Nope, not nuts! We're getting ready to start AoPS Pre-Algebra with our 2nd grader (she's doing 5th grade level stuff now). I just ordered the book from Amazon today so it should be here next week :) She's always up for a challenge and has been asking for another math program (she uses EPGY, which we still really like). We figured we'd go ahead, give it a try, and fill in any missing spots if needed! If it's too hard, no harm. We'll just set it aside for a bit and go back to EPGY for a little while longer.

We love EPGY! Our 7yo does their independent study math program and is currently doing 4th grade level work. She's been using the program for about a year now. Her school isn't able to accommodate her accelerated learning pace, so this program has been a godsend. We did decide that once she finishes 5th grade math work on EPGY that we'll switch to AoPS and hire a math tutor to meet with her one on one. (My husband works at a school and is friendly with a lot of the math department). We're on the fence about whether or not to keep her at her current school, so it's possible we'll be homeschooling full time next year. But EPGY does offer a comprehensive, complete math program and I really love the reports and grade level tracking.

We send both our kids (6 and 7) to a French language immersion school. We highly recommend language immersion! Our 7 year old is nearly fluent and both are reading grade level or above in both French and English. School provides no English instruction, so that falls on us at home. So far it hasn't been a problem. Lot's of library trips, and every evening the girls spend at least 30 minutes reading. I just picked up a thick phonics book to use with our 6 year old (she's reading well but is having a hard time sounding out some words). We're having other issues with the school (not related to immersion) and are unsure if we'll be returning next year. If we do decide to keep the girls home or send them to another school we will definitely hire a tutor so they can keep up with their French. I do think the kids who receive extra learning at home are the most successful, but it doesn't sound like that will be a problem at your home :)

My daughter (7) is going into the 2nd grade at a public charter school. We provide all of her math instruction at home, as the school isn't able to meet her needs. We use EPGY K-7; about 20-45 mins per day. She has completed 1st-3rd grade work since this April. She's starting 4th grade math now. At her current pace, she'll probably get through 4th, 5th, and maybe part of 6th before the school year is over. Our school has been completely fine with it! They've even offered to allow her to work independently at school on one of the classroom computers (although we prefer for her to do it at home so we can be available for questions). It helps that our Head of School spent most of his career as a gifted education specialist. It is also an IB school which I feel allows some more creativity in curriculum planning. It's interesting though...her teacher was a little uncomfortable at first (I think she felt like we thought she was "failing" somehow). But once she realized that our kid really did have special needs that couldn't be met in the classroom, she was more open. We originally approached the teacher. She was unsure, so we made an appointment with the Head of School. He said "no problem!" and took our word. No need to show or prove anything. I did email progress reports to her teacher during report card time (EPGY provides amazing reports), but other than that, we just handled everything at home. I would still suggest compiling a file folder with test scores, sample work, IQ scores, etc. Basically, anything to "prove" the regular classroom can't meet his needs. We have one, but luckily haven't needed to use it yet. I'm comfortable teaching our daughter up until college algebra, but after that we'll probably enroll her at the local community college for on-line math courses. Granted, we have several years before that happens :) Our local high school allows students to enroll part-time in the community college or local university and earn dual credit. It might be worth it to see if this is an option in your district!

Okay, so my husband and I were talking last night and I think we came up with a solution. We're going to keep her in 2nd grade for next year, but have her go to 4th grade for math, continue her gifted pull-out program, and also continue after schooling. The 2nd grade teacher who we're pretty sure she is going to have is in charge of the gifted pull-out program and has a great relationship with our kid. Academically, I do think the 3rd grade curriculum would be a better fit BUT I just found out 2 out of 3 of the current 3rd grade teachers won't be returning next year (and I'm not crazy about the one who is staying). Obviously, if it's not working we can always re-evaluate, but if that's the case we'll probably think long and hard about making homeschool work.

I've heard this too but our experience has been the opposite! My daughter is strongest mathematically and in logic, science, etc. She's going into 2nd grade this year and has just started reading with fluency (went from early 1st grade reading level to 3rd grade level in the past 4 months). But is working at the 4th-5th grade math level, and is OBSESSED with science documentaries and videos geared towards adults. Her good friend (boy/ also gifted) is strongest verbally. But whereas my daughter is pretty flexible and able to (mostly) fit-in to her grade level (with subject acceleration in math, and a pull-out program 3x per week), her friend has a much harder time. Next year he'll be attending a self-contained class for kids who are gifted. He's also "twice exceptional" (gifted plus learning disability). I would be curious to see if there is a correlation between gifted boys and LDs (may explain why gifted boys seem "less mature").

