How to get your 8 year old girl to pay attention when she already knows what is being taught?

I just came from a parent teacher conference at my daughter's school. She is in 3rd grade. Her grades are excellent 5 As, 1 B+. She got 2 Ns for listening and following direction. The teacher said this isn't a big deal because she feels the reason she is doing this is because she is too bright. She knows what is being taught and she shuts down and sometimes misses directions that are to add something that they are not currently doing but have done in the past. Anyone have any ideas on how to get this across to her that she has too listen even if she knows the information. She is extremely bright even the teacher has said so. Things do come easy to her as long as she listens. January everything is going to get tougher with getting ready for PSSA tests and curriculum, I'm afraid she may end up having lower grades because of this.

Parent Answers to "How to get your 8 year old girl to pay attention when she already knows what is being taught?"

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Has she been screened for GT? I think it is really almost impossible to "force" a child to pay attention to information they already know and understand. Can you talk to the teacher about giving her some more open ended challenges and projects so you know she is at least being engaged part time in the classroom.

I have a highly gifted son (2nd grade) that is being homeschooled this year because he was openly disruptive in class. He was reading and doing math several years ahead of grade level. His teacher did not have the resources to reach out to GT kids.

I'm sure if your daughter's teacher has noticed she is bright, that she is likely quite GT. Many GT kids can fall through the cracks and just be seen as behavioral problems.

Good luck!

kjur00, I actually was responding to your original question, but if it can help others, too, great! That book was mentioned by quite a few gifted groups that I belong to, when my child was younger. Not everything in it pertains to early elementary students, but it's been my experience that teachers are more likely to listen to other "professionals," and an author making suggestions is better received than a parent who might make the same suggestions. Unfortunately, whether a teacher is willing to read the book, and incorporate some of the ideas into her classroom, is another dilemma.

Thank you too healthy11. I think I might look into it for myself. I'm not sure if she is really considered gifted but she is definitely a very bright child.

Thanks again.

thanks healthy11,i will get that book.thanks for the information.

I'd like to recomend that you get Susan Winebrenner's book "Teaching Gifted Kids in the Regular Classroom" and perhaps give it to your daughter's teacher for the holidays ~ it has suggestions they can try to use to keep bright kids engaged in learning...whether the teacher is willing to use some of those strategies is another story. I'd also invite you to join Greatschools Gifted Group at community.greatschools.net/groups11537

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