Anonymous
Post 02/04/2024 13:22     Subject: Has anyone been able to get accelerated math for their advanced kid?
My kid was super advanced in reading and writing. We told her to finish her work; do it well, then take the time she had free while the others finished to draw/write poetry; etc.

Meanwhile at home we got her harder books and got her lots of writing materials.

Math is 60-90 min out of their school day. It’s okay to be bored during that time.

At home you can teach your kid to use an abacus? Challenge him to learn how to cook complicated recipes or do advanced science experiments. Building complicated 3-d puzzles. Is the desire to do math formulas greater than the desire to just learn something new?
Channel that energy into productive skills.
Anonymous
Post 02/04/2024 13:19     Subject: Has anyone been able to get accelerated math for their advanced kid?
You’re setting yourself up for a world of trouble, OP.

Maybe look into private for your special snowflake. Otherwise, teach them that going to school and not being a brat are life skills.
Anonymous
Post 02/04/2024 13:16     Subject: Has anyone been able to get accelerated math for their advanced kid?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:You can always ask. The math classes may not be at the same time, and so your kid will miss instruction on another second grade topic. If your kid is accelerated now, they won't know what to do with him or her later.

Here's the situation -

1. There are many precocious kids in this educated and wealthy area. There are many bored kids in public and private elementaries. The primary school curriculum is designed to cater to the lowest common denominator, because it is critical to teach reading, writing and arithmetic fluency to all children. Therefore the ones who already know all this are ignored. Both of my children were reading at a middle then high school level in elementary (vocabulary and comprehension). They just brought their own books to school.

2. MCPS has been trying to curtail gifted (and special needs) programming for years. All the special programming is expensive and logistically challenging. There can be significant pushback from central office when content coordinators in each school are asked by parents to accelerate their kid. We've experienced this at the middle school math level.

My second child has always been bored in school. Since magnets are lotteries now, she got into the CES but not the magnet middle. We asked for a placement test in Algebra 1 in 6th grade at her home middle school. They did their level best to deny us, but we managed to get her in. Despite being in the most advanced tracks of middle school, she is still not challenged. She will go to high school next year and has concocted an AP-heavy schedule for herself.

The reality is that no school exists for the gifted. Even MCPS magnets only deepen either STEM or Humanities, but not both, which is bizarre, because a lot of gifted children are interested in both, my daughter included.

You'll probably have to muddle through just like the rest of us with that type of kid. You'll need to stave off impatience, boredom, anxiety and depression in your kid, who may not see the point of going to school anymore. That's what I'm dealing with. Her hobbies and interests outside of school are what keep her from depression. Get your child into an instrument, or chess, or robotics, or whatever he has a liking for. It will distract them and make them use those brain cells.

This is not something the rest of the world can easily empathize with or understand. Even "gifted" is an incredibly loaded word people don't like to hear. It makes them insecure



OP here. Thank you for this. I am very worried about loss of school engagement. They are already coming home saying they hate school. We do RSM specifically to keep them interested and engaged — not to further advance — but it just exacerbates the issues. They have a sport and instrument outside of school but that creates problems too (frustration in music class that they’re learning to do rhythms they learned two years ago). I would be fine if the teacher let them work on their own but they have forbidden working ahead.


I have two highly gifted kids (one in college one a senior now). One has never complained about being bored in school, the other complains about being bored all them time. This is a personality thing more than a highly gifted thing. You don't have to be "highly gifted" to be bored in an mcps classroom. Just keep reading threads. There is little challenge and attention paid to gifted (or even above average) learners. When my complainer would complain, I would just ignore. Being "bored" is not all bad. Maybe they need to always have a book. Maybe they need to ask the teacher for another activity or maybe they can help another student.
Anonymous
Post 02/04/2024 10:48     Subject: Has anyone been able to get accelerated math for their advanced kid?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:You can always ask. The math classes may not be at the same time, and so your kid will miss instruction on another second grade topic. If your kid is accelerated now, they won't know what to do with him or her later.

Here's the situation -

1. There are many precocious kids in this educated and wealthy area. There are many bored kids in public and private elementaries. The primary school curriculum is designed to cater to the lowest common denominator, because it is critical to teach reading, writing and arithmetic fluency to all children. Therefore the ones who already know all this are ignored. Both of my children were reading at a middle then high school level in elementary (vocabulary and comprehension). They just brought their own books to school.

2. MCPS has been trying to curtail gifted (and special needs) programming for years. All the special programming is expensive and logistically challenging. There can be significant pushback from central office when content coordinators in each school are asked by parents to accelerate their kid. We've experienced this at the middle school math level.

