What to do now?

[Kitsilano]

I've just had my DD tested by and EdPsych because I was worried about her seeming bored at school and generally disinterested. She's always been super sparky and articulate as a youngster. School have said she's "bright enough" but there are"lots of bright children in her class" and she is "slow" at working.

Anyway her results put her in the top 1% or higher on the WISC tests - GAI of 142 which is 99.7 percentile.

So she's clearly more than "bright enough".

Any ideas as to how I should approach this with the school? (private and not as far as I know linked to any G&T initiatives.)

What should I ask for /reasonably expect if anything?

Ironically she was offered a place at a selective primary which I turned down becauee I didn't want her to be "pressured"...and now she's bored...perhaps not the best decision.

Any help, insights etc gratefully received. I have spent the year trying to talk myself out of there being an issue, told myself I must have just been being PFB about her seeming abilities. Now I wish I had been pushier sooner.

Thanks so much.

How old is she?

She's 6 - just finishing year 1

Can you see if there are any places at the selective school? There's usually a bit of movement at this time of year.

see if you can encourage her to work faster?

I used to assess children (for research purposes) and in my experience a high IQ doesn't necessarily translate to great performance at school. My advice would be not to get too fixated on your DD's abilities for the time being. She's still very young and if what the school says about her slow at working is true then perhaps she's a little immature. Give her a chance to settle into school first before you start insisting on any extra work or challenge for her.

BTW have you asked her how she feels about school? Obviously she might not have much to say about it but her answer might tell you a lot about how the school is treating her.

A word of warning, parents who push their children at a young age sometimes find it backfires later on. I've seen children of 11 and 12 who are burnt out and totally sick of school as a result of the pressure put on them by their parents. Some of them feel they are only as good as their academic results. She is still a very small child and deserves to have fun and to go at her own pace regardless of her IQ. She will learn everything she needs to learn as long as the school is any way decent and any other information you try to stuff into her will get forgotten once she hits secondary. Now is the time for basic skills such as reading and writing and the time for her to develop socially above all else.

WriterofDreams But OP says she's bored. When mine got bored at the start of this academic year she became lethargic, disheartened, her writing became a scribble and she said "I'm getting dumber". It was because she was bored, bored, bored.

If the present school can't see there's a problem, can't address the problem and if you have a better option (maybe) - it's time to go.

Thanks for this input. NB Writer f Dreams - of all the tests she did her processing speed (Wisc) was only 106 - ie average.

She's not actively unhappy at school but to my mind seems rather dulled down compared to how she was a year ago. A bit listless, non communicative, trying to avoid school work rather than engage. I certainly don't want to be a pushy parent and set her up to feel a failure/be defined by her academic results.

I am to an extent overlaying my experiences on this. I was a bright child, though not labeled as far as I know, changed schools every 2-3 years as my family moved with my father's job in many different countries, finally ended up at a state grammar school and then Oxford.

I just don't want her to become disillusioned with school at such a young age and I worry that I have made the wrong choice for her (with good intentions) and should now be pushing to find her a place at a selective school...

I've had endless battles (am still having battles) about my kids, two things I know for sure, I know them best and I am the one who has nothing but their best interests at heart. So follow your instincts.

Go and see the school, with the results, see if they sit up and decide to try challenging her more. With third party reports like this it makes it much less personal so it's easier not to appear a pushy parent or get their backs up. It's not 'I think' it's 'the EP's report says'.

I agree with Katt. Do your research and take the data to school.

Did she have achievement testing done?

A lot of gifted children have average processing score. Writerofdreams, sorry but a high iq should be translating to achievement at school.
It is not a matter of pushing, more of enabling a child to reach her potential. The op had her child tested as she obviously felt there was a problem there.
a place to start

Thanks everyone. That's a very helpful link Evilclown.

One of my DTS's had the same score on a WISC recently. I have passed this info on to the school and asked them to do more with them, but I'm not sure that they are. I have been asked to come in again for a meeting at the start of next term. I feel like a terrible pushy mum, but in reality, I know my children best and I have their best interests at heart so I need to go in with my gut instincts, some recent research and try to get the school to do as much as they can.

Mine seem happy enough at school - if your DD isn't then after discussing it with the school you will have to make a decision - Is she in the right place? What can they do for her? Could another school do more for her? Only you can decide. At least you are paying and so have more choice - you can vote with your feet so to speak. I feel trapped.