'Superior' Son Still Has Much to Learn

Memphis Commercial Appeal ^ | 9-30-03 | Dr. Yvonne Fournier

[johnny7]

The assessment
By Dr. Yvonne Fournier
September 30, 2003

I had my first-grade son tested because his teacher asked me to. He turned out "superior." The psychologist told me he is very bright. I knew that all along. After all, I have tried to give him a good foundation for learning. Then why is he doing poorly in school?

Some children who enter school as "superior" or "gifted" have received many gifts of learning from parents, older siblings, grandparents and child care teachers. "Gifts" might be intangible - reading, going to a museum, watching Sesame Street - or they might be physical gifts of educational toys designed to give children a head start from cradle to kindergarten. This reveals what I call the "Fisher-Price Advantage." How many times did the toy labeled "For Ages 5 and Up" seem better suited to our "bright" 4-year-old. Through "superior" exposure, many preschool children pick up more information.

But learning simply meant associating an answer to a question, knowing how to play with blocks or memorizing colors, numbers and letters at an early age. True learning also means that we must be able to process facts with independent thinking, additional learning and personal creativity.

Unfortunately, once a child begins school on a "superior" track, he is expected to continue the accelerated pace. Suddenly, there are no more educational toys or new experiences to give, and the "Fisher-Price Advantage" wears away.

What to do
You need to define the testing definition of "superior" - superior at doing what? - and your own definition of "doing poorly in school." Your first-grade child is learning more than reading, writing and arithmetic. He is learning the rules of completing work neatly, within time limits, independently and without distractions. He is learning to follow classroom directions and to adjust to social aspects of sharing, talking appropriately, raising his hand and waiting his turn. Add to that the workload of weekly spelling words, math facts, reading groups and even learning about the pilgrims and the hemisphere.

In addition to this new way of learning, first-graders - particularly "superior" ones - are often confronted with the expectation of perfection. The spelling test, for example, might have only 10 questions. Miss just one, and you have a B; miss two and suddenly you're "average," not "superior." Dispel the notion of perfection by forbidding "perfect" sets of weekly papers. If your child already knew all the answers, why send him to school?

Parents, teachers and students may send their questions to Dr. Yvonne Fournier, 5900 Poplar Ave., Memphis, Tenn. 38119, or E-mail yf7thsense@ aol.com. Questions can only be answered in future columns.

[johnny7]

I don't believe teachers ask parents to send a child to a shrink if he is “superior” in intellect.

[jimkress]

Superior to what?

In today's schools, if you score higher than the tester's pet dog you are labelled 'superior'.

If a child socres high, but can repeat the Liberal mantra 'The best government is big government', they will NOT be referred to a shrink. It's only those children who are 'gifted' and do not conform to the Left's agenda who are sent for re-education.

Just like in Pol Pot's Cambodia.

[DWPittelli]

They send you to a shrink because shrinks do most IQ testing of young children. (They don't just plop a 7 year old in front of a test with a #2 pencil.) The younger the child the more expertise it takes to test him (and granted, the more subjectivity and ideology can creep in to the analysis).

[theDentist]

So basically, this twit says don't challenge your child's intellectual abilities, let them just drift along in class. After all, their self-esteem is more important than their actual education. Life hasn't many challenges that demand thought anyhow.

[AppyPappy]

Actually, it's on a standard test so it depends on the community. They have a chart that they use to compare kids throughout the nation. In my son's class, all the gifted kids are in one classroom and there are maybe 3-5 of them. Most are gifted in one area. Rarely are they gifted in every area. They bridge every economic group. There is a kid in my daughters class who was off the scale in math. Single mom who is a waitress, dad is a biker. A whole school full of engineer's kids and he is the big kahuna.

Many of the gifted kids are simply farther along rather than higher IQ. It all equals out by 8th grade for some of them.

[Chummy]

No offense to the Children's Television Workshop, but how is "watching 'Sesame Street'" a "gift"?

[Redcoat LI]

I think the Superior Public school students get to work the register,the Normals work the fryer,whoevers left makes the "special"sauce.

[ArrogantBustard]

Kid's probably bored out of his mind...