DD's goals for herself...are the reasonable?

[HeatherLynn]

She wants to do 6th -10th grades in 6 months each. Then, she wants to do concurrent enrollment for 11-12th moving onto Junior college at 16.

 

She is a very mature 11 year old, and to me her way of mapping this out shows that. She wants to work year round, only taking a week at Christmas and a week in-between "grades" to rest.

 

Is this reasonable? Are there things we should/could skip?

 

Thank you.

[Anne]

I have no idea whether or not this is reasonable for your daughter. Sustaining that kind of workload with so few breaks doesn't sound great to me. Here are some things to think about -

 

-Why the hurry?

-What about outside activities? Music, art, sports, spending time with friends, volunteering, part-time employment - all of these are important also.

-What would the impact of this be on the rest of your family?

-What if she changes her mind?

 

Your dd does sound like a very mature young lady!

 

Anne

[HeatherLynn]

She wants to graduate with her Master's at a young age so that she can make money & establish herself in her field before she gets married and has kids, cause she wants to be a "well off" stay at home or work at home Mom.

 

I told her I will support her and help her plan, but also told her I will slow it down if I see a deficit or concern.

[8filltheheart]

She wants to do 6th -10th grades in 6 months each. Then, she wants to do concurrent enrollment for 11-12th moving onto Junior college at 16.

 

She is a very mature 11 year old, and to me her way of mapping this out shows that. She wants to work year round, only taking a week at Christmas and a week in-between "grades" to rest.

 

Is this reasonable? Are there things we should/could skip?

 

Thank you.

 

Is she above grade level at this point? Has she started completing high school credits already as a 6th grader?

 

I ask b/c there is no way my kids could finish a complete high school yr in 6 months (7 or 8 credit hrs worth). My high schoolers work 7-9 hrs per day for 9 months. They are burned out by the end of the yr. They need time off to rejuvenate for a new yr.

 

So, no, I don't think it is a realistic plan.

 

There are schools like Mary Baldwin that allow for early enrollment for the exceptionally gifted. If she is extremely gifted, this would be a better route which would allow her to progress rapidly, with time off, and more realistically.

[SunshineMom]

My vote: Let her try....so much learning will occur in working towards her goal, whether she reaches it or not. What does she want to study in college? I am excited for your little girl's future! Wishing you all the best!

[zaichiki]

Is she above grade level at this point? Has she started completing high school credits already as a 6th grader?

 

I ask b/c there is no way my kids could finish a complete high school yr in 6 months (7 or 8 credit hrs worth). My high schoolers work 7-9 hrs per day for 9 months. They are burned out by the end of the yr. They need time off to rejuvenate for a new yr.

 

So, no, I don't think it is a realistic plan.

 

There are schools like Mary Baldwin that allow for early enrollment for the exceptionally gifted. If she is extremely gifted, this would be a better route which would allow her to progress rapidly, with time off, and more realistically.

 

 

Hold up. This IS the accelerated learner forum. And, though I DON'T know the OP's daughter (and thus cannot honestly say if this plan could be realistic), I DO know many young kids who could do this.

 

OP:

What do YOU think? Do YOU think it's realistic? What personality traits and skills does your dd have that could really make the difference between "just a nice idea" and a PLAN for her education? Maybe if we could hear more about your dd, we could give better feedback?

 

Personally, (again I do not know the child, so I can't make a judgement) I think the fact that SHE came up with the plan and has the motivation could take her far down the path to her goal. And I just LOVE it when kids have goals.

 

:)

[gingersmom]

 

Is this reasonable? Are there things we should/could skip?

 

 

 

I think if you feel the need to "skip" then it may not be the best plan.

 

I think her plan is admirable but I also see the potential for her to miss out on so much.

 

The best thing about homeschooling for my son is that he can spend as long as he likes on a topic. He is not up against a schedule that he must learn all he can about the subject in the next 7-10 days. Next!

 

We spend days at museums and parks and plays and aquariums. We do art classes outside the house and music lessons.

 

My daughter is also on a competitive skating team and if it was up to her she would never get old so she could stay on the team forever.

[8filltheheart]

Hold up. This IS the accelerated learner forum. And, though I DON'T know the OP's daughter (and thus cannot honestly say if this plan could be realistic), I DO know many young kids who could do this.

