Gifted Preschooler & Classical Education

[Christine B]

Hello everyone!  I am new to this forum, we live in Wisconsin and I have a daughter (3 in October) and boy/girl twins that will be 9 months old next week.  :)  I picked up a copy of TWTM when we made the decision to homeschool our oldest and LOVED it, and it didn't take much to get my husband on board with using classical homeschooling in the future for all 3 kids! (At first, he only agreed to homeschool the oldest, so this was huge!)

 

Like I said, she will be 3 in October, but is a gifted child, which is why we decided to homeschool to begin with.  She was in daycare until August, but then we pulled her out, since I stay at home with the twins, anyway.  A lot of what I've read in TWTM for preschool, and some of K, she has already mastered, and I plan on working on filling in the gaps with her, but she moves quickly.  She is not writing yet (she wants to, and tells me what her "writing" says, but lacks the fine motor control to actually write.) Like I said, I love the classical education model, but with not starting until 1st grade, I'm not sure what to do with her until then.  A lot of people already give me grief for "pushing" her into academics, or being too hard on her, but she's not even being challenged right now (so I don't see how I'm hard on her? And we have pushed nothing...I teach her what she wants to know when she asks, the rest she just picks up).  I was looking at starting her with K level work next year, after seeing how the next several months go, but is that really going to harm her if she CAN do it? I read a lot about waiting until kids are "ready," obviously I don't want to harm her love of learning, so should I really just let her go until she reaches the appropriate age? I hope this post makes sense, I'm torn between everyone telling me to "let it go," and let her be where she should be by age, or teaching her where her ability seems to be (which seems right, but like I said, I keep hearing different).  Any advice?

[Kiara.I]

Teach her where she is academically, but remember that she's developmentally the stage she is too. So there should still be only very short times, lots of outside play, lots of physical activity.

 

Also, keep letting her lead on the academics. Don't make it be kindergarten just because it's kindergarten-level work, you know? If she'd rather go play with cars, let her.

 

Sent from my Nexus 5 using Tapatalk

[desertflower]

Hello and welcome aboard!

 

I would definitely follow her lead.  Continue doing what you are doing.  Read lots of books to her.  Go to story time.  You can start academics in a fun way.  I like All About Reading.  I have AAR pre level for my youngest and I love it.  She already knows her letters and simple phonics, but it's more than that.  There is Preschool math that you can buy from the Well Trained Mind store.  I like it.  Definitely a gentle approach to math.  Buy math manipulatives.  I like math u see blocks.  Some people like Cuisinaire rods.  There is education unboxed which is free online.  This person is teaching her 4 (?) year old math using cuisinaire rods.  The child is older as the math gets harder. 

 

There is also starfall.com or abcmouse.com.  If you get too tired, there is storyline online on you tube that has actors/actresses reading books aloud.

 

If she lacks the fine motor skills to write, I wouldn't start anything with that.  In my house, I let them "write" and tell me their stories.  A lot of words are misspelled, but that's fine with me.

 

Museums, nature walks, and the zoo are all fun and educational. 

 

There is an Accelerated Learner board that you may want to post on. 

 

Good luck and enjoy the journey!  :)

[rebcoola]

You may get more answers on the acclerated board.  It sounds like you are doing great just keep following her lead.     I would do regular preschool activites for motor control  do lots of  string beads, art stuff, cut paper etc.  I would also read,read, read, read aloud don't worry about her sitting still let her color and play quietly.  Play board games of all kinds.  Talk about math while you are cooking, shopping etc.  Meet her were her academic needs are but in age appropriate way.

 

Edited September 15, 2016 by rebcoola

[Lawyer&Mom]

I get it. I also have an accelerated preschooler who will be 3 in October. I'm not pushing academics at the moment, but we are definitely starting her classical education. She can follow read alouds at about an upper elementary level so we read bible stories, Saints, prayers, myths, fairy tales, poetry... She loves it all. We also do lots of songs in foreign languages, just for fun and exposure. I'd have no problem with starting academic work at this age if she is ready, but there is so much classical content you can play with too.

[Alessandra]

An activity I liked was reading different versions of fairy tales/nursery tales. For example, there are lots of versions of Little Red Riding Hood. Recalling and comparing versions is a good critical thinking exercise.

 

Poetry read alouds, especially poetry like Mother Goose, develops auditory awareness.

 

Consider buying or making hand and/or finger puppets and a mini puppet theater (curtain on a rod). Child can retell stories she has read or make up her own. Teacher stores usually have animal and fairy tale puppets.

