Private School for Gifted Elementary School Child

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We had gifted kids in private. Teachers were largely uninterested with them. They were busy with the kids who were struggling or average because they are assessed as teachers by the gains children make throughout the year. Since my kids are going in at the top, they won’t be making large gains. We have since moved them to public because there are far more clubs and stuff. They’re going to be bored everywhere so why not let them have fun.

Was this a challenging private school? what grade to you pull them out?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We had gifted kids in private. Teachers were largely uninterested with them. They were busy with the kids who were struggling or average because they are assessed as teachers by the gains children make throughout the year. Since my kids are going in at the top, they won’t be making large gains. We have since moved them to public because there are far more clubs and stuff. They’re going to be bored everywhere so why not let them have fun.

Was this a challenging private school? what grade to you pull them out?

My profoundly gifted child had the exact opposite experience in private. So much of their day is spent on wonderful experiences that are valuable for all students, regardless of IQ or reading/math level. Go tour the schools. Make your own decisions based on the whole child.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We had gifted kids in private. Teachers were largely uninterested with them. They were busy with the kids who were struggling or average because they are assessed as teachers by the gains children make throughout the year. Since my kids are going in at the top, they won’t be making large gains. We have since moved them to public because there are far more clubs and stuff. They’re going to be bored everywhere so why not let them have fun.

This would totally depend on the private school, obviously.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:These do not sound like ordinary skills for a pre-K kid.

What people are saying is not that these are ordinary skills, but that you will find precocious kids like this in most high SES area schools. She won't be the first the teacher encounters, she won't be the only one in the room with these skills, and she won't be bored. The exception is schools that screen kids for entrance: many will not take academically precocious kids for a variety of reasons. But public schools have to take them, obviously, and so are accustomed to teaching them.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Home school the child, please. This whole thread is assholery even by dcum standards.

This is currently the dumbest post on DCUM.

Not at all. Prodigies rarely amount to anything. If the op had judgement, they would try to normalize the child’s social development. This is in fact assholery.

What OP is describing is hardly prodigy material. In fact, apart from memorizing the capitals, which I can't see why aren't parent would find much value in that, I know of several kindergarteners in public who are reading at least a grade ahead and who are advanced in math as well. This probably describes 3/4 of the K class in my DD's public school. Besides, what makes you think homeschooling would be good for gifted child? What about social skills? Are you capable of teaching a gifted child at home?

Home schooling is just bad advice, plain and simple. And I think OP will be surprised to learn just how many kids are very much like hers once she gets to elementary.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Public. Honestly. The strongest kids are in public. The bright kids who didn't get into the public programs? Those are the kids in the "private gifted schools."

Really? My preschooler can read, write, spell, add, subtract, multiply, divide and she is not yet in K. She can read clocks, knows days, weeks, months and years. She loves maps and even knows the 50 US states with capitols, the different continents and oceans. Public can meet her needs?

Yes. My kid was like that in preschool except for the division. He is in 2nd grade in FCPS and his teachers have been wonderful about differentiating thus far. Next year AAP starts.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Home school the child, please. This whole thread is assholery even by dcum standards.

This is currently the dumbest post on DCUM.

Not at all. Prodigies rarely amount to anything. If the op had judgement, they would try to normalize the child’s social development. This is in fact assholery.

What OP is describing is hardly prodigy material. In fact, apart from memorizing the capitals, which I can't see why aren't parent would find much value in that, I know of several kindergarteners in public who are reading at least a grade ahead and who are advanced in math as well. This probably describes 3/4 of the K class in my DD's public school. Besides, what makes you think homeschooling would be good for gifted child? What about social skills? Are you capable of teaching a gifted child at home?

Home schooling is just bad advice, plain and simple. And I think OP will be surprised to learn just how many kids are very much like hers once she gets to elementary.

Really? 3/4 of the K class in your DD's public school can serve as Banker in Monopoly game, give change and read out Chance and Community Chest cards, tell me it is -2C outside when the temperature reading in my car said 28F, can write short stories and spell words such as "brown", "competition" and "throat"? Which public school is this, please share.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Home school the child, please. This whole thread is assholery even by dcum standards.

This is currently the dumbest post on DCUM.

Not at all. Prodigies rarely amount to anything. If the op had judgement, they would try to normalize the child’s social development. This is in fact assholery.

What OP is describing is hardly prodigy material. In fact, apart from memorizing the capitals, which I can't see why aren't parent would find much value in that, I know of several kindergarteners in public who are reading at least a grade ahead and who are advanced in math as well. This probably describes 3/4 of the K class in my DD's public school. Besides, what makes you think homeschooling would be good for gifted child? What about social skills? Are you capable of teaching a gifted child at home?

Home schooling is just bad advice, plain and simple. And I think OP will be surprised to learn just how many kids are very much like hers once she gets to elementary.

Really? 3/4 of the K class in your DD's public school can serve as Banker in Monopoly game, give change and read out Chance and Community Chest cards, tell me it is -2C outside when the temperature reading in my car said 28F, can write short stories and spell words such as "brown", "competition" and "throat"? Which public school is this, please share.

Yes, my DD can do much of this in kindergarten. I haven't taught her celsius. She can read just about anything I put in front of her. She can give change in monopoly. She is not the only one with advanced skills in her class. The school is in FCPS.

Look, I'm not saying your child is not smart. I'm saying that you'd be surprised to find that your child will be in a class with many other smart kids, too, and that public can do a very good job teaching them. try public. you can switch later if you think it's not working.

[Anonymous]

OP, you should consider the financial stress of private. If that is not an issue, then go for private. If it is an issue (as of course it would be for many) then you should absolutely start in public school and not overthink this!

[Anonymous]

Seriously, OP. Your kid will not be the only one. Relax and send your child to school already.

[Anonymous]

Strange that in this Private School forum people are pushing for public schools ...

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Strange that in this Private School forum people are pushing for public schools ...

Why? Private is good in some cases, and public is good in some cases. I don't think anyone would say one is always better than the other, regardless of the forum.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Strange that in this Private School forum people are pushing for public schools ...

I think folks in this thread are put off by OP's lack of perspective about her child's abilities, which are precocious but not earth-shattering, and by her stated desire to avoid kids with special needs. Her child would be fine at public, or at any good private, but doesn't need a special school for gifted kids at 5.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I think folks in this thread are put off by OP's lack of perspective about her child's abilities, which are precocious but not earth-shattering, and by her stated desire to avoid kids with special needs. Her child would be fine at public, or at any good private, but doesn't need a special school for gifted kids at 5.

Exactly. Maybe a different conversation is warranted if OP's child was, say, an off-the-charts IQ/prodigy-type. But a 99th percentile child will be fine in public or any good private as you say. My child is advanced in certain areas for her age and did great on the WPPSI (not that it helped in PK admissions), but I know very well that she's not truly "gifted" or anywhere near unique in the DC area. In many ways, that's more preferable IMO.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think folks in this thread are put off by OP's lack of perspective about her child's abilities, which are precocious but not earth-shattering, and by her stated desire to avoid kids with special needs. Her child would be fine at public, or at any good private, but doesn't need a special school for gifted kids at 5.

Exactly. Maybe a different conversation is warranted if OP's child was, say, an off-the-charts IQ/prodigy-type. But a 99th percentile child will be fine in public or any good private as you say. My child is advanced in certain areas for her age and did great on the WPPSI (not that it helped in PK admissions), but I know very well that she's not truly "gifted" or anywhere near unique in the DC area. In many ways, that's more preferable IMO.

I agree. For the record I reccomend a private school. One with the least amount of academics in K that you can find.