That's amazing! :iagree:

I don't know you, but your post made me want to give you a :grouphug:.

I was in a similar situation you're at now, 2 months ago. I am the LA major and DH is the engineering/math guy.What I did was 1-enlisted DH's help and charted out a math scope and sequence for the coming months. 2- lots of free math worksheets available over the internet. 3- the advice of the ladies on this forum helped A LOT. 4- I researched curricula and particularly liked Singapore Math and MEP. Hope this helps.:001_smile:

:iagree:

I don't know if my DD(6.4) corresponds with Ruf's level 3, but if I chart her current progress, she will complete 1st-6th grade (at home) by mid 2012. The academic year in India is from June-March. So she would take a little more than an academic year. Since she is home schooled, "officially" she will still be in her chronological age grade. (Acceleration in public schools isn't allowed in India) In my humble opinion, the speed of acceleration has more to do with the child's personality (intrinsic drive) than the IQ/level.

Excluding the bolded part, ditto for the scenario in India. Most of Asia/SE asia share similar values and beliefs.

Ruth articulated it better than I could've..and I agree with her 100%. I had all of the above 3 points in school. It took me one whole year to develop study habits in the first year of college--Task commitment and persistence. I homeschool DD too.

Tough question. IMO, smart =witty, presence of mind, not necessarily academic, bright with the ability to win people over and make friends. Talented= Natural skills enhanced by practice. Gifted learner= High IQ. Huge capacity for learning and fascination with (new) ideas, retains information, analyses it and draws inferences from it. May be intellectual. For eg- DD was identified as HG almost a month ago. Her thinking process is complex and multi-layered. We are Hindu's and one part of the hindu philosophy is the cycle of birth, re-birth. She has been fascinated by it for a year now - every now and then, she asks us things like- when an ant dies, is it re-born as an ant? Will you be my mother in the next birth? Will I still be who I am next time? What about people who're poor? After re-birth, will they be wealthy?...and so on. We have touched the philosophy of "karma" and "immortality of the soul". Since that didn't seem to answer her doubts, we are now reading the "Bhagwat gita".

:grouphug: Thanks a lot ladies..it helps to know that my DD will find friends and not feel so lonely.

Hoagies had completely slipped out of my mind..I did visit the site today..an eye opener. The psychologist did mention that DD's IQ is a "ballpark", and it could change, depending on her environment. Sorry, can't be of much help here. My guess is that since the WISC is an oral/verbal IQ test (for DD's age) and maybe DD's answers to the questions were a tip-off?..the Dr did mention that highly creative children are 'self-learners' and do well in an unstructured environment. We resisted testing initially, but don't regret it now. It gave us a window into her thinking process and some validation for homeschooling her (In India) ETA: DD is homeschooled for the past few months. The children who play with her are neighbors (not classmates), and yes, she does meet them everyday.

She's 6.

After a lot of reflection and some nudging from well meaning but worried grandparents, we had DD tested and the result was that she is highly gifted and highly creative. The psychologist used the WISC with an IQ ceiling of 150 and she specialises in learning disabilities and developmental disorders. So, she could not offer any guidance as such. We're also dealing with some emotional matters right now concerning DD's peers and their reactions to her abilities...whether it is her drawing ability/craft/etc.I had been observing that DD intentionally regresses (for eg- draws stick figures when she is, in fact, drawing lifelike pictures at home) when she is with her peers. After a lot of prodding from my side, it turns out that her "friends" have been ridiculing her for her abilities. I guess, out of spite or jealousy.:glare: DD also mentioned that this has been happening for as long as she can remember (Therefore, the underachieving pattern) FWIW, my DD is highly sensitive to the environment wrt non verbal cues, facial experssions, 'vibes' etc. At the same time, she is also mature and she understands that adults and children say hurtful things that they might not mean.. Any suggestions on how to guide DD so that she : 1- doesn't feel the need to "dumb herself down" to fit in with her peers 2- Develops self confidence and learns to discern constructive criticism from pettiness.. TIA!

Among many others, my anytime favorites.. Gone with the wind Anna Karenina Lord of the rings Jane Eyre Remains of the day To kill a mockingbird The kite runner Age of innocence Vanity Fair Animal Farm 1984 I read but once Atlas Shrugged Wuthering heights Potrait of a lady

:iagree: By trial and error, I'm taking the same route with my DD. She is simultaneously doing the abstract ( for eg: equations with variables) and the concrete ( for eg: method of multi-digit multiplication). It does get tricky at times trying to balance her strength (for complex problem solving) with her weakness (speed and accuracy) I insist that she do a few problems in basic arithmetic and supplement it with pre-algebra/Word problems. So far, so good.

