Wondering what to do with my BRIGHT 7 year old

[scrapbookbuzz]

I have a son who just turned 7 a couple of weeks ago. He's been doing 3rd grade math since this past spring and has just begun reading 5th grade level books.

 

His motor skills (ie, handwriting, etc) are where they should be for his age, as is his maturity level.

 

What I planned on using for Reading in the fall is going to need tweaking, evidently. :tongue_smilie:

 

I guess my actual question is:

 

Have any of you ever BTDT? Been in this situation? I have yet to have him 'tested' for anything. Last fall I considered having him tested but we didn't. For awhile, I was convinced he was just very bright, but that was before he skipped 2 grade levels in math, and 3 in reading! Now I'm beginning to wonder what to do.

 

As a footnote, I have a daughter who struggles with Asperger's Syndrome, is pretty good with math, and amazing with science.

 

 

[JenneinCA]

I would continue whatever math book you were using and let him read books at the level that he would like.

 

Whatever you were doing was working. Keep doing it.

[Kertie]

Well, I'm far from an expert, but after spending way too much time freaking out over what to "do" with my 6.5 year old, I'm doing things as I plan them and making sure he has tons of books to read. In addition to reading at a middle school level, he reads fast. Frankly, it's a little exhausting to even think about. But, he learns like crazy that way. So, I'm just going to press on with "the plan" and add as we go, schooling year-round to allow for bunny trails! Oh, and I try and keep challenging puzzles (Lonpos 303 is popular here) and Critical Thinking Company Mind Benders, etc. around. And he routinely pulls out his math book for "fun," so that's always available.

 

Another thing is to go broad--i.e., add other subjects. This year ds wants to learn how to type. Great. Spanish, piano, etc., rather than only going through everything else quickly.

 

So, yeah--right there with you.

__________________

[scrapbookbuzz]

Thank you, all, for your responses! And I'm always open to more! I think the clincher for me, if you can really call it that, is his extreme perfectionism. If he can't think of how to ask his question correctly the first time and has to think more than 15 seconds about it it TOTALLY throws him and we get this meltdown complete with waterfall! The sensitivity just has totally thrown me for a loop. Between this and what I listed above, I have to laugh when the school wondered why I was withdrawing him last spring!

[Carpe]

It sounds like what you're doing is working, so keep doing it.

 

The only time that testing is appropriate is when there is a problem. If everything is working then there is no need for a test. The standard reasons for testing are: special programs for gifted kids (or entrance to a gifted school); when a child is unexpectedly asynchronous; when nothing is working; to convince a school for an IEP or a grade skip, or what-have-you (Schools like test results). If you are having issues and he isn't, then that IS a valid problem that testing could give you insight to solve.

 

Ultimately even the most thorough evaluations just offer up more information, not answers or directions, or "what to do." Just more information to, hopefully, help you make those decisions.

[Carpe]

It amazes me how long it takes me to type a reply when I'm being attacked by a toddler.

 

Something that everyone has to work hard to master helps with perfectionism. For me, it was woodworking, for some it's music, others dance or gymnastics. An activity that takes practice and persistence will show him how to be bad at something and that it's okay! That's the hard part, it's okay to have to work at things. It comes up a lot here. A search for "perfectionism" would probably find you more specific ideas.

[quark]

Like others said, keep doing what you're doing and maybe add a brain-bending challenge, like a foreign language, or math olympiad questions (the questions start off with just enough challenge for a mathy 7yo). If you can afford it, music lessons. Something like piano to help strengthen those finger muscles. When my son was 7 and advanced but not ahead in motor skills, I invested in a TOPS science guide (e.g. perfect balance) to help him pursue his love for math and science using paper-based manipulatives he could make himself with minimal help from me. The confidence boost was priceless and TOPS is affordable too.

 

Perfectionism rears it head in our home very often and I've learned to console him but not let him give up.

It helps to pull up an example of a time when he felt he couldn't do it but persevered and accomplished something well. Break it down into baby steps if you need to.

 

Good luck!

Edited July 27, 2011 by quark

[Dmmetler]

I'm there right now-I have a 6 1/2 yr old who sounds very similar (you can see what we're going into/are using in my .sig). What I've found is to keep the input level up where it's challenging to her, but limit the writing to what she can handle, avoid anything too emotional that she's not ready for yet, and thank God that I'm homeschooling, because I swear she'd drive a teacher crazy!

[jennynd]

Reading wise, I will just keep to him reading.

math wise. Not sure what program u are using. Many mathy kids enjoy singapore math challenge word problems.

[boscopup]

Yep, I'm there with ya. :D You can see what I'm using in my sig. We just keep plugging along at his pace. I think we'll slow down soon in math, as we're about to start MM 4A and will be getting into long division and all that. I *think* we'll slow down... I have him working his facts on xtramath.org right now so he'll have those down pat. He has many of them.

 

For reading, I just picked a bunch of good literature at various reading levels. Some are grade 4, some are grade 7. I'm alternating those, so he'll have some easy ones and hard ones mixed in, rather than getting harder and harder and harder. It's working out well so far, and he's enjoying the books. :)

 

The writing ability is the hardest part to deal with, as you wait for their physical ability to catch up with their brain. This type of asynchronous development is incredibly common though. You're definitely not alone!

[Kertie]

his extreme perfectionism.

 

 

Yup. I saw that early on (probably because I recognized myself:tongue_smilie: in it!!) and we've been working on it. I do think the bit of improvement has mostly come from having a sibling close in age that is NOT a perfectionist. Once for handwriting, he carefully completed a row of O's and then critiqued each one. His sister carefully completed a row of O's and then drew happy faces inside them and hair on top. Ds was HORRIFIED. :lol: But, it's been good--he saw that the world did not, in fact, end:D. And that's how it is--he'll correct her, and she'll say "oh, well" and move along.

 

I have found that keeping things light-hearted helps--referring to it as a "puzzle" rather than a "problem"...but I am on the lookout for something HARD for him--that thing he has to really work at.

[scrapbookbuzz]

Thanks, Kirsten!

Thanks, EVERYone!

Still open for more input! I'm beginning to see that I am in fact capable (for now) of handling his academic needs. I also have a local friend who has two very gifted children, one of whom is profoundly gifted (think 11yo boy capable of senior-year-of-high-school work) whom I talked with today. I'm thankful for all of you!

[scrapbookbuzz]

So, my bright boy has begun (within the last couple of months or so) to experiment with balancing things. It's interesting to watch him as he figures out what will keep an item perfectly balanced! Makes me wonder what to do ( and realize I haven't planned) for science with him! any thoughts?