Palm Beach Gifted Classes Pros and Cons

JimGifted

The Palm Beach gifted classes start in kindergarten.  To enter kindergarten gifted programs you need to have the gifted testing in Palm Beach.  Gifted testing requires an IQ test as well as testing in reading and math.  Kids as young as 4 can be tested for gifted classes.  A gifted IQ is an IQ score of 130 or higher.  (An IQ score of 100 is the national average).  Join me for a free gifted testing in the Palm Beaches webinar where I teach you about the gifted class requirements and how to prepare your child for testing so they are not stressed and anxious.  When you do the gifted testing in Palm Beach, you want your child to perform at their peak and a large part of that is reducing stress.  To my knowledge, I’m the first school psychologist in the area to offer free gifted webinars, a video tour of my office, and a special message for your child to watch before coming to work with me.

The Palm Beach gifted classes have pros and cons and since my daughter is in the gifted program I understand the gifted classes pros and cons personally.  If your child qualifies as gifted that is wonderful but don’t be too discouraged if your child does not qualify.  Most elementary schools are full of caring teachers that will provide a high quality education for your child regardless if he or she is in the gifted program.  I know this because I have one child in the Palm Beach gifted classes and one not in gifted classes.

PROS of gifted classes
  • taught by teachers that should have the gifted endorsement certification
  • taught in a homogeneous group of high performing students
  • more opportunity for creative learning
  • more opportunity for advanced learning
  • experiential and project based learning
  • students remain in a cohort group
  • sometimes smaller class size
  • usually more parent involvement
  • usually less behavior/ classroom management problems
CONS of gifted classes
  • accelerated level of work
  • faster learning pace
  • possible pressure to perform
  • highest achieving kids may make your child feel less smart
  • siblings not in gifted class may start to resent ‘gifted child’

There are other pros and cons to gifted classes in Palm Beach schools that I did not list here so email me your ideas.  Use the contact form above if you’d like to schedule or join me on a webinar here.