MoCo - Emotional Support for Gifted Students?

[Anonymous]

OP, my son sounds very much like your daughter. He is emotionally intense and always has been. Not sure his IQ but he tests quite high (i.e. 100% on math sub tests on HGC and MS magnet tests). The HGC was a good fit, not because teachers were specially trained but because the peer group was similarly wired. Just entering middle school but the other kids in the program are more supportive and understanding than at our home school.

[Anonymous]

FWIW, my intense gifted kid was happy both at the highly gifted center and also at our home middle school. In my kid's case, it has worked fine to have school be an opportunity to learn a little about academics and a lot about peers and relationships. Diving deep can happen outside of school, on his own terms.

[Anonymous]

"IQ and success in school (and/or life) are not always correlated. Social skills are equally or more important."

OP here. Yes, that's what the psychologist explained to us and exactly why I've asked about support. Many gifted kids are perfectionists and/or have a very strong fear of failure, which means that they may avoid doing work or not turn it in or have very slow processing speeds. An untrained teacher may conclude that the child has a bad attitude or is not very smart, whereas a trained teacher who understands what is going on may be able to coax her to produce high quality work. And we think that if we can get this support lined up during the middle school years, DD may learn some good coping strategies that will help get her through life.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:"IQ and success in school (and/or life) are not always correlated. Social skills are equally or more important."

OP here. Yes, that's what the psychologist explained to us and exactly why I've asked about support. Many gifted kids are perfectionists and/or have a very strong fear of failure, which means that they may avoid doing work or not turn it in or have very slow processing speeds. An untrained teacher may conclude that the child has a bad attitude or is not very smart, whereas a trained teacher who understands what is going on may be able to coax her to produce high quality work. And we think that if we can get this support lined up during the middle school years, DD may learn some good coping strategies that will help get her through life.

Not our magnet experience. Kids who do that won't last.

[Anonymous]

23:49 here. I agree with the PP. From what what you describe OP I do not think the MCPS gifted magnets would be a good fit for your daughter. It is a lot of work. The majority of the kids are highly motivated, quick working kids that enjoy just about all academic challenges. Many of these kid's intensity carries over to emotions as well and is not unusual to find kids crying over lost homework or other minor issues.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:23:49 here. I agree with the PP. From what what you describe OP I do not think the MCPS gifted magnets would be a good fit for your daughter. It is a lot of work. The majority of the kids are highly motivated, quick working kids that enjoy just about all academic challenges. Many of these kid's intensity carries over to emotions as well and is not unusual to find kids crying over lost homework or other minor issues.

Agreed. It sounds like you would be better off going to private.

[Anonymous]

I respectfully disagree with the last two posts. I have a perfectionist child who works hard in the magnet, but I also have a procrastinator who loved and did well at the magnet. Perfectionist has slow processing issues and we've been working through his needs with the school. Not all teachers are helpful, as would happen at any school. But some have been. We did need to get a 504 plan put in place to get some supports. Once we brought in neuropsych report, magnet teachers really "got" the issues and tried new approaches that worked well. In elementary HGC, he had teachers who "got" him and really were great at helping to work through the issues.

OP: Because the schoolwork is interesting, they are more willing to work than when the work is boring. That said, my procrastinator learned skills like how to get his homework done in class and how to skate the 90 percent line.

Having the peer group really makes all the difference. I've looked at privates several times; thus far, everyone has steered me back to the public magnets to get both challenge and peer group, especially in math and science.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP, my son sounds very much like your daughter. He is emotionally intense and always has been. Not sure his IQ but he tests quite high (i.e. 100% on math sub tests on HGC and MS magnet tests). The HGC was a good fit, not because teachers were specially trained but because the peer group was similarly wired. Just entering middle school but the other kids in the program are more supportive and understanding than at our home school.

The peer group is so important. We have found the kids to be supportive of and understanding of each other. The kids are not all alike but they tend to be open minded and accepting of the different types of kids in these programs.

[Anonymous]

OP, Deal would work for your kid too.

[Anonymous]

"OP, Deal would work for your kid too."

Can you tell me more? It sounds like Deal only has an accelerated track in math, and the other classes can be slowed down because not everyone is at the same level (at least, that's what one parent told me). Plus, DCPS doesn't do any G&T programs.

[Anonymous]

I'll take common sense over all of you snarkily guessing at IQ scores of the MCPS and magnet programs. This whole thread reeks of BS.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:"OP, Deal would work for your kid too."

Can you tell me more? It sounds like Deal only has an accelerated track in math, and the other classes can be slowed down because not everyone is at the same level (at least, that's what one parent told me). Plus, DCPS doesn't do any G&T programs.

You heard correctly. For the most part Deal students do well because most students are upper middle class and their parents are educated. But nothing in particular is offered for a gifted student.

[Anonymous]

Your kid must work quite hard and be very smart to succeed in magnets.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Your kid must work quite hard and be very smart to succeed in magnets.

I disagree with this. Eastern kids work really hard. Some Takoma Middle kids do as well, some do not. I, for one, have a 9th grader who's been through magnets and is continuing in another. He's worked far less hard than I had to way back when. But if you compare him to kids at schools where they give no homework at all, well, then, yes, they are working more.

[Anonymous]

MCPS is iffy with giftedness. They mainly push gifted kids with overwork and acceleration. They are not great with independent thinkers. An option to consider is a school like Edmund Burke or Field where they are a little more laid back and that can give room for her gifts to shine.