On Wed, 09 Jun 2010 14:24:42 -0500, Ignoramus967
wrote:

My 9 year old got his report card scores today. His percentile rank is
at 99% in math, but only 92% in English.

I think that he can do better than than on English. I got 90% on GMAT
verbal part, after just one year of living here, and he's lived in the
US for 9 years, out of which he spoke English for 6 years.

My question is how do we improve his English,
snip
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Lots of good responses, but some items to consider.

(1) He is 9 years old and is the top decile [92%]. Most
likely he can't sing grand opera, nor run in hundred yard
dash is less than 10 seconds either. Rather than worry
about his "low" English scores, be glad of what you got.

(2) What is the significance of the 92% in English. Without
knowing the distribution of the other grades and what the
92% represents, it is difficult to reach any conclusion.
For all anyone knows 92% may have been the high grade in the
class or the school. Even if this 92% was on some sort of
standardized statewide test, the significance of 99% vs 92%
is unknown, other "than bragging rights."

(3) Why the concern about "academic trivial pursuit?" To be
sure a good command of written and spoken English [or other
majority/dominent language] is an asset, but when we examine
the pros/money players, i.e. public speakers, actors,
politicians, successful writers, etc. there are very few
English majors among them. Education should be a
preparation for life, not preparation for more education
unless the goal is to be a tenured professor teaching
English at university.

(4) Given his apparent knack for language, it may well be
far more useful for him as an adult to speak several
languages well [but not perfectly, what ever that means].
Thus an additional language, such as Spanish, may be far
more useful to him as an adult than "perfect" English.

(5) Recent research indicates that other skills such as
"social IQ" are just as if not more important than high
math/language skills for "success" in adult life. How is he
doing in the other areas, e.g. science, history,
interpersonal relationships?
http://blogs.bnet.com/business-books/?p=293
http://www.educationfutures.org/Social_IQ.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Social_intelligence
http://www.addvance.com/help/parents/social_skills.html
http://www.amazon.com/Raise-Your-Chi.../dp/0966036689

Given his progress to date, it appears that whatever you are
doing is working. Good luck and let the group know what you
discover (and remember he is 9).


-- Unka George (George McDuffee)
...............................
The past is a foreign country;
they do things differently there.
L. P. Hartley (1895-1972), British author.
The Go-Between, Prologue (1953).