Who thinks it is ridiculous when someone says his/her child is bored in school?

[Anonymous]

I am bored.
Board.
Byword.
Is that a word? Spell check says it is. What is a byword? Iguess I will look it up!
This is beginning to look like a poem...
Submit to Nyorker.....

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:[

Wow, did I strike a nerve. There is a poster on this thread. Maybe it is the OP? Maybe it is you? This poster is saying that her "bright" DD was very advanced and was not bored in school THEREFORE no child SHOULD EVER BE BORED IN SCHOOL because of mismatched academic level. This person is the twit. Kids have different personalities, and there are kids that are brighter than her DD. I am not sure why you are starting a pissing contest. I was NMSF and was not identified as gifted in school. DH was identified gifted. DD is **not yet** in K and reading two or three chapter books a day at 4.5. She is sitting next to me reading Ribsy right now. She is not only a fluent reader, she reads a lot and just loves it. Why do I say this? Because, you do not know who you are talking to, and maybe I do have a DD who is smarter than your kids. You just don't know, so why do you pretend to.

My only real problem is that DD truly thinks school is supposed to challenge her academically in Kindergarten. Maybe it is because a lot of the stories she reads herself are of second graders going to school. I don't know. I actually think she will be fine. I am thankful that she will be one of the youngest in her grade and the social scene will challenge her enough. But, if she has problems in kindergarten because she can already read fluently and add and subtract I am not going to ignore them.

Good grief you sound insufferable. You've convinced yourself that it's just one person telling you that brilliant kids aren't necessarily bored in school, when in fact it's several of us writing things like "another poster here...." Your DD hasn't even started K, for Pete's sake, so you're not exactly in a good position to lecture the rest of us on the martyrdom of gifted kids. Apparently you've also convinced yourself that the experiences of other posters are somehow invalid because Snowflake is smarter than their kids (despite the numerous other posters telling you their kids read chapter books in K or before), or it's really only *one* poster, or we're just jealous of you and Snowflake ("I struck a nerve").

Ugh.

It's parents like you who give gifted kids and gifted programs a bad name. The moms who wail, "look at me, it's so hard to be the parent of a gifted kid" (apply hand to forehead). Why do I care? Well, I'm certain you'll never believe this, but my kids are pretty smart and rocking the magnet programs -- yeah, never mind, no kid could be as brilliant as yours and I'm probably "pretending" as you say. In any case, I get concerned when self-absorbed parents generate (deserved) hostility to magnet programs and gifted kids.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:NP. I feel sorry for your DD, 21:44. You should relax a little and not worry about how bored your daughter will be in K b/c she is reading chapter books at 4.5. Woo hoo!

Signed a poster whose reading level was tested that of a eleventh grader when she was five - liked biographies of famous composers at that age. No, I wasn't bored in K.

I would not worry. We are one of the least uptight parents here. We did not even teach her to read like a lot of parents I know. No kumon. No academic preschool. No bazillion activities. No educational toys and video games.

That is amazing how well you read at five. I really don't expect her to be bored in K. I don't think I ever said that. I just think DD is in for an awakening come fall, but I truly think she won't mind. Kindergarten can and should be so much fun, and a little boredom never hurt anyone.

Bwahahaha.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:^ I started reading at one/two? I don't remember a time when I could not read nor do I remember having any adult read to me as a child ever. I could always read my own bed time stories. I do remember that one motivation to read was b/c no one would read comic strips/books to me which I adored.

I'm sure your child will be happy and not bored in K. Reading/learning to read/etc is only a small part of k. She'll make lots of friends and have fun

I was born reading... straight out of the womb. there, take that!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have a kid with an IQ of somewhere between 145-155. In a classroom where doodling is not allowed and the only allowable reading materials are the grade level stuff the teacher provides. My kid literally cannot continue to sit still and pay attention to material that he had already mastered early in the school year. He has access to new material only on science days. The rest if the time, yeah, he is BORED. His teacher won't allow him to quietly entertain himself, on the theory that if he gets to draw, his seat mates will want to as well. We've tried to move him to a second grade classroom for reading and math (he is a 6 yr old first grader) and were told it would be too disruptive. How do you expect him to stay engaged in those circumstances?

