How and when should parents of gifted children communicate with their school?
One situation that seems to develop in conversation is parents’ anxieties about enrolling their gifted, or potentially gifted daughter or son in an early childhood program. Some of these parents have had their child tested, and some have not. In many cases, even the ones who have done the testing can’t use that information because many schools do not accept data from outside the district.
What that means is that parents are concerned that the school won’t pick up on it with their assessments. Many of the assessments used in Kindergartens and below don’t focus on areas of giftedness, so what is a parent to do? Should the parents tell the teacher they believe their child is advanced because she is reading books at the fifth grade level and can do higher math problems?
Many parents won’t say anything for fear of having their child regarded as elite, or special in some biased way. However, if the teacher’s assessment doesn’t test for giftedness and the parents don’t say anything, how will the child receive the enrichment and modified curriculum she needs?
I know this isn't easy, especially for younger parents. However, in the interest of what’s best for the child, I encourage everyone in this situation to have open and frank discussions with their teachers and school administrators, and these discussions have to be initiated by the child’s parents or guardians. You can do it!
