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Well done article, and I'm glad to hear about Jeb's stepping in on this one. I was lucky when I was in 4th and 5th grade to be in a school with a GT program, and it was the last time I remember having a hard time with school (outside of certain classes in college). I'm glad to hear promising youngsters in bad situations can have the chance to exercise their talent. Thanks for the ping!

Pistias, Thanks so much for taking the time to read this editorial and to post. I'm glad you had the opportunity to be in a gifted program at the grade levels you mention, (though every grade level is crucial).

When I was in 2nd grade, I remember being tested for gifted, and my teacher explained to me I qualified -- but there was no pgifted rogram in my school.

However, back then, being in 2nd or 3rd grade actually meant something, as students in 3rd grade were not there as a result of social promotion. My parents considered moving me up a grade, but they were supplmenting me with so much additional activity -- religious inistruction at a private school after public school hours, constant trips to the library, etc. -- that they decided to just keep me in my grade level throughout elementary school.

But, as soon as I got to junior high school, I was placed in all the advanced classes, which were offered in every subject.

Many students in the kind of area where I was teaching will not have that opportunity either, and will have to wait until high school to have a crack at more advanced classes. In my view, this is too long to wait.

Thanks again for posting. :)!

In my view, this is too long to wait

Agreed. Too much young energy is wasted on general curriculum.

An old friend of mine got a Commodore 64 from his parents when he was eight or so years old and started programming. He had such a passion for it that he was making computer games (albeit simple ones) when he was a junior high kid. Nowadays he does programming of no little skill (so I'm told--I have no knowledge of programming outside of the little HTML I need here) and plans on owning his own software empire someday. More young people should be encouraged and able to develop their ripening abilites early in life.