Do any of you choose NOT to accelerate your gifted child?

[SoCal Sandra]

If so why?

 

I'm wondering which is the best use of the elementary years. If a child breezes through all his academics, is it better to accelerate for greater challenge and to develop his gifts now, or is it better to let him sample more things with the time he has saved by grasping things so easily?

 

Dss are 9 and have many, many interests.They have a passion for a broad array of things and so far I'm letting them sample many things. I know that some children find their "thing" at a young age and become very expert at it. I recall that the WTM mentions high school as the age to narrow and specialize, but it seems that many families I know have their children specialized by the time they reach Junior High.

 

Perhaps I'm a hopeless generalist. I still remember the torture of having to decide between an upper level math class and becoming editor of the high school newspaper, so I know academic and professional choices have to be made. But it seems that children have to make those decisions so much earlier now. Is there something new in the structure of educational options that compels specialization at a much earlier age? If there is, then for those who don't accelerate, have your children missed any opportunities as a result?

 

TIA!

[Mandy in TN]

My youngest ds does math through the Kumon Center. He enjoys his Kumon math and it only takes 15-20 minutes each day. He does do Kumon math year round 6 days/week.

He is accelerated, but I can't imagine having told my 3yo that he had played with the cuisenaire rods long enough and it was time to put them up and move on to something else.

We didn't push reading, because frankly he wasn't interested. I suppose I could have demanded that he stop math play and sit and read; however, I cannot imagine that would have led to an enjoyment of learning. OTOH, I did encourage reading by providing level appropriate materials and encouraging interaction with those materials. Last May when he was 5.5yo I began incorporating reading as part of our routine. By his 6th birthday in fall he asked to do Kumon reading as part of his b'day present. Now he has no trouble reading short chapter books like Stone Fox.

In other words, I am of the mind that, although the elementary years may should include certain subjects, children should be allowed access to materials that meet them where they are without pushing them ahead or holding them back. This access to on-target materials allows interest and enjoyment. OTOH, pushing can lead to frustration and lack of interest and holding can lead to boredom and lack of interest.

This is particularly true in the areas of math and reading. I must admit that for the time being I plan to use more or less grade level materials for science and social studies/history. Until he reaches high school level math or shows an interest in something specific I plan to keep science at grade level.

Social studies/ history I plan to keep pretty much at grade level and just go broader for maturity reasons. Also, history is a survey subject. You could spend many years studying the founding fathers and still not know everything about them. I want to allow him time to enjoy history instead of race walking through it.

What is difficult is to gauge the maturity of a child and how much they can handle without becoming distraught. For example, it may be counterproductive to the child's well-being to allow him/her to become obsessed with the Holocaust or the local news for that matter. Gifted children analyze and understand the implications, so exposing them to topics that are outside their ability for callousness (outside their ability of objectivity) can undermine their security.

 

So, my plan is to do history and science programs with little or no modification then allow ds access to the library where he can choose to take the topic deeper with guidance or choose to read about something else entirely.

Also, I lean toward Charlotte Mason education, so I am of the opinion that no matter how intelligent ds turns out to be he is still a whole person that deserves time to just be a child. From me he will receive short directed lessons and in the afternoons he will have plenty of free time to play and to discovery who he is and what he enjoys.

 

These are just my opinions and how we have chosen to address the needs of our ds. For many, many other different opinions, visit the accelerated forum.;)

 

HTH-

Mandy

 

 

 

[LisaKinVA]

It's a balancing act.

 

If you have a driven, goal-oriented, results-oriented child you aren't going to be able to hold them back without frustrating them to tears and causing much resentment and anger.

 

If you have a child who is happy doing the bare minimum, and has no interest in anything challenging, you're going to have to push a bit, regardless.

 

I don't know what extreme you may have, or if you have a child like mine that's kind of in the middle and can be either extreme on different days of the week.

 

I don't want to bore my child to tears through mindless repetition when it's not needed, or slow him down to the point of frustration out of some fear of acceleration -- but at the same time I don't need to push to radically accelerate if the child isn't interested.

 

So, in the end, we do accelerate -- but for the most part it's a child-led acceleration, not parent-pushed.

 

My son is entering the 5th grade. He's doing Chalkdust Math, Basic Math right now (he feels it's too easy, but I feel we need the practice time to solidify things before Pre-Algebra). He's a bit bored, but I'm focusing on developing a skill set (showing work, neat work, getting used to the Chalkdust style, etc.). He's learning, of course he thinks he knows it all, but what pre-teen, teen doesn't?:D He should start Pre-Algebra without difficulty early 2010.

