We got a chance to say hi to J's kindergarten teacher today, and tell her that he's skipped to second grade. She's so sweet! Her face was very animated as she congratulated J and said that she had thought he might skip. She also expressed her frustration as a kindergarten teacher, when she recognized J's needs and talents, but the school really couldn't/wouldn't do anything for kids that young. I told her how we had to "work the system" to get him tested by claiming that we wanted him to skip first grade. Of course, we did have him skip first grade, but we hadn't even thought of skipping a grade until we had to do it to get J tested!
I understand her predicament better now, and we all love her even more. Z is looking forward to being in her class next year. That's highly likely if J stays at his current school, because siblings get priority and don't have to be drawn in the lottery. And Z is reading better than lots of kids can before kindergarten, so I'm sure he'll be placed in the top class, which is taught by our wonderful Mrs. G.
Thursday, November 18, 2010
Second Week of Second Grade
J's first week of 2nd grade was just 3 days long because of Parent-Teacher Conferences. I thought it a good sign that, when I went in to wake him up, all I had to do was whisper, "It's time to get up and go to second grade!" and he'd pop out of bed with a smile on his face. His second week was all grins, too.
At his Parent-Teacher Conference, the teacher mostly caught me up to speed on how her classroom works. It was like a Back-To-School Night just for me. She mentioned that J really seems to fit in just great with the rest of the class. He is even right in the middle height-wise, too. He's made friends, and is a bit of a celebrity for now. We tried to tell him not to say anything about skipping a grade, because we don't want to make anyone feel bad, but the kids already knew. And they didn't have a problem with it at all. J said that when his special class teachers (such as gym and computers) asked why he was with a different class, the other kids would explain for him. His teacher said that there have been arguments about who gets to be J's "special buddy" to show him things in the classroom.
I was also very pleased when I spoke with his engineering teacher one evening at a church event. He said that he thought skipping was a good move, and while J seemed much more relaxed in his 1st grade class than he had been in kindergarten, he is even more social and relaxed in 2nd grade.
Because it was such a monumental decision for us to make, and because it's a life-changing decision, I fully expected bumps during J's transition. I was braced for him to come home from his first day exhausted and emotional. I mean, who wouldn't be exhausted from trying to learn a new class routine, meeting 20 new kids, and going to your first pull-out gifted class? But no, he was almost giddy with excitement when I picked him up. We still haven't hit any bumps. This transition has been super-smooth, better than I would have ever hoped for!
At his Parent-Teacher Conference, the teacher mostly caught me up to speed on how her classroom works. It was like a Back-To-School Night just for me. She mentioned that J really seems to fit in just great with the rest of the class. He is even right in the middle height-wise, too. He's made friends, and is a bit of a celebrity for now. We tried to tell him not to say anything about skipping a grade, because we don't want to make anyone feel bad, but the kids already knew. And they didn't have a problem with it at all. J said that when his special class teachers (such as gym and computers) asked why he was with a different class, the other kids would explain for him. His teacher said that there have been arguments about who gets to be J's "special buddy" to show him things in the classroom.
I was also very pleased when I spoke with his engineering teacher one evening at a church event. He said that he thought skipping was a good move, and while J seemed much more relaxed in his 1st grade class than he had been in kindergarten, he is even more social and relaxed in 2nd grade.
Because it was such a monumental decision for us to make, and because it's a life-changing decision, I fully expected bumps during J's transition. I was braced for him to come home from his first day exhausted and emotional. I mean, who wouldn't be exhausted from trying to learn a new class routine, meeting 20 new kids, and going to your first pull-out gifted class? But no, he was almost giddy with excitement when I picked him up. We still haven't hit any bumps. This transition has been super-smooth, better than I would have ever hoped for!
Tuesday, October 26, 2010
Test Results
After a mix-up with scheduling, Dad and I went to talk to the Gifted coordinator about J's testing scores. Wowza! Of course, we knew he was smart, but we had no idea about just how strong some of his strengths are.
For many of the academic subjects, he maxed out the test about 5th grade. His lowest scores were in math and general knowledge. The math sort of surprised me, until I realized that I haven't really taught him how to do much math. I'm not sure how to teach math, in fact. It was never my strength, although I held my own in classes. But Dad the engineer should probably get involved with J's math education. And for general knowledge, well, he just hasn't had that much exposure to all that stuff. Even so, he tested above the 90th percentile in both. As the Gifted coordinator said, while they were his weakest scores, they're not exactly weaknesses!
The rest of his scores were 99th percentile or above. I wish I could have memorized all the statistics, or that I could have a copy of the test. There were reading comprehension, vocabulary, and spelling in there somewhere, but I was too shocked to remember which was his highest. That's because he maxed out the test at 11th grade. Hello, an average high school junior could do as well on that part of the test as my 6 year old??? Crazy!
