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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]You are quickly finding out that many parents who enrich their children do so NOT because their child is a stand-out in math.  Rather by the simple act of enriching they make their kid stand out relative to other children who do not enrich.

[b]Math is peculiar, especially when you get to Alg.2, trig, pre-calc, Calc BC, that NO matter how bright the child, that child will not KNOW the math until it is taught to them. If it is taught earlier than the normal sequence, then presto, your child is somehow "gifted' in math.[/b]

[b]Any child with a normal intellect working OUTSIDE of school for 2-3 hours per week will  have zero problems with Algebra I.  Zero.  [/b]It is all about the effort you want to make as a parent.  Some prioritize it; others do not.

You probably already know this, but unless your kid is hooked, eg, first-generation, low-income, staying in the accelerated track is necessary for top 20 colleges, and really top 50.

[/quote]
Ha ha.  You don't know what you're talking about.

We see plenty of attempts by non-gifted children to take enrichment classes who fail.  Your "normal intellect" child will not be successful, for instance, in AoPS Algebra in 4th or 5th grade the way my gifted child was.  We know this because some parents try and end up with children who
- drop out of AoPS/RSM (and go to remedial shops like Kumon/Mathnasium)
- even if they don't drop out, do not do well in those classes
- even[b] if they manage to finish can master[/b], at best, [b]the [/b]braindead [b]school Algebra[/b] courses but would fail immediately at actual problem solving
[/quote]You seem to be in agreement with PP - enrichment helps all students, including "non-gifted children".

[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]This is utterly exhausting.

So, the expectation now is I need to privately enroll my child in a class BEFORE they take the class to be successful in the class?

I was pretty against Alg. 1 in 7th grade with my 6th grader, but this whole approach is so frustrating. It all mimics my kid's experience in AAP --[b] the teachers expect these kids to have learned whatever concepts that were being taught for the first time "before" so class is actually just a quick review and assessment. and if they haven't, it's up to the student (i.e. their parents) to fill in the gaps[/b].[/quote]

Because most of the kids [i]have[/i] learned the concepts before. By placing your child in AAP (and I am specifically talking about math here) you are placing your child into a program that is an entire grade level above what they are meant to be learning. It’s not accelerated. It’s not deeper understanding of concepts. It it literally a straight up jump from one year to the next. Which means if you want your kid to genuinely understand what is going on, you, as a parent, HAVE to fill in those gaps of learning. Whether it is via a tutor, RSM, a parent who just also happens to be a math teacher, whatever. You have to get them caught up. Then you have two types of kids/parents: the kids who stick with intensive math enrichment and the ones who don’t. Guess who is going to get left in the dust….

[/quote]

And then there are parent like myself. Kid was accepted to AAP without parents knowing much about the program. I asked and asked, even on this forum, whether there is anything we need to be aware of or try to prepare before the start of third grade. No one told me what you described (and what I am painfully aware of now). Most responses, even here on dcum, we’re in lines of “just read a lot, let your kid enjoy the summer, visit a library …”

We have caught up and doing math enrichment now, but it was so confusing in third grade why teachers were only showing short videos and then immediately doing tests. DC also struggled with concepts that were not that hard, but it was not DC’s math aptitude - the pace and lack of explanation at school was the issue. Only after a full school year, some of the parents opened up, and every single one of them had their child in Kumon, RSM or AoPS since Kindergarten. We are doing the same now and DC is doing great.

Parents should be somehow made aware. It’s not like we didn’t ask teachers and fellow parents before third grade.[/quote]Go mention the fact that everyone in your DC's class secretly supplements in other AAP/FCPS threads and see what response you get. You'll quickly understand why parents can be hesitant to share this fact. The presumption is that if you need to supplement, your kid never belonged in AAP to begin with.

("only parents whose kids are truly gifted and belong in AAP can see the Emperor's clothes")[/quote]
Actually, it’s not that almost all AAP parents supplement, but that they almost all do enrichment. The two are not the same.

So, by the time kids reach 3rd grade, those who have already studied 3rd grade concepts outside of the school, are ok with AAP teachers doing quick video and then the test. Kids who are seeing the concepts for the first time in their life need proper instruction, not just the short video. This creates an artificial determination who is a good fit for AAP and who is not. It is detrimental to disadvantaged kids and those whose parents are clueless (like I was). By the time kids reach middle school, the gap widens, and both kids and parents who are not doing outside enrichment can get a false impression of lack of aptitude.
[/quote]

Oh please.  That's poor teaching.  You don't have to sugarcoat it.  Not all AAP teachers are poor teachers and not all AAP classes show a video then give a quiz.

Fwiw, that seems to be a style of teaching that some teachers learn at teaching school - and we should all be unhappy about it because it's poor teaching.  [/quote]

I am not sure what is it that you think I am sugarcoating. I agree that this is poor teaching first and foremost. But, here is the kick, I have heard AAP teachers so many times say that they use those quick checks to see how much of actual instruction is needed.

90% of the kids “got it” from the video without instruction? Cool, they can move on and tell parents of the remaining 10% that their kids need “more practice”.

At least if they were honest to say, “hey someone needs to teach your kid this”, I could get on board.

You are probably right that not all AAP teachers use this approach. I wouldn’t have a clue how widespread is this practice, since I don’t have any connection to FCPS other than being a parent of an enrolled child.[/quote]

This is insane. This is not rocket science they are teaching kids. Basic grammar. Simple math. Simple science.

For heavens sake, you are talking 3rd grade and 4th grade. You dont need to supplement or enrich to get these concepts.

The most important things is that the kid is paying attention in class. Make sure of that and everything falls into place. To get that they need proper sleep, good breakfast and a little executive functioning skills.

If you have to supplement and enrich so your kid is not falling behind means you are messing on something basic like above.

3 kids who have gone through or in AAP now and we never had to supplement or enrich on academics. Sure sports and music but spending time again on things they should be learning at school is extremely inefficient. It is better to make sure they are learning what they are supposed to be learning at school well.[/quote]

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