[::er!ca::]

Does anyone have a gifted child in elementary school? If so, can you tell me about your school's gifted & talented program... what you like/dislike about it. Is it an entirely different class, or is it a pull out program?

Brinlee has been identified as gifted and can go into the gifted & talented education program next year, which is a separate class just for gifted students. However, we can't decide whether or not to put her in the program because she would have to switch schools. The GT program is not offered at her elementary school. We love her school It is a really hard decision and we need to make our decision in the next several weeks.

[Kimchi]

We do, but because my kids go to Montessori school, it works differently. The kids all work at their own level. So, if they need more challenging things to do, they go to the older classrooms and take works from there. For example, my girls were ready to learn multiplication and division this year in Kindergarten, so works were taken from the Lower Elementary (1st to 3rd grade) classrooms and brought to them.

We also had them tested for a program that is put on by Northwestern University (in Chicago) for kids that are working 1.5 to 2 years above grade level. They offer a variety of classes for the kids to take as a supplemental program in the areas of Math, Language Arts, and Science.

If you don't have her switch schools, are there supplemental programs for you to put her in? What does your daughter want to do? Is she willing to switch schools? It is a tough decision...

[SpazTaz]

Yes, my son has been in the gifted program for 2 years now. Due to budget cuts, ours is not a separate class anymore, but an after school once a week program for an hour and a half. They work on different concepts, lapbooks, among other things. My son LOVES it and wishes it was an all of the time class.