Hi OhElizabeth, he's in ps and has a 504 in place which provides extra time for testing. School will be out at the end of the month. We're new to all of the vision issues and I am trying to learn as much as I can. I just received an accommodations recommendations letter from the doctor after I posted. However, I'm still interested in hearing what's worked for others. I am wondering if pen/pencil tests vs. computers along with larger font is helpful. He's a bright boy who has always done well, read at a high level and never struggled in school. This year has been horrible with fatigue. He comes home looking like he's run a marathon and has headaches. He's reading less, takes longer to do work that is actually not hard for him and writing has become challenging. He has notebooks filled with writing from first grade and his handwriting has always been extremely neat- it's not as neat anymore. His self esteem has plummeted this year because he couldn't understand why he couldn't keep up with his peers. His vision is 20/20, but now we know about the other visual impairments.

Hello, our DS11 was just diagnosed with convergence insufficiency and occular motor dysfunction. We have not started therapy yet, however, the vision center was able to provide a letter with recommendations for accommodations. Can anyone share what accommodations have been helpful with your children with these issues? Also, is paper/pencil testing better than computer testing for kids with these issues? We are new to all of this and would greatly appreciate some perspective before making school requests. Thanks in advance!!

Our DS is in a charter school (K-8) that uses Math In Focus. He will be going to 6th grade next year. Can anyone share their thoughts on MiF for the middle school years? I believe the courses are called Course 1, 2 and 3? We will be attending a ms specific open house soon and I'd love some insight, so I can ask better questions. Thanks so much! Carol

I agree....I'm really excited that they are trying to provide options. We're not really concerned with standardized testing for math. Our concern is more that when he's a 4th grader, he will be forced to take 5th math and science together and the testing load is pretty big....reading, separate writing exam for 4th graders, math and cumulative science test (and he would've skipped science 3). We're in Florida and the standardized testing is high stakes. This county has held back gifted kids, with A report cards because they didn't pass the language arts standardized test in 3rd. I'm not concerned about that with my son for 3rd, but just trying to give you an idea of how crazy it can be. We hate being forced to accelerate more things than what he needs. His need is math. Shouldn't be this hard. [emoji853]

We've tried EPGY on our own and he didn't respond. We have Beast Academy and he enjoys it. However, I believe they want something online. I'll look into eIMACS. Thank you!

Thanks everyone for the feedback and perspective. We're asking for further clarification, but you've given me some additional things to consider.

Our DS7 is in 2nd grade and is in need of math acceleration. We were approached by his teacher and principal and told that they'd like to move him to 3rd grade math. This is based on their assessments. He is a kid who loves math and is ready for a challenge. He's been needing/wanting it for a long time. We were presented with the following 3 options, which I'd love your feedback/suggestions on...... 1) Independent learning of 3rd grade curriculum via Study Island. Potential issue: he's the only one doing this so it would be lonely 2) Go to the third grade class for math. This option has the following issues: a. They departmentalize in 3rd grade, so the the math/science block is from 12-2. His specials (art, music, PE) time runs to 12:35, even if they shorten his specials time, he would miss the beginning of the lesson. (We are seeking more information of breakdown between math and science instruction) b. He would have to take the state standardized test for math this year in (Feb) I believe. c. His maker space and STEM lab time is once a week at 1:00pm which would be impacted. (We are going to ask how they would solve for this.) 3) Go to third grade for math and science (so he's essentially a second grader for Language Arts and 3rd grader for Math/Science). Potential issue: a. He will have to take 3rd grade tests for science. He does well with language arts......but it takes it to a new level with comprehension, etc.... And accelerates state testing for science. **For both options 2 and 3 he would "run out" of math in 5th grade at the elementary school. The virtual option available today is standard and not the accelerated class he would take if he were selecting that class as a 6th grader today, there would be no transportation to the middle school. Background: -Our son is gifted and loves math. He learned the multiplication tables at age 5 when his brother was learning them for 3rd grade. He's been wanting "more" for a long time and teachers have struggled to provide it since pre-K. -He is on the wait list at a gifted charter school where they deal with subject acceleration in a much "cleaner" way. He is not forced to miss out on specials or forced to accelerate other areas just to get what he needs in math. There is a high probability that he will get in next school year. While we are excited about the opportunity to get him engaged with peers and more challenging math, we are concerned about what he needs to do to get this. The acceleration of state testing, the shortening of specials, etc.... feels like a penalty to us. And it all may be for not, if he gets into the school that can easily accelerate math as a single subject. Can you think of other things we can ask for if we choose option number 1......another type of math, challenge, etc.... Thanks in advance!

