Is there any other gifted children schools besides montessori

[myleysmummy]

Hi ladies, I've looked in to this school, but don't know if there learning structure is right for my daughter. She is at their 4 & 1/2 year old level and she is 2&1/2 and I really just want what's best for her any ideas

[One of THOSE mums!]

There is a Montessori school which I was looking into for ds 3 yr old kinder.
It isn't designed necessarily for gifted children but has a specific way of teaching.
Maria montessori came up with the learning through play concept.
It is such a personal decision to make.
I'm undecided as yet but interested to find out what u decide to do. Good luck. I hope other people have more advice or experience for you.

[ElastiGirl]

I don't think Montessori is for 'gifted' children, more of just an alternative way of teaching.

[overitand36]

I don't think Montessori is for 'gifted' children, more of just an alternative way of teaching.

:iagree: its just a method

[myleysmummy]

I agree with all of the above, do any of you know of gifted schools in Victoria

[gizmoduckus]

I don't know if you will really find anything. From what I have heard, they really don't like testing children to see if they are gifted until they are at least 4 years old. It would probably be better if you just found extra activities for you to do with her at home. I am sure there are plenty of things that you can google.

[peanutbutter&jelly]

Why not just let her be a normal kid and attend a preschool with kids her own age?

[nothanksbye]

I dont know how it works in Vic..but I know here is NSW , a lot of schools have a gifted and talented programme.

do you have someone who has diagnosed your child as gifted? If so they might know of schools that have this.

[southcoastmum]

Gifted and talented programs start in year 5. Montessori let's each child work to their own ability which is great for gifted children.
Many private schools work with gifted children, especially Anglican schools. They let the child join higher grades for particular subjects and have specials groups such as creative writing groups. It's about finding a school with the right policies. It's not enough to offer extension activities as this leads to boredom and then behavioral issues. Good luck!

[delirium]

We are lucky that the gifted and talented program starts in year 2 at DD's public school. I don't think you need a special school persay, just teachers that can identify your child's special abilities. A teacher that is in tune with your child is worth their weight in gold ;)

We also do a lot with our child at home. Not pushing or hothousing. But honing in on her interests (they are currently space and dinosaurs) We read encyclopedias to her. She watches "The Universe" and other space docos (she is 6 though so look at age appropriate stuff). We do models of dinosaurs with her. We get her to read books to us that challenge her.

[biscotti]

Gifted and talented programs start in year 5

I think that depends more on the school from my experience both as a teacher and parent and quite honestly, a "gifted and talented" program as a seperate entity (and only from yr 5) is pretty worthless really - a class teacher and a school that embraces and supports children who are different from the norm from the early childhood years is waaay more important :bee:

I have two girls in cycle one in a Montessori environment and I love the way it suits each of my children who are remarkably different from the other.

[myleysmummy]

Thank you biscotti, my local Montessori's contact number for a " school " was a mobile number !, which concerned me. She is sending out there information anyway, but I deff need some advice as to what I can help her with as sadly I had until a few months ago held her back and at home and just let her be a kid, which obvisly isn't bad. Her day care want to start her in kinda, but is that a good idea ?. As it's nearly 9 months to early

[spagbog]

Girls grammar has extra classes.

[jaq]

Sorry to come in late on this thread, Myley's mummy, but I hoped I could put your mind at rest a bit.

The mobile number is probably because a lot of Montessori schools have a parent contact for certain functions ... you are not talking to the school proper, but to the parent who is the contact for admin or enrolment info. It helps keep costs down. If you ring the principal of the school, it would be a fixed line etc. (I'm assumig you have researched the school and made sure it is a proper Montessori school listed with the Montessori Foundation Australia and in place to receive its accreditation next year etc. Make sure it has a full age range (3-11 or 12) also.)

Go do a school tour and view the premises, You cannot get a real feel for the learning environment unless you do this, and this tends to be where parents fall in love with Montessori. You can see the difference at work - the simple fact that children are working on different tasks, and are so passionate about their work, tends to be very obvious in the classroom environment.

I have two girls at Montessori. Our experience with Montessori is that a) starting young (3 to 4) means the school knows and understands your child BEFORE they start grade one, therefore they can better assess their abilities and needs. b) a gifted child is encouraged to explore their talents to their full extent and naturally group with older children in a mixed age environment. Our classroom stressed that it was NOT agegroups that were important, but ability groups.

Some children will never have true peers in their area of interest (my daughter is starting Cycle Two (yr 1) a year early but is already ahead of the full three year cycle for some things) but this is a reality of life. At small schools it can be emphasised further - rather than six really bright kids, they might have only one or two.

I have been asked several times when I am sending Annika to a school with a specialist G&T stream, but I firmly believe she is best where she is. One of the things I love about Montessori is that it is education for the WHOLE person - not just the academics - and it teaches my daughters to be valuable, contributing human beings. And frankly, gifted kids tend to need that MORE than 'normal' kids in my view.

The ivory tower is quite an isolating place - I'd rather my daughter learnt to get on with people of all abilities and be happy and fulfilled in whatever she chooses, and LOVE her education. I am confident that our school offers that.

Good luck with your choice!