How much for a young 5 yo?

[TXMomof4]

My ds is at school right now - we're bringing him and my middle dd home at Christmas.

 

I've done K with all of the girls. We used FIAR , OPGTR, and Singapore with all of them and it was perfect. K is mostly for having fun and getting ready to do school, IMO.

 

DS has changed all of that. He's so far ahead of where my girls were at this age. He can fluently read. He started in on Farmer Boy last week. It doesn't hold his attention for very long, but he's able to read it. He sat and wrote a story the other day about Christmas. He used correct cap. and punctuation on every sentence. He understands addition, subtraction, gets the concept of multiplication. He questions everything and most of the time understands things I wouldn't expect him to grasp at this point.

 

He's freaking me out. I feel strongly that kids should be kids as long as possible. I don't believe in a rigorous K schedule. But I'm worried he's going to be bored. I'm not even sure where he's learning all this because in his class at school they are still learning letter sounds and counting.

 

What would you use for him? I don't want to overwhelm him with curriculum, but I don't want to waste this time when he's so excited and eager to learn.

 

ETA: He just turned 5 in July. I actually considered holding him back but obviously sent him to school anyway.

 

Help!

[StartingOver]

My son sounds like yours. He is doing Sonlight Core B ( secularly ), Writing with Ease, First Language Lessons, Elemental Science, Saxon, Song School Latin. He is enjoying it ! So we keep moving forward. We did not start it all at one time, we started with just the core and science, then added FLL as it is mostly oral, math at the beginning of the year in K was all hands on. As his handwriting improved we started WWE. My 5 year old child's only issue at the beginning of the year was writing. Now that is no longer an issue. He is reading chapter books and doing really well. I say follow their lead. If it seems to be to much then back off. Take time off regularly. Keep lessons short with lots of time to just play. But I also don't see the reason to hold a child back. Good luck with your decision.

[Old Dominion Heather]

My middle son was an early reader like this. He was reading anything he wanted at about four.

 

1. Let him read whatever he wants for literature, with a focus on children's classics that you might not get to otherwise in your curriculum. My son read all the A.A. Milne books, all of Beatrix Potter, and sooo many others.

 

2. Make sure you have him read aloud TO YOU a few times a week. I still have my son do this. He reads like I do, very, very quickly in his head and has a more difficult slowing down to read aloud.

 

3. Singapore math introduces multiplication and division in first grade and the lessons are short enough not to be overwhelming for a little guy.

 

4. Handwriting. Do it.

 

5. If you use WTM, plan to follow just your son's interests this year. My son got on a shark kick that year and did an awesome shark study, corresponded with the scientist known as the "Shark Lady", visited the Aquarium. Even now, that kid knows more about sharks that anyone I know.

 

6. Play. Lots of legos, lots of blocks, lots of pretend.

 

My little guy who is like this is a joy to have at home, but I can rarely say that I "taught" him anything. Mostly, I show him something and he takes it and runs. Just plan on lots of rabbit trails and get ready to enjoy his enthusiasm! In many ways, you learn to just facilitate and get out of the way.

[Pamela H in Texas]

Honestly, I would use the same things you used for the others. FIAR is very appropriate for an advanced child. Unless you are sure of his phonics skills, I'd still do this (btw, this is one thing I neglected and regret with my very advanced kiddo). Of course, otherwise, reading is still important, just that he'll be doing more of it possibly. And then whether he is doing 3rd grade math or Kindergarten math, you do about the same amount of.

 

I tried to explain this to my stepmother when she was trying to tell me that my seven year old just needed to be a kid and I'll try to explain it here. It isn't taking away any more childhood to allow an advanced seven year old to do high school level work than it does to make a typical seven year old to do second grade work. The three hours of schoolwork it takes is the same three hours regardless of the level the child is doing in that time.

 

Same will be true of your kindergartener. If you did 45 minutes with the other kids and you do 45 minutes of formal learning with him, it really doesn't matter if he is doing Kindergarten or 2nd grade.

 

As for the rest of his time? He'll learn during play, through his interests, by living life, while reading, etc just like any other kid.

[TXMomof4]

Thanks - of course, now I have to revamp a lot of my plans! The harder side of the situation is that my youngest dd is just now coming into her own. We've had to work hard, hard, hard and here is her brother - 3 years younger than she is riding right on her coattails.

[Ellie]

ETA: He just turned 5 in July. I actually considered holding him back but obviously sent him to school anyway.

A July bday is considered "young"?:confused: :001_huh:

 

ITA with Pam in TX: do the same things with him that you did with your others, and with letting him play. He's still 5. :-)

[TXMomof4]

A July bday is considered "young"?:confused: :001_huh:

 

ITA with Pam in TX: do the same things with him that you did with your others, and with letting him play. He's still 5. :-)

 

Everyone I know with boys with late summer b-days hold them back a year and let them start K at 6. So, compared to his peers at school, he's very young.

[Old Dominion Heather]

Everyone I know with boys with late summer b-days hold them back a year and let them start K at 6. So, compared to his peers at school, he's very young.

 

That is how it is here, too.

[Old Dominion Heather]

Thanks - of course, now I have to revamp a lot of my plans! The harder side of the situation is that my youngest dd is just now coming into her own. We've had to work hard, hard, hard and here is her brother - 3 years younger than she is riding right on her coattails.

 

This is just the way it goes sometimes. I had to be careful not to have my two work together for a while because my middle guy read better than my oldest for about six months.

 

You might want to ask this question on the accelerated board.