Shelby’s a Gifted Child?

Shelby had her last day of first grade on Thursday and is excited for the summer. In this photo, she’s wearing the Hawaiian dress I got her when I was in Hawaii.

Shelby came home with a letter last week with a permission slip that needed to be signed by her parents. The letter said that she has been recommended for the gifted program at school. At first, I thought it was referring to a program for the academically challenged. We held Shelby back for another year of first grade last year to help her after she was struggling .

But we were surprised to find out that the gifted program was for smart kids. Amazingly, Shelby ranked in the 97th percentile on the OLSAT intelligence Test. The Group Intelligence Test requires a minimum of 90 percent for further assessment. She has met the preliminary qualifications for the gifted program, and the next step is a formal I.Q. test to be administered by a psychometrist from the county office, hence the need for a permission slip.

We are really proud of the improvements Shelby has made in the classroom. She went from not being able to read simple sentences last year to reading Junie B chapter books. She also went from getting D’s and F’s in everything last year to getting all A’s and B’s. She was excited to come home this week with a bunch of certificates honoring her academic achievements, including being on the Principal’s list all four semesters.

However, I still think, if she’s so gifted, how come she has a hard time learning to be obedient to her father. She’s still the same trouble maker, but at least she’s showing signs of brilliance.