Advice on gifted 4yo

[AnniePoo]

Hi, I'm new here to the boards but have been lurking for the past few years.

 

I am a newish homeschooling mom to 3 (soon to be 4) children, ages 6, 4, 2. My 4yo is showing serious signs of being a bright kid and I'm not quite sure how to handle his education. I have no idea where to go to look up how to handle this so I was hoping some of you could point me in the right direction (books, advice, curriculum, etc.).

 

My 4 yo learned to read when he was 3ish. One day he surprised me and his older sister by reading her lesson for her (we had no idea he could read). He has since surpassed her in terms of language skills (and I'd say she's slightly advanced). My sister is a school teacher who administers reading tests and my 6 scored in the mid-to-late 2nd grade year reading level and my 4yo is definitnely ahead of her, so I'd say he's reading somewhere in the 3rd grade level. He can read any billboard, picture book, food label (had no problem reading "bubble explosion" the other day). He loves to read DK First Animal Encyclopedia for fun and also has a great time trying to sound out the names of countries on the map. He loves trying to spell words.

 

The other day in the van he told me he could add, subtract, and skip count by 2's, 5's, 10's. Sure enough, he did it. And this is with no teaching on my part. Not that he has memorized any math facts, but clearly the concepts are sinking in.

 

Today he started crying because I hadn't taught him any grammar, so I humored him by doing the first few lessons of FLL 1.

 

Like other boys his age (he's 4.5 actually) his fine motor skills are lacking and I haven't even tried to teach him how to write letters because of this.

 

I'm currently planning out his "K" school year which will start in August. What direction do I take with a child like this? Clealry he is ahead, and my original thought was relief that I didn't have to teach him anything (easy year for me :laugh: ). DH thinks it would be wise to take advantage of him being ahead and carry on at his pace. I think he has a point.

 

What sort of curriculum exists for a child like this? Emotionally, he is quite immature and very sensitive, so I'm not sure what to have him be reading. It can't be workbook based b/c he can't write, nor do I care to frustrate him since he's doing so well already. His gifting is definitely in language.

 

His #1 favorite thing to do in the world is play games with me so I'm thinking of putting him in RightStart Math B and taking it at his pace. I'll do some beginning handwriting too. He seems to have almost no interest in listening to me read chapter books out loud so I'm going to see if I can find some "boyish" ones for him to get him loving good literature. I'm also leaning toward buying Nancy Larson science 1 since his brain seems to absorb facts like crazy right now and the worksheets seem easily tweaked to suit his level of writing without slowing down his sister too much.

 

Any thoughts? Advice? Sorry this was so long!

[LEK]

Your 4yo soulds a lot like mine. She is due to start kindy in jan14 so still 12 months away but I will be starting her mid-year i think. I am planning on working on fine motor skills, eventually moving on to writing through dot-to-dots, mazes, coloring in, color by number etc. She will also be doing lollipop logic. For math she will be working through miquon although i am yet to decide if that will purely be through exploration or if i will also get her to physically write on the worksheets, as it stands miquon looks easy for her but I am sure there are a few concepts she is yet to master somewhere in there (i hope so), math is definitely her strong suit and she is at least 1st grade level, probably 2nd. She does heaps of manipulatives play already so that will not be changing. For LA I will be working through OPGRT with her to make sure she knows all the rules but this will be at her own pace. She also joins in with FLL with my 1st grader and will most likely start AAS mid year. I have a lot of readers and picture books so she will be reading those to me for reading practice. Oh, and she will be tagging along with her older sister in SOTW and biology.

[2smartones]

Sounds like my kids were. Both learned to read, spell, and do basic math long before they learned to write.

 

First, if you find a workbook program you like, go ahead and use it. There's nothing wrong with doing the work orally and/or doing the writing for him. Second, if you start teaching diagramming now, it will make English grammar a breeze. I think any 4 year old can be taught the very, very basics (the noun in a sentence is the person or thing doing the action, and the verb is what is being done). Bright 4 year olds can learn about the different types of nouns & verbs, as well as modifiers and pronouns. You don't need any sort of curriculum or program to do that. Just use a lap dry-erase board. Not all early readers will also be early spellers, so don't take that for granted. If you have a natural speller, you might want to use something like Sequential Spelling (orally, not written... or write it yourself using a dry-erase board). If you don't have a natural speller, you can use something like All About Spelling as a hands-on way to teach it.