 

 

:)

 

Based on her post which states she has an 11 yod going into 6th grade, it does not sound like the child has accelerated beyond grade level since most 6th graders are 11. It is also hard for younger kids to actually comprehend the time required to complete advanced course work. Days do get longer as they get older.

 

FWIW.....my definition of acceleration does not mean doing things fast. :lol: For my advanced kids, it means simply doing it deeper or at a higher level. It still takes them the same amt of time. :D

[zaichiki]

Based on her post which states she has an 11 yod going into 6th grade, it does not sound like the child has accelerated beyond grade level since most 6th graders are 11. It is also hard for younger kids to actually comprehend the time required to complete advanced course work. Days do get longer as they get older.

 

FWIW.....my definition of acceleration does not mean doing things fast. :lol: For my advanced kids, it means simply doing it deeper or at a higher level. It still takes them the same amt of time. :D

 

I hear you when you say your kids go deeper and at a higher level. And that is definitely one definition of being an accelerated learner.

 

But... there are parents here on this forum with 16 year olds in community college. It's actually very common where I live (among the homeschoolers I know). So... this is just another way of being an accelerated learner. Due to the number of homeschooled 16 year olds (and a few 13-15 year olds) I know taking classes at community colleges, I don't think early enrollment is reserved for the exceptionally gifted. I'm sure many of the teens I know that are doing college early are at least moderately gifted, but that's also pretty common on this board, right?

 

I didn't pay much attention to the detail of the child being 11 and called a 6th grader. Honestly, I could call my 7 year old a rising 2nd grader, but that doesn't mean she's really doing 2nd grade work IYKWIM.

 

I don't mean to argue with you. I just see a lot of kids doing this, so I have a hard time seeing it as unreasonable.

[zaichiki]

Heather Lynn,

 

Check out this thread I just saw on the high school forum:

http://www.welltrainedmind.com/forums/showthread.php?t=121143

[8filltheheart]

I hear you when you say your kids go deeper and at a higher level. And that is definitely one definition of being an accelerated learner.

 

But... there are parents here on this forum with 16 year olds in community college. It's actually very common where I live (among the homeschoolers I know). So... this is just another way of being an accelerated learner. Due to the number of homeschooled 16 year olds (and a few 13-15 year olds) I know taking classes at community colleges, I don't think early enrollment is reserved for the exceptionally gifted. I'm sure many of the teens I know that are doing college early are at least moderately gifted, but that's also pretty common on this board, right?

 

I didn't pay much attention to the detail of the child being 11 and called a 6th grader. Honestly, I could call my 7 year old a rising 2nd grader, but that doesn't mean she's really doing 2nd grade work IYKWIM.

 

I don't mean to argue with you. I just see a lot of kids doing this, so I have a hard time seeing it as unreasonable.

 

I agree with what you have posted here. But this is not the scenerio she is describing. Dual enrolling at an early age is quite different than attempting to complete 6th-10th grade in 2 1/2 yrs and dual enrolling as an 11th grader at 13 or 14.

 

If a child is mentally capable of handling college level classes at 14, there is absolutely no reason to do the "crush" she describes. They simply enroll in the coursework they are prepared to take. They don't have to have any proclaimed "grade level" to take courses......they have to have the SAT or ACT scores to demonstrate the equal ability of a typical college student.

[HollyinNNV]

If you are asking if your dd can handle junior college at 16, the answer would be yes. That is not all that uncommon.

 

If you are asking if your dd could complete the 9th grade year that my dd just completed, but in 6 months-no way! Your dd just doesn't understand the amount of work she thinks she is going to squeeze into 6 months. For example, in bio, dd did about 20 labs w/ about 10 full lab reports, read over 1,000 pages, memorized approximately 20-30 vocabulary words a week and answered 11-15 comprehension questions. For writing, she wrote 15 compositions. For literature she wrote 30 compositions and read around 12 major works of literature. I could go on and on. There is no way this could be compressed into 6 months without sacrificing quantity, quality or something.

 

And I will add from a literary standpoint, lots of moms avoid cc humanities classes. Your child may be able to read difficult works of literature. But will she ready for any and every type of subject matter that cc will throw at her? Is she ready to read about rape, sex, alternative lifestyles, pornography etc. etc.?

 

Holly

 

She wants to do 6th -10th grades in 6 months each. Then, she wants to do concurrent enrollment for 11-12th moving onto Junior college at 16.

