Conference moira::parenting

    Dennis,
    
    School districts handle GT children VERY poorly.  In many ways they are
    more disabled than those who qualify for Chapter, or special ed, or
    whatever the district calls learning disadvantaged children's programs. 
    the main class teaches to the norms, and children who are behind or
    ahead of the class get ignored if they are quiet, and labelled
    disruptive if they have other ways of managing their boredom.  
    
    generally less than 1% of money for spec-ed is dedicated to gifted
    children, so if your child is only slightly "gifted" chances are she or
    he will never benefit from any programs to encourage their talents. 
    However, if you don'tdepend on the school to keep her challenged or wnt
    to teach her a little more in an area, I wouldn't hesitate.  
    
    There are good books out on what children need to know when they are at
    certain grade levels, and Frank and I work with our kids independantly
    in that direction.  Also you can enlist the help of her primary teacher
    if she and you agree your child isn't being challenged enough in the
    class.  (YMMV, some teachers and administrators would just as soon
    nonnormative children would drop off the face of the earth.)
    
    Good luck,
    
    meg

    The principal likely has good reason to be worried.  It never
    works to generalize, but there seems to be two general types
    of parents...those who ignore their kids education, and those
    who pressure their kids too much.  I have friends who drill
    their kids regularly, pushing reading at 4 years old and vocabulary
    everyday.  Many of these kids appear to be under great stess,
    with lots of nervous ticks, serious allergic reactions, etc.

    The principal may also just not want to rock the boat, may
    not have a set curriculum for the grade, etc. etc.....there
    are many explainations.  But I can easily imagine that the 
    principal is just fearing for the kinds of pressure
    you will be placing on your child.
    bob

At my daughter's school, the introductory information fairly strongly
discouraged parents from trying to teach the math curriculum to the kids
themselves, partly because the approach is different from the way most parents
learned math.  However, Leah's teacher did periodically send home a packet with 
suggested math-oriented activities, so that the parents can strengthen and
supplement the curriculum.  This approach keeps the parents involved without
undermining the goals of the teacher.

Math is a pretty broad subject; you don't have to go by the school curriculum
in order to get meaningful math learning experiences.

						Brian

    
    There are practice/drill books for math and language
    designed for specific grades. You can find them in
    any book stores, and toy stores, with the children books. 
    
    A few math terminologies instead have changed since
    I was in elementary schools. The approach to teaching math
    has changed quite a bit. So, I do understand the concern
    that the schools have about parents teaching kids on
    their own - the kids can get pretty confused! The drill
    books can give us parents an idea what is being taught
    nowadays.
    
    About gifted children - teachers in public school have
    to teach kids of all abilities and inclinations basic
    knowledge and skills. It is highly unlikely, IMO, in
    this economic climate and parental un-involvement that 
    the school systems have extra money and time for gifted 
    children. I think parents who have bright youngsters have 
    to do some work on their own if they want their children 
    to be sufficient challenged. I don't believe we can depend on
    public schools to foster the growth of gifted children.
    
     
    Eva
    

As it turned out the school's superintendent spoke at a PTO meeting I
went to last night.  He said he had no problem with me, or anyone else,
obtaining the curriculum.  In fact, he and the principal had a conversation
earlier in the day about this very thing.  So, I will be going in
one day next week and getting a copy of the curriculum.


Emily and I are having fun with this extra math practice.  At times she
is the one that reminds me that we need to do it.  I try to tie the math to
things in her world.  For example, the last few days we've been using a see-saw
that has a varying number of kids on each end. I actually draw a see-saw
with kids on each end.  Knowing the weight of each kid, I'll ask Emily to
tell me which end of the see-saw will go down.  I'll do variations with
kids jumping on and off.  I want the curriculum so that I can tell if the
problems I'm giving Emily are in sync with what she is learning (or, is
expected to already know) in school.  


Dennis