In order to go to the Center a child has to have an aptitude and achievement of 93 percentile and above. You don't automatically go.
My son really enjoyed the AIG Center, he had a drama class where they made a movie - we even got to go see it on the big screen at the Howell Theatre in Smithfield. There was an Astronomy course, and we drove down to Smithfield at night to look through the fancy telescope. Then there was this other class where they made robotic cars that ran from a computer program. Cool Stuff!! He is also in the Duke TIP program, and is heading to Europe this summer for 20 days as a Student Ambassador. I don't look at it as just a label, I see the opportunities it has opened up for him. Without AIG, the AIG Center, and the other actvities he would be sitting in the principal's office everyday from disrupting the class due to his boredom.
We are all set for looking at the stars next week, weather permitting...my daughter dragged me outside around 8 to show me the constellations she could see from our yard!
i just wanted to say that many AIG kids also are LD -- some of the greatest minds of the world were/are LD -- one does not exclude the other Winston Churchill: had a learning disability. Walt Disney: had a learning disability. Edison: Had a learning disability. He couldn't read until he was twelve years old and had a very difficult time writing even when he was older. Albert Einstein: Mathematician/Physicist: Had a learning disability and did not speak until age 3. He had a very difficult time doing math in school. It was very hard for him to express himself through writing both my children carry the AIG label -- are they bright yes, gifted no -- my issue is far to few teachers understand that rigorous work does not equate to more work -- i got very tired of quantity being substituted for quality in the name of AIG -- this is especially true at the middle school level and somewhat into the honors classes at the high school level --
Could anyone tell me what the test consist of? My daughter is in Kindergarten and already passed the kindergarten curriculum by our first parent conference. She is now being tested on the 1st grade level. The teacher agrees she's getting bored with the class. I have asked the teacher to have her tested. She comes home everyday and goes straight to her room and starts reading and writing. We bought her some work books from stones and she finishes then within a day. This is something that I think she would enjoy.
Just a word of wisdom for those parents that might be under the impression that having your child in this program means future success for them. My family has had several children labeled AIG. We have a total of 16 kids, 3 of which were not AIG. So, I give my honest opinion on this subject with close to 15 years of experience. Those that have graduated high school attended Honor courses with the exception of one. Who do you think has been the most successful so far at the age of 37? The one that was not considered AIG, was not in Honor classes, flunked out of college his first semester, while his other cousins graduated with their masters or flunked out as well. This young man has had more success with the choices he has made in his life than any of the others so far. My point, don't place so much weight on this program as a predetermination for success in high school or college, which will be two totally different playing fields for your children. I'm not saying that there are not benefits for your child in this program. My own kids found out that just because they were considered AIG didn't mean much in high school or college, many of their friends that were AIG in elementary and middle school didn't do so well in high school with the honor classes, weren't as prepared as they thought not to mention so much more at that age grabbing at their attention. Just keep everything in perspective, don't put your child on too high of a pedestal, the fall can hurt.
So glad you shared that. Sadly, some parents just like throwing around the AIG as some kind of status symbol. It means NADDA. The way the school system is now, AIG is one label I (thankfully) made the choice not to pin on my kids. In elementary school it is just not necessary, IMO.
You are so right!! That's my problem with labeling kids as anything, good or bad. For whatever reason, my parents had our IQ's tested as kids. While 2 of us were above average :mrgreen:, one of us tested near genious level. The two of us more normal kids are reasonably successful, the other one is a freaking disaster. Why my parents told her what her IQ was is beyond me. I really believe it made her think she was "better" or "smarter" than other people, and she just has never really made much effort. It has not served her well. I keep emphasizing to my kid, that although he may do better than someone else in a certain subject, that does NOT mean he is any smarter or better than they are, that everyone has talent in different areas and they will certainly may outshine him in something else at some point in life. Hate labels...................
I myself could care less about the lable. I'm looking for something more out of her school then what shes getting now. I look at it as extra learning not Academically or Intellectually Gifted.
LOL! Didn't mean to preach! One of my nieces was having some trouble in school, they tested her till the cows came home, but never really came up with a "diagnosis" of any particular learning disability. A couple years go by, now she is doing exceptionally well, it's like she just turned some sort of corner. My point is, just because they may have trouble now, doesn't mean they won't do great later or vice versa. Labels don't do kids any favors. They just need to go to school, try hard, learn and have some fun! Grades aren't everything, wish I had learned that in school. :?
Just wanted to share our experience with AIG. Cleo - Sounds like the elementary AIG is fun! But it's not so fun at the MS level. At the end of the 5th grade my DD was tested and was slated for the AIG program for Middle school. 6th grade went well. In the 7th grade, she was really having a hard time. They get the same work/homework etc, but just alot more and harder stuff. She is a very conscience student, pretty much always straight-A's. But she was miserable and struggling and after the first semester did not want to be in the program anymore. When we approached the admin about withdrawing her - we were pretty much made to feel like we were awful parents, making a HUGE mistake 'she'll never be able to be in the program again...etc' but DD was very adament that she did not want to be in it any longer. So we did what we thought was best for her and I'm glad we did. When it comes to HS is doesn't matter if you're AIG or not - if you've taken the required courses and succeeded at them you can take honors courses. She is now a Jr at West and since 9th grade she has always taken honors courses, makes the principals list and honor roll, in the honor society, has a 4.375 avg! She did not like being treated differently and being bogged down with extra homework that she didn't feel was helping her to learn anything, LOL. She was so much happier, not having all that AIG pressure along with all the other stuff that happens in Middle school! She is quite the 'young lady', we're very proud of her! :mrgreen:
Here's something that the school doesn't tell you, rather it's because they're not aware of the facts I can't say. I've worked in medical pediatrics for 24 years, as well as being a mother of two kids, every single child out there matures physically, mentally and intellectually at a different rate which is usually in spans of 6-9 months. Example: For those kindergarten students that don't seem as up on things as others in the class at the beginning of the year, can and have been known to caught up with ease and/or surpass other classmates. There is no exact science or test out there that will give you a clear picture into your childs future educational success, IMO it's nothing but a balancing act.
My daughter is the same way--I asked the teacher about it (testing) and she told me that if they get tested and don't qualify for AIG, they have to wait at least one year before they can be re-tested. She also said that in her whole career, she has only seen 1 kindergartener pass into AIG, because the testing requires the child to be able to really read. This makes not a lot of sense to me--why would you offer AIG to kindergarteners, but yet make the test to enter AIG a "reading" type of test?? If the Kindergartener has met (or nearly met) expectations for the K-curriculum by the end of the first semester, then my thought is that they need more challenge, and the AIG may be just the thing for that....and might get them reading a LOT quicker than waiting for the rest of the class to catch up to where they are...but whatever...I just rest knowing that whether she is AIG or not by the school's standard, as her parent, I KNOW how smart she is, so I just continue to try and challenge her at home...still, it confounds the brain....