 

In Literature, we'll be starting 6th grade LA this fall. It's a bit on the tough side, but not too tough. He's still making A's and B's. I plan to slow up a bit and start going deeper in a couple of years (7th grade). In the early years we went broader (more).

 

In Science, he's taking 6th grade Advanced Earth Science -- which will go deeper. We take our time, take some rabbit trails, do some extra hands-on and have fun with Science. Just because he could do the bare minimum and do multiple levels a year, doesn't mean we should.

 

I've been referencing my oldest, but I have five children, my school-age children are all accelerated learners in one sense or another. There's enough acceleration to keep them learning -- but like my oldest, we go deeper, or add more books.

 

In the end, I would simply say to meet your child's learning needs at a challenge level in the basic areas (math and language arts). Beyond that, follow your child's lead, even if it means using high school science materials occassionally.

 

But, there are some children who, no matter what you plan, will always want and actually NEED more. For those, they will find a way to accelerate themselves, even if you don't want them to.

[Laura Corin]

He has a lot of interests, including a strong wish to learn languages. I am happy that he is learning three at present and adding another in the autumn.

 

Laura

[momto2Cs]

Also, I lean toward Charlotte Mason education, so I am of the opinion that no matter how intelligent ds turns out to be he is still a whole person that deserves time to just be a child.

 

:iagree:

 

I don't accelerate my kids past their comfort zones at this point (ages 8 and 6), though they may choose to delve more deeply into things that might be a little over their heads. We do much of our work "on grade level". At times they work a little ahead, then they seem to naturally slow down again. Even without pushing, I know they are getting a good solid education, which shows itself at odd times when they remember and connect some fact to something else.

 

My 8 yo ds spends a lot of time reading through science encyclopedias, reference books, etc. In this, I would call him accelerated, but I don't demand it of him, so to him it is driven by curiosity and joy.

[Colleen in NS]

If so why?

 

I'm wondering which is the best use of the elementary years. If a child breezes through all his academics, is it better to accelerate for greater challenge and to develop his gifts now, or is it better to let him sample more things with the time he has saved by grasping things so easily?

 

Dss are 9 and have many, many interests.They have a passion for a broad array of things and so far I'm letting them sample many things. I know that some children find their "thing" at a young age and become very expert at it. I recall that the WTM mentions high school as the age to narrow and specialize, but it seems that many families I know have their children specialized by the time they reach Junior High.

 

Perhaps I'm a hopeless generalist. I still remember the torture of having to decide between an upper level math class and becoming editor of the high school newspaper, so I know academic and professional choices have to be made. But it seems that children have to make those decisions so much earlier now. Is there something new in the structure of educational options that compels specialization at a much earlier age? If there is, then for those who don't accelerate, have your children missed any opportunities as a result?

 

TIA!

 

I'm not sure exactly what "gifted" means here, but in my mind everyone has particular gifts. Having said that...

 

My son started reading at age 4.75 - he taught himself the WRTR phonograms on his own by listening to a tape and going through the cards over and over again. One day, he picked up a book and started sounding it out. He read the Chronicles of Narnia a few months later. He LOVES to read. He understands some basic alg/geo/trig/calc concepts, and explained to ME a few years ago what trig and calculus are basically about (I didn't really know) - he adores mathematics and loves to read about it. He has gotten lots of compliments on how much he "knows" from reading and how clearly he can explain things.

 

However. No, I've never pushed him in any of these areas. In fact, I had to take him backwards one summer because he didn't know his math facts well enough to go on to the next math book (we also didn't get off to a proper start in arithmetic study - I didn't know what I was doing back then). I try to just let him "be," and plod slowly along in other things I think he should read about and skills I think he needs to learn.

 

I've also not really gotten him involved in many "outside activities," mostly because of finances. But I'm sort of glad now that the restriction was there, because he has time to relax and "be" outside of his academic studies. I also feel to wait now til at least high school, before offering him some activity opportunities - it has become more important to me now to solidify his academic skills foundation and family relationships first. So far, I don't regret it, and hopefully won't later. I guess it's because I look back on my own life and see that I had lots of great opportunities in my late teens/early 20s, and know that he will, too. Opportunities don't cease with childhood. In fact, I feel for myself that after homeschooling, even *I* will have many more fun opportunities.

