Paradise Valley offers preschools for gifted kids
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The Paradise Valley Unified School District is offering something it believes is the first of its kind in the state: preschools for gifted students.
"We allow kids to learn at the levels that they're at, but at the same time, have age-appropriate settings," said Dena Brulles, director of gifted education for the school district.
Brulles said those settings include a science area, a place where kids can play in the sand and a technology center.
"We have, in the classroom, iPads, MacBooks, Chrome books and the students will also be able to learn a foreign language," she said.
Brulles said children have to score 90 or above on an IQ test to qualify.
"Gifted kids have different learning needs," she said. "And the school systems need to respond to those learning needs by providing curriculum instruction at the level where those students are."
Students do not have to live in the Paradise Valley school district to enroll in the program. Brulles said parents from all over the Valley are signing their kids up for it.
The program is limited to 40 students and there is a tuition.
One program began this week at Desert Cove Elementary School and the other will begin next month at Fireside Elementary.
Bob McClay, Reporter
