Reply to Does enrichment make "any" student smart and give a leg up?

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[quote=Anonymous]I think you need to be specific about the kind of enrichment.

My child is in an enrichment class for reading comp and writing. She is middle elementary and the group has 2nd, 3rd, and 4th graders in it. They read novels, discuss them, and write reposes to reading prompts about the books' themes. The kids in the group are all reading above grade level (all reading at at least a 4th or 5th grade level) and have an expressed interest in reading more challenging books and writing more.

I don't think this group would be useful for just any group of kids. If you couldn't read at the same level, you would struggle with the books they read. And if they had to go at a slower pace, there would be less time for discussion and writing. Perhaps some kids not in the group would benefit, but overall I think most kids would get little out of it and making it a general class for all kids would diminish what the kids currently in the class get out of it.

It's like athletics. My kid in the advanced reading/writing group also plays soccer. She is not good. She plays on a rec team with other kids who aren't very good. Could all those kids advance their soccer skills if they were on a competitive club team? Sure, some. But would they get as much out if it as kids who are really great at soccer? No. Would their presence on the team diminish the experience of the better players? Yes.

It's okay to admit some kids are better than others at certain things. It's okay to offer kids who show demonstrated ability and interest extra opportunities. It doesn't mean we only educate some kids -- every kid deserves an education. But not every kid needs the exact same education. Kids have different strengths and interests.[/quote]

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