[Mom22ns]

My kids are gifted by IQ definition. One is highly gifted, one is in the genius range (by number). I do not accelerate them. They are on level in all subjects except reading where they read at very high levels. I couldn't stop that without taking away books.

 

That said, we are very CMish too. We delve very deeply into various interest areas. While I consider our history to be on level, my ds reads huge biographies from the adult section on people he is interested in. We delve similarly into science areas of interest. I have found it easy to feed their interest and desire to learn without grasping for materials that are specifically designed for higher grade levels. Now, when I choose a multi-age curriculum, I do always make sure that we are at the bottom of the span, not the top. Otherwise it would take too much work for me.

 

I have never wanted to accelerate math because I was accelerated in math and paid dearly for it when I reached upper levels of math at too early an age without the capacity to handle it. I much prefer to take math out of the classroom and curriculum and into the real world to deepen study and keep it fun and interesting at younger ages. That way my kids have stayed on a path for Algebra in 8th grade and I just keep stalling as much as necessary to keep them at that pace.

 

But that is just me.

[Dayle in Guatemala]

I let my child lead me. If she tends to get frustrated at some point (which doesn't happen often) then we stop and slow down a little. Right now she is working at least 1 grade level above in all subjects and 2-3 grade levels above in Math and Science. I don't push. She works at her own pace.

 

We are CM also. It works well for us and especially for her. She's very much a living book person. Also, the approach is her style.

[Mom22ns]

I actually forgot to tell you WHY I don't accelerate. I don't accelerate because I don't want my kids done with high school early. I want them to go to college at 17 or 18 and enjoy it with their peers. I don't want them to do it early from home or go early. I just think college is a great experience for a young adult and I don't want them to miss it or be rushed out into the working world. Why not enjoy being kids, then teens, then young adults in school?

 

That is the why behind what I do.

[lmrich]

some quick words to ponder that have been shared with me --- go deep not long. In other words let your gifted kids learn a lot more about a subject that interests them rather than speeding through everything. Education is not a race to the finish.

[JenneinCA]

I am radically accelerating my oldest, but it is not my first choice. Or second choice. Or third. Or fourth. It is my only choice.

 

I truly hope that I get another four years to homeschool my oldest, currently 10. She is extreme in thirst for information, in application of that information, in synthesis of that information. She is a learning and understanding machine. There is no way I can slow her down and no way short of denying her all access to the library, computer and tv to keep her at grade level. And I don't think even that would work. She will literally be beyond my ability to teach before reaching 17/18 years old. I could keep up with the math but not her true love of history and literature. And so I for now I provide her with the input to the best of my ability and stay out of the way. I am not pushing her. I am running at full speed to keep up... and falling further behind by the minute.

[Pamela H in Texas]

I think you can't help accelerating to a degree and that it is probably best to accelerate a good deal. However, by no means do I believe that linear progress is the only or even the best progress. I think there is a lot of benefit of going deep and broad as well. I would never deny a student those opportunities also.

 

But I don't think you can or should really hold a student back.

 

Educate the kid you have and don't worry so much about what will happen when the kid is 12 or 17. There are ways to handle just about anything, a few aways to handle things. Cross one (or more) of those bridges when the time comes.

 

If I could change ONE thing in the past 16yrs, it would be the above paragraph.

[Jill- OK]

...was "bumped" in 8th grade.

 

He's the child who's always been bright...but not particularly academically driven.

 

Until it came time for high school.

 

I honestly think that having a few simple requirements for him (age/grade appropriate) in his younger years, and then giving him time to explore his interests (and looking for educational opportunities to tie in with them) fed the desire to excell, and was the right choice for him, early on.

 

I've never been particularly keen on "challenging" my kids by giving them more graded work, according to my timetable/plan...I prefer for them to have plenty of free time, and I just try to "academize" (lol) their interests, and allow them to challenge themselves within those areas.

 

It's almost like keeping the basics on an age/grade level, and "unschooling" their areas of interest, and letting them zoom in those, if that makes sense.

 

(My up and coming second grader may be more of a traditonal "high achiever", who wants to do the next math book, learn a third language, etc., and if so, that's fine. I'd like to keep the approach of waiting to "declare" them formally advanced--for testing, etc.--until 8th grade, but we'll see. The above is only applicable to the first two kids, thus far, lol.)

Edited July 10, 2009 by Jill, OK
blatant "quotation mark" abuse

[Staci in MO]

I've never been particularly keen on "challenging" my kids by giving them more graded "work", according to my timetable/plan...I prefer for them to have plenty of free time, and I just try to "academize" (lol) their interests, and allow them to challenge themselves within those areas.