I have no idea what my IQ score was when I was tested in 3rd grade. I had to look up the ranges of scores to determine what J's score meant. Without publishing his actual score for everyone to know, I'll say that his composite score is in the moderately gifted range, with some of his individual scores reaching into the highly gifted range. What surprised me most about my research into scores is how high some people have tested, and how high the score has to be for a genius status. If my J tested above 99th in all his subjects (as we're sure he would test if he'd been exposed to everything) and he's only "moderately gifted," wow, how much smarter do you have to be to have a(n) (estimated) score of 160 like Einstein, or 220 like Leonardo DaVinci? It's mind-boggling.
The school had, without hearing our decision about skipping 1st grade, set everything up for J to move up. I had the feeling that if we hadn't been on board with skipping, they would have tried to talk us into it. They were duly impressed by his scores and consider him an excellent candidate for grade acceleration and the Gifted pull-out program.
Since we're knew to the school scene, I was surprised to discover that the four classes per grade level are separately by general ability. Of course, J was placed in the top classes in kindergarten and 1st grade. When I met with his school the first time, they said that the top 2nd grade class was full, so J would have to go to another. That was disappointing, because all the other gifted kids who would be attending pull-out would be in the top class. And it's always easier to go along with some other kids than to be on your own. I believe that there was some divine intervention in the weeks since my first meeting, because several kids were shuffled around among 2nd grade classes, leaving a spot open in the top class. This had nothing to do with J moving up, it was all independent of us. I know the Lord clears the way for us when we are making the best choice. I'm so glad that J will be in a classroom with (get this) eleven other gifted kids.
I thought it quite considerate of them to suggest that he not move immediately, but to let J finish out the week with his current class. They're having a harvest party this week, when they get to wear costumes they made in class. The pull-out class will be starting a new unit next week, and I'm sure both J's new and old classes will be finishing their units, too. So a new month means a new class for J. He starts 2nd grade in Mrs. K's class on Monday!
We feel really good about this. We've encountered quite a bit of opposition from acquaintances, especially those who are teachers. I don't understand why they think the school would recommend this move without considering all their points of contention. We hear, "I worry about socialization" the most. And before I started my research, I worried about that too. Now that argument makes no sense to me at all. It's not like we're yanking him out of a good educational and social environment and putting him into solitary confinement. He's going to be with kids. He's going to learn to fit in with those kids. And it will maybe be easier for him to fit in, since they'll likely understand those 11th grade words he knows (well, maybe!)
For many of the academic subjects, he maxed out the test about 5th grade. His lowest scores were in math and general knowledge. The math sort of surprised me, until I realized that I haven't really taught him how to do much math. I'm not sure how to teach math, in fact. It was never my strength, although I held my own in classes. But Dad the engineer should probably get involved with J's math education. And for general knowledge, well, he just hasn't had that much exposure to all that stuff. Even so, he tested above the 90th percentile in both. As the Gifted coordinator said, while they were his weakest scores, they're not exactly weaknesses!
The rest of his scores were 99th percentile or above. I wish I could have memorized all the statistics, or that I could have a copy of the test. There were reading comprehension, vocabulary, and spelling in there somewhere, but I was too shocked to remember which was his highest. That's because he maxed out the test at 11th grade. Hello, an average high school junior could do as well on that part of the test as my 6 year old??? Crazy!
I have no idea what my IQ score was when I was tested in 3rd grade. I had to look up the ranges of scores to determine what J's score meant. Without publishing his actual score for everyone to know, I'll say that his composite score is in the moderately gifted range, with some of his individual scores reaching into the highly gifted range. What surprised me most about my research into scores is how high some people have tested, and how high the score has to be for a genius status. If my J tested above 99th in all his subjects (as we're sure he would test if he'd been exposed to everything) and he's only "moderately gifted," wow, how much smarter do you have to be to have a(n) (estimated) score of 160 like Einstein, or 220 like Leonardo DaVinci? It's mind-boggling.
The school had, without hearing our decision about skipping 1st grade, set everything up for J to move up. I had the feeling that if we hadn't been on board with skipping, they would have tried to talk us into it. They were duly impressed by his scores and consider him an excellent candidate for grade acceleration and the Gifted pull-out program.
Since we're knew to the school scene, I was surprised to discover that the four classes per grade level are separately by general ability. Of course, J was placed in the top classes in kindergarten and 1st grade. When I met with his school the first time, they said that the top 2nd grade class was full, so J would have to go to another. That was disappointing, because all the other gifted kids who would be attending pull-out would be in the top class. And it's always easier to go along with some other kids than to be on your own. I believe that there was some divine intervention in the weeks since my first meeting, because several kids were shuffled around among 2nd grade classes, leaving a spot open in the top class. This had nothing to do with J moving up, it was all independent of us. I know the Lord clears the way for us when we are making the best choice. I'm so glad that J will be in a classroom with (get this) eleven other gifted kids.
