<p>@livelaugh7 the same thing happened to me - I was in third grade and my mom got a letter asking if I could stay after school to be tested. The things they tested me on weren’t even things that I could have studied. Once I got into 8th grade, the gifted and talented program in my district was cut, but really in elementary school all it was was staying after school to learn computer applications and have reading groups - it was pointless - and then in middle school it was just discussions about preparing for high school and college… Nothing worthwhile. </p>
<p>However I’m in the same position as OP, I did exceedingly well in elementary and middle school but then come high school I have a slightly above average gpa and oftentimes severely struggle in what was once my best subject (math). Also, one of the kids that was in my gifted and talented program struggled so bad in middle school that he was sent to an all boys private school by his parents. </p>
<p>Different schools have very different requirements to gain access to their gifted programs. Additionally, each school system offers very different programs so in a sense you are comparing apples and oranges. For some schools it is a teacher recommendation for others it is end of test grades and for others they use a combination of national achievement tests and IQ’s and I’m sure many other methodologies. </p>
<p>My opinion intelligence has nothing to do with grades. The really bright kids are bored in school and are often under achievers. Its not a struggle to learn the information, its the struggle that they know more than the content of the class and are completely disinterested and bored out of their minds.</p>
<p>@bengalmombengal not trying to disagree with you, because I agree to an extent, but if they “know more than the content of the class” wouldn’t that mean they also know the content of the class… Therefore resulting in them doing good on tests without even trying because they knew it beforehand?</p>
<p>Yes and no. If you are asking them a minute detail they may not know it. The concept they understand, but it depends on the detail of the information asked. Its like reading a book where you understand the theme, the moral of the story, the setting and et al but you don’t know who was wearing the red dress in the story because in the scheme of things it is irrelevant. If you are a speed reader details such as those are not worth focusing on.</p>
<p>When things are too easy it is easy to make sloppy mistakes, to over think the question because it is too easy. If you read about the civil war in your spare time, learning about it in school is going to be boring so the details they expect you to know for the exam can be quite different from the broad understanding the student has of the civil war which is far greater than the rest of the class. If your physics class requires you to solve the problem using Algebra but you think in Calculus you are at a disadvantage. Its kind of like trying to teach your kid math using the new math they are using in many schools, its harder because you have to unlearn what you already know.</p>
<p>@bengalmombengal I agree with your statement x1000. It’s not necessarily that they don’t know the material, but just that they don’t know the tiny details. </p>
<p>I tested into gifted in kindergarten, and made higher grades than 99% of the kids in my fairly large school all throughout elementary and middle school. Now I’m a junior in high school and I am experiencing this. I personally think that it is completely a result of never developing study skills. The hard-working kids who weren’t as naturally “smart” as I was developed these skills. I did not because I heard the material once and got it. Now, when we are about to have a big test, some of my friends are making flashcards and study guides and I’m just kind of at a loss of what to do to prepare. As a result, my test scores are closer to average in the subjects I’m weaker in. </p>
<p>@ineedhelplol Yeah, I never prepped for the GATE test; it was well-known at my school, and there’s no doubt there weren’t some people who were prepped–plenty of people made it into the program, ~30%. </p>
<p>For us, you could be tested into different subjects (math, English, and logic {or at least I think that was the third one}), so some people were only considered GATE in one subject; but a lot of people made it in (which has me doubting the accuracy of the system a teensy bit). </p>
<p>This thread describes my life, Haha. I tested at the 95th percentile (maximum cap) for the first grade while in kindergarten. Skipped a grade, was nevertheless one of the top students in my class throughout elementary school.
