BROOKE IS GIFTED

Brooke was put into the Gifted and Talented class by her teacher from the previous year recommendation, based on her testing scores and the qualities that he teacher noticed in her. This year Brooke must test into the program to stay in it. I have been watching out for the signs that Brooke meets the qualities of a gifted child. Since being gifted and being bright both indicate intelligence, it has been hard to determine if Brooke fits into the gifted category. Gifted children sometimes have problems in school for various reasons that make them not be able to relate to other children. I do believe Brooke is gifted, and actually so gifted and mature that she realizes others are different from her, and she controls her frustration with her differences very well.
When Brooke was tested at the beginning of this school year along with all of the Second Graders, they were tested on material they had never been exposed too. This allowed her teacher to know what concepts her class would need the most attention on. Brooke was in the 98th percentile on the reading portion of the MAP test, not just of her class but of all Second Grade schools that use this test format. She scored at 80the percentile on the math portion, which is not that awesome, but her teacher reminded me this was a test on math problems that she had never been exposed too in any class. Brooke's reading score showed that she could actually walk into the Third Grade and take their end of the year tests and pass with flying colors.

Here are the examples that I was able to come up with for Brooke's submission letter:

Advanced Language

Uses words that seem advanced for the age-level expectations
Rewords own language for younger or less mature children
Explains how unrelated things are similar
Uses words for time concepts (clock and calendar) accurately
Uses similes, metaphors, or analogies; " A_____ is really like a _____ because_____"
Asks questions about words ( in print or oral language)

- When  explaining to her little brother what happens to people who break the law Brooke explained,
" If you break the law the Police man could put you in a cage." Brooke knew her little brother would not  understand what jail was, so she used her ability to make an analogies, and explained the consequence of breaking the law in language for a younger child.
- We received a flyer in the mail for a gym membership. Brooke exclaimed to me, " The annual cost for this gym membership would be____, so how much do you pay a year? Maybe this one is cheaper." I  looked all over the flyer and it said nothing about an annual cost, as well her math was correct and she did it in her head!
- When  pulling up to a parking spaced that had a sign that read " Reserved For Expectant Mothers" Brooke said to me, " What can the Mom who parks there expect to receive?


Analytical Thinking

Demonstrates complex or abstract thinking
Analyzes house hold or school tasks
Notices a surprising depth of details about surroundings
Takes apart and reassembles things or ideas with skill
Expresses relationships between past and present experiences
Makes up songs , stories or riddles about experiences

-When going to a performance and  parking in a parking garage for an event, a friend called me surprised  that Brooke was the one who explained to her what turn to take to get to the event grounds, as well which direction to turn in the parking garage, in order to get to the particular entrance they  needed to enter. Brooke had been there a few days before and remembered every turn. 
- Often when at the grocery store Brooke reminds me that we parked on the opposite end of the store when we head out to the parking lot.
- When driving one day Brooke recalled a time we went to this particular city  and reminded me of the time we went there before. She had not been to this city , and she had not been reminded of that day ever, and the time we went was a year prior.
- At Christmas time my husband and I know to leave gifts in packages because Brooke enjoys looking at and saving the instructions to her toys, as well she does not allow us to put them together when they require assembly, because she enjoys putting them together  herself.

Meaning Motivation

Is philisophical
Asks surprisingly intellectual questions
Is curious; experiments
Demonstrates an unexpected depth of knowledge in one or more areas
Exhibits intense task commitment and energy when pursuing interests
Remembers!
Is independent

- Brooke told me that she knows that God is real, because she is real, and she didn't come from nothing, but then asked, " But, who created God?"
- When going to vote with me Brooke quizzed me for at least ten min. afterwards asking me questions about how our government  is any different than having a king? When I explained that we have a choice in our country about how our country runs, more than those places that may have had a king or currently live with a Totalitarian government. Her response was then, " If we have more of a choice then why are we choosing to pay so much to war? Because Daddy doesn't like war?"
- For Christmas Brooke asked for a microscope so that she could perform her own experiments at home. She gathers leaves and looks at them under her microscope.  She also keeps a journal of her findings.
- Brooke independently does her homework right when she walks in the door from school. When I tell her she needs to put it down while we attend to something time sensitive she complains and does not want to put it down.
- When Brooke was three-years old we had ants in her room in our old house. The ants were there for about a week until we could get rid of them. Brooke remembers this event and she does not like food in her room or a mess because I have explained to her that is what brought the ants.


