Now 16, he's been happily enrolled in gifted programs ever since. A gifted program could provide just that, she thought, without the financial challenge of sending him to a private school where he might receive more individualized attention. She felt that Ryan was bored and unhappy in school and needed a change. Janette Boik decided to go ahead with the testing for practical reasons. She thought that Ryan was most likely high-achieving, not gifted, and she advised against testing. His first-grade teacher urged Ryan's mom, Janette, to have her son tested for giftedness- but by the following year, when it came time for the testing, Ryan's second-grade teacher disagreed. He also frequently asked in-depth questions and was reading at a fifth grade level. As the other 6-year-olds gathered around, Ryan proceeded to explain the principles of aerodynamics and to describe the differences between the way helicopters and airplanes fly.Ĭlearly, Ryan, who lives in Northville, MI, understood some advanced concepts. In first grade, Ryan Boik brought a toy helicopter to school for Show and Tell.
