Yes. How was she found to be "GATE material?" If it was because of high academic scores than it doesn't mean that she would automatically qualify for GATE in most districts. (Although there are some districts who call use a gifted and/or high achievement model). If she was administered an intelligence test -CogAt, NNAT, Ravens, OLSAT, WISC-IV) you need to get documentation of those scores.

My 4 year old has played around in the pre-Miquon activity book. We have also been doing RightStart A using C-rods instead of the abacus, since he likes the rods better than the abacus. My question to those who used Miquon with younger students: Was your DC able to write numbers when you starting using Miquon? I tried bringing out Miquon but since my DS has weak fine motor skills (we just figured out he is a lefty, too) we haven't pushed writing numbers. It seems like a better program for students who can actually write numbers in the lab book. I took it out but he wasn't interested in doing any of the lab sheets even orally.

:iagree: I wouldn't get a private assessment unless you personally wanted the information. I work as a school psychologist in California, and in my district they will not accept any private evaluations. They won't even consider testing that I have done with a student as part of a special education evaluation. I administered the WISC-IV to a under performing student with ADHD. His GAI score was 138. He just missed the cut-off on the group administered CogAT assessment that district uses for entry into the gifted program (not a surprise since he was really squirmy). I told the mom that her son was gifted and my opinion was that he should be in the gifted program. She went to speak to the district's gifted coordinator, who told her that there was no way they wouldn't even look at his scores. The gifted coordinator then called the principal of that school to complain about me. The principal laughed when she told me how mad the gifted coordinator was at me. The student qualified for a 504 plan and I made sure that we wrote something like "individual or small group testing for exams including for gifted testing". So if your child is already in a gifted program make sure you have documentation of that assessment with the percentile ranks because different districts have different cut-offs. You need to either get a copy of the print-out or have someone at the school write a short letter stating something like This student is eligible for the gifted program in our district. Student was administered this assessment (CogAT, OLSAT, NNAT, Ravens, etc.) on this date. Student's percentile rank on each subtest was this .... and the overall percentile rank was ...... Districts will be more likely to take into account that the student was eligible for gifted testing in another district when placing a student. If you do end up moving I would also take in any academic scores and recent report cards into the new school. My SIL has had to move around the past few years for economic reasons. She called me to tell me that when she called her local elementary school to enroll my nephew they told her that there was no space in third grade and he would have to go to another school in the district. She mentioned on the phone that he had attended 5 different elementary schools. I told her to take in his state test scores (he scored Advanced in both English Language Arts and Math) and his last report card with excellent grades and teacher comments that stated he was well-behaved and a pleasure to teach. When she went in a showed the school his records, all of a sudden there was room in that grade. I suggested it to my SIL because I have seen it done at other schools. Not all principals will do this but I have worked for principals that will be creative to make room for gifted or high achieving students even if there is no technically no space in that grade.

He said sink because in the movie Julie Andrews is in a canoe with the children and the canoe tips over. She didn't swim, she "sank", so he was right! How observant of him.

Do you use the Visible Thinking Books, instead of Challenging Word Problems or another book? Or do you think it is beneficial to use them both?

Thanks! I have 1A and 1B in my cart at SingporeMath.com and was feeling guilty about buying yet another math book. I decided I should wait until I got some feedback. You convinced me. Yeah! Off to buy them now!

Yes it is active. It is published by the same publisher who publishes Singapore Math - Marshall Cavendish. I found it on SingaporeMath.com There are no teacher manual's but on the bottom of the page there are notes to the parents. So they start off really easy. Here is a sample from 1A http://www.singaporemath.com/v/vspfiles/assets/images/sp_vtim1a1.pdf http://www.singaporemath.com/v/vspfiles/assets/images/sp_vtim1a2.pdf http://www.singaporemath.com/v/vspfiles/assets/images/sp_vtim1a3.pdf From 2A http://www.singaporemath.com/v/vspfiles/assets/images/sp_vtim2a1.pdf Here are some third grade samples from 3A http://www.singaporemath.com/v/vspfiles/assets/images/sp_vtim3a1.pdf http://www.singaporemath.com/v/vspfiles/assets/images/sp_vtim3a2.pdf http://www.singaporemath.com/v/vspfiles/assets/images/sp_vtim3a3.pdf I like the progression of how to solve word problems. Most of all I liked the examples that have word problems that start off with the same information, but then differ on what is being asked. They are only 9 or 10 dollars for each book. So I am going to go ahead and order 1A and 1B Visible Thinking to check them out. I already have Standards 1A HIG and textbook. I went to the site to order CWP and IP. Shopping for curriculum is like going to Costco to buy one thing - all of a sudden I check out and have spent 200 dollars.

