I think my child may be G and T

[Aufish]

Hi I don't know really whether he is or isn't really so thought I would come on here to see what you guys think. He is the youngest in his class and is in Year 1 which makes him 5 years and nearly 6 months. I found out the other day that he had been tested on Wednesday in his reading ability and he is coming up as an ability of 9 years and 3 months. He knows his 2, 3 and 5 times tables off by heart and is way ahead of any of the other kids in his class. I had approached his old teacher to see if he was G and T and she dismissed at the beginning of term but then she went off sick and another younger teacher came in and recognised that he was way ahead of any of the others in the class. She has moved him onto more difficult books and is encouraging him even more. He also knows all the key words that were set for him up to Year 2. The only problem that we can see with him at the moment is his pencil control which is improving. Could you tell me if you think he is and what kind of encouragement I should give him. TIA

loads of kids are 5+ years ahead of chronological age on reading age scores

I don't really know how these thing are judged, so can't really help you.
Would you be pleased if he was judged to be so. I suppose the thinking would be, he would need more stimulation etc
I think if it was my child, i would be wary of getting hime labelled, as I would feel anxious about all the child prodigy stuff you hear about, and children not having a childhood.

I know nothing about "Gifted and Talented" in respect of this topic, but in terms of reading I was miles ahead of my classmates. In primary school I had to be sent to the junior school to ask for books as I had soared through the whole lot in primary stages.

Please, just enjoy the fact that your child enjoys reading and indeed probably excels at it. Don't push anything as it is probably the quickest way to turn children off.

Our ds1 is also way ahead of most of his peers at school (Y1). If he's borderline G&T, as we suspect, we don't want to be in the situation were he is not quite brilliant enough to get special treatment yet advanced enough in his learning to be bored. So we have decided to try and enrich his environment and advance his learning, but not necessarily with the things he will be doing at school over the next couple of years. I've borrowed a set of CDs from the library and intend to try learning a new language with him, for example. An ex-teacher and ex-musician (tho' not a music teacher) suggested to me that he should begin learning piano asap, as that would stimulate his mind and challenge his agility at the same time.

It is not about labelling, that's for damn sure. My oldest child has dyspraxia but I don't treat him any different from my other 3 children. I'm just curious that is all as I know he is bright for his age that's all and as far as pushing him, I don't I allow him to do things at his own pace and so does the teacher. I was just asking for some advice as I don't want him being pushed away from the education system like my eldest was. He is a normal child who plays footie, and on Sonic the Hedgehog and has everyone wrapped around his little finger. The reason why I asked it was that I have already come up against one teacher who dismissed his reading level and was keeping him on the first stage books because of his age and not his ability and I don't want him becoming bored and not wanting to learn that is all I'm worried about not anything else.

thats a good reading age isnt it dont know what id do if he was my son

i was a very good reader and way ahead of my mates at primary school, i read constantly at home. my mum was always buying me the Famous Five books! but once i got to secondary i was more interested in boys

He's a really book worm and now that the Doctor Who books have started he is wanting to read those, in fact he managed to worm one of those out of us this weekend with his big puppy eyes. I think I may have worded my title abit wrong and it did sound that I was a pushy parent type, but I'm far from! I haven't got the time to, the other kids keep me far to busy to just to concentrate on just one and making sure that the eldest child does all his homework and keeps himself organised is a job in itself.

Well, then, I agree with that for sure Aufish. I hate labels - I also disagree that he should be kept on primary books as he needs whatever reading material stimulates him. He will be bored out of his skull if he is kept on stuff below his reading age. How sad that schools do this!

The problem you then have here if he is put on junior reading books alot of the text is not really suitable for a five and a half year old! At our sch we have a selection of books specially for children like this also our reading scheme covers a wide range of reading material such as non fiction.

