Please or to access all these features

Add post

Watch this thread

Save thread

Start a new thread

Flip thread

Hide thread

My feed

Active Unanswered threads

Getting started FAQ's

Unanswered threads Acronyms Talk guidelines

Hide shortcut buttons

Talk

Gifted and talented

Talk to other parents about parenting a gifted child on this forum.

Flip

Original poster

How do you know if your child is G and T?

22 replies

Blossomhill · 15/05/2006 21:33

My ds (8) has always been very bright and top of the class (sorry this is not a boast btw). So I am wondering how I would know if he was G and T, or not?

He just got a level 4 in his reading and 3's for everything else.

I just wondered how the line was drawn.

Thanks

OP posts:

festiveface · 15/05/2006 21:37

not sure but i was told by ds teacher in year 4 that he was classed as G & T.

RTKangaMummy · 15/05/2006 21:39

We found out when his Pead consultant {who had been treating him for dyspraxia/hypermobility etc.} sent DS for a full cognitive assessment with ED Psych to find out about his extreme slow processing

It lasted about 4 hours and at the end of it we were shocked to find out his results

We knew he was good at writing and reading but we were blown away when we had the report

juuule · 15/05/2006 22:57

The school sends a letter home saying that your child has been identified as being in the G&T group.?

juuule · 15/05/2006 23:02

\link{http://www.nagcbritain.org.uk/giftedness/identify.html\Nagty website}

scienceteacher · 21/05/2006 06:29

When we lived in the US, my kids were classified by the State of Ohio as G&T when they were in 1st and 3rd grades respectively, and each year afterwards. This was purely on IQ and scores in standard assessment tests compared to age. Our kids' scores were bumped up because we moved them up a year and so they were 1 - 2 years younger than the rest of their classmates.

I teach in a grammar school, as it seems that the vast majority of the kids are G&T. I'm fairly new to the system, so I don't really know how it works, but I suspect it has something to do with getting so many points on the NFER tests.

cherryberry · 21/05/2006 17:13

A teacher to gifted children said you can tell the difference between gifted children and bright children in this way,bright children need to be taught and gifted children know it already and work things out for themselves.HTH.

Lilymaid · 27/05/2006 19:53

There's a difference between being "gifted and talented" and extremely or very able. My DS was classified as extremely able and he is a typical highly academic child who attained high marks throughout school (Levels 3 and 4 at KS1 and 5 at KS2) ending up with the standard 3 As at A Level and a place at one of the better universities to read a very popular subject. There are thousands and thousands like him.Gifted and talented children will have something extra beyond this.

snorkle · 27/05/2006 22:44

The NAGTY link below isn't for NAGTY it's for NAGC! I found NAGTY & eligibility criteria\link{http://www.nagty.ac.uk/student_academy/joining_nagty/index.aspx\here} Apparently G+T in schools is top 5-10% of cohort, but for NAGT it's the more stringent (but not all that stringent) top 5% nationally. Look at the NAGT criteria Lilymaid - there's one for GCSE results - I suspect your ds might well have met them even if YOU don't think he's gifted! There's loads of eligibility criteria that can apply and some interesting ones for talent including being a member of choir schools or junior music conservatoire.

Someone on mn (might have been Piffle) wasn't informed by the primary school for some years that their child had been identified as G&T and lots of schools (mine included) don't tell MidYis etc. results, so you wouldn't automatically know.

Also, these are criteria for senior school level. Don't know about primary, but the standardised scores are likely to be the same.

All that said, these criteria aren't what I personally think of as gifted, but in order to make sure you include all the truely gifted kids you probably need a much wider eligibilty net. (e.g. the top 0.5% won't necessarily score in the top 0.5%, especially if they're bored and under achieving - but they probably score in the top 5% without even trying)

Lilymaid · 28/05/2006 17:30

Well I suppose DS may have qualified as G & T, but if I'd suggested he might like to attend a summer school to do extra maths he would have been phoning Childline immediately! He was very lucky to go to a highly academic (and very laid back) school where he was a good average pupil. I'm sure that G & T schemes do help those at schools where their abilities aren't catered for sufficiently, it is just a pity that the children have to use their spare time doing this.

snorkle · 28/05/2006 19:27

Lol at the childline comment - my ds might think the same! I absolutely agree that kids shouldn't be pushed into giving up their free time if they don't want to. But - it is also true that some children get quite passionate about some areas of learning in the same way that others get passionate about football or music. As no-one turns a hair if kids go to a music or sports summer camp I think it's good to have some academic ones too to cater for those children who truly want them.

drosophila · 28/05/2006 19:49

Are G&T kids ever lazy? I have met many adults in my life who were/are very able and intelligent but have done very little with it. This got me wondering if having identified a kid who is G&T what are the chances of them not living up to their abilities.