 

It's almost like keeping the "basics" on an age/grade level, and "unschooling" their areas of interest, and letting them zoom in those, if that makes sense.

 

 

My dd could easily be working at two grade levels above where she is. And, in a way she is. We use TOG, and I bump up the reading difficulty quite a bit for her. But, for our "graded" subjects, like math and grammar, I keep her on grade level.

 

She's never had trouble finding another book to read, or something to draw, etc. This is the child that will spend hours in her room constructing things out of cardboard. I never felt the need to take away all that free time to be creative just to do harder math.

 

She also has, much to our surprise and delight, turned out to be gifted musically. Keeping her on grade level has allowed her to devote a lot more time to piano.

[rlowetx]

Interestingly enough, this is why we took our ds out of PS. They wanted him to skip a grade, but since he is already the youngest kid in the class we felt it wasn't the best option for him with regards to his behavior. The best thing about our choice of homeschooling now is that we can comfortable meet his pace - not pushing him but also not holding him back with the rest of his class. If we stopped allowing him to flow through math, it would be a fight - he loves math - I don't have to push..he just wants more and more and more knowledge. Now with homeschooling we can watch for burnout and make him take a rest if needed, but to see his joy in his eyes when learning a new concept that he is ready for - what a blessing for me.

[littlebug42]

With my oldest daughter (7.5), we are focusing on working at her individual levels for different subjects but her grade is still 2. For a while, I got too focused on her being "gifted" that I failed to remember that she is just 7.5. I don't feel there is any rush to get her anywhere too quickly. I think that is naturally going to happen on her own.

[katilac]

He has a lot of interests, including a strong wish to learn languages. I am happy that he is learning three at present and adding another in the autumn.

 

Laura

 

Language study is an excellent way to challenge bright and gifted children! We have only done Latin so far, but my rising 6th grader will be adding French this year (and 4th grader will participate in a more relaxed manner).

 

Some gifted children are very driven in certain subjects - - if a student is gifted in math (not just 'good at math'), then it's nearly impossible to NOT accelerate them. If you force them to work on level, you will cause endless frustration and long-term problems with motivation. My dd is good at math, but not gifted in it, so it's working to add exploration and challenge activities, rather than keep accelerating her.

 

My kids so far don't have that drive in any one subject, so for the most part I try to go deeper rather than faster. If a child is racing through their work, the first thing I would do is take a long hard look at the curriculum. Is it thorough? Is it challenging?

 

If a student is only doing the basics in bare bones subjects, it's more appropriate to add subjects before accelerating. Art, music, language study, logic - - acceleration should not come at the cost of well rounded studies, imo.

 

Naturally, some gifted kids will keep bounding ahead even when their studies are well rounded and challenging, and that's very appropriate. I don't see how you would stop it!

[Quad Shot Academy]

If so why?

 

If a child breezes through all his academics, is it better to accelerate for greater challenge and to develop his gifts now, or is it better to let him sample more things with the time he has saved by grasping things so easily?

 

 

TIA!

 

I don't see it as an either/or question. I have heard far too often about very bright children, who never have to try or study, who get to high school or college and then flunk out! My rule is that each child needs to have their brain challenged each school day in each subject, whether that be at grade level or several grades ahead. I try to follow the CM camp and not do lessons over 20 minutes. When we spend 20 minutes on each subject, at a challenging level (for them), each day, there is plenty of time for extra interests.

[Mandy in TN]

I have heard far too often about very bright children, who never have to try or study, who get to high school or college and then flunk out! My rule is that each child needs to have their brain challenged each school day in each subject, whether that be at grade level or several grades ahead. I try to follow the CM camp and not do lessons over 20 minutes. When we spend 20 minutes on each subject, at a challenging level (for them), each day, there is plenty of time for extra interests.

 

:iagree:I was thinking this same thing. Children need to learn how to study. If they are not given materials that are skill appropriate, then they never learn how.

 

Mandy

[nmoira]

 

I don't see it as an either/or question. I have heard far too often about very bright children, who never have to try or study, who get to high school or college and then flunk out! My rule is that each child needs to have their brain challenged each school day in each subject, whether that be at grade level or several grades ahead. I try to follow the CM camp and not do lessons over 20 minutes. When we spend 20 minutes on each subject, at a challenging level (for them), each day, there is plenty of time for extra interests.