I was about to order from Singapore Math and saw a new series called Visible Thinking in Math. I googled it and it looks like it is one of three math textbooks that are now used in Singapore. The original Singapore Math series is no longer used in Singapore. I loved the sample pages and was thinking of buying 1A and 1B Visible Thinking because it seemed more pictorial in how word problems are explained than SM standards edition, so it might work well for my kinder son who is somewhere in between Early Bird B and 1A. Has anyone used Visible Thinking?

I would love to know too!

Wow!!!!! You must live in a "basic aid" school district in California, if your school spends 18,000 dollars per year. That is 8,000 to 10,000 dollars more than most schools spend per student per year in California. It can't be about the money.

I agree with the previous posters that only the parent knows the whole story. Spelling has become like a competitive sport. The National Spelling Bee is now on ESPN every year. The winner of the contest won a trip to NY. Maybe the family is really into spelling like others put their kids into sports like gymnastics or football, where some parents really push their kids. Who knows? If you don't know a family well it is hard to say what was going on.

A good measure that is used by many public schools and is free is DIBELS that is from the university of Oregon. You just have to register. https://dibels.uoregon.edu/measures/materials_signup.php'>https://dibels.uoregon.edu/measures/materials_signup.php'>https://dibels.uoregon.edu/measures/materials_signup.php'>https://dibels.uoregon.edu/measures/materials_signup.php It has Reading assessments for k through 6 th grade for fall, winter and spring with benchmark goals. https://dibels.uoregon.edu/measures/materials_signup.php So for first grade in the fall there is not an expectation that students will be reading paragraphs, instead it tests nonsense word fluency ( read made-up words like jit or poth ) to assess decoding skills, Phoneme segmentation, and rapid letter naming. In the winter and spring there is an oral reading fluency test. It will rate students as low risk, some risk, and at-risk.

Following up on this slightly off-topic comment about work ethic. A researcher who was studying performance on an international math and science exam (TIMMS) noticed that a big difference between American students and students from Asia. When students take the TIMMS, they also have to fill out a really long, boring background questionnaire that has nothing to do with math and science, it asks about your school, family, etc. If you compare the countries whose students who completed the most questionnaire questions with the math rankings on the TIMMS, they are exactly the same. Countries whose students are willing to concentrate and sit still long enough and focus on answering every single question in an endless questionnaire are the same countries whose students do the best job of solving math problems. So going back to the original question, I think you just have to put in the time to read and follow the HIG AND be willing to have your child complete math problems different ways instead of just finding the easiest one way to solve the problem (ex. find three ways to subtract one number from another - count up, regroup, make groups of 10's).

