I just got finished reading two books on parenting gifted kids. I really liked the one authored by James Delisle, titled Parenting Gifted Kids. While both offered excellent ideas and overall strategies for dealing with the different issues of parenting and educating gifted children, they left me with an overwhelming sense of dread for the years of education to come. Over and over, they talk of fighting the system to get their kids an appropriate education for their highly-abled children. The current education system is clearly focused on the "average or below average" kid. Just look at standardized testing, especially with the FCAT here in Florida. There was even an article this week in Time Magazine that stated most curriculums have let other subjects slide or even dissappear so that they can teach to the test, i.e. math and reading to the exclusion of all other things. Don't get me wrong, math and reading are good, but once again, we are teaching to achieve "average" not greatness in those two subjects. What happened to preparing a person to be a well-rounded and well educated contributor to the world?
What is happening to the smarter children who can achieve more? Not very much I can tell you. Our child tested last year at an over 150 IQ. Everything I read says she will have a hard time getting much out of the current educational system. We have already run into the basic argument that they can meet her needs by just delving deeper into the existing curriculum, instead of accelerating her education to allow her to learn beyond what she has already mastered. We will taking a long journey here to try though. She is 8 now. So watch here and feel free to contribute your stories and saga regarding gifted kids. I'd like to hear them.
No comments:
Post a Comment