 

It's a little easier for (some) kids to learn to type than write. Have you worked on any keyboarding skills? There are free games out there that teach typing. You can work on comprehension orally or through typing a "report" or "review" of a book. You can use something like EPS's Reading Comprehension in Varied Subject Matter series. You can also just discuss what he's reading. Is he into chapter books yet? If not, don't worry about hitting a speed bump when he gets there. Even some early readers have a lot of apprehension when the font size changes and the pictures either go to black & white or go away completely. In that case, the trick is to (1) read chapter books together, perhaps a paragraph at a time back & forth and (2) find chapter books that are in large print and/or have full color pictures throughout, not just on a few pages. Talk to your children's librarian about finding something appropriate. If you run into one who says 4 year olds "can't" read such-and-such, find another librarian! There are some real gems of books out there (publishers like Usborne for non-fiction or Barefoot for fiction) that have gorgeous illustrations and high quality content.

 

There are just so many great things you can do with a language-strong kid! One other final point, though... if you see that one child is passing an older sibling, especially if the older sibling seems jealous or resentful, look for differences throughout your family and friends (point out your own strengths and weaknesses between mom & dad or between yourself and your siblings). Let that older sibling know that EVERYONE has strengths and weaknesses, and it does make him/her less special or less important if one child is better at a certain area than he/she is. If you're a religious person, you can talk about God giving everyone gifts, and that everyone has a role to play in this world just like every body part has a role to play to make the body function as a whole.

[brendag]

My kids started sight reading on their own around 3. I immediately started a phonics program, but I did the writing for them and I got a magnetic dry erase board, magnetic letters/numbers, and plenty of dry erase markers. They loved using the magnetic letters! My now 5 year old son is very sensitive as well. A couple of great websites are SENG, HOAGIES, Gifteddevelopment.com. A couple of books that I like are Emotional Intensity (if your son has any of that going on), A Parent's Guide to Gifted Children. There is also a gifted homeschooling yahoo group, but you will find a lot of great information here as well. Play is still really important and this age.

 

We started out using RightStart A. I love it. It is a very scripted program. The problem I had for my son who just "gets" math was that it was much harder for me to accelerate. He was getting very bored! Since it was a different style of math than how I learned, I wasn't comfortable just skipping ahead and I was afraid that I would miss some basic foundation needed for a later lesson. I switched over to Singapore and added the Challenging Word Problems (awesome!) with him and that is so much easier because he doesn't need a ton of review.

 

It's a wild ride! Enjoy! :D

Brenda

[boscopup]

The others have given you good advice. I'll add a couple things...

 

For the read alouds, it's normal at that age to not be interested in chapter books. Read good picture books! Then slowly work up to chapter books. My oldest didn't get into listening to chapter books until he was 7 (and he's my child who could suddenly read one day at 4.5, did math orally in the van, etc.). I didn't homeschool him until halfway through first grade,, but his hand would fall off if he wrote much. Now at 8, he is able to handle so much more writing.

 

Another thing to think about... Your child will probably go through multiple years worth of curriculum in a single year, so keep that in mind when planning K. ;)

 

I do like not having to teach a whole subject (like "reading" to my oldest) in those younger years. It gave us more time for other things. :) Just keep working on prewriting skills, and gradually increase the writing when he is a bit older. You can scribe some until he's ready.

 

Hit the library often, and pick up those science and history readers that are around a 3rd grade level. And remember that a lot of good picture books are written at a 4th or 5th grade level.

 

You'll be fine! Just try to hang on. :D

[2smartones]

Oh... I forgot one more tip for getting into smaller print ... use read-along books with CD. Both of my kids ate those up right before transitioning to chapter books.

[Bang!Zoom!]

Annie, are you experiencing a correlation between his verbal abilities and reading ability? Are they evenly matched and consistent throughout the day?

[AnniePoo]

Annie, are you experiencing a correlation between his verbal abilities and reading ability? Are they evenly matched and consistent throughout the day?