I could have written this post almost word for word. The only subject we generally spend more than 15-20 minutes on is History, which is usually a 45-60 minute read-aloud while DD the Elder does art, needlework, or copywork. Oh, and occasionally Spanish, as there are some Learnables units which take almost exactly 25 minutes to complete. Most days we do almost all subjects and a small pack of warmup sheets (a Venn diagram problem; some advanced math facts review like listing squares, cubes, or primes; a word problem; and a page of Dandylion Logic) in less than three hours.

[Lovedtodeath]

 

I don't see it as an either/or question. I have heard far too often about very bright children, who never have to try or study, who get to high school or college and then flunk out! My rule is that each child needs to have their brain challenged each school day in each subject, whether that be at grade level or several grades ahead. I try to follow the CM camp and not do lessons over 20 minutes. When we spend 20 minutes on each subject, at a challenging level (for them), each day, there is plenty of time for extra interests.

Very helpful!

[Haiku]

I don't know whether my child is gifted but she is extremely bright. My plan is to give her work on her level while retaining the "label" of her age-appropriate grade level. My understanding is that "accelerating" is getting the kid through high school and college early, and I don't really have any desire to do that. If my dd wants to start college and is ready at 16, that's great, she can do community college for a few years, but it's not my already-decided-upon plan to have her complete high school at 12 and get a college degree at 16 and a Master's at 18, a la the Swanns. If she is finished with high school coursework early, she can use the time to study non-standard curricula, or volunteer or travel, etc.

 

Tara

[ekarl2]

some quick words to ponder that have been shared with me --- go deep not long. In other words let your gifted kids learn a lot more about a subject that interests them rather than speeding through everything. Education is not a race to the finish.

 

 

I totally agree with this.; I would also add breadth to that, too. Think of all the wonderful things you have time to study that others don't have time to get to! I jokingly call it Jeopardy! education. It's more than learning random facts from an encylopedia ... it's randomly opening to a page in an encyclopedia and saying, "this looks interesting! Let's see what interesting stuff on ____________ we can learn this week!"

[nmoira]

I totally agree with this.; I would also add breadth to that, too. Think of all the wonderful things you have time to study that others don't have time to get to! I jokingly call it Jeopardy! education. It's more than learning random facts from an encylopedia ... it's randomly opening to a page in an encyclopedia and saying, "this looks interesting! Let's see what interesting stuff on ____________ we can learn this week!"

This is my biggest beef with the Swann's approach... treating learning like it's a straight line progression to "being educated." Having a child work at their level very well might entail some community college or university classes at a young age, but that's not the same as rushing them through to be a college student (though of course there are exceptional kids for whom this is the best option). The Swann approach feels like a checklist, and isn't the way I want my children to think of learning or life. There are so many things we can do to enrich education, even in math (at least after arithmetic is covered), rather than following some predetermined (by whom?) standard progression and list of topics to be covered.

[angela in ohio]

We have chosen not to grade accelerate up until this point, though based on test scores and some outside advice, we have decided to accelerate second dd one grade level (she already completed it, but we will "officially" skip her now.) We have two that test as gifted, and (youngest) one we just assume is, but haven't tested.

 

We just spend less time on "regular" school work, since they are very efficient (I use the diagnostic-prescriptive method,) and dc spend a LOT of time pursuing their own interests. Sometimes they are going deeper in what we are already learning, and sometimes they are learning their own thing. Usually it's a lot of both at the same time.

[Haiku]

This is my biggest beef with the Swann's approach... treating learning like it's a straight line progression to "being educated." *snip* The Swann approach feels like a checklist, and isn't the way I want my children to think of learning or life.

 

Yeah, their approach really freaks me out, right down to the parents choosing the program their children will use to get their Bachelor and Master's degrees. All their children get the same assembly-line education, which is a huge reason I opted out of traditional schools.

 

Of course, to each his own. While their approach wouldn't work well for my family and our goals, it apparently works for them. :)

 

Tara

[Mandy in TN]

Interesting, I didn't even think about the Swann's. Maybe we should define academically gifted and academically accelerated.

 

IMHO-

 

Academically gifted children are those that have been tested by professionals and have been found to be capable of outstanding academic performance. The unique intellectual abilities of gifted children alter the way they experience the world. Highly intellectually gifted children may not even be able to produce the appearance of conforming to the intellectual/ social norms for their age range. Because the development of gifted/ highly gifted children is different from the norm, they require modifications in parenting and teaching in order for the children to develop into well-adjusted adults.