 

Go to a teacher store and look at games. My kids loved inch cubes and putting them into patterns according the included pattern cards. Spatial awareness type of math. There is just a host of toys and games that can be fun and challenging and age appropriate.

 

Hardwood unit blocks help develop the muscles needed for writing. Really.

 

Check out Jim Trelease, Read Aloud Handbook. Look at Jim Weiss's website for age appropriate recordings.

 

Field trips. Parades, festivals, nature, as many as you can do. I realize with your youngers this could be a real challenge!

[Jackie]

My mantra with a similar kid has been "academics at her level, expectations at her age". We use materials meant for children notably older, but I keep time requirements reasonably close to what others expect a child of her age to do. I used to listen too much to the people saying that I was pushing or to "just let her play", but by the time she was 3.5yo, I had learned that she was much happier when I included intentional academics on a regular basis.

 

FWIW, there are many aspects of Classical that I like and draw from, but we are pretty eclectic. The Trivium just plain doesn't fit for her. She is 6yo, thinks abstractly, does better with material that is highly conceptual, and detests any form of memorization.

 

I echo others who have recommended checking out the Accelerated Learner subforum here.

[KaceeM]

I'm in the same boat with an accelerated 4yo. She'll be 5 in December and is working at a 1st grade level across the board. Added to this is the fact she loves (and is great at) memorizing. I let her lead on most things including time. We work until she is bored or overly fidgety, this can be as short as 20min and twice now I've cut her off at 2hours. She loves her work though and I'm amazed everyday at the things she picks up.

[Christine B]

Thanks everyone, so much! This has been so incredibly helpful and reassuring.  You guys have some wonderful ideas. :) 

[...................]

I had a similar situation and my son is now 14 and definitely still obviously in the very gifted range in two subjects and gifted range in the rest.  So, I was right.  LOL I also have a very intelligent way above average child, but because she has a different brain, she does not assimilate academics in the same way, so her academics don't necessarily align with the label "gifted" in every area though she is far in advance in some areas.

 

What I am saying, is that I have been there and done that with a truly gifted academic type and also with a creatively gifted dreamer/hands on type.

 

my best advice to you, is not to push sitting down academics.  It doesn't help ANYTHING.  The best thing to do is story time, read books, make crafts, spend time outdoors (remember sensory disorders?  They are skyrocketing in perfect conjunction with the amount of time a child spends free playing outdoors), take walks, explore lakes, ponds, open meadows, lazy days letting her dig in the dirt, also explore her social life- make sure she gets at least twice a week so something social with kids her own age.  Research new fun little projects to do - make home made letter pretzels, home made play doh, have lots of discussions, etc. etc.

 

My gifted son was diagnosed with sensory disorder and I made it my goal to be outside for a minimum of 3 hours per day, plus pool time three times per week, plus play doh, sand time, and lots of cooking and baking.  His sensory disorder nearly disappeared within 6 months of spending all the time outdoors.  

 

Your daughter is gifted! She WILL succeed, she WILL impress, she WILL get challenged,but sitting down and doing phonics is not the way to challenge her and grow her right now.  Sometimes she will ask you to teach her something.  Teach it to her in that moment.  If she gets it great.  If not, wait till she asks again.

 

I highly recommend Before Five in a Row if you really want some ideas. :o)  

 

[Runningmom80]

I had a similar situation and my son is now 14 and definitely still obviously in the very gifted range in two subjects and gifted range in the rest.  So, I was right.  LOL I also have a very intelligent way above average child, but because she has a different brain, she does not assimilate academics in the same way, so her academics don't necessarily align with the label "gifted" in every area though she is far in advance in some areas.

 

What I am saying, is that I have been there and done that with a truly gifted academic type and also with a creatively gifted dreamer/hands on type.

 

my best advice to you, is not to push sitting down academics.  It doesn't help ANYTHING.  The best thing to do is story time, read books, make crafts, spend time outdoors (remember sensory disorders?  They are skyrocketing in perfect conjunction with the amount of time a child spends free playing outdoors), take walks, explore lakes, ponds, open meadows, lazy days letting her dig in the dirt, also explore her social life- make sure she gets at least twice a week so something social with kids her own age.  Research new fun little projects to do - make home made letter pretzels, home made play doh, have lots of discussions, etc. etc.

