I get that in some cases, gifted kids might be a little bored in their classes - but I see this comment ALL the time from moms all over the ecosystem 'my kid is so smart and he is bored in his class'. 'my 5 yo started reading at 3 and he is so bored in k'. Is this really a thing or is this just showing off?
Sure, it's a thing. Whether public or private most teachers teach to the mean. The ones at the tail end of the distribution will struggle without additional help, and the ones at the leading end of the distribution may be bored and disinterested unless they're given supplemental enrichment.
I agree, although I think some parents use it as a fallback to explain bad behavior. Yes, some kids might be really advanced, but others don't like school work in general or have a short attention span and when the teacher calls it out, the parents say their kid is bored. Some of the parents who were very vocal about their kid's giftedness ended up being humbled as time went on.
@Anonymous PP here, and ITA agree with you. It's definitely a thing, but it's also an overused explanation.
I think also that kids are smart, and so when they get scolded for acting out, they see that their parents will invariably soften the scolding after they hear "but I'm so bored in school!" Then it becomes a "get out of jail free" card for kids. My kid is ahead in some areas, but when he complains he's bored, it's not always a subject where he already knows the material. Sometimes it's just stuff he's not interested in and doesn't care to learn!
It's not really a "thing" in my view. Perhaps if a kid is faster at math there may be down time. So the kids reads a book then? Everything else--reading, writing can as advanced as the kid is.
You're right that there is always something else a kid can do to advance, but often times they don't get support for that in the classroom. I've come across many teachers who get defensive when told that a kid isn't being challenged and don't allow any extras.
Never heard of a teacher allowing a kid to read while everyone else is doing math
@Anonymous There is only so much reading a kid can do. My kid spent all of 1 year in elementary reading, writing in journal and helping the other students and bored out of her mind. The teacher didn't know what to do with her.
I'm sure it's a thing. Kids learn different skills at different paces. But even reading whizzes need to learn social skills, which is a big component of K. (And yeah, I do think proud parents like to brag a little. Understandably.)
I totally disagree that its understandable. I think bragging is never ok really. Why is it ok?
@Anonymous Why are you bothered by people bragging about their kids? who cares?
Completely agree. Don’t be a bragger. Horrible.
It's a thing, but not as much of a thing as parents think.
Have seen many, many, many parents humbled about their child's "genius" as the years go on.
The skills needed to succeed in early elementary (decoding, memorization, good behavior) are different than those needed to succeed in High School (analytical ability, etc). They are even different than those skills needed to succeed in the workplace.
@Anonymous Not sure I agree with this. All skills are needed all time time. It's just a question of knowing when/what to emphasize. That's the problem people have when transitioning to the workplace. It's not that you don't need soft skills in elementary and high school. It's that it's not emphasized as much as academic skills so people don't know how to recalibrate.
The first Anonymous with a capital A is correct. Gifted kids get into trouble, because they can easily coast through K-3 with decoding/memorization skills, but starting in 4th grade different skills such as analytical ability are needed. Often, they have not developed those skills as much as they could have, because they were so far ahead of their classmates previously that teachers thought they were "fine".
Of course it is a thing. Insecure parents who assume other parents are bragging is also a thing.
Omg you again
@Anonymous Omg I didn't realize this anonymous chat board was only for people who agreed with your perspective!
@Hello this chat board should not be - nor should any chat board be - for trolling. to be clear; 'Insecure parents who assume other parents are bragging is also a thing' is full trolling. stop.
I'm always skeptical of these claims. I have a gifted kid who went to a regular (ie not gifted) elementary school and wasn't bored. He found school easy and would sometimes ask the teacher for more work or harder books. He had great friends, loved playing at recess, enjoyed specials, science, social studies, and writing. It was fun to be the smart one in class. Elementary school is so much more than academics!
THIS. I am in school admin, and I assure you the parents who make this claim almost never have the children who are academic superstars. Usually they are parents of the kids who have behavior issues, and this is their excuse.
Teachers teach to the middle and slower , of course a gifted child would be bored to tears.
Boredom is not the main issue here. Far more importantly, these kids learn to dumb down, conform, hide their true self. Or get in trouble.
It is a thing but I have 3 kids and got a kick out of the parents that turn up at start of K lamenting that their kid is going to be bored because they are so advanced. The kids then always turn out to be barely average. Please don’t be that parent.