It seems that if you homeschool, it is not needed to get a child tested until later. But, if you want a child to skip Kinder. you have to test them at age five. We waited until age 7:11 to test because we were waiting for the "leveling out" of third grade (as the saying goes.) Our child is adopted, so we counldn't rely on our genetics to predict how his brain works. I've read that IQ/Achievement testing is more accurate at ages 8 or so. It can be artificially high in the younger years.

Congrats to her daughter! As for what's next, I recommend an out-of-level test with a higher ceiling than the CAT offers, to clue you in to her abilities. I don't know her age, but the SCAT, EXPLORE, and the ACT are examples. Of course professional testing may be helpful too.

Classical Conversations uses the VP cards for timeline memorization.

You somehow got the email before the test results. I bet you'll get them in the mail today. Great scores! What grade is he chronologically in? -cc

please let us know how he did. My ds7.11 took the SCAT last month

thanks to all of you who responded. I am going to go with Alexfam's advice and move on to Abeka 5. Someone asked about testing... We just did the regular gamut when testing for giftedness and acceleration: SCAT, WISC-IV, WJ III. He'll take the Explore in the fall. We also plan to take the MAP test at a local private school. Hope that helps. The Hoagie site and The Davidson Institute are the best sites to find info on testing. hoagiesgifted.org/ davidsongifted.org/ hope that helps.

Sonlight curriculum might just be a perfect fit for you. Lots of good readers and read a-louds, detailed schedule, and easy to follow. We did SL first grade for early kindergarten, but you could look through the catalog for the best level to fit your needs. The catalog lists the reading level for each book, which is SO helpful when choosing books for precocious readers. It also has an advanced reader list that you could choose. The Sonlight catalog is a treasure to have in your hand when you visit the library or attend a used book sale. We have a rapid learner in our homeschool that also read fluently at 3. I suggest you don't try to hold your child back. Don't try to keep them in Kindergarten if they can move forward with joy and smiles. I tried to "do" Kindergarten for 6 months with my 5 yr old and he was bouncing off the walls. I didn't know it was boredom being manifested. During that time he said, "Mom, I want to learn history, I want to learn about all of the wars." We skipped ahead to first grade in language arts & math, added science, health, spelling and poetry, and started Tapestry of Grace for his history craving. He also started playing violin that year. This year we are doing another grade skip for him, moving from 4th to 5th. We are still loving TOG. It is perfect for bright kids. Hang on tight, we parents are just along for the ride with these accelerated learning kiddos!

you can register in Duke TIP but don't allow EXPLORE testing until fifth grade. However, they don't mean chronological grade (by age), they mean actually doing fifth grade work.

We are doing our second grade skip this year based on recent testing. He skipped Kindergarten and now we're skipping 4th grade. He is almost 8 yrs. old. We use TOG for History, Literature, Geography, Vocabulary, Worldview, etc. so it is so easy to accelerate using them. For math and Language arts, we are skipping the entire year and moving on to fifth. You can always change your mind or slow down if needed.

I am new to the GT world. My son has recently tested at least two grades ahead across the board. We finished breezing through Abeka 3 Math and now I know that Abeka 4 Math will be too easy for him to move to next. So, my question is: What is a solid, self teaching grade 5 Math text for a highly gifted 8 year old? I need to make a decision soon. Thanks!

I agree that if you can swing it, having two levels on hand is great. Sometimes my strong reader just wanted more... It was a joy to hand him a higher level book (that I had pre-read) and watch him dig deeper into a subject. I usually read the first chapter to him, and then he sits down and reads the rest. Blessings to you, Charity

That said, I have a strong reader who can handle the reading without me looking over his shoulder. TOG does an excellent job choosing age appropriate books. Just hand them to your Lower/Upper Grammar student; that allows me time to go teach my younger one to read. I've used it for two years with LG/UG student

My opinion is that pulling together is a much better solution than not. Those of us who have invested heavily in TOG want to see the re-designed product completed through Year 4. I will support Lampstand Press as much as I can, because when we come upon a break from school my 7 year old son pleads,"Let's not take a break from History, Mom." I do not think investing in TOG is any more expensive than trying many different curriculums or trying to create your own curriculum for each of the 6-8 subjects that TOG provides (History, Literature, Geography, Vocabulary, Worldview/Church History, Philosophy, Fine Arts & Writing.) We are all experiencing hard times right now. I am saddened that TOG has been effected so dramatically, but am grateful they are not giving up. They still have vision, so do I. -Charity homeschooling ds age 5 and ds age 7

My Mother-in-law, a successful public school teacher of 30 years, informed me that we all read by sight. We do not sound out words that we have read over and over. We remember it and say it. I was concerned about how quickly my 3.5 yr old was teaching himself to read without phonics instruction. (while still being a good speller) I later made him complete ABEKA grade 2&3 grammar just to make sure it stuck. He is 7 now and can read anything he wants. My 5 yr old is not quite so bright. But I feel free to let him master Pathway Readers before he learns every diagram. Stay consistent, stay motivated. You're doing great. -Charity