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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]We didn't do test prep for HGC -- I agree with PPs that that seems counterproductive to get my kids into a program they would need to be coached into.  But they've willingly taken on the extra challenge of the HGC because they knew they were not challenged before, and at some level they themselves didn't want to continue to coast.  Plus the kids that got in ended up being their kind of kids -- the kind of nerdy kids that recite random scientific facts long past the point when you've stopped listening, talk about the latest Cosmos episode and have no clue what else is on TV, and don't tease each other for caring about school.  If my kids hadn't gotten in, I would have taken that to mean they were not the ones most desperately in need of more challenge.  In some high-performing clusters, the top 2-3% may be even more in need of further challenge than the top 2-3% in another cluster, but I'm not really sure what to do about that -- allocate additional spots by cluster based on county-wide test scores?  Imagine the hue and cry about increasing HGC spots in only certain clusters...that would not help the original concern about diversity, IMHO.

I don't think any kid likes extra drills -- my Asian kids don't, but they've been raised (as were we) to understand that additional enrichment is going to be a part of their lives, so they do it.  In our case, our main reason for having them do things like IXL or Khan Academy isn't because we think the curriculum is lacking, or because we think it is important to keep them competitive with others. [b] Mainly, it's to give them things to do that aren't video games or stupid TV shows. [/b] Our kids are otherwise laughably unscheduled.[/quote]

This is the best reason I have read anywhere on DCUM for a reason to send a kid to academic tutoring (other than for needing extra help).  But it seems like there could be better activities to send them to rather than academic tutoring.  [b]Add'l sports, music, even volunteering?  [/b]

Actually, playing some video games (not violent ones) may help a kids' fine motor skills.  Not saying we should let kids play electronics all day, but that is one side benefit.  I think there was an article some time ago about how they found that surgeons and/or fighter pilots that played more computer games when they were yonger were better at some of the skills that required these types of motor skills.[/quote]

Totally true.  [b]IXL and Khan are cheap/free and don't require parents to drive[/b].  So this is the lazy parent method of occupying idle hands/minds.  They do sports and music.  I wholeheartedly agree that volunteering is a good use of time...just don't always have time to facilitate it (kids cannot drive yet).[/quote]

Are these online tutoring?  OK, I admit, while I don't send my kids to after school tutoring, I do let them play math games and such online.  Does that count as after school tutoring?[/quote]

I don't count it as tutoring, since they do it on their own with no supervision, but I suppose it can be called after school enrichment.[/quote]

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