Schuyler

I have a niece who has been labelled learning disability by the powers that
be in her schooled life. Her parents are ashamed of that. They are ashamed
that she isn't as bright as her brother, who has been labelled gifted by the
powers that be. Their shame means that they don't notice that she is able to
remember the names of all the dogs that live in her village, who their
owners are, what their personalities are like and where they live. They
aren't able to see that she can tell you how to get from A to B better than
an adult is able to and once she's been and come back, she owns that route.
They aren't able to look beyond what someone else said she lacks to who she
really is.

Their son, who can be sweet and funny, is abusive to his sister in so many
ways. I don't think I've ever seen him be generous with her. He is lavished
with all of the educational opportunities that money can buy while his
sister was pulled from a decent private school to go to a state school
(public in the U.S.) as the money was wasted on her. She was bullied so
badly she is now at home being homeschooled while her mom counts down the
days tell she reaches the age of maturity.

I can solidly say that those things would be less bad if someone hadn't come
along and labelled one child LD and one child gifted. I can say that if each
of their gifts, the son's humor and affability and joy of all things Lord of
the Rings,, and the daughter's love of animals and amazing mental mapping
ability, among other things, had been honored and respected than they would
be less likely to be living in such a divisive household filled with misery
and impatient waiting for adulthood to arrive.

Schuyler
www.waynforth.blogspot.com
----- Original Message -----
From: "Vickisue Gray" <vickisue_gray@...>
To: <[email protected]>
Sent: Sunday, November 26, 2006 10:44 PM
Subject: Re: [unschoolingbasics] Re: Introduction


>I would agree that labeling is stupid as a rule.
> But I was under the impression that gifted was
> used for when a child did things way beyond
> the norm, like play a concerto on a piano at four.
> And LD was when they didn't reach milestones
> even on a slow level. (Signs to have them tested
> for hearing loss, poor eyesight, etc...)
>
> Vicki who is still learning....
>
>
> ----- Original Message ----
> From: Ren Allen <starsuncloud@...>
> To: [email protected]
> Sent: Sunday, November 26, 2006 4:51:44 PM
> Subject: [unschoolingbasics] Re: Introduction
>
> "ALL children are gifted. There is no "gifted range."
>
> Exactly.
> The "gifted" label is just as harmful as the "LD" label. It doesn't
> help you celebrate everything the child is today, and it doesn't
> make for a whole-life outlook on learning.
>
> Jalen couldn't talk until he was 3 years old, but at 5 years he can
> beat Halo2, a fairly complicated video game. I prefer to see him as
> Jalen. Not "behind" or "ahead" or anything but the child he is
> today. Same for all my children.
>
> I celebrate all of their learning, with no greater focus on any one
> kind of learning. Knowing your A,B,C's is no better accomplishment
> than learning how to fold a paper airplane. If it's important to the
> learner, then it's important.
>
> Jalen doesn't know his A,B,C's or how to read anything yet, but he
> just came to me and asked me what to feed the rats "because they
> don't have any food" and informed me he just filled their water
> bottle. He also informed me that he almost cut his foot by dropping
> a knife today while putting away dishes. When asked about putting
> dishes away he said "because I felt like it".:)
>
> This child has never been asked to put dishes away OR feed the rats.
> But he wanted to do it spontaneously today. His learning is at his
> own pace, in his own way and whether he reads at 5 or 15 doesn't
> earn him a label of "gifted" or "learning disabled".
>
> Ren
> learninginfreedom. com
>
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