My 7 year old first grader has tested to the highest DRA they can use on a first grader in fairfax (a 28 which is the end of second grade). She can add, subtract, borrow, carry, all numbers up to millions. She knows half of the multiplication facts now too. She isn't ored in school...but your kid is? Behavioral problem, methinks.

What does your daughter do when the rest of the class is working on skills she has already mastered? Is she expected to do the same worksheets and then just wait silently for others to catch up? What is her classroom like? I know my son's classroom environment. I don't know your daughter's. Does the teacher provide or allow for meaningful differentiation? Does the teacher allow your daughter to move on to something else? To read quietly? To draw? My son's teacher allows nothing but whatever the entire class is to be doing. No meaningful challenge. So yes - he is bored. The question I have for you is how is your daughter NOT bored? If she already knows what is being taught, how is it interesting or engaging for her?

(And note that I made it through my post without insulting your child or suggesting she is a problem. Try it sometime. It's possible.)

I can have my opinions and state them. My child receives little differentiation, as in: she is in the highest reading group, but that is based solely on homework differentiation. Math...no differentiation whatsoever. She is not bored, loves school. When she finishes something, all kids can read from preselected - by the teacher - books in tubs on their desks. She could reread read the same book and read new book below her level without being bored. She sits quietly, pay attention, has a nearly perfect report card, etc. Also, she is learning things...grammar, punctuation, science, about famous Americans, etc. no matter how bright a kid is, he doesn't know it all. I think those who claim a bored kid due to being sooooo bright is just not challenged enough is a kid who acts out in many settings, and just has behavioral and impulse issues.

[Anonymous]

Not everyone can be bored and content about it PP.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:[

Wow, did I strike a nerve. There is a poster on this thread. Maybe it is the OP? Maybe it is you? This poster is saying that her "bright" DD was very advanced and was not bored in school THEREFORE no child SHOULD EVER BE BORED IN SCHOOL because of mismatched academic level. This person is the twit. Kids have different personalities, and there are kids that are brighter than her DD. I am not sure why you are starting a pissing contest. I was NMSF and was not identified as gifted in school. DH was identified gifted. DD is **not yet** in K and reading two or three chapter books a day at 4.5. She is sitting next to me reading Ribsy right now. She is not only a fluent reader, she reads a lot and just loves it. Why do I say this? Because, you do not know who you are talking to, and maybe I do have a DD who is smarter than your kids. You just don't know, so why do you pretend to.

My only real problem is that DD truly thinks school is supposed to challenge her academically in Kindergarten. Maybe it is because a lot of the stories she reads herself are of second graders going to school. I don't know. I actually think she will be fine. I am thankful that she will be one of the youngest in her grade and the social scene will challenge her enough. But, if she has problems in kindergarten because she can already read fluently and add and subtract I am not going to ignore them.

Good grief you sound insufferable. You've convinced yourself that it's just one person telling you that brilliant kids aren't necessarily bored in school, when in fact it's several of us writing things like "another poster here...." Your DD hasn't even started K, for Pete's sake, so you're not exactly in a good position to lecture the rest of us on the martyrdom of gifted kids. Apparently you've also convinced yourself that the experiences of other posters are somehow invalid because Snowflake is smarter than their kids (despite the numerous other posters telling you their kids read chapter books in K or before), or it's really only *one* poster, or we're just jealous of you and Snowflake ("I struck a nerve").

Ugh.

It's parents like you who give gifted kids and gifted programs a bad name. The moms who wail, "look at me, it's so hard to be the parent of a gifted kid" (apply hand to forehead). Why do I care? Well, I'm certain you'll never believe this, but my kids are pretty smart and rocking the magnet programs -- yeah, never mind, no kid could be as brilliant as yours and I'm probably "pretending" as you say. In any case, I get concerned when self-absorbed parents generate (deserved) hostility to magnet programs and gifted kids.

It's also highly presumptuous of this pp that her own child is "gifted" anyway. Has there been testing yet? Is she going to appeal when the numbers aren't there?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don't think anyone believes that being bored=being gifted. Kids at all levels of aptitude can get bored in school.

As far as gifted kids. Yes, they do get bored. I am sorry. To those of you who say your bright child does not get bored--just be thankful. They are obviously not so far out bright that they need more accommodation.