I have been puzzled at the negative use of "hothousing" too. I think of it as giving a child an opportunity to learn. To me it means a parent has really thought out how to effectively bridge the gap between where the child is and what they could learn with some support. For example, my child learned to ride a bike without training wheels when he was three. Although I think he is pretty coordinated, it was because I thought about how one learns to ride a bike when he was two years old. When he was two I read about balance bikes (they are lightweight bikes with wheels and a frame but with no chain, pedals, or gears - a preschooler can push it and realize if he lifts up his legs he can glide). I realized that the easiest way to ensure a kid learns to ride a bike is by buying a balance bike and never giving a child a bike with training wheels. My son got a balance bike (Skuut) when he was two and loved riding it around the house and yard for the next 18 months. Three months before he turned 4 my brother visited and wanted to buy him his first real bike. We took him to a grassy hill and he learned how to ride a bike literally within 5 minutes. He just had to work on braking with the pedal and not his feet. I don't think he would have ever learned so early if we hadn't provided him with an opportunity to learn. I think it works for academics as well. I began teaching my son to read right after he turned 4 because he has a history of ear infections, bouts of temporary hearing loss due to prolonged fluid in his ears, and needed help with his articulation. I started because he is going to PS kindergarten and I wanted to make sure he was taught to read phonetically, he was at a much higher risk of having difficulty learning or read, and if there was a problem we could remediate earlier. His speech therapist also said that she could work on phonemic awareness with him since he scored at the 13th percentile rank on a phonemic awareness test (at a rate of 95 dollars an hour - which I was not willing to pay.) He never asked to read and wasn't very interested in learning to read the first two months because it was hard for him. He did struggle at first with hearing the sounds. He had terrible phonemic awareness because he couldn't hear the sounds well. He never in a million years would have learned to read on his own even though he is bright. Nine months after daily 10-15 minute lessons, his phonemic awareness if fantastic (now in the 98th percentile rank) and he reads on a first grade level. He loves reading and is so proud that he can read. He now asks to do his reading lesson. His comprehension is amazing and he reads with intonation which never ceases to amaze me since he didn't speak in 3+ word sentences until he was 3. So again, if I hadn't provided an opportunity for him to learn 10 to 15 minutes a day he wouldn't have learned. So if I am guilty of "hothousing" I will proudly wear that label.

California is rolling back the cut-off age one month per year over the next three years, so the cut-off won't be Sept. 1 until 2014. 2012-2013 school year a child has to turn 5 by Nov. 1 to enter K 2013-2014 school year a child has to turn 5 by Oct. 1 2014-2015 school year a child has to turn 5 by Sept 1 Schools are supposed to offer a transitional program for fall birthdays and there is supposed to be a process to test into k if your fall birthday child missed the cut-off. So if you live in California and your child was born in Nov. 2007, he or she will not be eligible for regular kindergarten next year.

Can you find a good play based/ developmental preschool? It doesn't sound like this school is a good match. I specifically chose a play based preschool over an academic preschool for my 4 year old DS because he can already read. I didn't want him sitting at desk learning letters or doing worksheets. I love that he gets to explore and have 2 hours of outside time every morning. Yesterday he and 2 friends dug a big hole and filled it with water. Then the teacher helped them experiment with objects to see what floats and what sinks. He also helped make pretzel dough, built a ramp for cars, sang songs, listened to his teacher read stories, and pretend played store with classmates. I think it is easier to afterschool reading and math after he has had plenty of time to play. It is so much more efficient to learn academics one-on-one at home. Most teachers in pre-school are not familiar with teaching reading beyond learning letters and a few sight words.

Whiteboard crayons? I've never heard of them. I put away all the whiteboard markers to keep my walls and carpet safe from my 2 year old after a few close calls. Where can I buy the crayons?

I thought about this more and it actually could end up being ONE MILLION more words per year assuming a child reads 100 words per minute, 30 minutes per day, 365 days a year then that child ends up reading one million words more each year. So a child who enjoys reading and learns to read at 4 and then reads a lot at ages 5 and 6 and 7 and 8 would have read 4 million words by the time he or she starts third grade (assuming third graders are generally 8 and then they turn 9 during the year). If a child learned to read at 7 to 8 the child would have started reading at the average age of a second grader. I think it would be really rare to catch up to the early reader in a year. I think the gap tends to grow AS LONG as the child continues to read independently every day. This might not hold true in some European countries because some of the languages there are extremely phonetic. Learning to read in Spanish or Finnish is much easier than English and takes a lot less time to learn so it doesn't cause a problem to wait until later to learn to read.

