Starting school gifted?

[BabiesDontNeedDaddies]

I got told that to be classed as gifted going in to reception all the kid has to be able to do is read a simple sentence, ie "a cat sat on a mat", and do simple addition/subtraction, like 7+2 or 4-3. That seems quite basic to me for gifted. Is that right? Or is it like a local thing since I don't live in an affluent area

[catkind]

They are more than capable of giving a child a Harry Potter instead of Biff and Chipper.
And yet somehow... they don't. Because strong readers will already pass their phonics tests and SATs so they only do group reading once a week, and the top group get biff and chip level 6 in year 1 because that's the most advanced book year 1 have group sets of. So DD is still reading stuff she'd have knocked back before she started preschool. She's pretty clocked out of school academically right now.

Very unusual talking about a gifted group before they've even started. Is it private school or something? I mean, reading sentences and doing simple sums is ahead of the curve in an average primary class, that was "top group" type kids once they started grouping in both DC's classes, but top group also included kids who learned quickly once they started (DS) and completely fluent readers (DD). Calling it gifted sounds like they might do something about it, so could be positive. Otoh could be a label to placate the parents and nothing happens. Or could come back to bite them when "gifted" turns out to be just happened to go to a preschool that teaches more academics/was taught at home.

[Tomorrowillbeachicken]

Tbh we’ve fought this year to get ds challenging books. In class I’m grouped reading he is reading books three or four levels below his individual reading books, which are also no way hard enough either, but are yr three books.
He needs harder books, they know it and we know it but are doing nothing. It’s very frustrating

[LIZS]

But guided reading is not only about ability to read the words. If used properly it is a vehicle for discussing characters, plot, vocabulary, structure etc and develop related activities. Hence why the level of difficulty might appear lower.

[Tomorrowillbeachicken]

Tbh I’ve been told that it is the only place to put him as he was in year above originally but they went to do sats and he could no longer go there. In rwi they are supposed to be stage not age but as there is no group for him he’s back doing books he did earlier this year. Not good

[French2019]

I never really understood the angst about school reading books. I just let my dd read whatever they gave her and then she read other stuff at home. No big deal!

[rainbowdashflip]

Tbh we’ve fought this year to get ds challenging books.In class I’m grouped reading he is reading books three or four levels below his individual reading books, which are also no way hard enough either, but are yr three books.
He needs harder books, they know it and we know it but are doing nothing. It’s very frustrating

I don't understand this. Why can't he read other books at home? Why do you have to fight school for different books?

[Tomorrowillbeachicken]

He reads other books at home after we read the books that he is given. I see little point in reading the books the school gives him though tbh. Hoping he can go free reader next year and then he can read books he wants to.

[Tomorrowillbeachicken]

I fought as well to get books where he could work on being able to read and track large chunks of text. He needed to work on that yet couldn't with school books.
I have to admit I prefer the holidays where there are no school books at all and we just raid the library and I can find more interesting books.

[user789653241]

"Why do you have to fight school for different books?:
Exactly. My ds was given Orange books initially. Then given Purple after 2 weeks. Then Lime. And became free reader by summer term.

Any book is great. It really doesn't matter especially if the child can read it without problem, decoding wise. They can concentrate on inferring, understanding, whatever higher skills needed. Even the wordless books is great for comprehensions sometimes.

[catkind]

LIZS, there is considerably more character, plot and vocabulary to discuss in books a little nearer DD's reading and interest level (&several other children in her class, not like she'd even need to be on her own any more). Give her biff and chip and she just clocks out now. She liked picture books longer than most, she loved the few B&C that happened to come her way at the age of 3, she didn't mind them in reception even. She doesn't have particularly sophisticated tastes, but has clocked out with biff and chip now. She won't even get them out of her schoolbag.

[Tomorrowillbeachicken]

Tbh some of the jackdaw ones are even worse than b and c, they make us both lose the will to live.

[Tomorrowillbeachicken]

We were stuck on purple for three months as that age child is not allowed past purple in the school. When he ran out of books he was allowed past.

[catkind]

Which kind of doesn't matter, they can read different things at home. But it means school and engagement with learning are mentally very different spheres for DD at the moment. School is for playing with friends and craft stuff and you have to tolerate some boring phonics and maths games to get the fun bits. From a child with a huge appetite for learning, who does maths and writing for fun at home, and always has her nose in a book, this makes me sad for her.

[catkind]

Sorry, done it again with that old hobby horse. A PP's comment about teachers being more than capable of giving harder reading matter rather got me started as capable or not it ain't happening.

[Tomorrowillbeachicken]

Every child should be able to make progress and have challenge at school. If not, the children have a strong chance of either playing up as bored or checking out from learning.

[Tomorrowillbeachicken]

Sorry to rant but fed up atm and can't wait for this year to be over and he can actually learn things over the summer that he wants to.

[catkind]

Ha, sounds like we're on the same page tomorrow

[BrieAndChilli]

When DS1 was in reception his favourite books were the dictionary and encylopedias!!! He didn’t ‘do’ fiction at all!! School just used to let him read whatever he wanted from the School library. He also didn’t have to do the spelling tests either as was pointless as he could spell pretty much anything! Instead his teacher did a word game with him to keep him engaged with learning while the others did spellings.
He was also put into groups with the year 2s for maths and reading etc, really he should have been in a higher group but socially it wouldn’t have been a good decision

DS was the ‘go-to’ in his class, if someone didn’t know how to read a word or wanted an answer for something they would ask him!! It helped him with his social skills and as School isn’t just about learning (if it was he might as well have stayed home and taught himself!!)

[BabiesDontNeedDaddies]

Wow, ok alot happened here

[Tomorrowillbeachicken]

Just like life with a HLP child.

[haba]

OP - please understand that every school is different, every child is different.
The school your DS is going to have given you those criteria as 'gifted' but it's nonsense!
At my DC's school, every child, bar one or two per year, enters reception doing those things, because they learn to read, write, and do basic arithmetic in the year before Reception.
Do you honestly think every child in the school is gifted? Of course not, the proportion of exceptional children is still within the bounds of the norm in the population as a whole.

You should concentrate on preparing your son for attending school. So- ensuring he can dress/undress independently, independent toiletting. his speech, making sure he knows how to make friends and treat people kindly, understanding that he needs to follow the teachers' and TAs' instructions, sharing nicely, using an 'indoors' voice when indoors.

I'm sure there are many other things too.

[BabiesDontNeedDaddies]

It seems like most people still don't get what's I'm saying. He will do work in school. It will be in a group. If the kids are like him they'll be able to work together. If not only he'll be able to help them. Not be able to discuss themes and topics. Not challenge each other. That's what I was trying to figure out

[polsha]

I still don’t get what you mean. It’s up to the teacher to challenge your child, not the other children. Do you seriously think he will be teaching the kids at his table sigh

You need to come down a bit. As I suggested pages back, let your child be a child.

[thegreylady]

My dd, now in her 40s, could read fluently at 3 and when she was 5 read The Railway Children. She was not ‘gifted’just a good reader and now HoD of an English department. I also read long before schoolage and one of my dgs’s also started reading books in pre school. Not in any way ‘gifted ‘ just reasonably bright.