I thought it quite considerate of them to suggest that he not move immediately, but to let J finish out the week with his current class. They're having a harvest party this week, when they get to wear costumes they made in class. The pull-out class will be starting a new unit next week, and I'm sure both J's new and old classes will be finishing their units, too. So a new month means a new class for J. He starts 2nd grade in Mrs. K's class on Monday!
We feel really good about this. We've encountered quite a bit of opposition from acquaintances, especially those who are teachers. I don't understand why they think the school would recommend this move without considering all their points of contention. We hear, "I worry about socialization" the most. And before I started my research, I worried about that too. Now that argument makes no sense to me at all. It's not like we're yanking him out of a good educational and social environment and putting him into solitary confinement. He's going to be with kids. He's going to learn to fit in with those kids. And it will maybe be easier for him to fit in, since they'll likely understand those 11th grade words he knows (well, maybe!)
Thursday, October 14, 2010
Testing is Finished
J came home yesterday with stories of being pulled from class and going to a room where a nice lady asked him questions. It was the second day in a row that he was tested by the Gifted Coordinator on academic subjects. He also brought home an envelope stuffed to bursting with "very important" papers.
I opened it up this morning to find a questionnaire touching on several important factors about J's likely success in skipping to 2nd grade. It asks about his home life, siblings, social maturity, emotional maturity, behavior, etc. And one question was about J's attitude toward the skip. I couldn't very well answer that, since I hadn't talked to him about it at all!
When I picked him up from school today, we stopped in at the PTA ice cream social. While we were waiting in line, I said I had a very serious question to ask him. I told him that, while we don't yet know what his scores were on the tests he took, people at his school wanted to know if he would like to be in second grade now instead of first. I mentioned that he probably had a lot of questions, and so did I, so we'd talk about it as often as he wanted to.
I was surprised when he said he'd heard me talking to Dad about it one night. I guess we thought he was asleep. J said his first reaction was, "No way!" I asked him why, and he said that he felt like he was just getting settled. I can certainly understand that. On the way home, I tried to address some of his concerns. We talked about how he would still be able to play with his friends at recess, just like he still played with some of his kindergarten friends who didn't end up in the same class this year. I brought up the conversation we'd had the day before when he told me that his reading group was soooo slow! He's in the most advanced group, but he says they spend a whole week on one tiny paper book, and he's done with it on the first day. So he says he does nothing for 4 days. I told him that in second grade, he wouldn't be as bored because the work will be closer to what we know he can do (although I don't believe for a second that it will be hard enough for him). I also mentioned that, depending on his tests, he could also go to the Gifted Coordinator's room twice a week with all the other smart kids. He really liked the Gifted Coordinator, but said he'd rather just go to her room for some one-on-one testing. I thought that was cute. He really did enjoy the testing.
After talking through a few things, J exclaimed, "I keep finding more and more reasons to skip to second grade!"
Tonight, we talked some more. I told him that we have days and days to make the decision, and that lots of people at school would help us make the best decision. And that we would consult the only One who knows everything. For His opinion is the only one we can truly trust.
I opened it up this morning to find a questionnaire touching on several important factors about J's likely success in skipping to 2nd grade. It asks about his home life, siblings, social maturity, emotional maturity, behavior, etc. And one question was about J's attitude toward the skip. I couldn't very well answer that, since I hadn't talked to him about it at all!
When I picked him up from school today, we stopped in at the PTA ice cream social. While we were waiting in line, I said I had a very serious question to ask him. I told him that, while we don't yet know what his scores were on the tests he took, people at his school wanted to know if he would like to be in second grade now instead of first. I mentioned that he probably had a lot of questions, and so did I, so we'd talk about it as often as he wanted to.
I was surprised when he said he'd heard me talking to Dad about it one night. I guess we thought he was asleep. J said his first reaction was, "No way!" I asked him why, and he said that he felt like he was just getting settled. I can certainly understand that. On the way home, I tried to address some of his concerns. We talked about how he would still be able to play with his friends at recess, just like he still played with some of his kindergarten friends who didn't end up in the same class this year. I brought up the conversation we'd had the day before when he told me that his reading group was soooo slow! He's in the most advanced group, but he says they spend a whole week on one tiny paper book, and he's done with it on the first day. So he says he does nothing for 4 days. I told him that in second grade, he wouldn't be as bored because the work will be closer to what we know he can do (although I don't believe for a second that it will be hard enough for him). I also mentioned that, depending on his tests, he could also go to the Gifted Coordinator's room twice a week with all the other smart kids. He really liked the Gifted Coordinator, but said he'd rather just go to her room for some one-on-one testing. I thought that was cute. He really did enjoy the testing.
