Fuzl Gifted
While many schools have some sort of “gifted” program, such programs are often quite limited. In Arlington County, gifted elementary math students sometimes get grouped together for some extra challenging questions. Unfortunately, such sessions are not frequent enough and don't bring the kids above grade level. By the school curriculum's design, there is no differentiation of math paths up through 5th grade, regardless of the student's potential. In middle school, gifted kids do take higher level courses at a quicker pace but, for truly gifted kids, even these paths are not challenging enough.
At Fuzl, we believe most gifted programs don’t even begin to test the limits of what our kids are capable of. Since our founding at the beginning of 2020, we’ve been experimenting with methods that truly challenge gifted kids. With just 60 minutes of extra time per week, our fourth grade gifted math group was able to do the equivalent of Arlington's math curriculum for fourth, fifth, and sixth grades. We've even had one student complete the equivalent of a full year of Algebra in just a few months. It required a high level of motivation and commitment, and in this case a math-a-thon or two, but such results are absolutely possible for capable students that fully utilize our services in combination with their own self-study and independent practice. These kids could be doing calculus in middle school and advanced college courses in high school (or spending that time taking electives they are passionate about).
The Fuzl Gifted program is an option on top of our Math Accelerator program. Gifted program students work alongside students in the Math Accelerator program, the schedule is exactly the same, and there is no additional cost. The difference is in how we teach, mentor, and challenge the students. So, joining the Fuzl Gifted program is really a statement of the student’s goals. If they want to do better and build confidence on grade-level material, Math Accelerator is all they need. If they want to excel beyond grade level and be challenged to their limits, Fuzl Gifted is for them.
If you have questions or are ready to join Fuzl Gifted, please contact us and we'll help you get started.