 

An academically accelerated child may or may not be academically gifted. They are however performing academically at a more advanced level than the norm for their grade level peers.

 

In my mind academically gifted children are by definition academically accelerated. By this I do not necessarily mean that they go to college early, but that the depth, breadth, and/ or intensity of their studies will be more than their age level peers. The only way to stop this would be to put them in a bubble, because they will seek out information on their own.

 

While I would say that my little man is accelerated because he is working at an advanced level compared to the norm, particularly in math, he is still registered in the same grade as his age level peers. OTOH, technically I cannot claim that he is gifted, because he has never been tested.

 

If to the OP accelerated meant skipping grades in order to graduate early, then no at this time my ds is not accelerated.

Mandy

[Lovedtodeath]

One of the biggest reasons that I wanted to homeschool was that I consistently performed several grade levels ahead (I had no weaker areas) and was not allowed to graduate early by the PS. I think it is ridiculous not to accelerate, no offense.

 

And good for the Swanns! Their kids have a huge head start in life. I see nothing wrong with that at all.

[nmoira]

Academically gifted children are those that have been tested by professionals and have been found to be capable of outstanding academic performance.

I don't think it's necessary to have been tested by a professional for the purposes of identification, especially with highly gifted children.

 

In my mind academically gifted children are by definition academically accelerated. By this I do not necessarily mean that they go to college early, but that the depth, breadth, and/ or intensity of their studies will be more than their age level peers. The only way to stop this would be to put them in a bubble, because they will seek out information on their own.

If only this were universally the case. This sentiment is often at least partially responsible for a lack of adequate academic accommodations for gifted students in school settings. Here's a page at Hoagies about underachievement. It's also possible for gifted students to have learning disabilities which hide their giftedness. Here's another Hoagies page, this time on 2e kids.

[kiana]

I guess the problem I see with the Swann's is that they essentially did exactly the same education/degrees for all children. One of the issues with doing a general degree first is that if you change your mind and want to study something where a major is actually required (math, science, engineering, probably many others), you'd have to do a second degree, which makes financial aid a lot more of a problem as much of it's designed for first-time students.

 

Please don't misunderstand me -- I *do* think children should be challenged and working at their own levels in subjects, but I don't think that means that you need to basically tick off each level when you complete the requirements. There are enough electives to do at least twice as many courses as one does in a typical high school without repetition or overlap, and one could spend one's entire life at university continuing to take courses. (at least, I could).

[Mandy in TN]

I don't think it's necessary to have been tested by a professional for the purposes of identification, especially with highly gifted children.

Anyone can say that their child is academically gifted, but typically unbiased verification is needed for participation in gifted programs.;) OTOH- there is certainly no need for testing in order to homeschool a child that presents himself as gifted. All in all, I would never claim that my little ds was gifted without outside testing.

 

If only this were universally the case. This sentiment is often at least partially responsible for a lack of adequate academic accommodations for gifted students in school settings.

Here's a page at Hoagies about underachievement. It's also possible for gifted students to have learning disabilities which hide their giftedness. Here's another Hoagies page, this time on 2e kids.

I do understand this. My oldest ds is an underachieving gifted dyslexic- tested by unbiased professionals. However, even though he may refuse to perform as I know he is able in order to complete high school chemistry <sigh> that doesn't stop him from pursuing with intensity those topics that do interest him. I wasn't speaking to school settings where a student's achievement is based upon grades on particular coursework, but in a homeschool setting where all learning including that not recorded on a transcript is witnessed by the parent/ teacher.

 

I'm sorry I was confusing.:D I was trying to decide if my initial post was correct. By trying to define gifted and accelerated, I decided perhaps my first post needed clarification.

 

Mandy

Edited July 11, 2009 by Mandy in TN

[Haiku]

I think it is ridiculous not to accelerate, no offense.

 

 

I don't know, I guess I don't see the point of having a degree at 16. I mean, if you want to be a teacher, you get your teaching degree, and then what? Start teaching high school biology? Would anyone hire a 16-year-old teacher? Or a 16-year-old nurse? Or a 16-year-old social worker?

 

I don't hold with the common idea that people are children until they are 18 or 20. I think that people who are 16 are capable of a lot more than most people give them credit for, but on the other hand, I think that there are plenty of jobs that require some sophistication and maturity that 16-year-olds generally don't possess.