 

 

Yes. He is very articulate and speaks in a rather logical manner for a 4yo. He regularly uses big words, but his dad does as well. Nothing has ever been "dumbed down" for him.

[Bang!Zoom!]

It sounds like he's in a wonderful environment that's enriched thoughtfully and intentionally.

[Embassy]

I would go with picture book read alouds. I'm going through about 300 or so great picture books with my 4 year old this year. It has been great. I've only had one child who was ready to listen to chapter books at age 4.

 

As to what direction to take.... Be flexible. Needs may change rapidly the first year of formal schooling. Keep things fun. Help him explore his interests in depth.

[AnniePoo]

I'm going to try to respond to most of this quickly because I don't have a ton of time today. I'll be checking into the book and curriculum recommendations. Thank you!

 

It sounds like everyone is saying to let him go at his own pace (don't push him too hard), try to find books that interest him and let him have at it. It's a good idea to see if I can get him to narrate back to me what he's read occasionally. He might really enjoy trying to type it out too. I'll see about finding appropriate history and science books for him.

 

He's not at all into chapter books, even though he could read many of them with no problem. I think he just likes looking at the pictures. In most ways, his maturity level is more like a 3yo, it's just that he can read like an 8 or 9yo (which explains why he's not into chapter books). Right now he loves to read picture books from the library on his own and I'll just have him continue that.

 

I like the idea of filling in the answers for him with workbooks. That will definitely give us more curriculum options.

 

The biggest task for me next year will be teaching him to form his letters. That's all I plan on requiring for his kindergarten year. We'll work up to more as he ages.

 

It'll certainly be interesting to see how this all pans out in the long run!

[AnniePoo]

Sounds like my kids were. Both learned to read, spell, and do basic math long before they learned to write.

 

First, if you find a workbook program you like, go ahead and use it. There's nothing wrong with doing the work orally and/or doing the writing for him. Second, if you start teaching diagramming now, it will make English grammar a breeze. I think any 4 year old can be taught the very, very basics (the noun in a sentence is the person or thing doing the action, and the verb is what is being done). Bright 4 year olds can learn about the different types of nouns & verbs, as well as modifiers and pronouns. You don't need any sort of curriculum or program to do that. Just use a lap dry-erase board. Not all early readers will also be early spellers, so don't take that for granted. If you have a natural speller, you might want to use something like Sequential Spelling (orally, not written... or write it yourself using a dry-erase board). If you don't have a natural speller, you can use something like All About Spelling as a hands-on way to teach it.

 

It's a little easier for (some) kids to learn to type than write. Have you worked on any keyboarding skills? There are free games out there that teach typing. You can work on comprehension orally or through typing a "report" or "review" of a book. You can use something like EPS's Reading Comprehension in Varied Subject Matter series. You can also just discuss what he's reading. Is he into chapter books yet? If not, don't worry about hitting a speed bump when he gets there. Even some early readers have a lot of apprehension when the font size changes and the pictures either go to black & white or go away completely. In that case, the trick is to (1) read chapter books together, perhaps a paragraph at a time back & forth and (2) find chapter books that are in large print and/or have full color pictures throughout, not just on a few pages. Talk to your children's librarian about finding something appropriate. If you run into one who says 4 year olds "can't" read such-and-such, find another librarian! There are some real gems of books out there (publishers like Usborne for non-fiction or Barefoot for fiction) that have gorgeous illustrations and high quality content.

 

There are just so many great things you can do with a language-strong kid! One other final point, though... if you see that one child is passing an older sibling, especially if the older sibling seems jealous or resentful, look for differences throughout your family and friends (point out your own strengths and weaknesses between mom & dad or between yourself and your siblings). Let that older sibling know that EVERYONE has strengths and weaknesses, and it does make him/her less special or less important if one child is better at a certain area than he/she is. If you're a religious person, you can talk about God giving everyone gifts, and that everyone has a role to play in this world just like every body part has a role to play to make the body function as a whole.

 

Great thoughts. You clearly have been in the same boat. :-) My oldest is definitely getting frustrated about being surpassed and we've tried to talk about strengths/weaknesses. I plan to put them in different math programs (oldest is in MUS) so at least they can be on completely different scopes for that.

 

Was going to respond more but I have to go.

