My son is 7, in 1st grade. His teacher wants to start the process for testing for the gifted program. Is it too soon?

Jenna - posted on 11/29/2011

Why not? What's the worst that can happen? He doesn't get in and is possibly retested in second grade. My son was tested in the middle of first grade and didn't get in, but everything has worked out fine for him.

Jakki - posted on 11/29/2011

I spent my school years doing exactly what your son is doing - I wish somebody had taken me off to do more challenging work. Don't listen to your friends!

Cindy - posted on 11/29/2011

I am a mom, but I am also a teacher---I have taught mostly K and 1---In our county a child can not be referred to the gifted program until the end of 2nd grade and so they can not start until third. So this does seem a little early to me. How is his maturity level? My personal feeling would be to wait at least until the end of 1st grade--because he could hit a "snag" later on in the year as they learn more skills. The testing is not harmful and so whatever the results, you can still say yes or no. As I teacher, I would give your child work that is a little more challenging and then when he finishes ask him to assist children who are at a lower level. This would be beneficial for him and for the child he is helping. Blessings to you as you go through this process.

Brandi - posted on 11/28/2011

no it not to early the sooner the better off he'll be in the long but also remeber even if he is gifted never let him forget that he is still a kid cuz he may be intellectually smarter he still needs to be able to interact with kids his own age

Joy - posted on 11/28/2011

No its not too soon. Thats almost the best time and hooray that his teacher has geared in that direction as opposed to stating that he was being a problem to the others. A lot of times kids are looked at as the trouble maker in this type of situation. As long as his grades prove to be gifted as well I think its absolutely wonderful. And even if the test prove him not to be "gifted", the level of work he is doing just may be too low for him. God bless your child.

Carla - posted on 11/28/2011

What they did with my daughter was give her someone to mentor. They also taught her to use the computer. Labeling him 'gifted' could put him in a category he may learn to hate. Kids calling him geek and stuff. Talk to the teacher and principal about alternatives first.

Anice - posted on 11/28/2011

You can do that just for confirmation to see if any thing is wrong with lets keep this real mom this decision for our kids to be tested is the biggest thing now to ne honest the teacher is concern is this a problem at home to it has to match in ways to diagnose this situation.

Monica - posted on 11/21/2011

my son is 6+ yrs old and he has the same habbit as soon he finishes his work he starts to move around and talk ....i know my kid is too smart for his age i wish india had some special programmes like this too....but sadly no...so go ahead and give it a shot im sure you wont regret...good luck...

Lee Ann - posted on 11/20/2011

It never hurts to have your child tested, either for learning problems or being gifted. I am a former elem. teacher w/ gifted and talented certification (now mom). Each school and district have different criteria and testing. That being said, if he doesn't meet the requirements it doesn't mean he is not "gifted" or just b/c kids make good grades and find school easy doesn't make them "gifted". The most important thing, the teacher recognizes your sons abilities. Talk with the teacher to see if he can do side projects after his work is done or some activity that would interest him and challenge him. Also another post suggested having him help other kids in the class, great idea. Kids sometimes who get into trouble at school are very bright or have learning problems but they might not have teachers or a parent who are willing to figure out what is going on and find a solution that serves the best needs of the student. As parents we are always asking others for advice but you know your child best. Best of luck!

Sharlene - posted on 11/17/2011

If your child is gifted go for, Dont hold him back because he will appreicate it later in life ,All the best

Bonnie - posted on 11/17/2011

Why would it be too soon? The teacher would know. It's not going to hurt him.

Sorrell - posted on 11/16/2011

I'm curious why anyone would be skeptical about testing for a gifted program? Just wondering what the worry would be...
My little brother (all grown up now) used to get in loads of trouble because he was so bored...once they finally got him tested...his I.Q. turned out to be really high. So I say...get the testing done sooner than later. It will save your son trips to the Principle's office & will offer him an opportunity to explore his gifts :)

Michelle - posted on 11/15/2011

My eldest daughter is extremely clever and quite advanced in her school work. What the school did was, when she finished her work so quickly, they asked her to "help" the children in the lower group with their work. This kept her from becoming bored, made her feel useful and, obviously, helped the children that needed it - so often there are so many children in a class that the teacher is unable to give the time to those that need it the most. This is a great way of doing it as it also brings a feeling of "teamwork" to the classroom and helps the children get along with each other better. To be honest, unless there is a chance for your child to go to a school specifically designed for gifted children, then I can't see that screening would make any difference.

Lynn - posted on 11/15/2011

If he's not challenged, chances are he'll get bored, and get used to not doing his best. I would look into what the gifted program does differently than the regular curriculum. Would he have to switch schools? We have the CATS program, only offered in certain schools, adn they have a very different teacing method. It's more research projects, and learning individually, than memorizing math facts, spelling words and reading. Some kids do better in each type of learning. My kids go to an accelerated school, so they learn the material of the grade ahead. ex: My son is in 4th grade, but they learn 5th grade work. The school is a 15 min. drive from my house (no buses) and absolutely worth it! That school has much higher test scores than the one in our neighborhood.
You need to find out what your son would be learning, and decide if that style is right for him. You can look up your school (and the other one, if he'd have to move) on www.greatschools.net and www.schooldigger.com to compare and see how well their students perform.
Is your son reading? In the meantime, I would send some books with him, to read after his work is done, or ask the teacher to give him some extra worksheets to keep him busy.

Kacie - posted on 11/15/2011

not at all! you dont want him to get bored! Like Carol said, he can get into trouble with it. It's a good thing to challenge him if thats what his teacher feels. Some kids need it and he's lucky to have a teacher to notice and want to help! i dont see how anyone can be skeptical of it

Carol - posted on 11/14/2011

The sooner the better. The biggest problem I have with two pretty smart kids is that they never learned to learn. Everything just came too easy for them. A gifted program will challenge him and he'll have to figure out how to work for things. Bored kids can get into trouble, but the bigger tragedy is if they turn off and tune out - never reaching what they could have been.