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I'm soon going to pick up a kid who is in the gifted program at a public school. From my POV - Overall I think there's a lot to be said for removing 'gifted'

I'm soon going to pick up a kid who is in the gifted program at a public school. From my POV - Overall I think there's a lot to be said for removing 'gifted' classes from elementary schools. Start in middle school ( 6th grade here ) and have advanced classes in each subject for students who qualify. It removes the connotation of 'gifted' and allows room for kids to excel in a single subject. I know a lot of bright kids who did _not_ get into the gifted class and I'm not sure it's fair to make them feel like academic failures at the age of 8. Also, even at 8 there's competition. It's not hard to get study guides for the GATE tests. That said, there are a lot of advantages to being in the gifted classroom that it would be hard to extend to every class. There's always going to be below average kids as well as above average kids - in the gifted classes they can move rapidly and not worry about leaving anyone behind. You also get more involved parents with higher expectations. I had a parent in a 'regular' class say to me "Wow, you get a lot of communication from your teacher! Ours never tells us anything but <shrug> the kids seem happy". That wouldn't fly in the gifted class. It's hard. I don't know what the answer is

montblanc 5y ago
> Also, even at 8 there's competition Yes if the parents push for it, there will be competition. It's usually not the poor child's idea to start cramming for IQ tests when he's 8. Sounds fun though...let them deal with crushing anxieties and feelings of inadequacy as soon as they're 8!
- nineplay 5y ago
  Exactly. Let their parents deal with the disappointment too. These are kids of engineers and scientists - bright people who've excelled throughout their lives. I'm sure it's hard for them if their kid isn't gifted. I would have been crushed, honestly.
  - montblanc 5y ago
    Wow poor engineers whose children may be simply smart but not gifted. Truly heartbreaking. How can the fragile ego of said engineers survive this onslaught? I mean what are they suppose to tell their engineer buddies? The shame of having their kid maybe not go to ivy school when he's an adult...if only you could test for IQ during early pregnancy, but it's way too late now when the bugger is 8 and has an IQ of only 120. 120, jesus, that's like not even in the top 5%. Must be his damn mother's genes. I think this should be a Netflix drama actually. Emmy material here.
thegrimmest 5y ago
I don't think our academic institutions should be in the business of managing children's feelings. That's for parents and families. They should be strictly concerned with imparting knowledge. What's unreasonable about setting a bar and providing a label for those who meet it? If you're over 6' you're "tall". Why can't it be if your IQ is over 130 you're "smart" or "gifted"?

montblanc 5y ago

> Also, even at 8 there's competition Yes if the parents push for it, there will be competition. It's usually not the poor child's idea to start cramming for IQ tests when he's 8. Sounds fun though...let them deal with crushing anxieties and feelings of inadequacy as soon as they're 8!

nineplay 5y ago
Exactly. Let their parents deal with the disappointment too. These are kids of engineers and scientists - bright people who've excelled throughout their lives. I'm sure it's hard for them if their kid isn't gifted. I would have been crushed, honestly.
- montblanc 5y ago
  Wow poor engineers whose children may be simply smart but not gifted. Truly heartbreaking. How can the fragile ego of said engineers survive this onslaught? I mean what are they suppose to tell their engineer buddies? The shame of having their kid maybe not go to ivy school when he's an adult...if only you could test for IQ during early pregnancy, but it's way too late now when the bugger is 8 and has an IQ of only 120. 120, jesus, that's like not even in the top 5%. Must be his damn mother's genes. I think this should be a Netflix drama actually. Emmy material here.

thegrimmest 5y ago

I don't think our academic institutions should be in the business of managing children's feelings. That's for parents and families. They should be strictly concerned with imparting knowledge. What's unreasonable about setting a bar and providing a label for those who meet it? If you're over 6' you're "tall". Why can't it be if your IQ is over 130 you're "smart" or "gifted"?