What do you know about TAG?

[JeannieOR]

The councilor at school has been encouraging me to look into TAG (Talented & Gifted) for my dd. She's in 1st grade and preforms at grade level but displays a high amount of creativity. She has a unique learning style. She seems to need to work on things on her own. I don't believe I've ever "taught" her anything. She has a very hard time following directions sometimes but she's good at coming up with her own solutions to problems. She literally spent her kindergarten year trying to build a better mouse trap. (It was hysterical.)

The councilor has told dd's teacher to talk to me about it and this is what she said:

"You know A.... could be a TAG student if she wasn't so stubborn."

We both had a good laugh and that was it. The councilor asked me if the teacher had spoken to me about it and I told the councilor about the conversation and she seemed a little annoyed.

At this point I feel we should wait because I'm not sure TAG could offer my daughter anything that would be worth the added pressure. DD has gotten several opportunities to express herself creatively this year and seems pretty happy with school. She's "published" two stories and has been allowed to write her journal in story board form. Her penmanship isn't so great but she's developing her own form of hieroglyphics.

OK.... What would you do? Push for TAG or wait a couple of years for her to develop before making that decision.

[AnnW]

I think it depends on your individual school's program. At our school the g/t (gifted and talented as they are called) stay in their classrooms with the same teacher giving them a little extra work from k-2..then starting in 3rd grade they go to a different campus one day a week. They wanted ds to test out of prek..we didn't want to put him through testing to just get a little extra work from his teacher. We did allow him to test in 3rd, he didn't get in, he didn't want to do the program in 4th but decided to go in at 5th. He loved it!!!! Starting next year, he will be in all g/t classes or honor classes.

Take your dd's lead..you have tons of time to pursue this. Good luck.

[kat]

I agree with Ann, let your dd lead you. If that's what she wants to do. I'd check out the G/T program at your school. Like the one Ann spoke of we have a teacher come in once a week K-2 to do enrichment activities and the pull-out program starts in 3rd. Unfortunately our kids just end up doing alot of extra written reports and the same carbon copy projects each year. Ds was never interested and I don't see how the reports are very challenging, or very creative. I think the program should be much more individualized. That's just MHO.