 

She is a very mature 11 year old, and to me her way of mapping this out shows that. She wants to work year round, only taking a week at Christmas and a week in-between "grades" to rest.

 

Is this reasonable? Are there things we should/could skip?

 

Thank you.

[HeatherLynn]

Very good points, all of them. Like I said, it is her goal and I will support her. She does test higher on most subjects and will be doing them on the level she tested at (7th grade math for one) and in science she has been so obsessed for years that I sometimes think she could teach ME.

 

We will just chug along and move forward with her always know ing it is okay if she has to slow down.

 

When I said about "skipping" things, it was more of repetitive stuff, not the new concepts. I know concepts also build on one another. I'll let her try, and we'll just see. I will make sure she has true mastery before moving forward.

 

As far as being gifted, she tested "gifted" in every area except math, and still she tested ahead of grade level.

[JennW in SoCal]

I think she sounds like an 11 year old. What she wants to do and is capable of doing when she is 14 or 16 is impossible to say at this age, but many homeschool kids do start community college early and go on to finish their BA early. Good for her to have an understanding of how college works and to have a goal that motivates her!

 

My soap box spiel is to say that higher level work doesn't come from cramming a year's worth of material into 6 months, it is the level of output -- the analysis and logical articulation of thoughts, the level of abstract thinking and the depth of understanding. My 14 year old is there, but it didn't come from rushing -- it just came from my following his interests and nurturing his gifts. He could start community college this fall but we decided instead to enjoy the freedom of homeschooling for another year so we can travel without being stuck with a school calendar.

 

I just saw your most recent post, so yes, keep chugging along at her pace!! You've got the right idea! Absolutely skip repetitive busy work and go as deep as she wants. You both will know when she is ready to jump into community college work -- just let go of the whole grade level mind set and continue doing what feels right.

[Corraleno]

She wants to do 6th -10th grades in 6 months each. Then, she wants to do concurrent enrollment for 11-12th moving onto Junior college at 16. She is a very mature 11 year old, and to me her way of mapping this out shows that. She wants to work year round, only taking a week at Christmas and a week in-between "grades" to rest.

 

Is this reasonable? Are there things we should/could skip?

 

I think the idea of graduating at 16 is eminently reasonable, and yes there are plenty of things you can skip!

 

I say this as (1) someone who graduated from public high school at 16, and (2) the mother of a gifted 6th grader who could also graduate at 16 if he wanted to.

 

However, I think you need to look at this not as "cramming 6th-10th grades into 6 months each" but rather in terms of just skipping middle school (for the most part). If you look at most middle school science texts, for example, there's not much of a leap between middle school Life Science and intro level HS Biology. Ditto Chemistry & Physics. A bright middle school student can certainly handle the "conceptual" HS courses. There's also no reason a bright kid couldn't do Alg I & Geometry in middle school. And the history sequence (if you follow WTM) repeats in HS anyway, so you can just go deeper younger.

 

Here's my current plan for my 11 year old:

 

6TH GRADE:

Biology (Campbell's Exploring Life + 36 labs + two 1-week adult-level paleontology courses)

PreAlgebra (Chalkdust)

History: Ancients (K12 Human Odyssey + Spielvogel Western Civ I + 4-5 Teaching Co courses)

Literature: Illiad, Odyssey, Aeneid, mythology, Greek drama, etc (including several Elizabeth Vandiver courses)

Spanish (Discovery Streaming)

(We will also be using Teaching Co courses to cover History of Science and Comparative Religion in 6th & 7th)

7TH GRADE

Chemistry (Suchocki's Conceptual Chemistry + DVDs + Thames & Cosmos Chem3000 labs + Teaching Co Chem course)

Algebra I (Chalkdust)

History: Medieval & Renaissance (Human Odyssey + Spielvogel + 4 Teaching Co courses)

Literature: Beowulf, Dante, Shakespeare, etc

Spanish: Auralog Beginner

 

8TH GRADE

Physics (Hewitt's Conceptual Physics + 16 Virtual Labs (Kinetic Books) + 10-12 "real" labs + 3 Teaching Co courses)

Geometry (Chalkdust)

Modern History (K12 Modern History + various Teaching Co courses, including Terror & Utopia)

Literature: Utopia & Dystopia

Spanish: Auralog Intermediate

(CLEP Western Civ I & II)

 

9TH GRADE

AP Biology (Campbell text + Thinkwell + Teaching Co)

Alg II (Chalkdust)

