by Melinda Clayton

Created on: April 22, 2008   Last Updated: November 21, 2008

"I hate school!" shouted my six year old son, tears streaming down his face. His entire first grade year had been a struggle. The little boy who happily skipped into his classroom on the first day of school was the same little boy who now cried and clung to me at the classroom door.

My son falls under the academic label of "gifted." I don't say this as a way of saying my son is in some way superior, for I believe that all children are gifted in various ways. I say it to explain the struggle he experienced his first grade year. He wasn't picked on or bullied. In fact, the other children were quite fond of my son, and he of them. His struggle was in the everyday agony of being forced to do repetitive, rote work in which he had no interest.

When he was six years old, my son began reading the Harry Potter series. Unfortunately, this wasn't allowed in the classroom. During "Silent Reading" period, he was handed the same primary level computer-generated booklet as the other children. "It wouldn't be fair to the other children for him to read something different," explained his teacher. In math, although he already knew his multiplication tables up to ten, he had to complete the same simple addition worksheet as his classmates. His spelling words were the same four and five letter words his classmates were learning.

We had the same issues with homework. His nightly assignment was to write his spelling words three times each. Night after night, until he was in tears from frustration and boredom, he had to repeat an assignment he had already mastered. I asked his teacher if I could give him more challenging words, or create more challenging assignments. His teacher explained to me that it wouldn't be fair to the other children for my child to be doing something different.

My child, who had always been encouraged to research and explore at home, was completely stifled in the classroom. His curiosity was discouraged. His motivation was smothered. He was forced to blend in, to do assignments he already knew how to do. He wasn't allowed to expand his knowledge, because that wouldn't be fair to the other children. In the teacher's desire to avoid discriminating against other children, she discriminated against my son.

My child's struggle in the regular classroom was the struggle any of us would feel if we were forced to live below our ability level day in and day out. All of us need to be challenged. Imagine a life in which you are forced to repeat the same actions over and over again on a daily basis. This is what was happening to my son.

Although we knew he was performing well above grade level, the school balked at considering him for placement in the Gifted and Talented Program at such a young age. Finally, we took it upon ourselves to pay for testing. He scored very well, and thankfully, a year later, was accepted into the Gifted Program for our district. Today, he is an eight year old boy who is enjoying school again, and flourishing both academically and socially.

Because of his experience, I've come to a new understanding of gifted children. They do indeed have special needs, and if those needs aren't adequately met, they're unable to achieve their highest potential.

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