We are new to homeschooling. I have a very mathy kiddo (age 6) who is reading pretty well. However, he does not like reading out loud and sort of "eats" his words. He struggles with verbalizing comprehension because he just wants to do everything fast. I like the idea of FLL and how it talks you through the grammar piece slowly, I want him to think through the process. I also like the sample of WWE. I'm drawn to RLTL because it will take care of reading, spelling, phonics (I think).....which he still needs. Is there too much overlap in these programs? I'm questioning whether I should just do something more workbook style for some of these since we are in unchartered territory. I can't seem to "see" what I need to do..... and am feeling a little paralyzed by the choices. I'd appreciate any insight. Thanks in advance!

kand does RLTL cover spelling and phonics? I'm trying to figure out if I need a separate phonics program. Thanks!

Thanks so much Targhee....that's good advice. I've checked the curriculum list for the potential new school and have the standards already. What makes it tacky is that their LA approach is different as it is integrated into other subjects vs. how the district ps do it. So I'm shooting for getting the standards covered even though through different programs. I am nervous!

Hello everyone, We have decided to homeschool our DS6. He was accelerated to 2nd grade and it has not been a great experience (see link below). He is reading well, is a good speller and advanced in math. I want to ensure that he continues to solidify reading skills and I want to really focus on writing, summarizing, etc... From my research, I'm leaning towards FLL/WWE, however ELTL seems interesting as well. I also see that CLE is an all in one that includes spelling. I'd love to hear thoughts on what might work best? (Thanks to everyone who answered on my previous thread.....and suggested I repost with new title. I'm fairly new to posting in forums. :) ). I want to mention that we may return to school next year...in case that matters at all in terms of the suggestions. There is a school that does acceleration of subjects (which he needs for math), they teach reading/writing with a literature based program vs. basal at current school, they also incorporate lots of creativity, have interesting clubs, sports and it is small. If we get in (lottery), we really want to give it a try. Thanks in advance for your time and insight. http://forums.welltrainedmind.com/topic/579327-struggling-with-grade-acceleration/

We have decided to homeschool our son. To say I am nervous is an understatement. We are tired of him not getting what he needs. Our "plan" is to try and get in to a school that has a better suited model model for him and has no issues providing subject acceleration. It would not be until next school year. Here are some questions I have...what should I use for reading/phonics/writing/spelling....essentially language arts. He is reading well and getting better...He can read MTH books (the early ones) in one sitting and others like that. He also reads Beast Academy for fun. He is not super advanced but doing very well. His school pushes phonics a lot and I don't see them having fun with actual reading. It seems that only the really advanced kids get to do Reader's Theater....he is stuck doing phonics drills. I want to give him a strong foundation in writing. He really enjoys spelling and is good at it. Given that he may be going back to school next year....what do I use. It should be easy to implement since I'm new to all of this. Thanks so much!!

Oh my goodness Hunter........your note struck a chord with me. This is absolutely what I feel we have done. Put a target on his back. That expresses it so accurately. :( I do feel he is being asked to do things that are not developmentally appropriate. We also thought we could advocate for him and it feels like we made things much worse. I'm worried about what we are affecting in the long term. While homeschooling is not ideal for us financially, it may be something that we have to strongly consider now. I am tired of having this awful feeling in my stomach.