[Tanikit]

My DD also learnt to read at 3 years old. She has just recently started her K year (we run January - December - thank heavens else she would have missed the cut off in many states and still be in pre-K) I spent last year teaching her gradually to write as she was interested, but her fine motor was not up to using lines and so all letter formation was taught in unlined books and she could write whatever size she chose. Only recently have I started lines with her and there is such a huge difference between the fine motor skills she showed a year ago when I began and now that she is managing with ease. I did Horizons K with her and also Singapore 1a though much of the writing I did for her - again, a year later and she is now doing all the writing herself.

 

My DD has been listening to chapter books since 4 years old, but she still loves picture books too. I would move forward slowly with that - my DD took to chapter books after I started reading them to her when she was in the bath - there was enough to distract her in the bath that she didn't mind that there were no pictures. Also start with chapter books that do have pictures and books with shorter chapters that can be read straight through (your library should have a set of early readers that include lots of early chapter books - some have more literary value than others) You'll also have to keep trying to find something that your child enjoys - interest is what enables to children (and adults) to listen to long stories. Boys also often do better with non fiction for some reason so try a lot of non fiction too.

 

As for grammar - if he enjoys FLL then carry on with it. My DD has been doing some basic grammar last year - it is not my priority in kindergarten so I have not done much with her, but she enjoys it when we do it.

 

I wouldn't use a curriculum for a child that age - use certain books for sure (like FLL for example) but when dealing with gifted children boxed curricula seldom seem to work mostly because of the writing issues but also because they are often in different places with different subjects.

[Uff Da!]

nm

[Guest Carrie1013]

My son is the same way. He started reading shortly after he turned 3 and loves everything but struggles with writing. He's 3.5 now and we decided to go ahead and start doing Kindergarten work Jan 7 because he's such a sponge and he's loving it.

 

Since he's so resistant to writing, I take it really slow and don't push him. I try to do it first each school day and if he's really not interested, that's fine. He has a calendar that he fills out each day that I got from here: https://www.confessionsofahomeschooler.com/blog/2012/09/preschool-daily-learning-notebook.html. I also try to throw in a coloring page or maze or do some air writing or white board finger erasing. (I write something on the white board at his level then he uses his finger to trace/erase it. Kind of came up with that from the Petersen Handwriting method.) We're only 2 weeks in but he's already showing improvement.

 

We are doing Saxon Math K (most of which he skipped right through because it was too easy) and activities that I find on Pinterest to relate to the lesson. He's only got about 10 lessons left in Saxon... I don't know if we'll do Saxon Math 1.

 

For spelling, we're doing All About Spelling Level 1. Just finished the first lesson and so far we like it and he's doing well with it.

 

For reading practice, we are doing Dolch's Sight Words on Sight Word Parking Lot. I printed them off from here also: https://www.confessionsofahomeschooler.com/blog/2012/10/kindergarten-sight-words.html

and laminated them. When he's got them memorized, we hang them up on the wall. He's actually on his last 12 of the Kindergarten ones so we'll be moving onto 1st grade ones next week! Here's a picture of Sight Word Parking Lot on my blog: http://lincolnfreedomacademy.blogspot.com/2013/01/the-1st-day-of-kindergarten.html That's another idea I got from Pinterest and he LOVES it!

 

We're also reading about 1-2 chapters of Charlotte's Web at bedtime.

 

We do all of those subjects (minus bedtime reading) in about an hour Monday, Wednesday and Thursday. On Friday we do calendar and either an art or science project. Sometimes it takes us less time, but an hour is about average. Today, he wanted to do more, so I printed off some extra mazes and we played MarioKart and Mario Galaxy for a little bit - helps with hand eye coordination and reflexes, both of which are helpful in writing!

 

He also loves Starfall.com and abcya.com - both have great educational games that are perfect for his learning level but don't require any handwriting since they are done on the computer!

 

So, to actually answer your question :::grin::: I say just start doing the subjects he likes at whatever level works for him. My son is only 3.5, but he's reading at a 1st grade level, almost done with Kindergarten math and is actually 95% done with what the Department of Education wants Kindergarteners to know at the end of the school year. (So age 5/6.) That's why homeschooling rocks so much! He doesn't have to fit into the mold that the Powers That Be say 4-year-olds should.