And that is the problem that I have with them. They completely ignored my eldest son, who was clearly struggling with his school work and wasn't until I changed schools did I see anybody taking notice of him and helping him and then when the youngest is excelling in his school work they try and keep him back because it's not in the interest of the class. That was the excuse that I got from the first teacher, but since the new teacher started he has excelled and she is encouraging him at his level and she has said that she isn't taking anything away from the rest of the class, she is getting the teaching assistant to do his reading and maths work whilst she deals with the rest of the class. I'm just worried that once he leaves this class the other teachers will have the same attitude as the first teacher did and he will get bored again. Having a SN child and one that is bright has really shown me quite how crap our education system is and that it doesn't want to see either end of the scale, just the ones that are ok and work to the normal end of what is excepted.

The books that he reads are for his reading level but are not as grown up as his 9 year old sister reads. Saying that though he does like to read her Anne of Green Gables book alot!

Reading ages vary enormously at this age tbh, and whilst it is good that he is proactively learning tables, ds1's Y1 class has weekly tables tests (they've done 2,5, 10, 3, 4 and 6 so far, and they get tested weekly with the different tables muddled up).
It is not that unusual for pencil skills to lag behind, but the boys at the top end of ds1's class have excellent handwriting as well (I had thought that one boy's 6th birthday invites had been written by his mother and was surprised that she wasn't using cursive script, until ds pointed out that her son had written them).

I think you do need to consider how his teachers manage any extension work for him, and whether he is being sufficiently challenged. Eg if she is teaching addition to the class, then some will be doing addition to 10, others addition to 20, whereas your ds may be in a group doing addition to 100. Your teacher shold be able to explain how he is doing in all part of the curriculum - eg how is he in terms of communication skills, participation in group work. What is his creative writing like? Spelling? Part of the challenge at this stage is to even out his basic skills. There is a risk that he concentrates on his strong areas to the detriment of his weaker areas whereas at this age it is important to learn about persevering. Do you have a parents evening coming up where you can discuss it?

Agree that finding suitable reading material can be difficult. Ours uses a lot of different reading schemes in order to get something suitable, and incorporates a lot of non-fiction (which seems to appeal to boys anyway). What sort of reading books/scheme has he been put onto and is that consistent with his reading age?

hi aufish, read with interest your op as throughout primary school my ds's reports all said that he was a day dreamer, in a world of his own, who spent a lot of time gazing out of windows. he's always loved reading, history and archeaology as well as computer games and the usual kids stuff...
since starting secondary school (he's 12), and being introduced to new subjects and interests, he has recently been recognised as G & T and has been asked to join NAGTY (National Academy for Gifted and Talented Youth), not bad for a daydreamer!!
you sound like you know what your son is capable of and are encouraging and supporting him, which are the most important things. who knows where it will take him? Good luck

What you say about either end of the scale is so sad Aufish and brings back a memory from my schooldays of those that did not prosper in the curriculum. They were all kept in a "special class" (can't remember what it was called exactly but i wasn't a positive statement) and picked up the litter in the playground as one of the "lessons".

I understand you. Whatever schooling brings him, he will always have your love, support and encouragement and it will shine through when it matters, even if you can't get school to understand at this moment in time

Seriously, who would want their child to be G&T? If they're all anything like those God awful kids on that child prodigy programme last week, not me, that's for sure.

Yes Mummy Penguin, like it's something you choose

Seriously at primary level the G+T provision is so patchy nationwideit's to be laughable.
With ds we simply spent a lot of time at the library, letting him read what he liked.

WE found the best way of getting schools on board was to ask for extension work in the things ds was doing very well in.
DS is 13 now and at grammar school also in NAGTY. I would say far more support has come from home than school though, so don't rely on schools to keep him occupied.

Most kids on the g and t register are nothing like those on the tv programme. For a start the majority are in state primaries and comprehensives and do not have pushy parents with more money than sense as those in the programme seemed to have. The school then sets up extra classes and clubs (a great alternative to the football and netball offered in the past) The alternative to recognising the more able children is for them to be bored and restless doing the work the majority are doing or else bullied.

