Hi all,

I thought I'd report good news about school. We need this kind of news on this board!

I've been talking about my kids starting at a new ability-grouped school this year. School hasn't started yet, but I wrote to DS8's teacher to tell her that he's been doing algebra, having skipped parts of grades 6-8 maths. This happened when he started reading Painless Algebra and got excited about the subject. I've discovered that he's been able to learn some of the skipped stuff through applying it in algebra, and it's been a good challenge for him. This may sound convoluted, but it seems to work pretty well.

Anyway, I received the teacher's response today: "I have 6th and 7th grade textbooks. And we will add more if needed." This is an elementary school, and they stock middle school textbooks as a matter of course!!

No disbelief (he spent two days there last year), no lockstep-curriculum response, no accusations of not letting him be a kid. They're just going to teach him what he doesn't know yet, and not make him repeat what's he's already done.

More reports to follow...

Val

That's great news! And I don't think that's odd at all. DS is working his way through singapore math right now, but I was thinking of having some algebra or geometry stuff around for us to pursue to keep things interesting. Let us know how it goes!

Yahoo! I'm so happy to hear it!

Love the positive stories!

So nice to hear.

Yippee, sounds great Val!!!

I think I'm doing okay too, considering that my biggest problem is how to help DS9 organize his backback for the school straddle. He'll have to lug a textbook around this year as well as the other basic classroom supplies. The zipper binder I bought for regular classes won't zip around his folders, and might be perfect for math alone. BUT...another zipper binder would really weigh the kid down. Staples, here I come!

Great Dottie and Val! Val, I'm envious of your school district, it sounds wonderful! Things are going well here too! Way better than last year, progress is slow......

I would love to know they have 7th 8th grade math available for the not too distant future!

Dottie, Ditto on the school supply problem here. DS goes directly to the high school for math first period, then takes a bus back to the middle school for the rest of the day. Extra books and organizational issues, plus the question of "what to do about the cello?" I don't think he should take it to math at the high school so he can take it with him on ths shuttle back to middle school, so I think that means that DH and I will be chauffeur to the cello and take it to middle school every morning while DS heads off to high school!

Great news Val.

acs and Dottie -- sorry about organization issues. Those can be harder than expected and *yikes* about the cello, which wouldn't help things much. I'm still holding my breath until my kids play a cello that is big enough to have a hard case cause the soft one wouldn't hold up well to boy energy. I'm sure your kiddos will manage but the backpack weight does become a drag!

Good news to share here too -- is it too soon? Should I be skeptical? First piece: when asking about how math works in new school, the answer was that last year, the small class worked four different grade levels in math, depending on level of the kids. Second piece of good news: DS reports today taking a math assessment a grade up from the one yesterday in order to figure out where he needs to be taught. What a concept? First -- figure out where they are, then teach what they don't know yet!

I can't even be skeptical anymore. I'm going whole heartedly optimistic for this year .

Wow, Val and Gratified3. You both have great news! I'm very happy for both of your DSs. It is reassuring to hear that some school are listening to the parents (and the kids) and are accommodating the gifted kids. It is nice to have a ray of hope!!

Good! More power to you!

Optimism in spite of the evidence is foolish; optimism because of the evidence is cause for celebration!!!