Am I being totally unreasonable here?

by Princess 54 Replies latest jw friends

• 

  Mulan

  Remember that I am more than twice your age. There weren't programs in the public schools, for gifted kids, when I was in second grade. Private schools were few and far between, so that wasn't an option either. There was one in this city, but far away from our home, and prohibitively expensive.

  Rhys' IQ is 144, so well into the gifted range. Mine was 125.

  There is no easy answer for him. He is unhappy where he is, and I think kids should be happy in school. If it means putting him back in the regular school, but pushing up a grade to accomodate his mind, I'm all for that.

  I have a daughter in law with an IQ of 160, and her teachers thought she was retarded because she just didn't fit in. They actually put her in Special Ed, with the very slow kids. That's when her parents had her IQ done. She also was dyslexic. Things started happening at that school when they learned her IQ was that high. She is 25 now.

  Anyway, all kinds of opinions out there. I tend to agree with advancing them at their intellectual level. I had kids in my school like that, and no one hassled them at all. But that was in the '50's too.
• 

  StinkyPantz

  I quickly scanned over some research about kids skipping grades. It seems to be the consensus by psychologists that skipping grades does not cause social stunting. Conversely, the testimony from people that DID skip grades was that while they were fine in most social arenas, they felt athletically and physically behind their peers and this caused some esteem issues. So I guess all in all it's a bittersweet scenario.

  Rhys' IQ is 144, so well into the gifted range. Mine was 125.

  Interesting, I didn't think they gave exact numbers for IQ, I often thought they gave a range, i.e. 150-155.. It doesn't matter, but that's what my papers say from my I.Q. test(s).. a range (btw, not 150-155, that's just an example ).
• 

  Mulan

  One boy I saw on Oprah, is at a University and is 12. His parents have him in soccer and some other sport in their community. Youth clubs or little league.

  I know of home schooled kids who are allowed to be in sports at the public schools, for the appropriate grade levels too. There are lots of options now.

  Bill Gates lives near us, and he and his wife are funding many programs for gifted kids. Hopefully they will be in effect soon.
• 

  BrendaCloutier

  I can sort of appreciate why he was marked down for capitalization, however...

  The first word of a sentence is always capitalized. The first word of a numberd item are often capitalized, but the numbered items should either be all capped or not. So he could have been marked down for 4, 5, 7 (Judcial), 8, 10, if she were scoring for writing accuracies.

  But this is a spelling test, not a writing test. He should have had 9 of 10.

  No, I don't think you're being unreasonable at all, especially if she did not set this expectation before the spelling test!

  Hugs and good luck on addressing this

  Brenda
• 

  BrendaCloutier

  On the home-schooling front

  I don't think it wise. The children don't learn to interact with others and become social dunzes. My eldest (20 yrs older) step-sister home schooled her three. They are educated in the basics but have a bit of trailer trash mentality and a great lack of social skills and graces. Only the eldest went to formal HS, and they found out just how much he lacked in social skills.

  However, getting involved in your childrens' education and with their teachers is important. They will be light-years ahead and you can develop a good relationship with them.

  Hugs

  Brenda
• 

  Mulan

  I know many home schooled kids and there are all kinds. Three I know of, are all adults now and just like anyone else you would meet. Very balanced, smart people.

  I know of others who grew up too fast, and were very immature, one was pregnant and then married, at 16. (a dubbie)

  Another boy, aged 8, is "home schooled" but he does go 2-3 days a week to a home schooling center with other kids.

  I guess it all depends on who the kid is, and how the parents handle it.

  Generally speaking, I don't like home schooling.................I was much too selfish to be successful at something like that. I liked the privacy and the freedom I had, with the kids at school during the day. For many people, it is a solution to a problem they have.
• 

  shotgun

  Princess

  Take Rhys and go talk to his taecher ounce you expleen to her your feelings I bet you can work it out. You and Steve are rational people considering that crazy woman that raised you..I forget her name...I think it's German anyway.

  You might want to see how she marked the rest of the class, if she marked them all using the same criteria it's not like she singled him out.

  If all that fails then take your body rolling devices and beat her into submisssion.

  BTW..Rhys sounds phenomenal.
• 

  Mulan

  You and Steve are rational people considering that crazy woman that raised you..I forget her name...I think it's German anyway.

  Hey!..................I am offended. I'm not German. I'm mainly English and lots Irish. (that's the stubborn part of me................the Irish) Oh, 1/8 Native American.
• 

  confusedjw

  Was Rhys the one who fainted in that spelling bee?
• 

  kitties_and_horses_oh_my!

  Princess,

  No great and wonderful new words of wisdom or anything, just wanted to say that it's great that Rhys has a mom like you who looks out for him. Instead of criticizing him for making what might technically be an error, you're helping him to improve without making him feel bad. I was in TAG (Talented and Gifted Program) during school and I felt terrible if I made an error; it didn't help that my dad rode me unmercifully if I came home with a "B" instead of an "A". What you're giving Rhys by the loving way you're teaching him will last much longer than the sting of a bad grade on a spelling test.