US History (Teaching Co American History course + Tindall)

Literature: American Lit

Spanish: Auralog Advanced

(CLEP US History I & II)

 

10TH GRADE (dual enrollment)

Chemistry (not sure if we will do this at home or at CC)

Precalc (Chalkdust)

CC: Art History, plus a Social Science course, probably Intro Anthro

CC: English Composition I & II

(& maybe Intermediate Spanish I)

 

As you can see, I could easily graduate him at this point, counting 7th-10th as high school, and his transcript would show 4 lab sciences, 4 math, 5 English, 4 Social Studies, 3-4 Foreign Language, 1 Art History, plus a lot of extracurricular museum volunteer work, adult-level Paleo courses, etc. (I don't plan to graduate him until he's 18, though, because he wants to double major in Biology & Geology, so I want him to get ALL his pre-req's out of the way at the CC. Then he can transfer into the University at 18 with 4 years of tuition scholarship available to cover all the upper level coursework, research, etc that he needs to do.)

 

Anyway, I think it's great that your daughter is so motivated and ambitious! I was the same way ~ I finished HS at 16 and had my Masters at 21. She's lucky to have such a supportive mom! :001_smile:

 

Jackie

[melmichigan]

I knew I was forgetting something, foreign language. Jackie, that could be my DD's schedule! Although I called Biology, Life Science in my siggy so as not to spark more controversy than the Core 6 has already gotten.

 

:iagree:with the above post 100% and think it depends entirely on the child. My DD is a Level 4 giftie. It's perfectly common for them to have mastered the majority of upper high school equivalencies by 4th or 5th grade. If anything one could say I'm holding her back.:lol:

Edited August 14, 2009 by melmichigan

[HeatherLynn]

I think the idea of graduating at 16 is eminently reasonable, and yes there are plenty of things you can skip!

 

I say this as (1) someone who graduated from public high school at 16, and (2) the mother of a gifted 6th grader who could also graduate at 16 if he wanted to.

 

However, I think you need to look at this not as "cramming 6th-10th grades into 6 months each" but rather in terms of just skipping middle school (for the most part). If you look at most middle school science texts, for example, there's not much of a leap between middle school Life Science and intro level HS Biology. Ditto Chemistry & Physics. A bright middle school student can certainly handle the "conceptual" HS courses. There's also no reason a bright kid couldn't do Alg I & Geometry in middle school. And the history sequence (if you follow WTM) repeats in HS anyway, so you can just go deeper younger.

 

Here's my current plan for my 11 year old:

 

6TH GRADE:

Biology (Campbell's Exploring Life + 36 labs + two 1-week adult-level paleontology courses)

PreAlgebra (Chalkdust)

History: Ancients (K12 Human Odyssey + Spielvogel Western Civ I + 4-5 Teaching Co courses)

Literature: Illiad, Odyssey, Aeneid, mythology, Greek drama, etc (including several Elizabeth Vandiver courses)

Spanish (Discovery Streaming)

(We will also be using Teaching Co courses to cover History of Science and Comparative Religion in 6th & 7th)

7TH GRADE

Chemistry (Suchocki's Conceptual Chemistry + DVDs + Thames & Cosmos Chem3000 labs + Teaching Co Chem course)

Algebra I (Chalkdust)

History: Medieval & Renaissance (Human Odyssey + Spielvogel + 4 Teaching Co courses)

Literature: Beowulf, Dante, Shakespeare, etc

Spanish: Auralog Beginner

 

8TH GRADE

Physics (Hewitt's Conceptual Physics + 16 Virtual Labs (Kinetic Books) + 10-12 "real" labs + 3 Teaching Co courses)

Geometry (Chalkdust)

Modern History (K12 Modern History + various Teaching Co courses, including Terror & Utopia)

Literature: Utopia & Dystopia

Spanish: Auralog Intermediate

(CLEP Western Civ I & II)

 

9TH GRADE

AP Biology (Campbell text + Thinkwell + Teaching Co)

Alg II (Chalkdust)

US History (Teaching Co American History course + Tindall)

Literature: American Lit

Spanish: Auralog Advanced

(CLEP US History I & II)

 

10TH GRADE (dual enrollment)

Chemistry (not sure if we will do this at home or at CC)

Precalc (Chalkdust)

CC: Art History, plus a Social Science course, probably Intro Anthro

CC: English Composition I & II

(& maybe Intermediate Spanish I)

 

As you can see, I could easily graduate him at this point, counting 7th-10th as high school, and his transcript would show 4 lab sciences, 4 math, 5 English, 4 Social Studies, 3-4 Foreign Language, 1 Art History, plus a lot of extracurricular museum volunteer work, adult-level Paleo courses, etc. (I don't plan to graduate him until he's 18, though, because he wants to double major in Biology & Geology, so I want him to get ALL his pre-req's out of the way at the CC. Then he can transfer into the University at 18 with 4 years of tuition scholarship available to cover all the upper level coursework, research, etc that he needs to do.)

