Phone: (03) 9794 8258Liaising between Home and School
WHO is responsible for your child?
It’s always you. Every parent has to teach their own children. The school and the system is a support for that not a substitute. The school teaches how to read the Melways but you have to actually walk or drive there yourself. You are the active agent in the education of your child.
What are the needs that you want addressed?
The most common needs are real academic learning for more of the time, intellectual stimulation, moral environment at their developmental level and social friendships at their mental age not their chronological age. Having a friend who is a ’sure shelter’ type friend is beyond many primary children who are not gifted yet it can be reached by children in year 2 who are gifted.
These are the AIMS of our WiseOnes programs in schools- to provide for the Academic, Intellectual, Moral and Social needs of children in the top 5% who have extreme differences from those their own age.
HOW do you see the school fulfilling the child’s needs?
Academically and Intellectually and socially acceleration either by a whole year or by subject is the best. This may be needed more than once. There is a professional instrument called the Iowa Acceleration Scale that includes assessments of the social and emotional aspects as well as what the school and parents can and cannot do. It comes up with a score and recommends or does not recommend whole year acceleration. Friendship is really important to some children and not to others . The child could be included in the discussion. Profoundly gifted children probably will not find a peer friend at school so may as well be accelerated to get school over with quickly.
WHEN do you think it should happen?
All of this must happen in school time or it is not the school that is helping you. After school programs are extras and more work for those who don’t need it. They need recreation, tree climbing time, going for a walk time. They need suitable homework, not repetition.
Extension and enrichment classes are not differentiated curriculum for gifted children- they suit the “bright” children and the gifted usually enjoy them but they are not gifted education.. The very fast learners need appropriate, differentiated curriculum.
WHERE do you see your child going with their schooling?
Your expectations will set the pattern for their development. Make sure you have them assessed so you are not setting unrealistic expectations either too high or too low. Take the child’s temperament into account when selecting schools – single sex or mixed, special interests etc. Check what the principal says. Ask other parents of gifted children, if they will admit it.
WHY are you concerned?
Is your child unhappy? Has that glow of excitement about attending school worn off. Have you seen decreased outcomes in their talent areas? I know from long experience that if the child’s needs are being met they will go to school happily and will glow about it even if home is a disaster at the time. Good schooling can be a retreat from home strife. If school is fantastic they don’t want to go home until dinner time at the end of the day.