 

My gifted son was diagnosed with sensory disorder and I made it my goal to be outside for a minimum of 3 hours per day, plus pool time three times per week, plus play doh, sand time, and lots of cooking and baking.  His sensory disorder nearly disappeared within 6 months of spending all the time outdoors.  

 

Your daughter is gifted! She WILL succeed, she WILL impress, she WILL get challenged,but sitting down and doing phonics is not the way to challenge her and grow her right now.  Sometimes she will ask you to teach her something.  Teach it to her in that moment.  If she gets it great.  If not, wait till she asks again.

 

I highly recommend Before Five in a Row if you really want some ideas. :o)  

 

I second all of this!  And also AAR!  The AL board has a lot of people schooling preschool aged kids.

[ExcitedMama]

Another vote for AAR. Also for fine motor skills Kumon is wonderful. Mine did a couple of pages a day and it was hard at first but then it got easier for them. What Your Preschooler Needs To Know is a great series of activity books that focuses on important skills but also reading classic stories like Goldilocks. Both of mine always begged to do more pages in it at 3 and 4. Memoria Press has a great series of books too or whole curriculum by age. At 3 my DD loved reading books and answering questions that her brother was doing in the K level so I bought her the Pre-K level and she really does love it. She asks for it and wants to do her story and memorize her poem. The only problem is they also recommend doing it with writing that she isn't ready for so you could always save that for later.

[HomeAgain]

I have a bright 6yo.  I don't know about gifted since that definition changes depends on who you're asking, but he is quick.  His method of madness went like this:

 

Year 0-3: play.  Lots of play.  No toys that talk, only ones that made him use his imagination. Lots of puzzles of various kinds (check Timberdoodle for recs) We read often to him, took him everywhere (from parks to museums), and made sure he had ample opportunity to develop fine and gross motor skills.  He picked up chess at age 2 and fell immediately in love with the game.

 

Year 4: Still lots of play.  I taught him to read (100 EZ lessons did, in fact, take him barely that to grasp and take off), we did more intentional play - learning about our world from where we live to other countries' cultures.  We focused on one country a month and did crafts, games, food, language, etc. continuing to focus on gross and fine motor skills.  We slowly introduced letters halfway through the year and used a blended Charlotte Mason/Montessori approach to writing.

 

Year 5: We introduced math lessons.  Still, lots of play.  Lots of field trips, lots of following his lead.  I printed out the Mensa For Kids booklist so he could work his way through.  Lots of puzzles and chess that year, along with hands on science and basic geography/map skills.  He started memorizing poetry (mostly nursery rhymes) and doing more art.

 

Year 6: Now we are here.  He has taken on a full courseload between what he wants and what I want:

My wants: Ancient history, maths, writing through dictation/copywork, spelling, reading, literature, and art.

His wants: Violin, science, Spanish, maths, cursive handwriting, chess.

 

He still has a lot of time for play, but you can see a greater portion of his day is taken up.  Though he probably could have started a classical education before age 6, I'm glad we waited.  He gets so much more out of it now; and while the lessons continue to be short (most are 10 minutes or less), he is able to connect the dots better.  He has a background of various cultures and where they're located.  He can converse and ask questions, and he has the fine motor skills for activities that make it more fun.  I do not regret in the least waiting to introduce history or beginning the cycle in 1st grade.  We can go deeper and wider than we could have even a year ago.

[JennSnow]

Read to her tons (fiction, non fiction, poems, etc..).  Find a good book list of picture books and begin working through it. Start reading to her from chapter books as well :)

Get a copy of "The Ordinary Parent's Guide to Teaching Reading" and  begin gently working through it

Work on her fine motor skills in preparation for writing (Pinterest is a wealth of wonderful ideas!)

Choose a fun hands on math curriculum and work on it when you can 

Go to the zoo, the aquarium, and the museum

Play with paint, play dough, cut with scissors, draw with markers and crayons

Send lots of time outside taking walks or at the playground

Play lots of board games and puzzles

Follow her interests..if she loves dinosaurs one week then find out all you can about dinosaurs..if it's ocean life the next then do the same

Have fun :)!




 

[ReadingMama1214]

My daughter is 4.5. Not sure about gifted, but she's bright and loves to learn.

 

Here's what we do:

Reading- Ordinary Parents Guide to Teachinf Reading. We are about half way through and plan to finish it this year if Dd continues to do well.