MamaMaiasaura · 29/05/2006 14:50

JUst seen this. Ds has been so bored at school lately. His words. He is top set writing, math and reading. Has amazing vocab - has been commented on and using adult decripters appropriatley eg - @that is a little drab dont you think?'. School has said he is 'advanced in reading, very able in writing tho tends to get lax here as bored, and very able at maths. They said that he is exceptional in reading and speech. Am moving schools - hoping he will get support he needs as at present school they dont give extra support hence ds boredom. They have suggested ages ago to move him down sets, not because he wasnt able but because they have more staff there. Felt this was more a staff problems iykwim. THey didnt move him in the end.

Any suggestions on how to approach this in new school? Is he an able child or I am being all OTT?

BadMuther · 08/08/2006 13:50

G&T children are just like any other type of child; yes, they can be lazy and no, they do not always live up to their potential.

juuule · 08/08/2006 14:08

My 3 at secondary (2 ds and 1 dd) have all been in the G&T group but only 1 of them was put forward for NAGTY membership. To be honest I don't really know what's different between them. However, the eldest of the 3 has just done GCSEs. He underachieved massively (academically)from half-way through Y10. He just lost interest in most subjects and didn't do a lot of the coursework. So we await his results not knowing what to expect. So far dd is hitting all her targets as she enjoys what she is doing. My other ds - well who knows? He does his own thing, doesn't seem interested at the moment in any of the NAGTY activities and just trundles along but seems to be doing well.
So yes G&T identified children are just the same as any other children. Some will put the work in and some are interested in other things,so don't. It is just potential that is identified.

swedishmum · 10/08/2006 22:38

dd1 was g and t at primary and I distinctly remember class teacher telling me she'd have trouble fitting in at grammar school because she was so academic. Absolute rubbish. OK she's probably in the top 20% of grammar school but loads of other kids got pretty well full marks for 11 plus. Primary schools (esp small rural ones) can be so up themselves. DD2 on the other hand is a special case. She thinks differently (makes bizarre connections), and has amazing social skills. Needless to say we've left that small thinking primary. Tbh my cat would probably been in the top 10% of dd's class there.

dreamydowler · 03/09/2006 21:02

My ds was always very forward reading car number plates and the older childrens reading books from before he was in Nursery. Once at nursery he had to be sent jigsaws reading books etc from the reception class and this continued all through his school life either joining older classes or being sent work over from the high school for example whilst still in junior school. He was classed as gifted and talented in maths in year 5 and was sent to summer school where he was able to choose to do archeology and other interesting things He is just going into year 9 where he is expected to get level 8 in maths and 7 in the other sats exams. He chose not to go to grammar school but works really hard. He still loves to play on the x box and has to be moaned at to tidy his room like any other teenage boy

fishwithanoseee · 17/09/2006 18:34

My daughter has been moved up a year to an accelerated stream!!!!! Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhh! She has been put to year 1 rather than reception. I am so proud because I was just 14 when I had her and I thought that she would suffer because of it. Just got my other one to be moved from nursery to university and I'm sorted...

CHOCOLATEPEANUT · 18/09/2006 15:05

fish

I bet your so proud of your little one!

Can you tell me how they decided to move her up?

Our school offers full time nursery at 3 then they go into reception but she not 3 until Nov so misses a year. She goes to private nursery 3 dats a week now while I work and shes just moving into the pre school group. Shes very bright and 'stands out' if you know what i mean? the other children in her class are like babies compared to her and she looks lost and spends all her time talking to the staff.

rosie79 · 27/09/2006 01:03

CHOCOLATEPEANUT: Your daughter is entitled to a place at a nursery from the term after her third birthday so she shouldn't have to miss a year. If her birthday's in nov she should start nursery after christmas and have five terms there. You should be able to find a nursery that offers this if the one atached to the school doesn't.

twinsetandpearls · 27/09/2006 01:11

I wouldn't rely solely on a a letter from a school to be honest, I teach in a school that is generally at the lower end of the ability and motivation sepctrum and out G and T kids are identified by the follwing

Do they have nice writing? Do the play an instrument*If they were to write about the instrument they play would it be in nice handwriting? *Do they do their homework?
Is it completed in nice handwriting?

boo70 · 27/09/2006 10:01

Hi my son had a letter sent home in year 7 of secondary school, saying that after a recent test 6 children with the highest scores had been put forward for NAGTY ( National Academy for Gifted and Talented Youth). Hope to start a few courses this year!!! So yes Blossomhill my sons school recmmended him.

Judy1234 · 29/09/2006 22:07

It's not a term used in private schools so I find this thread interesting. If you'rein a private school where there's a lot of competition for places at 11+ then it's a bit like an old grammar school so everyone is likely say to have an IQ of 120+ and most of the children will mostly get As in GCSE and A levels. Some will get 11 A. It's the 11A ones who are very clever and work hard who I would call gifted and talented, not say my daughters who are just reasonably bright and got A levels like AAB.

Flip