My son is very gifted but not in the G&T group. What shall I do?

[ChristineFrog]

My son is 7 and is very gifted in all areas. He can read fluently and often reads long, complicated works to himself (Enid Blyton, etc), can do addition and subtraction to 100 and understands complex scientific principles such as how the earth rotates around the Sun and how a food chain works.

However, I have recently discovered that there is a Gifted and Talented 'club' at his school who meet on Wednesday. He is not part of it and I am angry that his talents have been overlooked and that he is not having the fulfilled and rich education which his gifts demand.

I am going to make an appointment to see the headteacher on Monday morning to ask why he is not included and ask that they re-assess his obviously above average needs.

What else can I do to make sure that the school starts providing for him and his complex needs?

My son is not G&T, in fact he's very average and can do everything you list above. How did your child do in SATs? I do know nonG&T 6 yr olds who read Harry Potter, Cressida cowell etc.

Obviously the school has several children who are even more gifted and talented than your child.

Also, my 6 year old does addition and subtraction up to 1000 and food chains and basic ideas like the rotation of the earth etc.

That's not gifted, that's just quite bright. And looking at some of the language you've used: "rich education which his gifts demand" I'd say you were having a laugh.

Sorry he doesn't sound that exceptional. Many kids at dc school would be similar. Schools apply their own criteria and he may simply not meet it. If you feel you have something to prove then an Ed Psych report might add weight but otherwise you risk coming across as "pushy"

Actually, DS1 could do all you mentioned at the age of 6, Christine, and he's not G&T. But I've always like to think he is.

No, no, he is definitely gifted. I can't imgaine that he is not leaps and bounds ahead of his peers - after all, he could crawl by the time he was eight months old.

I believe I'm possibly getting a lot of jealous parents trying to make me feel average but I'm not going to fall for it!

Your mistake Christine was using Enid Blyton as the yardstick of reading competence, when everybody knows that is in fact Harry Potter

at jealous parents...

You are jesting.

My ds was changing a plug at 8 months.

That is the problem with this so called 'parenting' website - you are all so interested in having 'fun' that you fail to see a serious and actually deeply concerning issue where you are presented with one - the failure of a school to provide an education for a child with a superior brain in my mind is an appalling thing.

I asked for advice on an issue which troubles me deeply.

Aw. Never mind. There might be space in the ping pong club. There usually is.

ah, this is a joke..

Changing a plug at 8 months?
My DS was rewiring a house at 6 months.
Very handy too.

pah, crawling at 8 months... My DD is sitting here typing for me as I dictate, she is 5 weeks old, she is already fluent in French, Spanish and Russian and passed her driving test last week.

Was that in a Tomy coupe?

Surely if he's that clever he'll do ok anyway ~ it's only school after all not mensa
what he learns won't affect his brain that much ~ tell him to read encyclopedias or something
lol

Excellent, Amazing, but shouldn't she be doing Latin too? Just a thought.

wind up surely

lol at cornsilk

Excuse me, but I think that it is quite obvious that you are not telling the truth regarding the abilities of your children. You must be 17 to even attempt driving and changing a plug at eight months is a ridiculous suggestion. Either that or sarcasm, which I thought you would be above.

Please can you answer my original query and take your peurile japes elsewhere?

having a child with a superior brain in my mind would give me a headache