 

Math: lots of games. We bought c-rods, geoboards, base ten blocks, pattern blocks, counting bears, and a few others. I plan to go through education unboxed.com with her and add in some workbooks since she enjoys them

 

Science: interest based. Right now it's volcanoes and germs. So we do experiments with these, read books about them, and watch documentaries and shows about them. I also signed up for mystery science.com

 

We do handwriting and have used HWOT and some iPad apps. Dd loves to write and does a lot of copywork or dictation.

 

Pinterest is your best friend. There are so many fun activities for fine motor skills and such.

[Alessandra]

I have a bright 6yo. I don't know about gifted since that definition changes depends on who you're asking, but he is quick. His method of madness went like this:

 

Year 0-3: play. Lots of play. No toys that talk, only ones that made him use his imagination. Lots of puzzles of various kinds (check Timberdoodle for recs) We read often to him, took him everywhere (from parks to museums), and made sure he had ample opportunity to develop fine and gross motor skills. He picked up chess at age 2 and fell immediately in love with the game.

 

Year 4: Still lots of play. I taught him to read (100 EZ lessons did, in fact, take him barely that to grasp and take off), we did more intentional play - learning about our world from where we live to other countries' cultures. We focused on one country a month and did crafts, games, food, language, etc. continuing to focus on gross and fine motor skills. We slowly introduced letters halfway through the year and used a blended Charlotte Mason/Montessori approach to writing.

 

Year 5: We introduced math lessons. Still, lots of play. Lots of field trips, lots of following his lead. I printed out the Mensa For Kids booklist so he could work his way through. Lots of puzzles and chess that year, along with hands on science and basic geography/map skills. He started memorizing poetry (mostly nursery rhymes) and doing more art.

 

Year 6: Now we are here. He has taken on a full courseload between what he wants and what I want:

My wants: Ancient history, maths, writing through dictation/copywork, spelling, reading, literature, and art.

His wants: Violin, science, Spanish, maths, cursive handwriting, chess.

 

He still has a lot of time for play, but you can see a greater portion of his day is taken up. Though he probably could have started a classical education before age 6, I'm glad we waited. He gets so much more out of it now; and while the lessons continue to be short (most are 10 minutes or less), he is able to connect the dots better. He has a background of various cultures and where they're located. He can converse and ask questions, and he has the fine motor skills for activities that make it more fun. I do not regret in the least waiting to introduce history or beginning the cycle in 1st grade. We can go deeper and wider than we could have even a year ago.

Love this!

[Tracy]

I had both of my kids start with some writing at 3yo, because they both were trying to write, and I didn't want them to practice things wrong and have to deal with the remediation.  That said, it is important to do it at an age-appropriate level. 

 

I used Cursive First as a guide.  It recommends that young children not be introduced to writing utensils.  So we started with just finger tracing large sandpaper letters.  Once they could trace letters with their fingers, we moved to a salt box.  At that point, you can also do some finger writing with finger paints, shaving cream, pudding, in a sandbox.  At any rate, at 3yo we only worked for about 2 minutes per day on writing, but they loved it, and it did pay off.  It wasn't until they were 4-5yo that I started giving them writing utensils. 

[Christine B]

I can't thank you guys enough!  These are all great suggestions, and I've been SO excited but feeling rather lost, too.  I'd love to get her outside more (especially with the weather about to turn again), and it's something I need to work way harder on.  With the twins, unless we are going somewhere specific, we usually stay in because I feel bad strapping them in to their stroller for too long...they HATE sitting still now that they can move, haha!  But, they also hate grass and will sob hysterically if they're even *almost* set down on it, so outdoor time is something we struggle with when my husband isn't home (which is a lot, he works 55+/week).  But where there's a will, there's a way! I'm sure it would do us ALL good to get out every day   :laugh:

[Kiara.I]

I can't thank you guys enough!  These are all great suggestions, and I've been SO excited but feeling rather lost, too.  I'd love to get her outside more (especially with the weather about to turn again), and it's something I need to work way harder on.  With the twins, unless we are going somewhere specific, we usually stay in because I feel bad strapping them in to their stroller for too long...they HATE sitting still now that they can move, haha!  But, they also hate grass and will sob hysterically if they're even *almost* set down on it, so outdoor time is something we struggle with when my husband isn't home (which is a lot, he works 55+/week).  But where there's a will, there's a way! I'm sure it would do us ALL good to get out every day   :laugh:

 

Carriers!  One on the front, one on the back.  It actually balances the weight out nicely, but it will make it hard to bend down to examine whatever your oldest finds.  ;)

[2_girls_mommy]

I had a gifted preschooler (who is now a gifted, ADHD hyperfocused highschooler who works ahead in some subjects and struggles (not badly, just some don't come as easily to her...) in others. Time management is soooo hard because of the ADHD, as well as things non school related. But she was obviously gifted from a young age, and we and everyone else were right.

