Where is your 99.9% WPPSI kid thriving?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:That's interesting -- I'm both (fast and deep), but don't see much value in quickness unless it enables you go deeper or broader.

And, in many cases, the quickness that parents brag about (e.g. reading, math facts) is basically moot by the end of elementary school (if not earlier -- i.e. 3rd to 4th grade), when most kids have acquired those basic skills and when blasting through assignments as fast as you can often means doing things more superficially or making more careless errors than you should.

In the end, I suspect that we may be talking less about two different kinds of kids/brains rather than different ways of conceptualizing/training intellect. And it really drives me up the wall when parents valorize boredom as a sign of intellect. To me, it's more a sign of not being intellectually engaged -- you're dependent on others to set the pace, provide the stimulus, create the challenge.

So the disdain can go both ways, LOL!

I find this comment to be utter nonsense. Obviously, if a child has mastered whatever is being taught--the alphabet, reading, addition, whatever--and is being forced to sit through lessons on same, then of course he or she will be bored, and yes, of course that is a sign of intellect. A 5-year-old shouldn't be expected to "create his or her own challenge," and I don't think in most classrooms a child will be permitted to "set their own pace" or "provide their own stimulus."

Are you an educator? I ask because I am interested in knowing how you know when your child has mastered these concepts. My DC has a classmate who has been reading since he was 3 1/2. They are now in K. His parents believe he will truly, genuinely master these concepts by exposure, even if there is some repetition for him.

Maybe my 2 DC paid someone off for their WPPSI scores, but they come home brimming with enthusiasm about all the exciting things that occurred in school, not whining that they are bored. Usually when they invoke the boredom excuse it is because they don't want to do something (perhaps too hard?), not that it is truly dull or lacking in stimulation.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm all for creativity and playtime, but I prefer that school could also provide challenge on the academic side of things.

It's not a dichotomy. The academic side should encourage intellectual creativity and play. If it does, acceleration isn't necessary. If it doesn't, acceleration won't help much.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:That's interesting -- I'm both (fast and deep), but don't see much value in quickness unless it enables you go deeper or broader.

And, in many cases, the quickness that parents brag about (e.g. reading, math facts) is basically moot by the end of elementary school (if not earlier -- i.e. 3rd to 4th grade), when most kids have acquired those basic skills and when blasting through assignments as fast as you can often means doing things more superficially or making more careless errors than you should.

In the end, I suspect that we may be talking less about two different kinds of kids/brains rather than different ways of conceptualizing/training intellect. And it really drives me up the wall when parents valorize boredom as a sign of intellect. To me, it's more a sign of not being intellectually engaged -- you're dependent on others to set the pace, provide the stimulus, create the challenge.

So the disdain can go both ways, LOL!

I find this comment to be utter nonsense. Obviously, if a child has mastered whatever is being taught--the alphabet, reading, addition, whatever--and is being forced to sit through lessons on same, then of course he or she will be bored, and yes, of course that is a sign of intellect. A 5-year-old shouldn't be expected to "create his or her own challenge," and I don't think in most classrooms a child will be permitted to "set their own pace" or "provide their own stimulus."

Are you an educator? I ask because I am interested in knowing how you know when your child has mastered these concepts. My DC has a classmate who has been reading since he was 3 1/2. They are now in K. His parents believe he will truly, genuinely master these concepts by exposure, even if there is some repetition for him.

Maybe my 2 DC paid someone off for their WPPSI scores, but they come home brimming with enthusiasm about all the exciting things that occurred in school, not whining that they are bored. Usually when they invoke the boredom excuse it is because they don't want to do something (perhaps too hard?), not that it is truly dull or lacking in stimulation.

A) Yes, I am an educator. Taught high school for a decade, then after I had children went back and did coursework to teach elementary school as well; taught elementary school until last year when we had our third child.

B) Our 99.9% DC loves school but ONLY because the school, to its credit, properly accelerates DC. I have to disagree that complaining of boredom usually means something is too difficult or the child doesn't want to do something. Obviously, occasionally it might mean that, but usually boredom is just boredom! (As the saying goes, sometimes a cigar is just a cigar. ) For example, DC was--yes--bored, when DC's class was learning basic addition (prior to acceleration). Why? Because DC at that point had already been multiplying and dividing and adding three-digit-numbers for years, and it was therefore, yes, boring, to sit through lessons on how to add 5 + 3, etc. Yes, I am an educator, but it really doesn't take being an educator to know when young children have mastered most things.

Hope this helps!

[Anonymous]

PP again--just wanted to add: if there a real question about whether a child has mastered something, then you as a parent can always request that the teacher/school use whatever assessment methods they have for determining mastery. For example, have the teacher give the end-of-the-year math test, or try to get Lexile levels tested for your reader, etc. Generally that won't be necessary because it really is usually clear when a child is ahead of peers, but if there truly is a question, there are objective measures that can be taken if the teacher/school is helpful. Again, hope this helps.

[Anonymous]

22:26/40: My guess is that most posters on this thread are not educators and, therefore, are not able to avail themselves of your knowledge and experience in asking for these additional tests and assessments. I am curious to know how your DC's teachers respond to your involvement in their work, e.g., asking for additional assessments, etc. Do they welcome it? Do they feel you are second-guessing? If the latter, have you considered home-schooling?

We are fortunate that our DC are at a top independent: while they do not offer "subject acceleration" in early grades, there are enough staff and faculty to allow the students to work in small groups and at their own pace. Our older DC read early, so was able to be off with similarly-inclined children, though still part of the larger group. One think I've learned after reading DCUM for the last few years is that there is no one protocol all parents expect for their DCs' education. Some want highly-individualized attention, subject acceleration, routine assessment, etc. Others seem to prefer a more group or team-oriented approach where their children benefit from great instruction, yet remain part of a larger community. And there are many other variations. My biggest take-away has been that we are incredibly fortunate to have bright children in good health, that we have jobs that allow us to send them to a Big Three, and that we have the luxury to worry about what type of education they are receiving, let alone that they are even able to go to school without fear of criminal elements or ending up as collateral damage in a war zone. Perhaps that world-view filter will alter in time, but it seems to work well for us at this moment. My hope is that we will remain flexible enough to adapt to our children's needs, though still keeping them interested in being part of a learning community.

[Anonymous]

OP here. Please name the schools (thanks to those who have). . . I am not interested in the criteria for school selection, nor whether or not the kids will be accepted, nor how stable or important the measurement tool is- I know to take the results as a crude snapshot and I know what I am looking for in a school. But it's hard to ask these questions directly, and if I did ask, I'm not sure I'd get a straight answer: will my kid have plenty of peers here? Is differentiation, or individual or small group (divided by level of accomplishment) work available here?

So please name the schools as you praise them.

[Anonymous]

10:55: GDS. School has subject-specific teachers in art, IT, music, science, etc, allowing teachers to work in small groups of 4-6 in early grades while rest of class is at art, IT, etc. Have never asked if the small groups are divided by ability or accomplishment. Successful applicants have high WPPSI scores, but classes are not comprised solely of kids who score 99.9%.

[Anonymous]

Burgundy Farm
Like GDS, many high scores, not all 99+

[Anonymous]

I'm the deep/rich rather than differentiated/accelerated poster. Had previously answered the school question -- GDS.