I bought my DD7 the American Girl book "The Care and Keeping of You" and she is now OBSESSED with puberty. The other night before bed, she was examining her chest and stated rather matter of fact "Mom, I think I'm in stage two now." (as in Tanner stage). Then the other day she found a tampon in my purse: "Mom, would you mind if I took apart this tampon and examined it?" Ha! I let her of course but...Ov vey.

Hmmm... my oldest daughter is 7 and gifted. She is very mature for her age and prefers the company of older kids. But she also has a hard time regulating her emotions. She has meltdowns at the drop of a hat, usually prompted when things don't go as she planned (she has a big perfectionism problem). She has a hard time fitting in and relating to other kids her age. A good friend of hers is a boy the same age, also gifted. Even though they are both gifted, they are so different! He's a bit immature for his age, but very advanced academically. Also has a hard time fitting in socially and is quite a "show off." I love him, but he has a tendency to brag about his skills which can be a bit off putting to other kids. I don't really believe it's a boy vs. girl thing though. I think every gifted kid is different.

We decided not to do any camps this year. Our kids school has an extended school year model, so they only get 8 weeks of break. It goes so fast! 1st week they're out we're headed to the Gulf for vacation (so excited!). Academically we'll continue EPGY math for my older daughter, LOF for both girls, dictation/copy work and journaling exercises, and lot's of reading. We usually stop by the library 2-3 times per week, and have memberships to all the local places (zoo, art museum, children's science museum, botanical gardens, etc.). Also, plan to do lot's of park and pool visits :) My girls attend a French language immersion school, so I may hire one of our bilingual friends to tutor the girls once per week. They'll be in 1st and 2nd next year.

The nice thing about testing is that it gives you the "proof" to get her into special programs, camps, etc. Our local community has an awesome gifted camp that requires IQ and/or test scores. Since not all gifted kids test well, IQ scores are helpful. We decided to test our daughter after we noticed her becoming disengaged with school. After observing her in class we were shocked that they were teaching things in 1st grade that she had mastered in preschool. Her teacher also began complaining that she wasn't working well in groups (that she would get frustrated with kids who weren't working at her level). So for us it was a matter of advocating for additional services. Even though we definitely knew she was gifted prior to testing, this reassured us that: yes, we should be advocating for more services! We now do a combination of afterschooling (math, reading), regular school, and gifted pull-out 3 days per week.

I really appreciate you sharing your experience. I had a serious bout of post-postpartum depression after my 2nd was born. Never suicidal, but I couldn't function for months. It was bad. My daughter is really, really sensitive. Even though she doesn't fit in all the time with the kids in her grade, she does know them all and feels comfortable. I worry that if we bumped her up she would replace her academic boredom for complete social isolation. Sigh. My husband is dead set on her skipping. But he's really only considering the academic portion. I'm going to share your story with him tonight. Thanks!

Ideally, we would home school full-time (pretty much have daily fantasies about it). I'm currently getting my PhD though... the summer's I am around, but during the school year I take classes and work as a graduate assistant. We could *potentially* make it work by hiring a part-time nanny during the times I have class and need to be on campus. But money is super tight, I'm not sure if we could swing it :/ Plus my schedule is pretty packed with research and school obligations. I also have a six year old and one year old. We're busy to say the least. Our local district has fantastic test scores and is considered "one of the best." But I don't particularly like their curriculum and the culture doesn't match with our family values. I still may set us a classroom visit as soon as the new year starts. I wish I would have done it when school was still in session! I'm worried about bouncing around to school to school. We moved a lot growing up and I hated how often I had to change schools.

I was thinking about the whole college thing too-- even though it's sooo far away. Thank you for the reassurance!

Yes! We were thinking of hiring one of her teacher assistants to tutor once a week over the summer, and I'm sure we could find worksheets (I have an old French textbook around somewhere...). We're also hosting a French speaking intern next year. He told us that he doesn't mind helping with homework, which could be a huge help. We're also going to continue her math instruction which we do through EPGY, lot's of reading, and writing. It's interesting, she has a lot of "friends" in the sense that everyone likes her and is friendly. But as far as close friendships go, this year has been a struggle. She does Girl Scouts which she LOVES, but her Leader kinda hinted that she doesn't fit in much with the other girls. Her two closest friends won't be at her school next year (one is moving away, the other is moving schools). I think that would help a bit. It could be a fresh start, so to speak. But the idea makes her nervous.

