Reply to Why (or whether) and how to supplement?

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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]I know that lots of families supplement at home.  It has never been a priority for us but I'm curious to hear and think about the arguments for why to do it.

Also, how does supplementing actually typically work?  Are there ways to do it that are actually fun for kids who don't find academics inherently interesting, or is it just a matter of pushing them to do it like you would tell them to do their chores?

(In our case, my 3rd grader is bright but not highly gifted. Test scores generally fluctuate in the 65th-85th percentile range... my gut is that she has the capacity to be consistently in the high 80s/low 90s if she was continuously exposed to new, challenging  content. She is not very interested in academics (although she does love to read and write) so I expect it would be a struggle to get her to do more math/etc unless I can find her really fun apps/games with learning built in or something similar.   This is top of mind a little more as we head towards the ELC and compacted math selection process, and I'm wondering whether our lack of supplementing might mean she misses out on those due to her MAP scores even if she might benefit from them, and whether a lot of the other families in the grade are likely to be supplementing while we're not...)[/quote]

Everyone wants their kid to be challenged and reach their potential, even pushed occasionally to do a bit more.  That said, not every kid needs or wants compacted math or ELC.  If your kid is consistently scoring in the 65-85 percentile range, the should be fine with the on grade level curriculum for now.  As for supplementing that’s completely up to you.  If you are going to do it,  I would lean in to the things your DC likes.  If it’s reading and writing then encourage a variety of books.  Challenge her with interesting creative writing prompts.  Give her opportunities to utilize and grow like helping with holiday cards or writing a play for each season.  It should be about what is best for your kid, not keeping up with some other family who’s motive or reasoning you don’t understand or some competition that doesn’t matter in the end.[/quote]

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