Dear Teachers Q & A

By Peggy Gisler and Marge Eberts

The Dilemma Faced by Parents of Bright Kindergartner

Question: I have a young son who learns things rather easily. He began reading at 3, and now, at 5, he can add, subtract and multiply and understands fractions. He also can do his older cousin’s third-grade work. The local school placed him in kindergarten. Their policy is not to advance children until third grade and then for only one grade. He enjoyed kindergarten at first because he got to play and made new friends.

Recently, the class started to learn the alphabet and count to 10, and our son began to hate school because it was so boring. We asked the teacher if he could bring his own books to read while the other kids did what he already knew. She said that the books were not age appropriate.

We have now taken him out of school and let him learn at home. Next year, when he is 6, he will have to return to school. Can anything be done in public schools for an advanced learner, or do we need to consider homeschooling? – Perplexed

Answer: Parents of gifted children like your son have the responsibility of finding creative ways to keep learning interesting for their children. A failure to do so can result at times in gifted children’s becoming so bored with school that they actually become disinterested in learning. You need to become educated on all facets of giftedness. You can find abundant information by going online and searching for gifted organizations. One helpful site is the Davidson Institute (DavidsonGifted.org), as it has a list of gifted organizations that deal with different facets of giftedness, as well as their lists of resources. Our Dear Teacher website also has a list of organizations in the helpful websites section. Be sure also to investigate what organizations for the gifted are available at your local and state levels. They can give you the opportunity to interact with the parents of other gifted children. Within your area, there will be other bright young children like your son. Become part of a gifted organization to learn of all the ways to give your son an education that matches his abilities.

Gifted students tend to stay advanced of their peers throughout their years in school unless they become bored and disinterested in learning. Do not consider your son’s time in kindergarten a complete negative—there were some benefits. Your son was learning socialization skills and acquiring some art and music skills. Many teachers would not have the attitude of this kindergarten teacher and would have set him loose on the computer and in books to provide a more challenging curriculum.

Finding the appropriate education for gifted children is always challenging. It has become more difficult in some communities that have eliminated gifted programs in favor of the same curriculum for all students in order to make education the same for everyone, no matter their ability level.

If your son continues in this local public school for first grade, he obviously will not be advanced several grades. You might want to look for a different public school or a private one that would let him do more challenging work in the classroom, skip him one or two grades, or let him take classes such as reading and math on a more advanced level while letting him remain in first grade for most of the day.

Homeschooling is a viable option if you have the family situation to do it. There are now a great number of exciting programs to choose from, so you would not necessarily have to develop a special curriculum for your son. Furthermore, homeschooling is no longer just an isolated at home experience. Homeschoolers can get together with other homeschoolers to offer an exciting curriculum on several levels. This is more like a school. Also, you could join other homeschoolers for field trips and special advanced classes.

The Best Ways to Study for Tests

Question: My children have a lot of tests in middle and high school. What should they be doing to prepare for these tests? – Concerned Parent

Answer:  The best way to study for any test is for students to use as many of their senses as they can. For example, they can write note cards, reread the note cards out loud or even study with a friend.

You may be surprised to know that change is good for studying. Researchers have discovered that instead of staying in just one spot, studying becomes more effective when learners actually change the study environment. So if your children are only studying in their rooms, suggest they consider moving to another room or even outdoors at times. In this way, they force their brains to make multiple associations with the same material. It enriches the material and slows down forgetting.

          And, of course, students should take practice tests and quizzes. Doing so gives them practice in retrieving material, which seems to make recalling it on actual tests easier. In fact, the harder the trial test material is to remember, the harder it is to forget later. This is a strong argument for learners’ always completing study guide questions and textbook questions in preparation for a test.

Parents should send questions and comments to DearTeacher@DearTeacher.com and to learn more about helping their children succeed in school visit the DearTeacher website.

©Compass Syndicate Corporation, 2022

As always, please consult your healthcare provider with any questions or concerns.