AIBU to want to withdraw ds1 from the G&T programme?

[PrettyCandles]

Since he started school, all ds1's teachers have considered him to be G&T material. In infant school, the G&T programme was fantastic, he was thrilled by it and looked forward to participating. In the juniors he is bored by it, utterly unenthused, and was quietly dropped last year. Which, when we discovered it, made us furious! Apparently, according to the written tests he is borderline for his junior school's cut-off point to be included in the G&T programme. And this despite his consistent academic record and the opinions of his techers. So this year we have fought to get him back on, as the quality of his schoolwork was dropping and he was getting bored.

But despite a good start, when the G&T co-ordinator really did seem to make an effort to get ds1 engaged, it has lapsed back into extra work. Instead of enriching and diversifying his learning, he simply has extra work, and it's putting him off again.

I don't see the point of making ds work more. I want him to want to go to school, to want to do his best, to enjoy a sense of achievement in his work. I want to withdraw him from the G&T programme, but dh disagrees. I think we need to concentrate on encouraging ds in his regular work, and to provide the enrichment ourselves.

I'm really not certain what we should do now.

Please don't let this thread become another debate over the 'label'. I, too, don't like the G&T label, but we need to call it something, and these children need the extra help it provides. Otherwise they risk being frustrated at school, their behaviur will deteriorate and that they will not fulfill their potential, and we can see this happening already, with ds's schoolwork and behaviour.

[PrettyCandles]

Forgot to say, ds is in Y4.

[DadAtLarge]

Those here who know my evangelical support for G&T (from my other posts) would be taken aback by this but I think you'd be best off taking him out. And working with the teacher/school to get him enthused again. He should be enjoying school and making progress whatever his level of ability. And that's the school's job, not the job of G&T. It will take a lot of effort and pressure from you - and some diplomacy - but it can be resolved.

He should be in the G&T only if he's in the top 10% of ability (not achievement). But it is normal for children to move in and out of G&T as their ability relative to the rest of the class changes.

[PrettyCandles]

There's not a shadow of a doubt that ds is in the top 10%. I accept entirely that that 10% is fluid, and there will be movement in and out of G&T, but I do think that we should have been informed.? Instead we seem to have been fobbed off when we tried to fidn out what was going on.

There is a lot of emphasis this year on working faster, and I think that may be one reason why ds is getting bored. He just doesn't have the fine motor skills to work fast enough, so he doesn't get to move on to the more advanced work because he hasn't completed the earlier stages. It's ironic, because up to now he was challenging the teachers by wanting - and being able to - move on faster than his peers.

[DadAtLarge]

Maybe you could approach the teachers for advice on how you could help him with his fine motor skills.

If there's no doubt that he's in the top 10% then there's no doubt he should be in the program. It's not optional! Neither you nor the teacher can choose to take him off the register.

You could have a word with the G&T coord to see how the program can better cater for him.

[PrettyCandles]

The G&T coord takes children into the programme according to their results in a non-verbal reasoning test. Her cut-off point is 130, ds scored 127. I do not know how setting that figure fits with the flexibility required to find the top 10% in that school at that time.

The programme is basically setting the children projects to work on independantly. This year, probably because many parents were very disappointed in last year's projects, each child is doing a different project, and she has tailored each project to that child's interests and abilities.

However, it is still simply extra work, rather than an enrichment activity. It is basically more homework. In class the teachers do take into account the more able children in the same way as they do the less able ones, and so his classwork ought to be more challenging and more stimulating for him. Unfortunately, ds is being held back by his FMS, which the school do not think poor enough to warrant intervention.

[Hulababy]

If the G&T programme is not providing any enrichment or challenge for him, I see no point in continuing with t at present. If it is making your DS feel worse then again - there is no point.

However, it isnt the G&T ting that would concern me at present. It is his poor FMS and the school not addressing these. They are clearly affecting his ability to reach his potential, and they seem to have evidenced this themselves. Yet they are doing nothing about it.

I think you need to really push on this one TBH.

And in the mean time - are there things you can do yourself with him to improve thse FMS? If you google there are plenty of actvities you can do to help with these.

[DadAtLarge]

Hulababy makes some valid points.

A fixed cut-off point for G&T rather than a relative one suggests she doesn't know her G&T stuff as well as she should. But, that said, at least this school does maintain the register and seems to want to implement the G&T program as it's meant to be implemented. Very Good. The majority of primary schools don't. When you say she's tailored each project to the child's interests and abilities you leave me thinking she's not a bad egg at all. This school sounds brilliant.

I know it may not seem like that to you at present but compared with the dire quality of G&T implementation in most other schools, yours does come out smelling of roses. Heart in the right place and all that. I'd keep looking at ways to work with them in a spirit of cooperation. You could maybe volunteer to help her and gradually influence the work/projects she sets.

[snorkie]

I'm agreeing with DadAtLarge & Hula here. It sounds as though part of the trouble might be that the project he's been set isn't appealing enough &/or it's too hard (in terms of FMS). Can you steer it in a direction that's more his thing and so that he really wants to do it? Can it be adapted somewhat so that it both encompasses helping him with his FMS (if the G&T work is individualised then why not include FMS exercises for him even if it's not strictly a G&T thing) and requires less of him in that area? I'm thinking would touch-typing be a good skill to learn & then use for his project?

Anything that gets him more enthusiastic really.

[PrettyCandles]

Talking with you lot, I am even more certain that withdrawing ds from the programme is the right thing to do.

I was considering teaching ds touch-typing, as I think his work is much better when he does it on the computer, but at the same time good handwriting is also an important skill, which I don't want to delay.

How we have already been trying to develop his FMS: he plays violin, we encourage him to play with Meccano and I'm teaching him to sew. We encourage any games that involve using his hands, like yo-yo, cat's cradle and sleight of hand magic tricks. I will try google for more FMS-improvement techniques.

You might be interested in this fantastic book I have found.
It is stuffed with ideas to stretch and develop a child's mind, without worrying about the academic side.

[snorkie]

If it's the mechanics of writing that's putting him off, I'd definitely learn to type asap, before he gets switched off learning.

Touch typing was a real turning point for my ds. He's never really enjoyed writing - not been especially bad at it, but it always came out rather messy & untidy (especially compared to the girls). The typing changed him from someone who would avoid writing tasks at all costs to someone who would enthusiastically get on with projects that interested him. It doesn't mean you never do any writing any more - children have to learn to be able to write legibly at a speed fast enough to make notes in a classroom environment - but keeping that (unpleasant) task separate from others can make learning more enjoyable which is critical.

[PrettyCandles]

I don't think that the mechanics of writing are putting him off, so much as that they are holding him back from getting to the more interesting work in class.