Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The key is really drive or maybe work ethic or maybe motivation and interest.
DS always scores super high on district and state assessments (partly because they are designed with lower standards in mind) but can’t be bothered to study or even ask for help.
In short, the state tests and such are a poor indicator of anything because they have a low bar.

Its not an indicator or Mensa but it is an indicator your child is not learning new material. If you do nothing- that’s fine, and your child will be ok. But you are squandering your child’s full potential. The young brain needs to be actively engaged and challenged in the younger years- it develops the pathways needed for advanced learning in later years.

Getting high scores on those tests is not an indicator that they are not learning anything new. My son’s detailed testing showed he was grades ahead of his grade level. In 3rd grade he was at a 8th grade reading level. That didn’t mean he wasn’t learning in his 3rd grade English class. They read Holes in 3rd grade and his reading skills allowed him to read no problem. But could he write a paper about it? Not without help.

He was also grades ahead in math when tested. In class he was sloppy and made so many mistakes from carelessness that he was where he needed to be to correct this.

High scores are great but just the beginning. If the child has focus, no huge gaps between skills, can do the secondary important tasks like writing well, organizing skills, doesn’t fidget and get bored then he’ll probably end up in the higher class. Either way he’ll be fine.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:He's been tested the past 2-3 years at school and doing fine. Can I assume things will stay this way the next two years and he will get into advanced math and English beginning in 5th grade? Or should I be supplementing with books at home during 3rd and 4th grade. If so, which ones? I don't really want to add a bunch of work on a little kid, but don't want him shut out of the advanced track since that feeds into middle school and high school course selection.

Why are you so anxious to get him in an advanced math and English? The best schools do not begin advanced classes until middle school. Calm down.

My son has a learning disability with a 124 IQ, he always tests in the 99% for basic subjects, grades ahead in reading, math, 99% in general knowledge. He’s not in advanced classes. He has debilitating social anxiety, poor writing skills and cannot spell. It’s not all about the tests that they give everyone to see how the school is doing.

Don’t make his life miserable because you want to brag about advanced classes.

Disagree. The goal isn’t necessarily to “get ahead” but to engage your child’s brain. You have to be working to build neural pathways when they are young. If they are scoring 99% on standardized tests- they are likely leaning nothing new in school and not engaging their brain. That in itself is problematic. Yes, OP. Supplement, do whatever you can at home to introduce new and interesting material and make them think

That’s should be it but I don’t believe that most parents even understand this. Too many are way too anxious to have their kids put into advanced glasses for the sole purpose of being in that advanced class.

Anonymous wrote:The key is really drive or maybe work ethic or maybe motivation and interest.
DS always scores super high on district and state assessments (partly because they are designed with lower standards in mind) but can’t be bothered to study or even ask for help.
In short, the state tests and such are a poor indicator of anything because they have a low bar.

Its not an indicator or Mensa but it is an indicator your child is not learning new material. If you do nothing- that’s fine, and your child will be ok. But you are squandering your child’s full potential. The young brain needs to be actively engaged and challenged in the younger years- it develops the pathways needed for advanced learning in later years.

The key is really drive or maybe work ethic or maybe motivation and interest.
DS always scores super high on district and state assessments (partly because they are designed with lower standards in mind) but can’t be bothered to study or even ask for help.
In short, the state tests and such are a poor indicator of anything because they have a low bar.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:He's been tested the past 2-3 years at school and doing fine. Can I assume things will stay this way the next two years and he will get into advanced math and English beginning in 5th grade? Or should I be supplementing with books at home during 3rd and 4th grade. If so, which ones? I don't really want to add a bunch of work on a little kid, but don't want him shut out of the advanced track since that feeds into middle school and high school course selection.

Why are you so anxious to get him in an advanced math and English? The best schools do not begin advanced classes until middle school. Calm down.