After talking through a few things, J exclaimed, "I keep finding more and more reasons to skip to second grade!"
Tonight, we talked some more. I told him that we have days and days to make the decision, and that lots of people at school would help us make the best decision. And that we would consult the only One who knows everything. For His opinion is the only one we can truly trust.
Progress Report
J got his first 1st Grade progress report. He still gets S=Satisfactory, I=Improving and N=Improvement Needed.
He got all S's except for an I/S for Classroom Behavior. The teacher's note says:
Attached to the progress report is the Idaho Reading Indicator test results. For "Letter Sound Fluency," J did 55 in one minute. The Fall "on-grade level" is 31. Spring "on-grade level" is 72, which seems like an awful lot to me. That's more than one per second! How fast can you rattle that information off?
For "Reading Fluency," which for some reason is a "non-reported item," J scored 152 words in one minute. Okay, maybe 72 doesn't see like that many all of a sudden. Spring "on-grade level" is 53 words per minute.
And that means he scored a 3, meaning that he's on grade level. Although I don't think "on" would be the right word. But there is no score of 4 to mean above grade level. The only do these tests to catch stragglers, not advanced kids.
He got all S's except for an I/S for Classroom Behavior. The teacher's note says:
J does nice work in class. He is working on his social skills with classmates and he is trying not to disrupt others' learning with talking/noises.Hmmm...does it sound like he could be bored out of his mind?
Attached to the progress report is the Idaho Reading Indicator test results. For "Letter Sound Fluency," J did 55 in one minute. The Fall "on-grade level" is 31. Spring "on-grade level" is 72, which seems like an awful lot to me. That's more than one per second! How fast can you rattle that information off?
For "Reading Fluency," which for some reason is a "non-reported item," J scored 152 words in one minute. Okay, maybe 72 doesn't see like that many all of a sudden. Spring "on-grade level" is 53 words per minute.
And that means he scored a 3, meaning that he's on grade level. Although I don't think "on" would be the right word. But there is no score of 4 to mean above grade level. The only do these tests to catch stragglers, not advanced kids.
Abstract Thinking
I forgot to add this part to my post about music, although it's the most impressive item of all!
My boys like to hear music lyrics spoken, then explained a little bit, so they can understand the songs we listen to. We were listening to "Get Out the Map" by the Indigo Girls. We got to the line that says:
The saddest sight my eyes can see
Is that big ball of orange sinking slyly down the trees
That's a pretty abstract description, and I wondered if J would understand it. As I asked him what it meant, I imagined that he'd think for a few moments, then maybe venture a guess or say, "I don't know." Then I'd break it down for him and ask him what he thought the "big ball of orange" could be.
But there was no hesitation, no pondering. He said, "It's the sun at sunset."
Sometimes I think we're so used to amazing things coming out of his mouth that we're no longer shocked by his displays of intellect. But sometimes he still manages to surprise us!
My boys like to hear music lyrics spoken, then explained a little bit, so they can understand the songs we listen to. We were listening to "Get Out the Map" by the Indigo Girls. We got to the line that says:
The saddest sight my eyes can see
Is that big ball of orange sinking slyly down the trees
That's a pretty abstract description, and I wondered if J would understand it. As I asked him what it meant, I imagined that he'd think for a few moments, then maybe venture a guess or say, "I don't know." Then I'd break it down for him and ask him what he thought the "big ball of orange" could be.
But there was no hesitation, no pondering. He said, "It's the sun at sunset."
Sometimes I think we're so used to amazing things coming out of his mouth that we're no longer shocked by his displays of intellect. But sometimes he still manages to surprise us!
Tuesday, October 12, 2010
Ghost Riders In The Sky
We've been listening to music in the car for about a month. Before that, the endless stream of questions prevented much listening! I got out some CD's I burned back in college, so we've been listening to a wide variety of songs.
I am super impressed by J's feel for music. He identified a song that made him feel like he was in the jungle. Then another one reminded him of a tropical island. He even said that one sounded Spanish! And he's right-on, every time.
Z is amazing with his memory for lyrics. He can sing parts of "For the Longest Time" by Billy Joel, and I think he knows "Ghost Riders In the Sky" as well as I do!
Even better, he typed this out on my computer:
Not bad for 4 years old, especially because he's just starting to want to spell things!
I am super impressed by J's feel for music. He identified a song that made him feel like he was in the jungle. Then another one reminded him of a tropical island. He even said that one sounded Spanish! And he's right-on, every time.
Z is amazing with his memory for lyrics. He can sing parts of "For the Longest Time" by Billy Joel, and I think he knows "Ghost Riders In the Sky" as well as I do!
Even better, he typed this out on my computer:
gostridrsinthesci
Not bad for 4 years old, especially because he's just starting to want to spell things!
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