Sen Or Gifted ?

[Guest]

As my new Reception class includes a very 'bright child...just thought I'd start a discussion as to which register is appropriate for 4 year old children who have ability to reassemble/ read nos on 100 squares,read any books word perfect,tell the time? I'm tempted to put them on both....IEPs being written already and SENCO aware of named children....Seeing as we're only a matter of days into term just wondered what others do in their settings for children so young?

[Susan]

I think thats the multi dollar question isnt it?

 

Because SEN has so often been interpreted to be for the underachievers, we have had to invent the Gifted and Talented category to provide extension work.

 

Not an answer to your question though but think both coordinators should be aware and then you have to follow school policy.

[Guest]

absolutely! They have a special need because they are gifted and they need an IEP as much as someone who struggles. We have to be seen to be pushing more able as well as catering for less able, this was one thing we were criticised for in our recent county inspection.

Liz x

[Guest]

I have a few children who are very advanced at academic subjects, maths, CLL but really struggle with PSE and CRE, making relationships, behaviour management, using imagination in role play, creative art. So we just plan for both these areas of developmental needs. Senco are involved and plans for Maths, CLL enable progression.

 

Peggy

[Guest]

We're doing the same too Peggy, however, some senior staff want me to push children like this onto KS1 or above objectives which goes against the statutory FS curriculum, in fact if I referred to NC I was told by advisor that I would be following the wrong curriculum, so she backed me up. Can't convince these staff though, they keep questioning saying "if they are beyond the ELGs where is beyond?? Beyond is the National Curriculum!!" I feel like I'm banging my head against a brick wall!!AAARGH!!

[Guest]

Obviously it's difficult not knowing the individual children but in my view the ELG's are quite specific statements, and they are not hiearchical, just because a child has 'reached' the 'grey' goal, doesn't mean there is not scope to enable the child to broaden their knowledge, skills and attitudes at this level through different contexts. for example: Language for thinking: Use talk to; organise, sequence and clarify thinking, share ideas, relate feelings and talk about events. A child may achieve this in a few familiar contexts, but by widening his horizens to think about more abstract ideas, events, you could develop the depth of this goal for a gifted child.

does this make sense

 

Repeating learning doesn't equate to not developing or holding a child back, it just gives opportunities to fine tune and build on understanding specific concepts in many more ways.

 

Peggy

[Guest]

Thanks Peggy, I do feel reassured as my thoughts are the same but it's a shame staff who don't understand can't take this on board.

[Guest]

Can you ask the advisory teacher to have a word with them.?

 

If not see if you can come to a middle ground, or discuss different FS curriculum areas with each child in mind, I suppose you are by producing IEP's. ( sorry just thinking as I type)

 

I am preschool, so don't fully understand the politics / policies of Maintained schools.

Good luck

 

Peggy

[Marion]

We're doing the same too Peggy, however, some senior staff want me to push children like this onto KS1 or above objectives which goes against the statutory FS curriculum, in fact if I referred to NC I was told by advisor that I would be following the wrong curriculum, so she backed me up. Can't convince these staff though, they keep questioning saying "if they are beyond the ELGs where is beyond?? Beyond is the National Curriculum!!" I feel like I'm banging my head against a brick wall!!AAARGH!!

 

 

Point out that some ELGs are level 1 or even level 2 NC that might shut them up

 

Agree with Peggy most children we experience with skills in literacy/numeracy need extra help in other areas especially PSE. Also because a child has the tecnical skills to read higher level books it does not mean they have the maturity to understand the concepts of the text. Last year I had a little boy with Autism who could read any book in school but for all the sense it made to him I could as well give him a dictionary. He was also very gifted in recognising and ordering numbers but could not match objects to given numbers as he lacked this concept.

[Guest]

I had a boy last year in Reception who could read anything put infront of him but did not understand the meaning of some of the words he read and therefore this effected his enjoyment of reading. He also had very poor fine motor skills and I am sure if he had been pushed into writing too soon, because of his reading ability, he would have been switched off to writing forever. Most importantly when asked what his favourite thing to do in Reception was he would always reply 'playing in the sand' which indicated to me that just because he was excellent at reading it wasn't something he really wanted to do above anything else. Fortunately his mum did not want him pushing and was delighted to see him develop his social and emotional skills so that he maintained relationships with the other children and became one of the class. I am pleased to say that I now observe a very happy and emotionally well balanced young man in the Year 1 classroom who has many friends and a big smile on his face.