My second child has always been bored in school. Since magnets are lotteries now, she got into the CES but not the magnet middle. We asked for a placement test in Algebra 1 in 6th grade at her home middle school. They did their level best to deny us, but we managed to get her in. Despite being in the most advanced tracks of middle school, she is still not challenged. She will go to high school next year and has concocted an AP-heavy schedule for herself.

The reality is that no school exists for the gifted. Even MCPS magnets only deepen either STEM or Humanities, but not both, which is bizarre, because a lot of gifted children are interested in both, my daughter included.

You'll probably have to muddle through just like the rest of us with that type of kid. You'll need to stave off impatience, boredom, anxiety and depression in your kid, who may not see the point of going to school anymore. That's what I'm dealing with. Her hobbies and interests outside of school are what keep her from depression. Get your child into an instrument, or chess, or robotics, or whatever he has a liking for. It will distract them and make them use those brain cells.

This is not something the rest of the world can easily empathize with or understand. Even "gifted" is an incredibly loaded word people don't like to hear. It makes them insecure



OP here. Thank you for this. I am very worried about loss of school engagement. They are already coming home saying they hate school. We do RSM specifically to keep them interested and engaged — not to further advance — but it just exacerbates the issues. They have a sport and instrument outside of school but that creates problems too (frustration in music class that they’re learning to do rhythms they learned two years ago). I would be fine if the teacher let them work on their own but they have forbidden working ahead.


PP you replied to.

They're in group music? Your child needs a private instrument lesson. My gifted child started the violin at 3, because string instruments are one of the only ones that come in fractional sizes. I thought it would teach her to fail, and teach her patience, resilience and grit, because it's such a finicky instrument to play in tune. Performances at Carnegie Hall and Kennedy Center later, it hasn't taught her these skills, but it has kept her brain occupied at a higher level, since there is no barrier to acceleration. Another cerebral hobby that isn't separated by age groups would do just as well for your kid.

What HAS taught my kid patience, resilience and grit is having to attend mind-numbing school! Ha. I am her de facto therapist when she comes home. We talk a LOT about being kind, sustaining normal conversation about normal topics with other people (I let her have unlimited screentime so she can look up what normal people talk about in the real world), reining in the snark and witticisms that come easily to her but are not well-perceived by others, etc. It's almost as if I'm teaching her to pretend to be normal, and that on top of everything else, she needs to be a good actress to fit in and be a socially acceptable teen girl. I buy her all the "right" clothes and accessories, for instance. Sometimes I'm in two minds about all of this. Why can't my kid just be herself? Why ask anyone on the margins to fit in? But middle school can be a terrible place for bullying, and she's seen kids getting shoved into lockers and punched, and girls gang up against one victim... so she does accept my advice on how to fly under the radar.

You've got a long road ahead of you, OP, but I'm sure you'll figure it out.
Anonymous
Post 02/04/2024 10:21     Subject: Has anyone been able to get accelerated math for their advanced kid?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:You can always ask. The math classes may not be at the same time, and so your kid will miss instruction on another second grade topic. If your kid is accelerated now, they won't know what to do with him or her later.

Here's the situation -

1. There are many precocious kids in this educated and wealthy area. There are many bored kids in public and private elementaries. The primary school curriculum is designed to cater to the lowest common denominator, because it is critical to teach reading, writing and arithmetic fluency to all children. Therefore the ones who already know all this are ignored. Both of my children were reading at a middle then high school level in elementary (vocabulary and comprehension). They just brought their own books to school.

2. MCPS has been trying to curtail gifted (and special needs) programming for years. All the special programming is expensive and logistically challenging. There can be significant pushback from central office when content coordinators in each school are asked by parents to accelerate their kid. We've experienced this at the middle school math level.

My second child has always been bored in school. Since magnets are lotteries now, she got into the CES but not the magnet middle. We asked for a placement test in Algebra 1 in 6th grade at her home middle school. They did their level best to deny us, but we managed to get her in. Despite being in the most advanced tracks of middle school, she is still not challenged. She will go to high school next year and has concocted an AP-heavy schedule for herself.

The reality is that no school exists for the gifted. Even MCPS magnets only deepen either STEM or Humanities, but not both, which is bizarre, because a lot of gifted children are interested in both, my daughter included.

You'll probably have to muddle through just like the rest of us with that type of kid. You'll need to stave off impatience, boredom, anxiety and depression in your kid, who may not see the point of going to school anymore. That's what I'm dealing with. Her hobbies and interests outside of school are what keep her from depression. Get your child into an instrument, or chess, or robotics, or whatever he has a liking for. It will distract them and make them use those brain cells.