Thanks everyone for the amazing input. I appreciate all the suggestions and am saddened by how many of you have experienced similar issues with your children. It's heartbreaking. He does have an official grade skip and I'm afraid of what it would do to his confidence to go back to first grade, at least at that school. All of the testing indicates that he has the tools for second. However, it appears that the model, is not a good fit for him and I would much rather he be back in first with a great teacher and receiving math acceleration. Especially since we are in a high performing district that seems to accelerate things in preparation for what is coming. I suspect that all the computer work is preparation for standardized testing that begins in grade 3. Part of the initial issue was that his first grade teacher was not being supportive either. She questioned the need for math acceleration even though he came in to the school having been tested and then the Iowa Acceleration Scale and tests clearly showed that he was way beyond level in math. In the first week, she asked what math was and he answered 7 x 5 = 35 (he loves multiplication) and she told him they do not do that in first grade. He came home dejected. He had two bathroom accidents in one week....he was humiliated. They were not allowed to have a snack, even though the other classes did....that eventually changed. There were also other incidents that clearly showed some passive aggressive things going on. He was coming home saying that he was not good at this and that and just not happy. We were not willing to stay with that teacher for the rest of the year. And because they painted such a great picture of the new teacher, we went with it. Unfortunately, he is expected to do lots of work independently. They do lots of work on the computer. They do quite a bit of writing......even the reading comprehension passages, require answers in full sentences. While he does not struggle with the physical part of writing, he did not have a year's worth of practicing writing sentences and paragraphs and is now being expected to do it, without much support. Some of the assignments I've seen have 2 pages front and back of reading and then two pages of questions. This is just too much for him to do on his own. His reading is on level, however, he is still learning to pick state main idea of a passage when it's entirely on his own vs. choosing from answers. He wants to just tell me all the details, summarizing is hard. I know that some of this is developmental. I am trying to help him at home, however, he is exhausted at the end of the school day and doesn't want to do too much. And then he wants to do math at 8pm!! We specifically asked what we could do to help and we were told nothing, that he would be fine. We know that he is not fine. I feel like he is doing school under stress and constantly worried about having recess pulled from him. They probably have no idea because he is a teacher pleaser, but the stress is very real for him. We are new to the school and had we known that the class worked like this we wouldn't have done it..... We are waiting to hear back regarding a meeting to discuss how things are going. At this point, I don't even know what to hope for. Thanks again for all the suggestions.

Sorry so long......... We have a 6 year old who loves, loves numbers and always has. During his K year, the teacher provided challenge and he was given grade 1 math curriculum. This wasn't enough challenge, however, she did some other things to keep him busy. Since we were at a STEM magnet school he had other really enjoyable things like planetarium, math lab, computer lab, etc...for specials. In addition, this school does a lot of special things in K. So he had a good year. We moved to another part of the state to a high performing school district and enrolled in the local school. When we approached the 1st grade teacher with the letter from his old teacher and end of year math test for grade 1 (it is for the same curriculum and he passed it with a 100%) and asked for more challenge for him, we were met with resistance. A decision was made to give it 6 weeks while she assessed, etc... Even though we were just asking for math acceleration, administration assessed him globally....which was fine. He was given the Iowa Acceleration Scale and his scores fell into the category of Excellent Candidate for Acceleration. The psychologist remarked that he was doing impressive mental math....partial product in his head and doing math like a 4th grader. It was a relief to hear that someone else saw it and recognized it. It's not us drilling math facts into in. Based on this they all recommended acceleration to 2nd grade with a teacher who does things very out of the box. We agreed. Unfortunately, the result has not been what we had hoped. He is struggling with writing, which is the one area that he tested average in and we knew he would need support in. The teacher does not seem to be doing anything different to help him transition. He is having a hard time completing assignments and then has to stay in for recess because of it. He says he doesn't always understand what to do and when he asks, he is not being helped. In addition, they seem to do a great deal of their work on the computer and there is lots of phonics drill. He is actually doing quite well memorizing all the rules, however, I don't see anything fun going on with reading. He had to type a paragraph out the other day in order to make grammatical corrections to it for an assignment. This was not easy for him. As a 6 year old he is not a skilled typist. When we had a meeting after the first two weeks, it was obvious that the teacher was not fully briefed on him, which was disappointing. In addition, we were asked to back off and put ownership on him to figure things out. He comes home exhausted and unable to engage in homework until it's bedtime. It's like he needs that long to decompress from the day. The other night he sobbed to sleep...which broke my heart. He was too tired to complete an assignment, but was afraid to not have it done...even though I told him it was okay. This child loves to learn, used to like school, is not a behavior problem, loves to be a teacher helper......and on top of it all he is not getting the math challenge he wants.....which was the whole reason we ended up in this position. We are going to have a meeting next week. However, I feel that if this is just the way the teacher teaches.......very accelerated and computer heavy, then it's not going to be a good fit for our gifted yet only 6 year old 2nd grader who loves math, geography, reading, painting and talking about interesting things. We were so....excited about this opportunity, as was he...I feel like we set him up for failure. He is sad about school and asking to come home.....and we are considering it. Has anyone else, been in this type of situation before? Thanks for reading this long message.