Struggling right now with the decision whether or not to have our 7 year old skip 2nd grade next year and go straight into 3rd. She currently reads at at a 3rd grade level and is doing 4th grade math work (she completed all of 1st, 2nd, and 3rd grade math this year). She also goes to a French immersion school and is nearly fluent in French. Adding to the issue is that her school is an inner-city charter school, where most of the kids are performing well below grade level. We had her tested earlier this year and her IQ is in the highly gifted range. Socially, kinder was fine, but she now struggles with relating to the other kids in her grade. She very much prefers the company of older kids. Thankfully, she is tall and fairly mature for her age, so physically/socially she's doesn't seem out of place with kids 1 or 2 years ahead of her. She can be very emotional though, and has a hard time regulating her emotions at times. She gets frustrated easily, especially when doing group work in class (she loses her patience when kids aren't able to keep up with her; we're working on her being more patient and understanding). Her teacher's only concern is that she may struggle at first with the extra French (they cover a lot of vocab/grammar in 2nd grade). She also said that our daughter wouldn't necessarily be the highest achieving student in class anymore (something I think would be good for her! She's gotten into the thought process that school is really easy). Do any of you have experience with whole grade acceleration?? I appreciate any advice or stories you can offer!

Both of my daughters attend a French immersion school (kindergarten and 1st grade). It is an IB school that follows the PYP curriculum. My soon to be 2nd grade daughter reads at the 3rd grade level in English and is working at the 4th grade level in math. My soon to be 1st grader is right on grade level in both subjects. Their French is fantastic; my older daughter is almost fluent and is reading basic books. My younger daughter knows lot's of songs, phonics, numbers, etc. and is beginning to read sight words and simple words in both French and English. Our school is unique in that it is an inner-city charter school where more than half of our kids qualify for free and reduced lunch program. Test scores overall aren't great. We highly recommend immersion programs, but also spend a lot of time after school going to the library, reading in English, and doing math in English. Formal English instruction doesn't start until 2nd grade. I think the kids who have dedicated parents who put education first and spend lot's of time reading to their kids in English have the best experience.

I highly recommend EPGY!!! (Education Program for Gifted Youth: Stanford University) Our 1st grader is currently working at a 3rd grade level and loves this program. It's all web based, work at your own pace. Very rigorous and goes all the way up through Algebra. I love that it provides in depth reports for parents and is very reasonable ($135/10 months). Also includes language arts. http://epgy.stanford.edu/ Click on Parents---> Open Enrollment.

Our girls (kinder and 1st grade) go to an IB French language immersion school. 1st grader is gifted; we do all of her math instruction at home (she's a few grades above grade level; school wasn't able/willing to accommodate). Our daughter in kinder is also working a grade level above in math, so we give her supplemental math work. For both girls we also do English reading/ language arts since it's not taught at school.

I didn't realize until I went back to college at the age of 24. Growing up, I came from a very dysfunctional family who didn't value education (ironic, given that my mom was a teacher). I didn't begin reading until 2nd grade, but once I started, I never put a book down. I spent my teen years in the foster system, and have lived on my own since I was 17. When I did live at home, my mom would routinely tell me to "lighten up" and "not worry so much" when it came school and grades. I wasn't allowed to do school work until all of my household chores were completed. I also spent a great deal of time being a caregiver for my two younger brothers who have autism. As a kid and teenager, I didn't care much for school. I wasn't engaged and for the most part thought the material was dull and boring. I graduated high school with a 3.6ish GPA, but rarely showed up to school or handed in assignments my senior year. I don't remember ever studying really, but I do remember dropping or switching out of classes where the material didn't come naturally to me. I was a serious underachiever. Flash forward eleven years later, I have an Honors BA in Philosophy (summa cum laude from a top 100 university) and am starting my PhD in the fall (woot!). Unfortunately, I have a serious case of impostor syndrome, which I'm learning how to overcome. I think my biggest regret is not having a loving and strong support system from early on. Obviously, out of my control, but makes me sad nonetheless :( My husband is also gifted. He was never formally identified as such while younger, but at the age of 22 (without a college degree) was hired as the Director of Technology at a prestigious private high school. He's been there for over 10 years now and is known in the educational community as an expert in his field. He tends to ruffle feathers quite a bit because he's not afraid to go against the grain :) He's incredibly brilliant, but also suffers from the impostor syndrome at times (he's embarrassed he never finished college).

