My genius!

So, please allow me to brag on my child here for a moment- after all, this IS my blog and I can brag as much as I want!

Riley, of course, is smart- we know this already. We have known it for a while. Yet, every time I learn something that shows me how very smart she really is, it blows me away!

Last week she had MAP testing. Don't know what it stands for, but these are the standardized tests that they give here in SC (and other places, too, I think) and they start them in kindergarten. She did them this winter, and we were told she did very well and that was about it. Well, this time they used to scores to show how much they have improved over the year. We started to have some questions when she came home and told us she scored a 200 on the reading portion. I had no idea what this meant and whether it was good or not....then she did the math. And started asking us what "multiplication" was and then wanting to learn what 1x2 was or what 2x3 was....and then remembering it and trying to do MULTIPLICATION in her HEAD!!!!!

Ok, so I posted on Facebook asking for some guidance and the general consensus among my friends, including 2 kindergarten teachers, was that this was DEFINITELY NOT something that was taught in K5, but rather in 3 and 4th grades! So, ok...I emailed her teacher and asked if I could come in and talk to her about all of this and also about the plan for next year.

I did that yesterday. I am still in a bit of shock about it!!!

We talked about the MAP test. It is the kind of test that keeps asking higher and higher level questions as the child answers correctly. Hence, the multiplication questions. It turns out that my darling child is testing on about a 3rd grade level in BOTH math and reading. Without EVER having learned the material....she did indeed score around a 200 on each- the average in K5 was 150, the average in 1st grade was 165 and 2nd grade was around 180.....hence the third grade level of about 200!!!!!!!!

Her teacher went on and on and on about how good she was. How smart, how well behaved, how she wishes her whole class was made of Riley's and how much she is going to miss her next year. Then, she told me that in her 5 years of teaching she has never seen a child like this and is convinced she is the most intelligent she has ever had!!!! Wow!

So, the plan right now for next year is to start her in 1st grade -she needs the social aspect of it, but that she will then go to 2nd grade classes for 1/2 of the day. And once she gets into 2nd grade, they have a gifted program which she will certainly qualify for. Not sure exactly what that entails but I am sure we will find out!

I am just blown away by this little girl. At times I can literally see her mind working and some of the questions she has are amazing....and the best part is that she absolutely LOVES to learn....we are not pushing her, I think, in any way at all (except for making her do her homework!!!)....it is all completely HER.....