’
I KIND of agree with this. BUT, I also think that gifted kids need to be challenged. I remember being in second grade, and avidly reading " Baby Sitters Club" books while my peers were reading the Kids of Polk Street School Books… I was SO bored in reading and writing in elementary. However, I am LD in math (as well as spelling and handwriting)
Two sugguestions from me… Boxcar Children (they have harder mysteries) and the Wayside School books.
Everyone is suggesting books, and books are great. I would like to suggest games and puzzles that she can play with her family. Gifted children often feel isolated.
Bad local library?
Yeah, I totally agree Spud, and I really do understand – I was a “gifted” kid myself, and my husband has a doctorate in environmental microbiology. And for both of us the lack of social skills has been, at times, crippling.
Plus neither of us can hang curtains.
It is tricky, and I don’t wave the “gifted” flag triumphantly. A bit proud, sure – hey, we’re all proud of our kids, as we should be.
That’s what I really like about my kids’ school (besides the creative curriculum). They really emphasize treating each other with respect and consideration. Everyone’s “specialness” is welcomed. It’s gentle. The teachers don’t bark at the kids, and the kids don’t bark at each other.
And I’ve learned to appreciate the fact that their school welcomes kids of all abilities. I’ve wavered at times, because I want my kids to be challenged by their peers. And be comfortable with their talents, not hide them (as I used to do).
But then something happened that clinched it.
There were a couple of other obviously “gifted” kids in kindergarten this year, probably two or three of them read about as well as my daughter.
And there was also a little girl in my son’s class, Claire, who has some kind of disability. I don’t know what it is. I’ve thought perhaps Tourette’s because of her jerky motions and repetitive hand movements, but she also struggles to speak and has some cognitive delays. At any rate she is clearly “different”.
At the beginning of the year her classmates did not like her because she pushed and shoved when they were standing in line. But they’re expected to be friends with everyone, at least to the point of being polite and considerate. We’ve talked at home about how Claire’s doing the best she can and how important it is to be polite to her.
And yet I worried that old worry, like from “Parenthood” - is the extra time and energy being spent on Claire taking away from my son’s experience?
Well — about a month ago, a bunch of the kids were on the playground for recess, kindy-3rd grade at the same time. As they’ve been doing all year. The teachers chat and watch the kids, keeping the roughhousing to a minimum.
One of the 3rd graders and a couple of first graders approached Claire and started teasing. Picking on her. In a quiet, menacing way that escaped the teachers’ notice. Making fun of her. And then the 9-yr-old started badgering Claire to take off her shirt.
My son and a couple of his classmates heard what was happening and stood up for Claire. And alerted the teachers (who were of course horrified). The first graders were expelled for a week and that 3rd grader was kicked out for good. And my son was really angry at the way those older boys had talked to Claire.
Six years old, and he knew. THAT made me proud 
Of course, he’s honest to a fault. When my husband asked Exactly.How.Much I’d spent on those (now poorly hung) curtains and I said vaguely, “Oh, a couple hundred bucks” my son (who’d gone to Target with me) chimed in “Three hundred forty two dollars and seventy-eight cents.”
Good times ;):p:D
That’s very, very cool. I’m proud of him, too. And this is not the product of good genes, but good character, which is learned. So you and their teacher did something right. Awesome!
Yeah, cool story. Kudos to your son.
There’s been a real anti-bullying push these last few years, and I’m glad to see that it’s paid off. Not that your son’s actions are necessarily because of these programs, but it’s probable that the teacher’s and administration’s reactions were informed by them.
Note: No sensible person believes that anti-bullying programs will ever eliminate bullying. The goal is to reduce it and to make sure that teachers and administrators take it seriously.
Forgot to say: Matilda by Roald Dahl. If she reads it and sees the movie, you could have an interesting discussion of book-to-film adaptation. Also, what about Harriet the Spy?
I can’t help much with general suggestions, as I’m in the same boat with my soon-to-be first grader. He taught himself to read when he was three and has been reading voraciously ever since. I get a little advice from my aunt, who has a Master’s in Gifted and Talented Education. She says that gifted kids tend to obsess about something for 6-8 weeks, then move on to something else. In her words, “Never buy a musical instrument - always rent!”