Perspective

Explains another's point of view
Shows dimension, angle, or perspective in art, writing, math solutions, or problem solving
Creates complex shapes, patterns or graphics
Applies left and right without prompting
Adds interesting detail to enhance products

- Brooke has explained to me that she doesn't like her friend who doesn't read as well to see what book level she is on, because she doesn't want her friend to feel like she is bad at reading.
- Brooke understood that she could not have a lemonade stand without supervision, as she saw the perspective of us, her parents, that we did not want her alone outside for safety reasons, Brooke suggested that we could cut a hole in the back yard fence that was shaped like a rectangle. She explained the hole would be large enough for her to see out and pass out lemonade to customers, but small enough that no one could pull her out of the hole. She also explained that she planned to put a sign on the outside of our fence so that passing neighbors would see that lemonade was sold there.

Sense of Humor

Says or does something indicating an unexpected , sophisticated humor
Catches and adults subtle humor
understands and uses puns and riddles
" Plays with language"
Develops humorous ideas to an extreme

- Brooke thought it would be funny to make make a cape and sew it to her little brother's diaper, so that when he ran around with just a diaper on, he would have a flying cape off the top of his diaper. Brooke actually made this herself. She sewed some fabric onto the top of her brother's diaper. She thought this was so funny that she actually then sewed more fabric to the top of her underwear. She kept her shirt on but staged a performance she thought would be funny of her and her brother running around without pants on, but capes flying in the wind off their underpants!
- Brooke thinks it is funny to pretend she misunderstands what someone said, and replace words in their sentence with something she finds humorous. For example I will say, " We need to go to the store." Then she will say with exclamation,  " You think I am a door? "

Sensitivity

Cares deeply; intense concern for human issues
Tries to take action to help someone in need
Expresses feelings through words or art
Explain's others feelings
Displays a strong sense of fairness
Expresses high expectations of self and others
Seems to overreact at times

- When feelings concern for her group of friends that were fighting at school Brooke began to create her own solution. As she recognized the problem being that everyone wanted to decided themselves what they would  play on the playground that day, Brooke created a calendar and made a rotation with each of her friend's name on a certain day of the week, in hopes that all of her friends would agree to take their turn on the day assigned for them to choose what game they would play as a group.
- It is not uncommon for me to find Brooke with a bag she has brought into her room. As I ask what she is doing, she explains that she is collecting some of her toys to take them to the homeless shelter, for kids who don't have many toys.
- When Brooke feels that her brother received more treats than her she completely overreacts at times, and cries hysterically that it wasn't fair that her brother got a treat that she didn't.

Accelerated Learning

Learns new things quickly with minimum practice
Uses multiple characteristics when discussing items
Reads passages at an advanced, fluent reading level for the age-level expectations
Explains the meaning of what has been read
Demonstrates an unexpected mastery of math or science concepts
Uses a dictionary, encyclopedia, map, atlas, or computer to gain advanced information
Creates products which seems advanced for the age-level expectations

- Brooke keeps a map of the United States handy in her room. Whenever I talk about a new place that she doesn't know, she pulls out her map of the United States and finds it on her map.
- When I bought a world globe for Brooke at a garage sale she was excited for weeks, and continues to study her globe. She does remind me that she needs a new one because a new island has now appeared because of a recent earthquake.
- Brooke can read the Bible and Book of Mormon passages with little help. As well, Brooke understands what these passages mean, as she relates her own life experiences to me while we are reading them. If we are reading about a group of people that has began to worship idols, she begins talking about how she has friends that love certain movie stars. When she reads about boasting in the scriptures, Brooke begins telling me of stories when a friend was bragging about something that they did.



Here are two of the high contributing genes Brooke got that made her so smart! Grandpa Pack and Grandpa Turano...The first picture is of Brooke and Will with Grandpa on his birthday, Dec.29th this past year. The other picture was taken this past  weekend when we were visiting KC, MO to see the Turano side of the family. Brooke was enjoying sitting under the piano as Grandpa Turano played. She said that the sound was perfect down there, and she tried to get Will to join her, but he was too busy to take in the art at the moment..