Then high school came around and I imploded after my IGCSEs. Didn’t know how to study. Grades took a nosedive-my work ethic until then had pretty much been cracking open the textbook a day or two before any exams. Hard work is unbelievably important.</p>
<p>I was in a similar situation. I was a gifted student all throughout elementary/middle school and everything came to a halt at the end of my freshman year. Part of it was because I hadn’t been challenged before and never developed legitimate study habits, but I also had several undiagnosed learning disabilities. My aptitude had kept me afloat for many, many years. To me, it showed how learning disabilities can stay hidden for years if they never impact your grades. It was a major thing for me, as my poor grades in high school has affected me on a personal/mental level. Getting diagnosed so late in the game isn’t ideal, but I suppose learning disabilities in general are not an ideal scenario.</p>
<p>@ineedhelplol I agree - my younger sister and I had the same teachers all throughout elementary school except kindergarten. I actually entered the first grade at the lowest possible reading level (my mom didn’t like the school I went to for kindergarten because of this, so I transferred) and by second grade I was reading at a 6th grade level so in the beginning of third grade I was immediately tested for GT. My sister, although obviously same parents and actually overall better teachers, was only slightly above average despite having better studies than myself. She never ended up in GT either, so like you said being pushed by parents or having the right teacher isn’t just enough to get you in. </p>
<p>Honestly when I was put into gifted ed at such a young age I didnt even know what the program was–my parents were caught by surprise as well (I went from speaking little to no english in the beginning of kindergarten and then being incredibly ahead of my classmates by the beginning of the next year)</p>
<p>We have yearly state-wide standardized testing here in AK beginning in the 3rd grade to 9th grade. Up until 9th grade I had been scoring in the 99th percentile in all subjects–but now I score in the low 90s on standardized tests. I dont know. Maybe it IS that false sense of superiority–realizing that I really wasnt as “smart” as everyone made me think I was really hit me hard. But then I think we all just grow at different rates. Im not really sure. But i am not complaining, I am not really struggling at this point, but I can see how some people I know look back at me and call me a waste of potential (which is really mean but they say it not me!). The studying thing makes sense-I definitely DID NOT ever learn how to study. In fact, I dont think I ever actually tried to study for a test until I reached high school. So maybe it is that lack of preparation.</p>
<p>In regards to my actual experience in the gifted ed program at my schools, I actually hated the one at my elementary school. All we ever did was ~bask in the glory and privilege of learning materials which other students were not GIFTED enough to have access to~. We basically dissected a lot of animal parts and built some bridges and learned to play chess and solve brain teasers. Cool stuff. Yada yada.
My junior high program was just a lot of segregated classes. There was even segregation within the gifted classes-you could start to see already which kids were “falling off”. </p>
<p>When I look back on it all I dont know if I can say gifted ed and being labelled as a gifted child for more than half my education has benefited me. Many of the students I grew up with in the gifted programs have ended up in the same place as me, if not worse. And many of the students who excel now in high school were very average in grade school and junior high. </p>
<p>In my opinion, all these programs meant to “enrich” the gifted students are so…backwards. why enrich the enriched? Why not aid in the enrichment of students who need the enrichment? </p>
<p>Thank you all for sharing your experiences and your insight on the subject.</p>
<p>I think part of it is realizing that there are people out there who are just as smart as you are. Back in middle and elementary school, I was near the top of my class and was ahead several reading levels. But by the time high school rolled around, among my class of 500, I was just one speck in the dust. This wasn’t a bad thing, per se, but the earlier grades had just given me a limited perspective. Also, kids who I had perceived to be “average” or who didn’t always put in their best work, showed they had outstanding talents in one subject or another. Some of those even surpassed me in physics and math, moving on to the highest level.</p>
<p>I think it’s all a matter of perspective. It’s always good to be humble and learn from those around you, because everyone has their own strengths and weaknesses. Even among the “gifted” kids, what one may excel in academic ability or natural skill, they might lack in athletic ability or public speaking. It’s always good to have a wide variety of friends and learn from one another. This will only continue in college, where realize there are several people equally as talented and intelligent as you are, maybe in different ways, but there’s so much you can learn from them that it’s more than about just “one-upping” them. Fear not, apply your own best, and you will do great things, worry not what everyone else does.</p>
<p>@nat97xo Wow, very true, I never thought about that. Makes me wonder how many kids in my previous gifted programs also had learning disabilities. Hang on there!</p>
<p>@shawnspencer That is so very true. Perspective is very important–I do feel that just realizing that there are other people that are as smart or smarter than me had a lot to do with it. My goal now is just to move on; realizing all of this is enough for me to begin to work on what I need to work on. I’m excited for college and to see how I fare there. </p>
<p>Good luck! College is a very exciting and beautiful place. You can make a new start for yourself and you can actually focus on what you want to study. At least from my experience, students aren’t as competitive in comparing grades and whatnot – you’ll be in different classes – but it’s more about the individual. And you’ll make some great friends that you can literally walk across the hall to see.</p>
<p>I for one, never really had good study skills in high school, my philosophy was more “study the day before and wing it,” which worked for most of the time. But in college I’ve picked up some better study habits just because of being around people that really care about what they are doing. It’s a two way street, you help one another. </p>
<p>This is totally me. I was IQ tested at a young age, and then put into gifted classes. Once I switched to private school, there were no special classes for gifted students
I was always ahead of everyone until freshman year. I never had to try to do well in school before then, so when I was finally introduced to subjects that I needed to actually WORK for, I didn’t know what to do.
Unfortunately, I haven’t changed, and my crappy study habits are still biting me in the ass. I just hate studying, since I know I can get by without it, for the most part. And now, (this is new), even in classes where I’m getting B’s, I’m much too lazy to care lol.
SAT scores were in the top 1% though, if that means anything.</p>
