Mother lauds gifted school My fast-learner experience

When I first heard of Wayland Academy of Framingham, I heard it described as a "little known diamond". Little did I know then how true that was! Wayland Academy is private non-profit school K-6 for "gifted and academically talented" children. My son is now a second grader there who is very academically advanced for his age. I know parents of kids like my son search, sometimes nationwide, for a setting in which their child can thrive happily and still develop his/her abilities. Here, right in our area, such a place really exists!

Wayland Academy is a small school. Classes have no more than 15 students, often less. Specialists are provided for science, art, music, gym, Spanish, computers, and math. The very gifted headmaster, who has himself published entire programs on teaching reading, seems to have the ability to assemble a group of teachers who "get it" about gifted, highly gifted, and even profoundly gifted kids. The teaching is very individualized. Even the "slowest" students are working at least a year above grade level; while students who can are encouraged to soar ahead and are provided with a myriad of materials and support. While students are grouped K, 1-2, 3-4, and 5-6, it is not uncommon for students to read books or even receive instruction from the teacher of another grade level. The school's expert ability of meeting each child at their level has even raised interest from foreign teachers' associations. Recently, they were visited by a group of teachers from Korea who were hoping to learn how to best deal with advanced students.

Wayland Academy has been so encouraging to my son that he was spurred on to become a finalist in a national science competition. If I were asked, though, what the one best feature of the school is, I would have to say it is that the teachers are truly kind, and the children are taught to be kind to one another. Our experience has been amazing. The school has a website at www.waylandacademy.org

Linda, Natick
[Full name withheld by request]

[Question from KidsBoston.Com:] Did you or your son have experience with the local schools? If so, what happened to send you to this school? And what do you think is to become of kids whose parents can't afford the hefty price of a Wayland?

[Linda replied:] We had only a very brief experience with the public school system. It consisted of a pre-enrollment "evaluation and interview" a few months before kindergarten entry. It was blatantly obvious that the people I spoke to did not understand anything at all. They spoke the common cliche's about how they have dealt with many other students "like this". (Even though this would be statistically impossible according to test scores). I knew we were being patronized when I starting hearing that their own children were similar. At that point, I knew we had to seek out people who were unbiased.

As far as what happens to people who can't afford a Wayland Academy, I have several responses. First, of all this school costs only about half of the cost of other private schools.

Second, there really are some sources out there that will help very gifted kids, who can't afford it, get what they need. The Davidson Institute [in Reno, Nevada] is one of these. They helped us. And lastly, it certainly is not always the difference between public and private schools. My own brother, who was pg [profoundly gifted] and graduated college at 18 and med school at 22, attended public school. What really matters is the particular group of teachers and administrators at any given school. Some just "get it" and others don't. Some public schools may "get it," and some private gifted schools may not. It is a blessing when a hg [highly gifted] or pg kid gets matched up with a group of teachers that "get it," whether it be in public or private school.

Linda

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