in grade 4, math teacher made him repeat grade 4. He was bored, but he did learn to calculate mental math at a fast pace and learn various strategies to do problems. When he'd ask me to learn a concept not being taught, I'd teach it to him.

Once we got to TPMS, we found that some schools (I think in Bethesda/Potomac vs downcounty where we are) had bucked the MCPS line about not accelerating and allowed a couple of kids to accelerate. But as others have said, there are only about 4-5 kids who are in Algebra as 6th graders.

The magnet classes go far more in-depth in the math classes than either a CTY online class or regular middle school. The projects they do are pretty cool, particularly in Algebra in grade 7 (I have an older child finishing the program). 6th grader never studies and hates teachers repeating instruction b/c he gets everything the first time, but those are the only complaints I get now.

We discussed whether to accelerate my child again this year, but, in the end, the math teacher convinced me that he would get far more out of Algebra with the particular teacher in the magnet than anywhere else.

If I were you, I'd find a way to do non-class supplements, like Math Odyssey or Math Counts or Math Stars, and even strategy board games and not push Algebra too early. Even though you don't want to think ahead, you really do need to. The path from grade 3 to high school at Blair goes quite quickly!

[Anonymous]

I know a kod transferred into mcps and was accelerated 2 grades in math after testing. ES sent him to take 6 and 7th grade math in middle school but never let him to take IM during his 4th and 5th grade years. He excelled in both 6 and 7 grade math and got bored easily. Parents aaked for IM but the request was rejected.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
My DC was truly gifted, not just advanced, but he didn't get any arrangement like OP. Teachers were saying they had never seen such a gifted kid before. Why is it so different from school to school?

I think some principals and teachers are philosophically opposed to acceleration and some embrace it. Out principal is in the "opposed" category. Just wanted to add that from my experience with my kid, there is often no way for teachers to see how advanced/gifted some of these kids are. Finish the worksheet faster? Explain a deeper understanding of 2+2? You would think MAP-P and MAP-M scores would be used for something but they are not. Maybe if the parent raises a stink... Never went that route given the atmosphere at our school.

Ours is opposed to it, too, but it's also about the level of the rest of the class. If there are 1-4 kids at a similar accelerated level the school can do small group instruction that's more advanced. This is why weathier schools with highly educated parents seem to be less likely to accelerate.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I know a kod transferred into mcps and was accelerated 2 grades in math after testing. ES sent him to take 6 and 7th grade math in middle school but never let him to take IM during his 4th and 5th grade years. He excelled in both 6 and 7 grade math and got bored easily. Parents aaked for IM but the request was rejected.

What cluster PP

[Anonymous]

I also think there is a difference between doing 3rd grade math in 1st grade (not uncommon in pre 2.0 days) and algebra in 5th grade.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I also think there is a difference between doing 3rd grade math in 1st grade (not uncommon in pre 2.0 days) and algebra in 5th grade.

Very true. I think my first grader could probably do it and he's not advanced.

OP you really need to think about this carefully. No one is going to look out for your kid but you.

I actually think its a semi-good lesson for kids to have to work through a less than ideal situation where the work is not "challenging".