Return-Path: <nifl-4eff@literacy.nifl.gov> Received: from literacy (localhost [127.0.0.1]) by literacy.nifl.gov (8.10.2/8.10.2) with SMTP id f3IC1bg14075; Wed, 18 Apr 2001 08:01:37 -0400 (EDT) Date: Wed, 18 Apr 2001 08:01:37 -0400 (EDT) Message-Id: <002101c0c7fe$89ecec00$564a2126@john> Errors-To: listowner@literacy.nifl.gov Reply-To: nifl-4eff@literacy.nifl.gov Originator: nifl-4eff@literacy.nifl.gov Sender: nifl-4eff@literacy.nifl.gov Precedence: bulk From: "Cynthia Ralls" <csralls@earthlink.net> To: Multiple recipients of list <nifl-4eff@literacy.nifl.gov> Subject: [NIFL-4EFF:1503] Fw: Gifted Kid Problems X-Listprocessor-Version: 6.0c -- ListProcessor by Anastasios Kotsikonas X-Mailer: Microsoft Outlook Express 5.50.4133.2400 Content-Type: multipart/alternative; Status: O Content-Length: 11427 Lines: 272 This is a multi-part message in MIME format. ------=_NextPart_000_001E_01C0C7D4.A01B1EE0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable ----- Original Message -----=20 From: Cynthia Ralls=20 To: countrysidec@mail.aces.uiuc.edu=20 Sent: Wednesday, April 18, 2001 6:50 AM Subject: Re: Gifted Kid Problems Dear Sir or Madam: I am in dire need of assistance with my 11 year old son! I am the single = parent of 4 children, 3 of whom are "gifted" and the youngest already = exhibits characteristics of being also but has yet to be "identified" as = gifted.=20 I am quite concerned about the labeling process currently employed by = educational systems as a whole! There seems to be a tendency to want to = put all children in categories and as a literacy advocate myself, I know = for as many people there are , there are equally as many individual = learning styles.=20 All of my kids have been put into these boxes that are not only stifling = but, in the instance of the 11 year old son, has really fostered a = negative attitude towards learning and school in general. I am at my = wits end to find him the help and tools he needs to succeed! In elementary school he had been "identified" as Academically Talented = (gifted), yet due to the absence of a positive male role model I = forewent the AT classes in 4th and 5th grade in order that he be able to = build his self-esteem in the classroom of this wonderful man, Hans = Pligge. My son did quite well and Mr., P (as we call him) adapted a more = challenging curriculum especially for my son.=20 Unfortunately, upon entering the sixth grade (junior high) this year, my = son has had real difficulty in assimilating to his new environment, the = huge volume of work in his 3 AT classes and the school has experienced = enormous overpopulation, understaffing and general chaos due to massive = growth in our community. While at the end of the first quarter he had an = A/B report, at the end of the 3rd quarter we had struggled hard to = obtain 3 D's, 2 C's and 2 B's. All though he is not going to fail the sixth grade, the whole = experience: detentions, boosters. Saturday school, in school suspension, = etc., has left him pretty damaged in self-esteem and motivation. And, = the school has suggested that he be removed from the AT program period. = And, they now suggest that he be placed in a study skills program next = year as well as receive intervention services for his anger/stress = management issues that he is currently seeing a child psychologist for.=20 I have entertained thoughts of home schooling, private schooling, = distance learning, practicing Tough Love, and just about every thing in = order to meet my son's needs.=20 As I mentioned, this is not "my first rodeo" with gifted programs. In = fact, my now 22 year old daughter read on a 3rd grade level in first and = has been basically 2 years ahead of her peers academically, yet, these = "gifted" kids have issues which when really examined can and should be = viewed as learning disabilities! They are emotionally immature although = because they are extremely intelligent and rebellious they think they = are adults! Both my oldest daughter and my son refused to do their work, = and consequently, bottomed out and shut down emotionally and = academically.=20 I grow increasingly tired with the "educators" who also refuse to get = EDUCATED about these "special" children! I have run across some research studies regarding these very issues on = line and offered them to the school to no avail! It is really = frustrating and disappointing to me because my son has the potential to = excel yet, he needs a mentor to foster the self-esteem and motivation = necessary to his success! There is an extension office near us in Yorkville, I wondered if there = are any peer mentoring programs (high school students possibly) or other = educational opportunities available? We need help and if anyone were = interested in studying gifted kids, I have a slew of them! My son has scored off the scale on all standardized achievement tests = and recently zoomed through testing at Sylvan's Learning Center and was = told that he scored the highest in the shortest length of time! It seems = disgraceful to me that a child with his potential can not succeed within = the public school system! Please, any insight you could offer would be greatly appreciated! Thank you for your time and patience with this lengthy correspondence. I = look forward to your response! Sincerely, Cynthia Ralls 97 Fernwood Road Montgomery, Illinois 60538 630-906-0588 csralls@juno.com ------=_NextPart_000_001E_01C0C7D4.A01B1EE0 Content-Type: text/html; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable <!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN"> <HTML><HEAD> <META content=3D"text/html; charset=3Diso-8859-1" = http-equiv=3DContent-Type> <META content=3D"MSHTML 5.00.3105.105" name=3DGENERATOR> <STYLE></STYLE> </HEAD> <BODY bgColor=3D#ffffff> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV style=3D"FONT: 10pt arial">----- Original Message -----=20 <DIV style=3D"BACKGROUND: #e4e4e4; font-color: black"><B>From:</B> <A=20 href=3D"mailto:csralls@earthlink.net" = title=3Dcsralls@earthlink.net>Cynthia=20 Ralls</A> </DIV> <DIV><B>To:</B> <A href=3D"mailto:countrysidec@mail.aces.uiuc.edu"=20 title=3Dcountrysidec@mail.aces.uiuc.edu>countrysidec@mail.aces.uiuc.edu</= A> </DIV> <DIV><B>Sent:</B> Wednesday, April 18, 2001 6:50 AM</DIV> <DIV><B>Subject:</B> Re: Gifted Kid Problems</DIV></DIV> <DIV><BR></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>Dear Sir or Madam:</FONT></DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>I am in dire need of assistance with my = 11 year old=20 son! I am the single parent of 4 children, 3 of whom are "gifted" and = the=20 youngest already exhibits characteristics of being also but has yet to = be=20 "identified" as gifted. </FONT></DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>I am quite concerned about the labeling = process=20 currently employed by educational systems as a whole! There seems to be = a=20 tendency to want to put all children in categories and as a literacy = advocate=20 myself, I know for as many people there are , there are equally as many=20 individual learning styles. </FONT></DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>All of my kids have been put into these = boxes that=20 are not only stifling but, in the instance of the 11 year old son, has = really=20 fostered a negative attitude towards learning and school in general. I = am at my=20 wits end to find him the help and tools he needs to = succeed!</FONT></DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>In elementary school he had been = "identified" as=20 Academically Talented (gifted), yet due to the absence of a positive = male role=20 model I forewent the AT classes in 4th and 5th grade in order that he be = able to=20 build his self-esteem in the classroom of this wonderful man, Hans = Pligge. My=20 son did quite well and Mr., P (as we call him) adapted a more = challenging=20 curriculum especially for my son. </FONT></DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>Unfortunately, upon entering the sixth = grade=20 (junior high) this year, my son has had real difficulty in assimilating = to his=20 new environment, the huge volume of work in his 3 AT classes and the = school has=20 experienced enormous overpopulation, understaffing and general = chaos due=20 to massive growth in our community. While at the end of the first = quarter he had=20 an A/B report, at the end of the 3rd quarter we had struggled hard to = obtain 3=20 D's, 2 C's and 2 B's.</FONT></DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>All though he is not going to fail the = sixth grade,=20 the whole experience: detentions, boosters. Saturday school, in school=20 suspension, etc., has left him pretty damaged in self-esteem and = motivation.=20 And, the school has suggested that he be removed from the AT program = period.=20 And, they <U>now</U> suggest that he be placed in a study skills = program=20 next year as well as receive intervention services for his anger/stress=20 management issues that he is currently seeing a child psychologist for.=20 </FONT></DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>I have entertained thoughts of home = schooling,=20 private schooling, distance learning, practicing Tough Love, and just = about=20 every thing in order to meet my son's needs. </FONT></DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>As I mentioned, this is not "my first = rodeo" with=20 gifted programs. In fact, my now 22 year old daughter read on a 3rd = grade level=20 in first and has been basically 2 years ahead of her peers academically, = yet,=20 these "gifted" kids have issues which when really examined can and = should=20 be viewed as learning disabilities! They are emotionally immature = although=20 because they are extremely intelligent and rebellious they think they = are=20 adults! Both my oldest daughter and my son refused to do their work, and = consequently, bottomed out and shut down emotionally and academically.=20 </FONT></DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>I grow increasingly tired with the = "educators" who=20 also refuse to get EDUCATED about these "special" children!</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>I have run across some research studies = regarding=20 these very issues on line and offered them to the school to no avail! It = is=20 really frustrating and disappointing to me because my son has the = potential to=20 excel yet, he needs a mentor to foster the self-esteem and motivation = necessary=20 to his success!</FONT></DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>There is an extension office near us in = Yorkville,=20 I wondered if there are any peer mentoring programs (high school = students=20 possibly) or other educational opportunities available? We need help and = if=20 anyone were interested in studying gifted kids, I have a slew of=20 them!</FONT></DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>My son has scored off the scale on all = standardized=20 achievement tests and recently zoomed through testing at Sylvan's = Learning=20 Center and was told that he scored the highest in the shortest length of = time!=20 It seems disgraceful to me that a child with his potential can not = succeed=20 within the public school system!</FONT></DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>Please, any insight you could offer = would be=20 greatly appreciated!</FONT></DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>Thank you for your time and patience = with this=20 lengthy correspondence. I look forward to your response!</FONT></DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>Sincerely,</FONT></DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>Cynthia Ralls</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>97 Fernwood Road</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>Montgomery, Illinois 60538</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>630-906-0588</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2><A=20 href=3D"mailto:csralls@juno.com">csralls@juno.com</A></FONT></DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV> </DIV></BODY></HTML> ------=_NextPart_000_001E_01C0C7D4.A01B1EE0--
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