Our painting Date

Brooke and I had a mommy/ daughter date a few nights ago where we went to a painting studio. Upon appointment this painting studio gives instruction on different methods and strokes of painting. Brooke absolutely loved this activity, and I realized that I don't have the patience for painting, because I do enjoy being creative, but I normally like to kill two birds with one stone, so if I can be creative with food, or especially cake, then I get to eat it too!!!!

Brooke actually has a talent in art. Just like her Dad who would spend hours drawing cartoons, in hopes to someday sell them. The teacher in our painting class offered to let Brooke into his summer painting classes, even though she is younger than the required age. He said that she had a knack for it and follows instructions very well.

She is looking forward to taking some additional classes!!!

During our one on one time Brooke told me all about the books she is reading in school. Because she finishes her work early she is able to get her book out of her desk and read a lot of the day.  She finishes a book every couple days at least, and she even forgets that it is recess when she is so into her book. She says they go straight into indoor recess sometimes and that her teacher has to tap her on the shoulder and tell her it is time to go to lunch because she read through recess. Sounds like something I would do getting into my tunnel vision ;) Brooke loves to read!!! and even in her date with me she wanted to tell me all about the books that she is reading!

              Of course Brooke chose to paint a cupcake because like Mother, like daughter....
 We love sweets!!! It's too bad we got done painting so late..nothing was open on the way home to stop and get a cupcake to eat...

TEXAS HOEDOWN

 Will got to dress up like a cowboy at pre-school last Thursday! He was loving wearing his hat to school, and going with the idea that he was going to a real Texas hoedown that day! In Will's class they have been learning about what Cowboys do. Will has made it clear to me a few times in the past couple weeks that he does not want to be a cowboy when he grows up. He says, " Mommy, I am just not Woody, I don't like cowboys, I am Spiderman. When I get big, the spider will bite me and I will take Spiderman's suit. "

 I am really crossing my fingers that this whole Spiderman obsession does fade out at some point, otherwise the Pack family might have to start going to Universal Studios as our family tradition versus Disney World ;)

 

              We all love living in Texas, so hearing these little toddlers sing about Texas is really sweet. 

        They told us all to put our hands on our heart as the kids sang the Texas song. Will aimed a little high and put his hands on his throat!!! At least he tried ;)

They sang: " I love the state where I live, and Texas is it's name-o. T-E-X-A-S, T-E-X-A-S, T-E-X-A-S, Texas is it's name-o.

Second Grade Living Museum

Brooke came home about a month ago and said she had to dress up as someone famous for a project in school. She said that she chose a runner because she thought I was a famous runner, but she had to chose someone black, so she couldn't chose me, but she chose Jackie Joyner Kersee instead.

I was so surprised that Brooke considers me a runner still, even though I can't even run anymore without my neck hurting. Brooke is so sweet that she wanted to chose me as someone to do her report on, and that she remembered all my medals she saw me win when she was probably two years old.

Brooke came home after telling me this and went to the drawer where the medals are put away. She was excited that she would have a chance to wear them at school.

Brooke and I talked about the way people win medals, and how I spent a lot of time practicing running before I went to those races. We also talked about how I am glad I don't spend that much time running anymore, because now I have time to do other things that her and I both know are more important.

Brooke did an amazing job at the living museum that the Second Grade put together for the parents to come too. Brooke had to memorize a biography about Jackie Joyner Kersee, whom was the first African American woman to win the gold four times in a row. The parents of all the children walked around the room and pushed a sticker button on the child's desk and listened to them tell about the famous person that they were representing.

Brooke was not shy at all in her performances. Brooke also had her whole biography memorized, and did not even have the report she wrote on her desk, like most needed to use.

Brooke showed great responsibility as she took it upon herself to memorize this every day after school. I didn't even tell Brooke to work on memorizing, she just went to her room and would practice saying her speech over and over.

Brooke continues to be such a hard worker and I am glad that she knows she doesn't need a medal to know that she did something well! But, she has character enough to strive to do her best at everything, even when no one is prompting her, or reminding her.

Brooke is such an amazing individual, and I feel thankful that she looks up to me as her Mother!