 

Anyway, I think it's great that your daughter is so motivated and ambitious! I was the same way ~ I finished HS at 16 and had my Masters at 21. She's lucky to have such a supportive mom! :001_smile:

 

Jackie

 

Thank you so much for this post! We will be counting her spanish and latin toward high school credit already. I see what I need to do now, like you said just "let go" of grade level and do what she is capable of doing, and give her the credit for what she does.

 

Now, to research building a transcript. :D

[melmichigan]

If you don't mind my asking...

 

Is there a reason for doing Modern History vs. US History in 8th? I ask only because I have them reversed in my plan and wonder if I'm missing something I need to be taking into consideration.:)

 

It took a lot for me to let go of the public school mentality and just let my DD progress as she was capable. I still second guess myself at times, as is plainly obvious on some of the threads. Mostly I think because I wasn't given that option and was forced to just "live with" public school as it was. I want to make sure that my DD is given all options and opportunities.

[Corraleno]

If you don't mind my asking...

Is there a reason for doing Modern History vs. US History in 8th?

 

This is very much a personal choice, but for me there are two reasons:

 

(1) I want to complete a 3-year sequence in World History, briefly touching on US History as part of each time period, then do an in-depth study of just US History after my son has the "big picture" of world history for context.

 

(2) US History is required for admission to the state university here, so by doing US History in 9th, he gets HS credit for it and only has to do it once. He's not a history buff (except for Ancient Greece) ~ if it were up to him, high school would consist of nothing but science classes! That's one reason I'm planning to use CC social science courses for his other high school "Social Studies" credits.

 

Jackie

[KAR120C]

I think you need to look at this not as "cramming 6th-10th grades into 6 months each" but rather in terms of just skipping middle school (for the most part).

I hadn't posted yet because there was something bothering me about the idea of cramming so many years into such a short time, but this hits the nail on the head. It's not plowing through at double-time, it's skipping the redundancy (and stalling) of middle school.

 

Whether it ultimately works out or not is another question (and one that none of us can answer for anyone else), but I think it's worth a try!

[melmichigan]

I like the rationale! I can see a change of plans in my future. My DD is the same way, she lives and breathes science. She has an AP Biology of Plants class on her HS wish list. Gee mom, don't ever let her see the publisher catalogs again!;)

[Laura Corin]

However, I think you need to look at this not as "cramming 6th-10th grades into 6 months each" but rather in terms of just skipping middle school (for the most part).

 

I looked at middle school curricula (UK) and much of it was skimming the surface in a way that was just not very interesting. We jumped straight to high school work where possible: he has already passed the equivalent of a SAT subject test in biology and is working on that level of classical civilisation. He's about to start work on Trail Guides to World Geography high school level and is diving into serious study of The Merchant of Venice.

 

Now we are not doing that jump for maths - he doesn't find it easy and needs a lot of recapping to make it stick. That's fine - this is who he is. This also means that we are not making that jump in physics and (also because I like the idea of waiting until he goes to school in two years for lab work) chemistry.

 

Laura

[8filltheheart]

Very good points, all of them. Like I said, it is her goal and I will support her. She does test higher on most subjects and will be doing them on the level she tested at (7th grade math for one) and in science she has been so obsessed for years that I sometimes think she could teach ME.

 

As far as being gifted, she tested "gifted" in every area except math, and still she tested ahead of grade level.

 

Well, I guess I am going to be the continual downer in this thread. 7th grade level math at 6th grade is really not that advanced. And while she might love science, high school science is math dependent.

 

I would recommend the following approach instead of trying to graduate her early. I would have her progress at a regular rate (for her.....if it is doing 7th grade work this yr, than that should be your goal.) When she is ready for math above alg 2, begin dual enrollment. So, say she completes alg 2 in 10th grade, than she could take pre-cal dual enrollment her junior yr.