Confession: I rarely get the baby dressed in the morning; he's routinely in his pjs all day. Confession: I regularly feel like I'm FAILING my kids educationally. Totally irrational. They're learning and they're happy. I just worry and stress and always think I should be doing more. Confession: I'm officially "off-duty" usually by 8p. You can find me in my room, with a glass of wine, reading or catching up on The Mindy Project or 19 Kids and Counting (don't judge!). Thankfully, my husband is a night owl and has perfected the art of getting everyone to bed at a (relatively) decent time. Confession: I had to give up Girl Scout cookies for Lent because I was averaging A BOX A DAY when they first came in :/ Confession: I'm starting my PhD in the fall (big, big deal), yet I have this nagging feeling that I should just continue to stay home, have a 4th baby, and raise chickens in my backyard... we eat a lot of eggs.

My 7 yo daughter is also gifted in math. We currently use EPGY (Education Program for Gifted Youth) via Stanford University. All online. The nice thing about it is that it provides parents with detailed progress reports and includes algebra. You pay for either 5 or 10 month enrollment and kids can work at their own pace. Very reasonable too. Imo it's a little dry, but she seems to enjoy it which is all that matters :) We also just ordered Life of Fred books which she LOVES. I really like how it introduces kiddos to advanced terminology and concepts while building a solid foundation. Our biggest struggle is time. She goes to a language immersion school during the day, so all of her math instruction is done via afterschooling (we haven't been able to coordinate challenging math instruction at her school). Also- I would highly recommend (once he gets older) to introduce symbolic logic, mathematical logic (model theory, set theory), and game theory. These are higher level university courses but fantastic at challenging the mind outside of "normal" math classes.

Hello! I was just curious if any families send their kids to a French language immersion school? We send both our daughters (kinder and 1st grade). It is an IB charter school in an urban neighborhood. Very unique for where we live. Just looking to hear other parents perspective on overall successes or struggles. Right now the school is working for us, but we're constantly re-evaluating. The school is only 5 years old and is by no means perfect. We currently afterschool our girls-- math for our gifted 1st grader (school isn't able to match her needs) and English reading for both kiddos. We haven't really delved too far into English grammar or lang arts, but we'll probably start that this summer when we have more free time.

We decided to keep our daughter in 1st grade even though academically she is 2-3 years above her peers. Not the easiest decision... we continue to struggle with getting her challenging work. But she loves her friends, and we worry about peer pressure increasing with the older grades. Currently, we afterschool her in math at home (her strongest subject). She attends a gifted program at school 3 days per week for 45 minutes. She also attends an after school Book Club (reading enrichment) 3 times per week. Her school is also a French language immersion school (100% French instruction), so that itself is stimulating. Right now it's working for us!

We're struggling with being over scheduled right now.... My kids are exhausted and crabby most evenings. They are going back to school tomorrow after being on spring break this past week and I am DREADING it. School 9-3:30p, 30 minute commute each way. Our girls attend a French language immersion charter school. My 1st grader: Mondays: twice a month Girl Scouts from 3:30-5:30p Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays: Book Club (enrichment reading program) until 5p Fridays: hangs out during little sisters violin lesson Kindergartner: Mondays: private violin lesson (thankfully DURING school hours) Tuesdays: weekly Girl Scouts meeting until 4:30p (I'm the leader) Thursdays: after school sports club until 5p Fridays: group violin lesson until 4:15p We used to do gymnastics on the weekends, but decided to take a break from it. Weekends are usually pretty packed with play dates, bday parties, spending time with extended family, going to zoo/science center, etc. The commute is killing me. We leave the house at 8a and usually aren't home until 6p. We eat dinner every night together as a family (priority for us). So by the time we get home, make dinner, eat, homework, afterschooling work, we barely have enough time for baths and story.

Successes: - 3x a week trips to the library - weekend trips to science center, art museum, Magic House (local children's museum), zoo, animal sanctuaries, etc. - Science documentaries!! We're really loving Cosmos... - board games - dance parties in the living room For my gifted 1st grader: - EPGY (Education Program for Gifted Youth- Stanford University) math - Dragonbox - Lego Friends - Minecraft For my bright kindergartner: - Bob Books - Violin lessons (she fell in love!) - math flashcards - Leap Tag Not so much: - viola lessons for my 1st grader-- just not in to it - ANY school assigned homework (1st grader)-- doesn't match her abilities/ busy work - Math Kangaroo (1st grader)-- she loved the math aspect and getting the t-shirt, we just didn't prepare as much as we should have-- next year we'll prepare more