 

I'm all for accelerating academically, but I don't feel the need to graduate a child super-early. Sixteen, probably fine. Twelve? Not so much.

 

Tara

[zaichiki]

I don't know, I guess I don't see the point of having a degree at 16. I mean, if you want to be a teacher, you get your teaching degree, and then what? Start teaching high school biology? Would anyone hire a 16-year-old teacher? Or a 16-year-old nurse? Or a 16-year-old social worker?

 

I think that most 16 year old college grads are probably the type/of the inclination for more education. I'm betting most of them head to grad school... and more. So, what's the difference between hiring a 20 year old with an associate's degree and a 20 year old with an advanced degree? They're both still 20... they could get hired. Plus, there are lots of other things that teen could do before looking for work. I'm thinking fellowships, international travel with the peace corps or something where their education would be an asset and could involve volunteerism or accumulating experience in their field...

 

Remember that it used to be quite common for 16 year olds to go to college. Early leaders in our country were at Yale and similar at 16-ish. The only one that jumps to mind RIGHT away is Nathan Hale, but that's only b/c of a recent study and field trip with the kiddos. I don't really hold all those details in my mind. Bet it would be an easy google, though.

[Mandy in TN]

Mary Baldwin College has their Program for Exceptionally Gifted Girls. The program typically accepts girls graduating from 8th grade. So, there is a whole group of gifted girls living together going to college. We have a board member whose daughter is enrolled in this program.

 

There are other college programs that cater to early entrance gifted students. If you have a child that is chomping at the bit to go to college, there are options where they will have age level peers.

 

HTH-

Mandy

[Quad Shot Academy]

I don't think accelerated children necessarily need to graduate early. There are lots of advanced placement courses to take in high school.

 

I tried holding my son back at math because he was more than two grade levels ahead. He was doing math for 10 minutes a day and not falling back any, so I asked hubby what would happen if he had completed all high school math by the time high school started. He said that there is no limit to what you can learn in math; some people study Calculus for their whole lives! :confused::001_huh:

 

If my son continues on the accelerated path he is on, I would still only consider letting him graduate 1 year early to travel while doing mission work of some type. A lot of accelerated kids also level out later on, but as long as the child is enjoying the work, is having a well rounded education, sports and play time, I think challenging them is important.

[Haiku]

 

Remember that it used to be quite common for 16 year olds to go to college. Early leaders in our country were at Yale and similar at 16-ish.

 

Yes. I posted in another thread about my great-grandmother, who married at 13, had three kids by the time she was about 17, ran her husband's store while he worked all day as postmaster, and still took care of the house and all the cooking. People used to do all sorts of things when they were younger. That's why I think that teenagers are far more capable than today's society views them.

 

However, Nathan Hale and his ilk were in a different time, when 16 years were considered adults. In these days, 16 year olds are considered children, and the 16 year old with a college degree would be viewed as an anomaly. Not that being an anomaly is bad. I just don't really see the reason to push early graduation and early degrees.

 

Tara

[Mandy in TN]

I tried holding my son back at math because he was more than two grade levels ahead. He was doing math for 10 minutes a day and not falling back any, so I asked hubby what would happen if he had completed all high school math by the time high school started. He said that there is no limit to what you can learn in math; some people study Calculus for their whole lives! :confused::001_huh:

Here is an article that was posted by nmoira.

The Calculus Trap

It is a very interesting article.:D

HTH-

Mandy

[Quad Shot Academy]

Here is an article that was posted by nmoira.

The Calculus Trap

It is a very interesting article.:D

HTH-

Mandy

 

That is an interesting article; thanks for passing it along! I think my husband's point is that just because accelerated kids finish standard highschool curriculum before highschool, doesn't mean that they need to be graduated early. There are lots of ways to go deeper and farther w/o heading off to college at 15 . . . although I did! :D

[nmoira]

 

That is an interesting article; thanks for passing it along! I think my husband's point is that just because accelerated kids finish standard highschool curriculum before highschool, doesn't mean that they need to be graduated early. There are lots of ways to go deeper and farther w/o heading off to college at 15 . . . although I did! :D

Have you been following the IMACS Elements of Mathematics discussion in this thread?

