How to Write a Letter to Your Child's Teacher About Giftedness

Step-by-Step Guide

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   Step 1: Begin with a positive comment and thank the teacher for his efforts to date.

   Regardless of how frustrated you are with the previous lessons or lack of challenge in the classroom, it is essential to set a positive tone and let the teacher know you are not his adversary.
   
   Some possible initial lines include: "Dear Mrs.
   
   Smith:
   I am writing today to discuss my son, John Smith.  John has been working hard in the third grade, and is enjoying the literacy program in your classroom." "Dear Mr.
   
   Jones:
   My daughter, Alice Jones, is a student in your homeroom.  You may know her as Medusa, a role in the history play that she very much enjoyed."
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   Step 2: Offer a diplomatic explanation of the problem.

    If your child is bored out of his skull in class, it will not further your case to describe it that way.  Instead, try phrases such as: "While John does enjoy the several hours he is able to spend reading while he is in class, we are concerned that he may need additional challenge in math." "Alice has been able to consistently finish her homework while still in the classroom, and we believe she is ready for deeper and more difficult work."
   
    The teacher may be aware that your child is a quick study, but may not have realized the extent of his or her abilities.  Or, he may be perfectly cognizant of your child's breadth of knowledge or impressive processing speed, but may have chosen to set this information aside because his attention is otherwise occupied by other children in the classroom.  Remind him in a non-judgmental way: "Because John is quiet and reserved, you may not have realized that he scored a 135 on a recent IQ test.  He memorized his multiplication tables at age five, and reads algebra textbooks for amusement." "As you may know, Alice recently completed the WISC-IV test of giftedness, and was designated as Highly Gifted.  Because she is able to learn so quickly, she spends a lot of time without meaningful work to do."
   
    If your district offers only pull-out enrichment programs, do not request that your child be placed in an all-gifted classroom, especially as your first volley.  For example: "We understand that Main Street Elementary does not allow subject-level acceleration, but we would like to request an alternative.  Is it possible to assign John a mentor from an upper grade, or perhaps allow him to study the fifth grade math textbook independently? We would hate for John's enthusiasm for math to wane."
   
    This will make it more difficult for the teacher to ignore your letter.  Ask for specific return communication by phone or email. "Please give me a call at (800) 555-1212 to set up a time for us to get together.  I would be happy to bring John's independent math testing results."
   
   , "I look forward to your suggestions to enrich John's mathematical education." "Thank you for your attention to this matter."
   
    Be prepared to bring your case to the administration or the school board, if necessary.  More information on this is available in the sources of this article.
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   Step 3: List neutral facts about your child's IQ.

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   Step 4: Show an understanding of the school's policies and procedures.

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   Step 5: Request a meeting to discuss the details of your proposal.

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   Step 6: Avoid including any of the following elements in your letter: Long and detailed background information on the child's development Using the term "gifted" if you feel it will get you off on the wrong foot Rigid demands Denigration of the current situation; anger Comparisons to other teachers or classrooms Seeming to know the solution - sometimes this works better if they connect the dots themselves

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   Step 7: Wrap up as you began

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   Step 8: with a positive tone.

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   Step 9: Follow up in a week if you have not heard back from the teacher.

Detailed Guide

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