I don't believe it. If a child learns to read at an early age, AND actually continues to read every day, I don't think others catch up and that early reader just becomes an average readers in third grade. Looking at reading research, kids who are poor readers in first grade, tend to stay poor readers by fourth grade. Strong readers in first grade end up as strong readers in fourth grade. There is a reading researcher Dr. Keith Stanovich who has studied reading progress and coined the term "The Matthew Effect" in reading (taken from a biblical passage where the rich get richer and the poor get poorer). He has found that good readers obviously read more, develop more vocabulary, have higher level of inferential thinking and lexical knowledge which leads to becoming an overall better student. While I don't doubt that there are some students, particularly home schooled students, who don't learn to read until 7 or 8 that eventually become great readers, I think that is the exception. If you learned to read at 4 (really read, not just decode CVC words), then by age 8 you would have read tens of thousands of words more than someone who just began reading a year ago.

I agree that the book might just be the first textbook/ workbook for the first semester just like Singapore Math has 1A and 1B. Ask the teacher if your child will have another math book. Do you remember the name of the math book or series?

Someone asked a question about finding out what curriculum their child's public school uses in California. I can't find the thread (although I will admit I didn't look very hard), so I thought I would let everyone who afterschools know that in California EVERY public school must publish school accountability report card that has to be made available either online or the school must provide a paper copy. Generally it is several pages long and will list the school curriculum (the textbooks from what publishers) as well as other info such as staffing, students info, test scores, etc. So look on your district's website for school accountability report card or google that phrase and your school's name. If that doesn't work try the initials SARC. I think under No Child Left Behind Act that districts across the country are also supposed to publish a district accountability report card as well, but I am not familiar with those requirements. Hope this info can help others find more info about the public schools in their area.

Here's a link from Washington State when they reviewed math curriculums including Math Connects. http://www.math.jhu.edu/%7Ewsw/ED/wswmathreview.pdf Math Connects was found to be acceptable. I copied the summary for you. Be happy your school is not using Everyday Math or TERC. Math Connects The whole number multiplication thread is nicely done. The standard algorithm is more thoroughly dealt with than in the other programs even though the nice numerical model is missing. The area thread is incomplete, lacking a formula for the area of a parallelogram and lacking any consideration of the area of a triangle. The adding and subtracting fractions thread is nicely done except that the common denominator, although present, is downplayed. All of the mathematics is very nicely presented and everything that is done is in the student materials. Final Conclusions Judging by the three very important threads evaluated here, Math Expressions is the best program. Math Connects is very well done mathematically but is somewhat incomplete. These two programs are mathematically acceptable. Bridges in Mathematics has mathematical errors and is incomplete. TERC Investigations has weaknesses in all three examined threads. Neither of these programs is mathematically acceptable.

I am glad so many people voted for vacation since that is the way we are leaning. I just wanted to make sure we weren't missing anything. Maybe I should have added more details. We live in a few blocks from the beach in California, so we love where we live even though property is expensive and the lots tend to be small. It is so nice to be able to walk to the beach and see the waves, even in the winter. It partly makes up for not having a yard. We could buy a house but then we would not be able to walk to the beach or have a view of the ocean, so then in my mind what's the point of living in a beach city. So we will probably stay put, travel, and have the opportunity to home school in a few years.

I think we have decided on smaller house / more vacations, but we just came back from a big birthday party at a friend's big house, so I thought I would ask the hive. It would be nice to be able to have a big party at home with space for a big jumpy house for the boys' next birthday, but I like the financial security of not having a big mortgage payment. I like the feeling that if we need to one of us can take a leave of absence, quit, or work part-time if need be. We plan on homeschooling middle school and perhaps upper elementary school, so we don't want to have a big mortgage when I work part-time or not at all. In the meantime I will start planning our trip for winter break. Our ultimate dream is to take a year off and travel around the world or live in Latin America so our kids will speak Spanish really well.

My husband and I rent a 2 bedroom townhouse in an area that we really like. We have two boys (ages 2 and 4). We would like a place with a third bedroom and a yard and could afford to pay over 1,000 dollars more a month in rent or we could afford to buy a place. We both work in the public schools only 180 days a year, so we have a lot of vacation time. We are also considering staying put and using the money to travel extensively over vacations. Anyone regret not living in a bigger place when you could afford to do so? I just spent half the day looking at houses on-line and the other half planning a 3 week trip to Hawaii over winter break. Any thoughts?