[Granny_Weatherwax]

This is a great question. I spent 6 years trying to convince the public school system to allow my son to skip a grade. Our district does not believe in that type of advancement and relies on advanced work to challenge the gifted students. What a joke. Our district does not have a GT program and their idea of advanced classes is to put all the smart kids in the same room. I became weary of beating my head against the public school brick wall and decided to homeschool DS. I only get two and a half years to homeschool (DH's restrictions not my desire) for junior high and then DS goes off to public high school. With that time limit I am not advancing DS. We are having too much fun learning and finding new things to do and places to go. How can we possibly get it all in if we advance a year? We are doing advanced work and will continue to do so but I am going to savor each second I have with DS. We will explore whatever we want, whenever we want and how deeply we want.

[mom31257]

I don't have time to read the whole thread; however, we've never accelerated our dd, even though we were encouraged to do so a few times. She has asked about "skipping" a grade like a few other homeschoolers she knows. Our answer has been no.

 

She was reading at 4, pretty much anything she wanted to as well. She went to private school for 3 years, and was the only one in Kindergarten who could all ready read (out of 3 full classes). Her standardized test scores were one of the top 3 in the entire elementary school.

 

We felt like we didn't want her pushed ahead socially. There are places like church, where kids' grades determine what group they are in. My dh administrated private schools for years. The kids who skipped a grade usually had problems show up by middle school, socially and academically.

 

We have told her that if she wants to graduate early, she's welcome to work harder during her high school years to get more credits accomplished in less time, but there will be no skipping grades before then.

[Quad Shot Academy]

Have you been following the IMACS Elements of Mathematics discussion in this thread?

 

I have been trying to follow it, but it is a bit over my head! :D I figure if my son finishes his math curriculum early, I will shout out to all of you and ask what advanced curriculum to do next! Right now LOF and MUS are working for him and he does it totally independently, so I don't want to switch until he finishes the series.

[skaterbabs]

I think there is a difference between officially "skipping" a grade and simply working through the material at an accelerated pace.

 

We could easily "skip" Dot to first grade. She only missed last year's K cutoff by 17 days, and had mastered almost all of the K SOLs for VA the spring before that. Her 6th birthday is in October.

 

She's done 2 out of the 10 CLE math 100 lightunits in four weeks; looking through the teacher guide I will be surprised if she hasn't begun the 200 level by January at the latest. She'll likely start the 105 book when our new school year officially begins the 2nd week in September, placing her halfway through the first grade math program. By September of next year, she could potentially be ready for the 300 level, and just be turning 7, or she could slow down a good deal when she reaches material that is truly new to her. There's really no way to know.

 

For social & church things, we tend to move her up to the older (first grade) groups because while she enjoys other children enough that she'll have fun playing with the younger group, she gets more from the older group. For reporting purposes, she's a kindergardener, regardless of what level work she is doing.

[purplecow7]

No and Yes...We did not grade skip my older two children. One going into 5th and one going into third. They both go to PS and both are in the right grouping for their age. However, starting in 3rd grade they go to a GT center school. This class is grade skipped in math and they go faster and deeper in all other subjects, but follow the Standards of learning for that grade - minus math which is the year ahead. The spelling words are one year ahead, because most of the children are reading one to three grade a head that are in this class. However, what I did for them was afterschool them both in first and second grade and do lots of advanced things at home that they were interested in. My oldest math, and my second writing.

 

Now the Yes part...my younger two Twins go to a private daycare that is also a school. Last year they were 4 and in a jr. kindergarten room. However this was not working for my boy twin. He had sensory issues and the kindergarten program had more teachers and more structure. We applied and they were accepted into the Kindergarten program a year earlier. It was the best decision we made for them. Ds got a handle on his sensory issues for the most part and dd loved all the reading and writing she got to do. In the fall they will be going into the 1st grade at the private school. Now the decision will be to have them repeat first grade in the ps and afterschool or keep them in the private school until they are eligible for the GT center school. We are making these decision year by year and making sure we find the best fit for the twins. The decision to grade skip had more to do with the sensory issues then the academics. For us afterschooling was filling the need for education and school was the social time. For example my three year old got in her head she wanted to read chapter books and worked on it at home every night...she now loves reading. But she is also 5 and doing all the silly things 5 year olds do with their friends. lol

 

I will say when my oldest son entered the GT program and was finally around kids who thought like him, he was much happier and had lots more friends. I am not sure if he could have emotionally handed being with an older group of kids partly because I don't think that would have solve the academic problem he was having. His problem in school was that it went so slow he shut of his mind. In the GT class they just go faster...

[jengjohnson]

I try to let my kids go deeper into subjects they're passionate about. I haven't let them skip grades though they do work above grade level. I certainly don't want them to graduate early!