My DD will start kindergarten next fall and is already fluently reading. I can tell her expectations of kindergarten are too high. She thinks everyone will be reading big chapter books like her and will be ready to learn math. She is excited to go to school to learn and do work. We are trying our best to play up the play parts of kindergarten.

My son starts k in the fall too. He is full blown reading and can do addition and subtraction under 20. He is not bored.

And I'm sure you, the parent, are smart enough to know that these things alone doesn't make him gifted, right?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:?

I think it's ridiculous because usually they are implying that their child is gifted or advanced. But, as more than one teacher has said to me, truly gifted children are never bored in school because they're always finding something to investigate. So, the "my kid is smart b/c s/he is bored" bromide doesn't actually signal gifted aptitude at all.

Good lord. What if the kid is not ALLOWED to investigate?

that doesn't actually happen, you know. kids when they finish their work are usually permitted -- indeed encouraged -- to go read, write, do a project, have center time, whatever.

I only wish you were correct. This has not been our experience.

What school is your experience? Because this is the policy in Arlington.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don't think anyone believes that being bored=being gifted. Kids at all levels of aptitude can get bored in school.

As far as gifted kids. Yes, they do get bored. I am sorry. To those of you who say your bright child does not get bored--just be thankful. They are obviously not so far out bright that they need more accommodation.

My DD will start kindergarten next fall and is already fluently reading. I can tell her expectations of kindergarten are too high. She thinks everyone will be reading big chapter books like her and will be ready to learn math. She is excited to go to school to learn and do work. We are trying our best to play up the play parts of kindergarten.

My son starts k in the fall too. He is full blown reading and can do addition and subtraction under 20. He is not bored.

And I'm sure you, the parent, are smart enough to know that these things alone doesn't make him gifted, right?

I think the 2nd PP was trying to make that very point, that there are a lot of kids entering K as good readers (mine too) and this doesn't automatically make them super-special or doom them to boredom.

[Anonymous]

I completely remember being totally bored in elementary school. Totally bored. We moved there in the middle of 1st grade and I remember the class struggling on Dick and Jane books (I had finished Danny and the Dinosaur at my old school). Thankfully the teacher pointed me to the Happy Hollister chapter books when we went to the library BUT I had to go back...to...those...awful...Dick and Jane books in class and listen to my classmates attempt to read them.

I tell my kids that it gets better as you get older and you have more choice. Kids aren't allowed to doodle on paper at our school just sit and listen (which is bad since some people can focus better when doodling).

[Anonymous]

7:19 poster again....I was so bored I used to dream of going to this private school that seemed more challenging...way out of reach for us so I never would have brought it up.

[Anonymous]

Early reader does not necessarily equate to gifted child. Early mastery of math facts does not necessarily equate to gifted child. They are mechanics and don't require higher level cognitive thinking. Just as late reader or late mastery of math facts does not necessarily equate to ID or non-gifted child.

Early reading can allow a child to be exposed to more and varied language and critical thinking. However, audio books can be used to similar effect if a child is a late reader.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Early reader does not necessarily equate to gifted child. Early mastery of math facts does not necessarily equate to gifted child. They are mechanics and don't require higher level cognitive thinking. Just as late reader or late mastery of math facts does not necessarily equate to ID or non-gifted child.

That is true. However, early reader and early mastery of math facts does (or can) equate to bored child, if the child already knows how to do the stuff the rest of the class is doing and is not allowed to do anything else.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:?

I think it's ridiculous because usually they are implying that their child is gifted or advanced. But, as more than one teacher has said to me, truly gifted children are never bored in school because they're always finding something to investigate. So, the "my kid is smart b/c s/he is bored" bromide doesn't actually signal gifted aptitude at all.

Good lord. What if the kid is not ALLOWED to investigate?

that doesn't actually happen, you know. kids when they finish their work are usually permitted -- indeed encouraged -- to go read, write, do a project, have center time, whatever.

I only wish you were correct. This has not been our experience.

What school is your experience? Because this is the policy in Arlington.

Out of state, highly regarded language immersion program. A lot of advancement is limited by the language, of all things. Kids are not allowed to advance because there is a concern that they won't have the vocabulary...which they can't learn until they advance. See how circular that is?