My son has a learning disability with a 124 IQ, he always tests in the 99% for basic subjects, grades ahead in reading, math, 99% in general knowledge. He’s not in advanced classes. He has debilitating social anxiety, poor writing skills and cannot spell. It’s not all about the tests that they give everyone to see how the school is doing.

Don’t make his life miserable because you want to brag about advanced classes.

Disagree. The goal isn’t necessarily to “get ahead” but to engage your child’s brain. You have to be working to build neural pathways when they are young. If they are scoring 99% on standardized tests- they are likely leaning nothing new in school and not engaging their brain. That in itself is problematic. Yes, OP. Supplement, do whatever you can at home to introduce new and interesting material and make them think

Anonymous wrote:He's been tested the past 2-3 years at school and doing fine. Can I assume things will stay this way the next two years and he will get into advanced math and English beginning in 5th grade? Or should I be supplementing with books at home during 3rd and 4th grade. If so, which ones? I don't really want to add a bunch of work on a little kid, but don't want him shut out of the advanced track since that feeds into middle school and high school course selection.

Why are you so anxious to get him in an advanced math and English? The best schools do not begin advanced classes until middle school. Calm down.

My son has a learning disability with a 124 IQ, he always tests in the 99% for basic subjects, grades ahead in reading, math, 99% in general knowledge. He’s not in advanced classes. He has debilitating social anxiety, poor writing skills and cannot spell. It’s not all about the tests that they give everyone to see how the school is doing.

Don’t make his life miserable because you want to brag about advanced classes.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:He's been tested the past 2-3 years at school and doing fine. Can I assume things will stay this way the next two years and he will get into advanced math and English beginning in 5th grade? Or should I be supplementing with books at home during 3rd and 4th grade. If so, which ones? I don't really want to add a bunch of work on a little kid, but don't want him shut out of the advanced track since that feeds into middle school and high school course selection.

Are you talking about AAP in FCPS?

Yes

Having a kid who enjoys learning and learns easily is a huge benefit. Don’t ruin it by pushing things he didn’t like. I’d take him to the library once a week and get him excited about reading a variety of books. If he was also excited by Beast Academy, I’d let him read the workbooks and do the problems in his own time. Enthusiasm beats grinding at this age.

Read lots and varied things. Not just wimpy kid and graphic novels. Talk to him about what he is reading, retelling the story, making inferences, who are the villains, why etc etc. For math, the test changes in 3rd grade. My kids 99% scores went down (to like 90%) as she was now being tested on 3-5grade material.

Anonymous wrote:He's been tested the past 2-3 years at school and doing fine. Can I assume things will stay this way the next two years and he will get into advanced math and English beginning in 5th grade? Or should I be supplementing with books at home during 3rd and 4th grade. If so, which ones? I don't really want to add a bunch of work on a little kid, but don't want him shut out of the advanced track since that feeds into middle school and high school course selection.

Are you talking about AAP in FCPS?

No need. I think the rat race is silly and counterproductive. Keep doing the things that presumably got DS to where he is - cooking/baking together, playing board games, talking about the world, going to the library, watching educational shows, going to museums, etc. He will stay on the same track he is now.

Anonymous wrote:I would get a beast academy subscription and have him start with that in free time. Read to him every night- books above the level that he would read to himself.

I don't know how the beast academy program works. Is the idea that he does some set amount every week and has to finish the year? Or just dip in and do a few problems here and there on topics that appeal? I don't know if that's possible to do, or if the kids needs to know all the previous material to be able to tackle later units?

I would get a beast academy subscription and have him start with that in free time. Read to him every night- books above the level that he would read to himself.

Get the kid a library card and take them to a library once a week. General reading and knowledge is valuable.

He's been tested the past 2-3 years at school and doing fine. Can I assume things will stay this way the next two years and he will get into advanced math and English beginning in 5th grade? Or should I be supplementing with books at home during 3rd and 4th grade. If so, which ones? I don't really want to add a bunch of work on a little kid, but don't want him shut out of the advanced track since that feeds into middle school and high school course selection.