Hi! Haven't really decided. I know DD is bright and learning is effortless for her..but *I* don't define a fast learner as necessarily gifted. For now, I'm sticking with calling DD an advanced learner. I keep her challenged with appropriate material. "Gifted" is a tricky and vague concept to define. I've read it as "making connections where none exist"..as a "thirst for learning" as a "maturity far beyond chronological age", "over excitabilities" etc etc. :confused: I'm in India where I come into contact with lots of children on a daily basis and across all ages. I see children who span the entire spectrum of intelligence. So, my opinions are from an entirely different perspective, relatively speaking. Quite likely. I do know that I don't find anything my DD does as 'far out'..but my inlaws, parents and friends do find her 'unusual'. And like you said, I see DD and remember my childhood...so it doesn't seem like such a big deal, IYKWIM. :iagree:Just thinking out loud ---I wonder if the advanced learners (early ages) and the late bloomers intersect at some point. Do the advanced/accelerated learners have the same learning trajectory even as adults? Or do they slow down and the late bloomers catch up?I'm hoping my questions will be answered as my DD grows.

that's awesome..thanks for the snap. Math is quantifiable and ability is easy to measure. How does one do that in other subjects. My DD learns 2 languages, apart from English. Those are (relatively) simple to track too, and I find it easy to challenge her in them wrt the curriculum. But, I find it tricky to do the same with science/history/geography. Right now, the output (writing, expressing) doesn't match the input, so even if she's not challenged, I have no way to know.

I love all the great ideas and tips.. DD teaching math to her toys, making small bags of 5 min drills, using math games..!:thumbup1: Kitchen timers are a great idea for getting children used to timed tests!. My DD hates them with a passion because she prefers taking her own time to do something and goes at her own pace. Getting her to complete on time is what we need to work on..among other things. That's my DD too. I would LOVE to see a picture! Thanks for this very important reminder.

Thanks for all the great suggestions! It helps tremendously to know that I'm not alone..:) A significant part of my problem is that I'm homeschooling my DD in a country where it is NOT the norm..and the education standards are set pretty high. I see my daughters friends (same age) diligently work through math drills, without complaining or whining about it. I suppose one could put it down to the Asian/Indian culture. I mean, I've been there, done that..it's drudgery for sure, but it's traditional and it *works*, iykwim. So, it's also a lack of confidence in my skills as a guide/teacher in a highly competitive environment that's causing me to second guess *everything* I'm doing with DD. :confused:

Thanks..this helps.

That's a great tip! thanks :-)

Hmm..you've given me a lot to think about. I think it's probably me, having studied math the conventional way, who is uncomfortable with the thought of 5 years of math running parallel to each other. :001_huh:.

Your DD sounds similar to mine. My 6 yr old is all over the place in Math so I mix up different math curricula for it to stay challenging. She does a mix of MEP (yr 3-7), Singapore challenging word problems (1 &2 grade), Math-U-See (beta/gamma/epsilon) worksheets, logic puzzles (sudoku), math games like magic squares etc.

Hi..It's me again I don't know if this is the right place for this thread.. Anyways, I need suggestions on instilling work discipline for an advanced learner. I haven't yet discovered what DD's learning styles are..it's just that she is NOT detail oriented and tends to skim over things 'she' considers trivial. Paradoxically, she can sit for 2 hours and persist in solving complex word problems in pre-algebra/pore over encyclopedias. So, I'm having trouble getting her to do activities that she considers 'boring' or 'not fun'. Like memorizing the multiplication table. Some level of automation is needed when one goes on to do higher math. Or doing multi digit subtraction drills. She knows how, but she doesn't care enough to gain mastery over it. Correct me if I'm mistaken, but I feel that she has to understand the importance of mastering the details before she moves on to the bigger picture. And scheduling formal study is getting to be a bit of a hassle. What kind of schedule did/do you follow with a 6 yr old?

I make a "Paratha" (among many other things) with pumpkin. A kind of flatbread that's roasted on the griddle. My DD loves it. I had Indian spices to it and it's just the right sweetness. But here's a few recipes with pumpkin that I use...they're yummy. http://www.foodieshope.org/2006/09/butternut-squash-waffles-and-indian.html http://www.sailusfood.com/2005/11/15/yerra-gummadikaya-kura-pumpkin-curry/ http://www.indianfoodrocks.com/2007/11/curry-that-pumpkin.html

How long has he been on synthroid and what is his dose? The reason I ask is...I've had a thyroid disorder since I was 10 (I'm 32 now). I was on 75 mcg of T4 between the ages of 10-20. I used to frequently miss my doses at that age...for the same reasons your son does..the routine of school and everything that goes with it. I recall that my memory was poor until I hit my late teens..maybe hitting puberty coupled with thyroid medication confused my brain...I would also get really sick if I missed my dose for 2 consecutive days.. for eg- blacking out (from low BP due to hypo)