 

She could dual enroll for 11th and 12th, graduate with anywhere between 30-60 hrs of college credit, and still enter as a college freshman (scholarship/financial aid-wise) and complete a BA or BS in 2+ yrs. This would actually probably more financially beneficial than graduating early and attending a junior college b/c she could go to the university of her choosing without losing eligibility. (true in most circumstances......there are a few universities that do not accept any dual enrolled credit hrs and there are some that disqualify you from freshman scholarships if you have too many hrs.)

 

I don't want to discourage you, but there really is a big difference mentally between being able to graduate at 14 or 15 vs. dual enrolling at 15/16.

 

I don't have any kids gifted enough to graduate early. My 8th grader is currently taking 4 high school courses: alg 2 (he took alg 1 in 5th, a more difficult alg 1 in 6th, geo in 7th), physics, French, and LL 9. However, he is no where near ready for being in a CC or college setting. We are expanding his exposure to math through Math Counts and online courses through the Art of Problem Solving.

 

Even next yr he will be completing pre-cal at home. He is extremely math brilliant, but I do not want a 14 yo to feel the pressure of completing pre-cal at a semester pace instead of a yr pace. He could probably do it, but at what expense to his free time? Most probably our goal will be for him to dual enroll at 15 re-taking pre-cal.

 

Our oldest is also extremely math and science oriented. He turns 20 next week and is a rising college senior. When he was his brother's age, he also could have dual enrolled earlier, but we made the decision to wait until he was older and more grounded in himself. The topics of discussion on a CC/college campus, especially in humanity courses, can be completely inappropriate for younger kids. (I thought they were inappropriate when he took them at 17). He was the most advanced student in his college courses and had college kids calling him for tutoring. I would much rather have a child having that sort of ego boost at 16/17 than being overwhelmed by the situation at 14.

 

His dual enrollment hrs allowed him to be a yr ahead of his peers. He is co-oping for an entire yr currently and will return to campus next fall for his senior yr. He will on target to graduate at the typical age with work experience.

 

Good luck! But, also, be on the watch for burn-out. Highly motivated kids can push themselves too hard and not leave enough time for exercising and hanging out. :001_smile:

[melmichigan]

Just to clarify since I didn't comment about this portion before, my DD won't be graduating until she is 17/18 unless something drastically changes between now and then. She will most likely dual enroll for her junior and senior chronological years, especially since our local high school has to pay for it if she has already completed their required classes. ;) Personal choice and still to far off to know anything for sure. It will be interesting to see how many high school science classes she will have under her belt by then. She assures me that there are plenty of choices in the AP catalogs. :cool:

Edited August 14, 2009 by melmichigan

[Corraleno]

Well, I guess I am going to be the continual downer in this thread. 7th grade level math at 6th grade is really not that advanced. And while she might love science, high school science is math dependent.

......

 

I don't want to discourage you, but there really is a big difference mentally between being able to graduate at 14 or 15 vs. dual enrolling at 15/16.

 

Since math is the subject where this child is "least" gifted, I assume she is more than 1 grade level ahead in science, LA, etc. And I definitely think "sciencey" kids can handle HS courses like Intro Bio and Conceptual Chemistry even if they haven't finished Algebra (and Conceptual Physics really only requires Alg I). 7th grade math is basically Prealgebra, so there's no reason her daughter can't do 3 conceptual/intro level science courses while working on PreAlg, Alg I & Geometry. Then she can do Precalc in 9th with AP Bio and do CC Calculus & Chem or Physics in 10th. And if she's really motivated to start dual enrollment in 9th, she can do English Comp and some of the other common breadth/core requirements that don't involve advanced math.

 

I agree that some gifted kids with the intellectual capacity for college at a young age may not have the emotional maturity for it ~ but some do. I graduated at 16, went straight into college, and from there straight into grad school. I planned it that way, I worked hard to make it happen, and I'm very glad I did it. I was totally ready for college and had no problems adjusting. It very much depends on the individual child, their personality, the atmosphere of the college, etc.

 

Jackie

[8filltheheart]

S (and Conceptual Physics really only requires Alg I).......7th grade math is basically Prealgebra, so there's no reason her daughter can't do 3 conceptual/intro level science courses while working on PreAlg, Alg I & Geometry. Then she can do Precalc in 9th with AP Bio and do CC Calculus & Chem or Physics in 10th.