For books, here are some that my kid has liked:
Magic Tree House series
Stink and Judy Moody books by Megan McDonald
**Toys Go Out **by Emily Jenkins (Really cute - think Toy Story)
Tale of Desperaux
**books by Roald Dahl **(less scary ones).
Lighthouse Family series by Cynthia Rylant (actually anything by Rylant)
Rainbow Fairy series (poorly written IMHO but he loves them)
Anything by Dick King-Smith (such as Babe)
Ivy and Bean series
GREAT book suggestions, thanks so much all of you!
I’ll try Little House to start, I never read those myself but she’s fascinated by “olden days” so those might tickle her fancy.
And I adore Roald Dahl. Never read Matilda though, I need to find that one for myself 
My daughter is six, and at the same reading level as yours. She loves Ramona Quimby, though.
She just finished the first Boxcar Children book last night, and has told me about eight times since then that she wants to check out more of them. She also loves Judy Moody, the Rainbow Magic fairy books, Cam Jansen, the Disney Fairy books, Nancy Drew and the Clue Crew (8-year-old Nancy, aimed at younger readers), Pippi Longstocking, and the Flower Fairy series.
She read No Flying In the House over the weekend and mostly loved it, except for a scary bit toward the end that left her unable to eat dinner or to read the rest of the book for herself - she had to huddle and have it read to her (then danced all over the house because it turned out to be a happy ending after all).
If she likes the “olden days,” in addition to Little House, I’d try Milly-Molly-Mandy by Joyce Lankester Brisley.
Be careful about books that are intended for 4th-6th graders - they’re on a whole different emotional plane, even though the reading level is appropriate. A kindergartener may not really understand them, and then may not like them when they are the appropriate age for them because they have bad associations from their youth. Here’s a nice article about why kids should wait before tackling Harry Potter and the like.
If she likes the “olden days” She might like the Anne of Green Gables books, at least the first one.
Besides books, we like the Fluxx card games. You can go to a teacher’s or homeschooling store and find a zillion super-fun educational games and puzzles–maybe those historical treasure chests, or a human body model to put together. Make a Roman numerals game, my 6yo loved that.
Oh! You know what would be fun are Susan Wise Bauer’s Story of the World series. Give her volume 1, ancient history, or the read-aloud CD. There’s an activity book with fun projects too (you want to mummify a chicken, right?). You can also get activity books for different ancient cultures that will teach you to write numbers in ancient Egyptian and so on.
You may want to vet them first yourself, just so you know what you’re getting into. I had read them as a child and loved them, but I didn’t reread them before reading them to my daughter. One night at bedtime, I suddenly had to explain
[ul]
[li]What does “tan his britches” mean?[/li][li]What’s a church?[/li][li]What’s God?[/li][li]Why do they have to read the Bible on Sundays instead of having fun?[/li][li]Why did Pa sneak out of Bible reading when his father fell asleep?[/li][li]Why was Pa’s father mad at him for sledding on Sunday?[/li][li]What does “took him out behind the woodshed” mean?[/li][/ul]
All of these were things I fully intended to explain sometime, but I sort of found myself in the middle of it unexpectedly.
I wasn’t aware they could expell kids for bullying. But maybe they’ve reconized that some bullies (if not treated) will turn into arrongant (sp) jocks, ala the kind who would think nothing of raping an intellectucally disabled person, as happened in Glen Ridge NJ.
ENugent great article, thanks. I felt the same way when I was supposed to read Great Expectations as a 5th grader.
Interesting about the religion angle - we’ve discussed God often around here, they have a lot of questions.
I’ll try the Boxcar Children, I liked those as a kid, too.
The Magic Tree House* series is one I’ve heard about, sounds like it’s worth a hunt, thanks Wednesday Evening.
dangermom - we were talking about mummies just last night! That would be a hoot, thanks for your suggestions!
Green Bean, Harriet the Spy is one of my all-time favorites! But I’m saving it until she’s a little older. Did you read The Long Secret as well? Great book for 12-yr-olds.
