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I was similarly disappointed with "gifted" programs. Immigrated to the US and was suddenly far ahead of my peers, so was placed in a gifted program immediately

I was similarly disappointed with "gifted" programs. Immigrated to the US and was suddenly far ahead of my peers, so was placed in a gifted program immediately (which I thought was weird since it was clear to me that the only reason I was "gifted" is because I had been taught faster and expected to learn faster and there was no reason the other kids weren't "gifted" except for the school system), and then again when I switched schools. In both cases what I was taught in the gifted program was useless novelties, but then I was required to return to the classes I missed those days and make up the work I missed. Looking back, all the gifted program did was make me even more socially outcast and add to my workload without an equivalent increase in my learning. I went from being an A student with a good group of friends to being a C student with 1 or 2 kinda friends and I mainly blame the gifted program, which I really got nothing out of except I learned the Fibonacci sequence at a young age. Everything else that I credit with helping me learn and be successful was stuff I learned at home.

cmrdporcupine 9y ago
so funny, my daughter's monthly gifted class spent the entire day last week futzing with the Fibonacci sequence. Meanwhile we are struggling to teach her basic fractions.
fjsolwmv 9y ago
Doesn't that sound like you weren't gifted but were misplaced because your new schools non-gifted curriculum was lagging behind your old school?
- TallGuyShort 9y ago
  Yes, exactly - that's one of the points I was trying to make. A curriculum that teaches kids far slower than most of them are capable of learning makes an average-ish student from a better curriculum look "gifted". My experience before and after schooling in the US is that I'm not an exceptional genius, but I sure felt like one in class, and that sucks for all the kids who were just as smart as me but had a shitty education in fairly well-funded school districts. I had the benefit of recognizing I could do better and learning a lot at home. Many other kids would just assume they're not gifted and on-par and not expect more from their education, or wouldn't have the resources to learn better at home anyway.

cmrdporcupine 9y ago

so funny, my daughter's monthly gifted class spent the entire day last week futzing with the Fibonacci sequence. Meanwhile we are struggling to teach her basic fractions.

fjsolwmv 9y ago

Doesn't that sound like you weren't gifted but were misplaced because your new schools non-gifted curriculum was lagging behind your old school?

TallGuyShort 9y ago
Yes, exactly - that's one of the points I was trying to make. A curriculum that teaches kids far slower than most of them are capable of learning makes an average-ish student from a better curriculum look "gifted". My experience before and after schooling in the US is that I'm not an exceptional genius, but I sure felt like one in class, and that sucks for all the kids who were just as smart as me but had a shitty education in fairly well-funded school districts. I had the benefit of recognizing I could do better and learning a lot at home. Many other kids would just assume they're not gifted and on-par and not expect more from their education, or wouldn't have the resources to learn better at home anyway.