r/elementaryschoolers

Is there any resource I can use for helping my son prepare for elementary level mental math with tips and tricks ? I dont find a lot of things online to prepare for mental math in general and even prepare for math league

My now 3rd grader didn’t get into the GATE program (this is in California). We found out about the test results at the end of 2nd grade and, while disappointed, didn’t really think too much about it. Our child has been “advanced” since starting school. We have constantly been told from teachers how far above grade level they are, how the teachers need to come up with special projects for them to make sure they are being challenged and basically how awesome of a student they are. Well, now that the school year has started, kids best friend got in to the special gate class and our kid is devastated. They have been in class together since the beginning and are both always the most advanced kids in their class. Best friend recently told my kid that their class is made up of the “smart” kids. So now I’m concerned that 1- my child now feeling like they aren’t smart when that has been such a point of pride for them (we of course praise their effort and curiosity over being “smart” but I’m sure they’ve heard it a million times from their teacher and peers). 2- I’m now concerned about their education! The school has all the gate kids sequestered in their own classroom of 3/4th graders. And while the school says that non gate kids will continue to get a rigorous education, it doesn’t really feel like that. For example, our kid has said the gate class started math instruction on day 1, whereas their class still hasn’t even started yet. Also, my kid has mentioned how the other class gets to work on special projects that the other classes don’t get to do. Last years teacher had a special study group for the more advanced kids that my child was in and now I can’t help but feel my kid won’t have the same kind of intellectual stimulation/challenge from peers in their current class. The gate class will be sequestered together from here on out all the way to highschool, so now I’m feeling like my kid is going to fall behind, which is ridiculous since these kids are only 8! And now I’m worrying that I haven’t done enough/I’ve been too relaxed about their education and I’m failing them. Anyways, I’m wondering if anyone else has had a similar experience and can commiserate with me and/or tell me I’m overreacting