And thanks for your kudos, ShibbOleth, Green Bean, and AboutAsWeirdAsYouCanGet.
Sorry, but I take offense at this statement. Not all Jocks are bullies… not all bullies are jocks. This stereotype is no more fair than any other.
I’m getting ready in an hour or so to leave with my youngest son to another state for the US Lacrosse National Invitational event for his age level (my other two kids will be staying at home with mom so they can play in the state soccer championships). This is the same son with dyslexia who was teased because he had to be pulled out in early grades because he couldn’t read at the same level. The same son who was praised when he stood up for the little kid with the squeaky voice who was being teased. The same son who has the label “Gifted but Learning Disabled” (have fun getting help in public schools in that situation). His team is undefeated in games against the best in four surrounding states, so I think most people would put the label of Jock on him.
I really don’t want to hijack a thread mainly about children’s literature with an aside for praise for standing up to a bully, but we all have our hot buttons and you have found mine. Substitute the word Jerk in your statement for Jock and I have no problems at all.
By the way… I was a band geek and proud of it. Different kids have different interests… it doesn’t make them bad or good.
You will find that those easy chapter books like Magic Tree House, Rainbow Fairies, and so on are very easy for your daughter, but she will enjoy them–they’re written for her age level. She will be able to read one in about 15 minutes flat. Pony Pals are a step up in difficulty, so try to get those too. I am all for series books for young readers, but you will want to branch out as well, of course.
I have found that Esther Averill’s “Jenny and the Cat Club” series are lovely for 6yo girls who can read well. My younger daughter loves them right now. We also love Eleanor Farjeon’s “The Little Bookroom.”
That statement really irritated me too. It’s painting with a pretty broad brush.
I highly recommend Captain Underpants. No child should grow up without it. 
FWIW, my eldest boy (now a 4th grader) was evaluated as reading at a 4th grade level when he was in 1st grade. He still reads well above grade level, with excellent comprehension, but advanced reading skills do not alone make a child gifted. Bright, yes, very much so, but ‘gifted’ is a whole 'nuther level.
Watch out for other kids who, out of jealousy or sheer meanness, will target smart kids for abuse. There are bullies even in 1st grade, although at that level bullying is less physical and more along the lines of the stupid kids intentionally disrupting the class while other kids are trying to learn. If that doesn’t happen in your kid’s school, then count your blessings. Not all schools are as good at keeping the idiots at bay.
I would say go ahead and keep offering different stuff to your kids to see what interest them, but don’t push them too hard. Don’t make learning too much of a chore or there will likely be backlash. When reading is FUN, kids will take to it like fish to water. I wish my kids were interested in more advanced stuff, but they’re both boys who’d rather have nerf-gun battles while playing ‘transformers versus dinosaurs’ than learn to play a musical instrument or a 2nd language. Who knows, they may turn out all right anyways 
.
This was so me! Things I liked when I was that age:
-A Wrinkle in Time (L’Engle) (note: this is a good but seriously weird book. However, I didn’t notice this until I was in college!)
-Dr. Doolittle (Lofting) - there are like 13 of these
-So You Want to be a Wizard (Duane) and Deep Wizardry (there are more sequels but they start getting more adult-themed as well)
-A Wizard of Oz and sequels (Baum) (there are 12 or 13 of these; only the Baum ones are any good)
Also second the House on the Prairie recs.
The only thing I would add to the book discussion is to take her to the library and see what nonfiction books strike her interest. My daughter has read a good number of biographies, and these have been great for her.
I bolded the part in the text I quoted above, though, because this common misconception is a pet peeve of mine. In a school where teachers have access to the resources they need*, there is no reason why the inclusion of a child with a disability would “bring down” the experience for other children. In fact, quite the opposite. A teacher who is able to design curriculum to meet the needs of a child with a learning issue has the flexibility to also design curriculum for those more advanced students which will challenge them.
I know you were saying that your son has done well with regards to this issue and that’s great. It was more of a general reminder.
*In a school where tecahers don’t have access to the resources they need, the source of the problem is not so much the inclusive classroom, but the lack of resources in general.