Motivating Kids with High IQ's

What can I do for my son's education? He is seven years old and in second grade. His IQ is 155+ (off charts). He was at a sixth-grade reading level and did simple algebra in kindergarten. He has never liked school. He says he doesn't learn anything. His teachers have to push him to complete his assignments.

We can't afford private schooling. He often has unexplained sadness. He reads novels at home, 200 pages a night. He feels he's learned nothing in school in three years. I am a teacher and I try to encourage him, but I feel he's very sad about school.

There is good reason for you and your son to feel sad. Since school has never challenged him academically, he probably feels completely isolated socially as well.

He may need some radical acceleration in basic subjects and may even require grade skipping.

Start by asking the school to provide a full evaluation of his ability and achievement. Hopefully, they will be pleased to help you, since the problem is undoubtedly obvious to them. If the school psychologist doesn't have the time, go to a private psychologist who specializes in working with gifted children.

In your son's case, the next step could be total grade skipping, or skipping a grade in only one or two subjects. I usually recommend no more than one grade at a time to permit adjustment.

The sense of moving forward to more stimulating work is likely to serve as a motivator. It may actually be necessary to individualize mathematics if that is one of his strengths.

On the other hand, individualizing reading could destroy his opportunities for discussion with other children, so it would be better to find an appropriate reading group for him, even if it is with slightly older children.

Despite his very high IQ, there is much for your child to learn. Acceleration research indicates that very gifted children may be happier academically and socially if they skip some grades.

EDUCATION OF THE GIFTED AND TALENTED (DAVIS & RIMM, 1989) includes a chapter on acceleration strategies. Although it is impossible to make specific recommendations for your son based only on your question, changes should surely be made soon, before he "turns off" to school learning in a more permanent way.

Sylvia Rimm, Ph.D., is the director of the Family Achievement Clinic at the Cleveland Clinic in Ohio and the author of 12 books, including her most recent, SEE JANE WIN: THE RIMM REPORT ON HOW 1,000 GIRLS BECAME SUCCESSFUL WOMEN.