 

 

It must depend which conceptual physics. My 8th grader is using Kinetic Conceptual Physics and it uses sin, cos, and tan from the first day. It requires skills beyond alg 1. Also, if she is taking pre-alg this yr as a 6th grader, that would lead to alg 1 in 7, geo in 8th, and alg 2 in 9th which would lead to pre-cal in 10th not 9th.

 

HeatherLynn,

 

Would you mind sharing the specific coursework is your dd doing this yr? More realistic insight could be given if you shared specifics classes vs. generic titles.

 

It would also be helpful if you shared what you used with her over the last few yrs and the pace at which she excelled.

 

Otherwise, everything all of us share is nothing more than "nothing."

Edited August 15, 2009 by 8FillTheHeart

[melmichigan]

 

Otherwise, everything all of us share is nothing more than "nothing."

 

Without more information this is true. I made general statements because I don't understand the LOG of your daughter. Gifted is a very broad term, and in actuality is like comparing apples to oranges without more specifics.

[AnitaMcC]

She wants to do 6th -10th grades in 6 months each. Then, she wants to do concurrent enrollment for 11-12th moving onto Junior college at 16.

 

She is a very mature 11 year old, and to me her way of mapping this out shows that. She wants to work year round, only taking a week at Christmas and a week in-between "grades" to rest.

 

Is this reasonable? Are there things we should/could skip?

 

Thank you.

 

Honestly.... I have doubts for this to work out competely as she planned it out. I would think she would burn out and also will need time to have fun and follow her extracurricular activities. Also 11th and 12th grades (IMO) are much more important for teens to spend time in delving deeper academically and getting to know what they want for adulthood.

 

But I see nothing wrong with letting her give it a try.

 

Also it is still possible for her to do high school and associate's degree at same time. Remember college courses count to high school credits as well.

 

Another possibility if she is very advanced and very fast in learning new material... is to maybe let her start high school courses early. Is she already learning algebra? Is she already writing essays at high school level of ability?

Edited August 16, 2009 by AnitaMcC

[In The Great White North]

Then he can transfer into the University at 18 with 4 years of tuition scholarship available to cover all the upper level coursework, research, etc that he needs to do.)

 

There was a thread a year or so ago, that talked about this. Apparently, at some colleges, if you CLEP/AP too many course, they won't consider you a freshman and won't consider you for any four-year scholarships.

[Corraleno]

There was a thread a year or so ago, that talked about this. Apparently, at some colleges, if you CLEP/AP too many course, they won't consider you a freshman and won't consider you for any four-year scholarships.

 

I'm not sure about APs, but I don't think you have to report CLEPs until after you're admitted, so a student could apply for scholarships and then petition for their CLEPs to be credited after they were admitted. (In fact, you can take CLEPs after you're IN college).

 

In our specific case, though, this isn't an issue because graduates of in-state high schools (including homeschools) who maintain a certain GPA are guaranteed 8 consecutive semesters of tuition scholarship at any in-state college or university, paid for by the state lottery. The state requires homeschoolers to take the GED, but the up side of that is they can take as many CC courses, CLEPs, APs, etc. as they want during "high school" and they still count as freshman for scholarship purposes, as long as they start college directly after taking the GED. It's a great deal!

 

Jackie

[8filltheheart]

There was a thread a year or so ago, that talked about this. Apparently, at some colleges, if you CLEP/AP too many course, they won't consider you a freshman and won't consider you for any four-year scholarships.

 

This is one of those "1 rule doesn't fit all" situations.

 

Some universities won't accept certain AP or Clep tests:

http://apps.collegeboard.com/cbsearch_clep/searchCLEPColleges.jsp for which universities accept which Clep tests

http://collegesearch.collegeboard.com/apcreditpolicy/index.jsp for AP

 

There are some universities that won't accept any credits other than their own. Some that will accept some dual enrollment credits but not others.

 

It is important to research any possible future school choice so that you understand their criteria as you begin your high school credits. Many schools require SAT IIs. It is easy to go ahead and plan for the SAT II when preparing for an AP/Clep. Don't make the assumption that just b/c you took the AP/Clep that you don't need the SAT II.

 

Also.......some universities will let you enter with any # of dual enrollment hrs and maintain your freshman status. Others won't. Researching ahead of time will pay off in the long run.