In ds3's primary school the children are streamed for maths and in groups within the class which enables the "geeks" to be together and make friends. He has been so much happier since this happened

Like I said its not about the LABEL its about getting help for my child if in fact he is G and T. If you read my posts properly then you would have found this out and stop being so bloody nasty. I haven't got time to push my child, I work full time and look after a SN child plus my other 3 children and if you read the experience that I have had with my SN child then you may understand that all I want for my youngest is for him not to be ignored not pushed.

I was sad to read you think our education system is crap, please be assured not all schools and teachers are just interested in the middle ground! Having children at the top and bottom end is what makes the job interesting and stimulating. The best way to support a bright spark like this is to offer lots of different things for him to get his teeth into - music, art, word problems, logic problems. Agree that finding suitable reading material is hard, it's really difficult to find stimluating books that have suitable content for someone your son's age. Have another chat with the teacher and check he is being offered the more challenging work (if we struggle to extend what we're doing, we dip into the next year up's work, or even the year after that)and ask her advice too about things to do at home. He may not be g and t, just very able for his year - either way he needs to be kept on his toes!

And I also think you need to take time to actually read posts instead of just jumping on somebody who was just asking for advice because you think everybody follows the same thing and wants to be pushy parents.

Thank you for you tips Ali it is much appreciated, his new teacher is fab and does keep him on his toes a lot, and he enjoys his challenges that he is set. At the moment he's fascinated with the fact the Geomags are glowing in the dark, he is just a normal little boy who enjoys Dr Who, Sonic and gameboys not some unhappy child that I sit at the table making him work because that is what I want. He is bright and no its not just me who says it, it is his teacher and all my friends. I was just wanting advice on what to do as far as his schooling was concerned because if some of the mums on here had been through what I have been through with my eldest son then may be they wouldn't be so judgmental of myself.

aufish, you need to develop a thick skin to post in this topic poppet. Some people just don't like it at all.
I also have a dd (aged 4) with mild SN starting school this yr and she is very very good at counting and multiplying and just very number obsessed.
The help and assistance she gets is amazing, there was nothing for children who need stretching -
Like others have said - do other activities time/money permitting - I took DS to kumon maths, drama groups, piano etc he has also traveled a lot - I think at a young age it's as good to explore width of learning as well as focussing on one thing.

I think you should go with the teachers view on this. He may be G&T but I think you are reading too much intoit at this stage. My dd is a March baby so half way through the academic year but from year 1 her reding age was 12.6 where it remained - she couldnt read before going to school either.

She was put on the G&T register when she was in year 4 or 5 i think and is classed as G&T at secondary school (shes now year 9) but so are many many others so it really doesnt mean that much its just another label for well above average. The best thing you can do is encourage him to explore loads of activities and areas and not concentrate on reading because soon enough you will realise that although he can read the words he wont be mature enough to handle books that are geared for older children.

Now I was the youngest in my year (along with twin sister) and I was always top of the year with end of year test results between 95-100%. These were the days before G&T and I got by just fine. I was encouraged by my head to sit for King Edwards though

I would agree with lots of the advice on here - including Piffle's comment that you need a thick skin on this topic!

Definitely look for something extra-curric to challenge him. Learning an instrument is fantastic, because it's hard work for everyone. In current standards-driven education in this country many bright children never have to really push themselves at school, and get used to getting perfect marks first time, all the time. No-one can learn to play an instrument without putting in hours of practice - which is great for motivation and discipline.

The advantage of having an early, fluent reader is once they have learned to read, they can read to learn. Make sure you visit the library regularly, and invest in books.

To say that a high reading age of, say 12, at the age of 7 may not advance for the next 5 years is completely missing the point. If the technical skills of reading are transferred to a love of reading and literature, then think how much that child will be learning just through their reading over those years.

All published authors faced with the question "What should I do to be an author" say first and foremost read, read, and read some more. This applies at every level of ability, and if we want literacy skills in this country to improve we need to do more to encourage children who can read to transform into children who do read and want to read.

i meant to say that dd's school didnt have tests to assess progress above 12.6 so we couldnt guage her progress.