This is not something the rest of the world can easily empathize with or understand. Even "gifted" is an incredibly loaded word people don't like to hear. It makes them insecure



OP here. Thank you for this. I am very worried about loss of school engagement. They are already coming home saying they hate school. We do RSM specifically to keep them interested and engaged — not to further advance — but it just exacerbates the issues. They have a sport and instrument outside of school but that creates problems too (frustration in music class that they’re learning to do rhythms they learned two years ago). I would be fine if the teacher let them work on their own but they have forbidden working ahead.


I'm going to be very honest with you, as the parent of older gifted kids who have gone through all levels of MCPS magnet programs - you need to nip this attitude in the bud right now. Your child is not served, academically, socially, or emotionally, by you paying any mind to this. Your child is LUCKY to have access to music outside of school, and expensive math lessons, and you risk raising an absolute brat if you listen to this nonsense for even one minute. I've seen kids like this, and they don't have long-term success because they alienate peers, teachers, and lack the resilience needed to succeed in magnet programs.
Anonymous
Post 02/04/2024 10:18     Subject: Has anyone been able to get accelerated math for their advanced kid?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:So you are accelerating your child outside of school and want MCPS to create a bespoke curriculum to match?


No, I want the school to meet their needs as a gifted student. Which is legally required.


It's not. The law says that MCPS must identify gifted learners no later than 3rd grade. They do that with screening in 2nd.

The law also says MCPS must provide differentiated instruction, but it does not say that MCPS must meet every single child exactly where they are, particularly if a child has been coached outside of school. This makes sense. The schools don't need to be in an arms race with RSM. Moreover, academic differentiation is only one element of the law, there's also attending to the SEL needs of gifted kids, which honestly includes managing frustration and boredom.
Anonymous
Post 02/04/2024 10:17     Subject: Has anyone been able to get accelerated math for their advanced kid?
Anonymous wrote:You can always ask. The math classes may not be at the same time, and so your kid will miss instruction on another second grade topic. If your kid is accelerated now, they won't know what to do with him or her later.

Here's the situation -

1. There are many precocious kids in this educated and wealthy area. There are many bored kids in public and private elementaries. The primary school curriculum is designed to cater to the lowest common denominator, because it is critical to teach reading, writing and arithmetic fluency to all children. Therefore the ones who already know all this are ignored. Both of my children were reading at a middle then high school level in elementary (vocabulary and comprehension). They just brought their own books to school.

2. MCPS has been trying to curtail gifted (and special needs) programming for years. All the special programming is expensive and logistically challenging. There can be significant pushback from central office when content coordinators in each school are asked by parents to accelerate their kid. We've experienced this at the middle school math level.

My second child has always been bored in school. Since magnets are lotteries now, she got into the CES but not the magnet middle. We asked for a placement test in Algebra 1 in 6th grade at her home middle school. They did their level best to deny us, but we managed to get her in. Despite being in the most advanced tracks of middle school, she is still not challenged. She will go to high school next year and has concocted an AP-heavy schedule for herself.

The reality is that no school exists for the gifted. Even MCPS magnets only deepen either STEM or Humanities, but not both, which is bizarre, because a lot of gifted children are interested in both, my daughter included.

You'll probably have to muddle through just like the rest of us with that type of kid. You'll need to stave off impatience, boredom, anxiety and depression in your kid, who may not see the point of going to school anymore. That's what I'm dealing with. Her hobbies and interests outside of school are what keep her from depression. Get your child into an instrument, or chess, or robotics, or whatever he has a liking for. It will distract them and make them use those brain cells.

This is not something the rest of the world can easily empathize with or understand. Even "gifted" is an incredibly loaded word people don't like to hear. It makes them insecure



OP here. Thank you for this. I am very worried about loss of school engagement. They are already coming home saying they hate school. We do RSM specifically to keep them interested and engaged — not to further advance — but it just exacerbates the issues. They have a sport and instrument outside of school but that creates problems too (frustration in music class that they’re learning to do rhythms they learned two years ago). I would be fine if the teacher let them work on their own but they have forbidden working ahead.
Anonymous
Post 02/04/2024 10:12     Subject: Has anyone been able to get accelerated math for their advanced kid?
You can always ask. The math classes may not be at the same time, and so your kid will miss instruction on another second grade topic. If your kid is accelerated now, they won't know what to do with him or her later.