[jenadina]

In our specific case, though, this isn't an issue because graduates of in-state high schools (including homeschools) who maintain a certain GPA are guaranteed 8 consecutive semesters of tuition scholarship at any in-state college or university, paid for by the state lottery.

 

Which state is this?

[Corraleno]

New Mexico.

 

Students who graduate from a NM high school* and enroll full-time in any state college or university their first semester after HS graduation, and who maintain a minimum 2.25 GPA, get free tuition for 8 semesters. If you drop below 12 credits per semester, or 2.25 GPA, you lose the scholarship. But a student who maintains eligibility would only pay for books and student fees (less than $1000/yr) and living expenses. My son can live at home while attending UNM, and can easily cover the student fees with a summer job, so he will graduate with zero debt, and our "college expenses" will basically consist of food and utilies. Graduate school will be another story. :001_smile:

 

*(NM-resident homeschoolers must take the GED to qualify; eligibility begins the semester after passing the GED.)

 

Jackie

[jenadina]

New Mexico.

 

Students who graduate from a NM high school* and enroll full-time in any state college or university their first semester after HS graduation, and who maintain a minimum 2.25 GPA, get free tuition for 8 semesters. If you drop below 12 credits per semester, or 2.25 GPA, you lose the scholarship. But a student who maintains eligibility would only pay for books and student fees (less than $1000/yr) and living expenses. My son can live at home while attending UNM, and can easily cover the student fees with a summer job, so he will graduate with zero debt, and our "college expenses" will basically consist of food and utilies. Graduate school will be another story. :001_smile:

 

*(NM-resident homeschoolers must take the GED to qualify; eligibility begins the semester after passing the GED.)

 

Jackie

That's awesome! How are homeschooling laws there? (We have yet to decide where we'll be living when we move back to the US...I may have to add NM to our list of possibilities ;) )

[Renai]

New Mexico.

 

Students who graduate from a NM high school* and enroll full-time in any state college or university their first semester after HS graduation, and who maintain a minimum 2.25 GPA, get free tuition for 8 semesters. If you drop below 12 credits per semester, or 2.25 GPA, you lose the scholarship. But a student who maintains eligibility would only pay for books and student fees (less than $1000/yr) and living expenses. My son can live at home while attending UNM, and can easily cover the student fees with a summer job, so he will graduate with zero debt, and our "college expenses" will basically consist of food and utilies. Graduate school will be another story. :001_smile:

 

*(NM-resident homeschoolers must take the GED to qualify; eligibility begins the semester after passing the GED.)

 

 

Jackie

 

 

Really? When did they change this?

[Renai]

That's awesome! How are homeschooling laws there? (We have yet to decide where we'll be living when we move back to the US...I may have to add NM to our list of possibilities ;) )

 

 

Actually, fairly easy. Send an Intention to Homeschool every year (can be done online and confirmation printed out) and that's it, pretty much.

[Corraleno]

That's awesome! How are homeschooling laws there? (We have yet to decide where we'll be living when we move back to the US...I may have to add NM to our list of possibilities ;) )

 

It's a GREAT place to homeschool -- no testing, no oversight, nada. I file an Intent to Homeschool online every April, and that's it. :001_smile: There are also TONS of great resources for homeschoolers in Albuquerque: a children's science museum, natural history museum, zoo, aquarium, botanic garden, symphony (including several junior & youth symphonies), and more historical and archaeological sites than you can shake a stick at. Not to mention free college!

 

We lived in Europe for 10 years and when we moved back to the States we chose NM for the gorgeous landscape, nonstop sunshine, friendly people, and great educational opportunities. We've been very, very happy here. :thumbup1:

 

Jackie

[Corraleno]

Really? When did they change this?

 

Not sure what sort of change you're referring to, but here's a link to the Lottery Scholarship webpage:

http://www.nmlottery.com/scholarship.aspx

 

Jackie

Edited August 18, 2009 by Corraleno

[Renai]

Not sure what sort of change you're referring to, but here's a link to the Lottery Scholarship webpage:

http://www.nmlottery.com/scholarship.aspx

 

Jackie

 

I was just coming back on to say I remember now, legislation came out a couple of years ago to clarify that homeschoolers do qualify for this. The link you give says as of Fall 2007, so I don't feel so crazy now :D.

[alexfam]

I can't say for sure if this is realistic but she can only try. However, I am thinking that with so few breaks she will probably be an overload. Plus, she has to realize that there is more school after that.