Dealing With Stress In School

My daughter is enrolled in her school's gifted program. She is displaying "stress-related symptoms" and "exhibiting perfectionist tendencies." If she doesn't feel that she can do something perfect, such as reading, answering a question or spelling a word, her eyes will well up with tears and she will begin moving about and messing with her fingers or her hair.
The teacher thinks that she is under stress and should be moved to a "regular" class. I feel she would be bored. She is having a problem with phonics and reading comprehension -- receiving a grade of 2 out of 3. What else should I do in addition to having her tutored on the weekend? -- Disturbed
Answer: You definitely need to help relieve your daughter's stress level. First, you need to find out exactly why she is having problems with phonics and reading comprehension.
Your daughter was recognized by the school as a gifted student. Her current difficulties in reading could be due to a learning disability. It is not uncommon for gifted students to have learning disabilities. Just putting her into another group is not necessarily going to change her stress level or improve her reading. Don't let the school move her back until she has been tested for a learning disability. If she does have a problem, the school will develop an individual education plan (IEP) that will provide her with the support needed to improve her reading.