Here's the situation -

1. There are many precocious kids in this educated and wealthy area. There are many bored kids in public and private elementaries. The primary school curriculum is designed to cater to the lowest common denominator, because it is critical to teach reading, writing and arithmetic fluency to all children. Therefore the ones who already know all this are ignored. Both of my children were reading at a middle then high school level in elementary (vocabulary and comprehension). They just brought their own books to school.

2. MCPS has been trying to curtail gifted (and special needs) programming for years. All the special programming is expensive and logistically challenging. There can be significant pushback from central office when content coordinators in each school are asked by parents to accelerate their kid. We've experienced this at the middle school math level.

My second child has always been bored in school. Since magnets are lotteries now, she got into the CES but not the magnet middle. We asked for a placement test in Algebra 1 in 6th grade at her home middle school. They did their level best to deny us, but we managed to get her in. Despite being in the most advanced tracks of middle school, she is still not challenged. She will go to high school next year and has concocted an AP-heavy schedule for herself.

The reality is that no school exists for the gifted. Even MCPS magnets only deepen either STEM or Humanities, but not both, which is bizarre, because a lot of gifted children are interested in both, my daughter included.

You'll probably have to muddle through just like the rest of us with that type of kid. You'll need to stave off impatience, boredom, anxiety and depression in your kid, who may not see the point of going to school anymore. That's what I'm dealing with. Her hobbies and interests outside of school are what keep her from depression. Get your child into an instrument, or chess, or robotics, or whatever he has a liking for. It will distract them and make them use those brain cells.

This is not something the rest of the world can easily empathize with or understand. Even "gifted" is an incredibly loaded word people don't like to hear. It makes them insecure

Anonymous
Post 02/04/2024 10:01     Subject: Has anyone been able to get accelerated math for their advanced kid?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:So you are accelerating your child outside of school and want MCPS to create a bespoke curriculum to match?


No, I want the school to meet their needs as a gifted student. Which is legally required.


You’re so cute. They are required to provide grade appropriate math curriculum, which will eventually be more differentiated, but not personalized to each child individually. My kid was evaluated and reading at a 9th grade level in 1st grade. Can you imagine if I asked for him to be bussed to the high school? If you would like a bespoke curriculum you are free to homeschool. Stop accelerating outside of school if the result is that your child is now bored in school. You are creating/exacerbating the problem. Many, many kids are “advanced” in the younger grades. They can’t put them all in upper grade classrooms. Work on figuring out how to help your child manage his or her boredom/impatience. That’s a key lesson to master in school and in life.
Anonymous
Post 02/04/2024 10:00     Subject: Has anyone been able to get accelerated math for their advanced kid?
Anonymous wrote:My child is in 2nd grade, bored out of their mind in math. They had a full eval at a private practice and are at 140 IQ and 99th percentile in math. They are already doing Russian Math outside of school to at least keep them moving and even that is nothing new for them. They are placing at at least 6th grade math. I would like to ask the school to let kid take a placement test and at least join the 3rd grade class for math time.

Has anyone successfully done this?


sorry, OP, mcps absolutely will not do this. Your kid will have to suffer boredom like the rest of ours. It gets better starting in about 8th grade.
Anonymous
Post 02/04/2024 09:59     Subject: Re:Has anyone been able to get accelerated math for their advanced kid?
They will be just as bored in 3rd grade math. Your best bet is to work with the teacher and have them work on math that you send in.
Anonymous
Post 02/04/2024 09:57     Subject: Has anyone been able to get accelerated math for their advanced kid?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:So you are accelerating your child outside of school and want MCPS to create a bespoke curriculum to match?


No, I want the school to meet their needs as a gifted student. Which is legally required.


Can you cite the law?
Anonymous
Post 02/04/2024 09:46     Subject: Has anyone been able to get accelerated math for their advanced kid?
Anonymous wrote:So you are accelerating your child outside of school and want MCPS to create a bespoke curriculum to match?


No, I want the school to meet their needs as a gifted student. Which is legally required.
Anonymous
Post 02/04/2024 09:45     Subject: Has anyone been able to get accelerated math for their advanced kid?
So you are accelerating your child outside of school and want MCPS to create a bespoke curriculum to match?
Anonymous
Post 02/04/2024 09:44     Subject: Has anyone been able to get accelerated math for their advanced kid?
My child is in 2nd grade, bored out of their mind in math. They had a full eval at a private practice and are at 140 IQ and 99th percentile in math. They are already doing Russian Math outside of school to at least keep them moving and even that is nothing new for them. They are placing at at least 6th grade math. I would like to ask the school to let kid take a placement test and at least join the 3rd grade class for math time.

Has anyone successfully done this?