 

I didn't even read WTM until we were almost done with K. But I had been educating her and reading lots of other books her whole life.  She read long before we picked up a phonics program. Because we spent an hour a day minimum reading together. We played with chalk outside to work on her letters and sounds. We did the "alphabet game" constantly where wherever we were we went down the alphabet and said words that started with each sound. Because that is what she was into. She taught herself to read around age 3 from sounding out signs at the zoo and library and asking me what sounds things made. I explained them as they came up when she asked and when we read together at night.

 

We did educational things, but it wasn't doing worksheets and reading lessons. We explored her topics of interest. When she was into dinosaurs we read every book on dinos we could find, even higher level encyclopedias. We read picture books at her level. We did craft sets and art projects. We watched cartoons. We went to museum exhibits. We bought sticker sets and stuffed animals. Then it was whales after she saw the movie Free Willy and went to Sea World. Then for awhile it was Berenstain Bears. So we checked out 3 or 4 of the books from the library weekly when we were there for toddler/preschool storytime.

 

Gifted preschoolers don't need advanced schoolwork. They just need to explore their interest on top of all of the regular preschool stuff like music, movement, fine motor skill and gross motor skill activities, fresh air, new environments to explore. They will pick up the academics naturally. Around age 4, mine was asking to "do school."  She didn't realize we had been doing school all along, lol. So we then added a couple of workbooks to the afternoon when her 2 yr old sis napped. She did a letter page to practice writing. (She was already reading. So all of her early phonics work was reinforcement and writing practice,) and then she did math sheets in a math book we had.

 

At the library visits weekly as she got older, we did the one math book, one art/craft book, one science book, whatever interested her, current or upcoming holiday books, etc.  If we went to a butterfly exhibit at the library and something interested her or me, I would make sure we read more on that topic and did an art activity on it.  We gave craft books and hobby books and music books as gifts.  Our gifted one loved to write in journals, do crafts, do magic, create magazines. It was all on her own.

Time to study in a formal setting with a guideline really did make more sense to wait until 1st grade. The work she was producing in 1st grade once we started the formal rotations was way above what any of her hsed peers were doing. Everyone was always gawking at whatever novel she was carrying around at the time because it was so huge to see such a little person reading it.

 

We did playdough, Sesame Street, almost daily long walks and visits to the playground and definitely daily outdoor play in our own yard and on walks just like any other preschooler. I didn't "do" things differently with her than I did with my other two preschoolers. I just followed each of their leads. Hers was just definitely more academic in where she needed to go and do. If we did a craft for littles, her focus was longer. She wanted to write on it. She needed her craft to be balanced and correct. She planned things out like things she wanted to do or read. She played board games intently and with greater focus and remembered all of the rules and liked to follow them, etc. Where other kids run around, do a few scribbles on their projects, get distracted by the other kids in the room and forget about their project, etc. She had goals in mind and we did them.

 

When we did hit the 1st grade formal school, she started the skills subjects at higher grade levels. She didn't need spelling because even a year ahead was unnecessary and a waste of her time. She did math a year ahead starting in K. So her skill work was a grade ahead and quick work for the most part, giving us time to spend a lot of time reading more of the SOTW books and do projects and such and to use those skills in those projects where my next preschoolers/early elementary students  (my own dd and a dn) were focusing more of the day on learning to read and spell and compute, she was already in the reading to learn stage.

 

I hope I am a bit helpful. I am just trying to elaborate on what we did with mine, and to explain that when people say "learn through play" that they aren't saying don't intentionally learn. Just do it appropriately. Which will be different for your 3 yr old than others, but it isn't what a 6 yr old is doing, even if they can read like a 6 yr old (or better, lol.) It still looks like 3 yr old play, but *different*.

[Christine B]

I hope I am a bit helpful. I am just trying to elaborate on what we did with mine, and to explain that when people say "learn through play" that they aren't saying don't intentionally learn. Just do it appropriately. Which will be different for your 3 yr old than others, but it isn't what a 6 yr old is doing, even if they can read like a 6 yr old (or better, lol.) It still looks like 3 yr old play, but *different*.

 

Very helpful!  Thank you.  I love all the suggestions that you guys have given me, it's been helping me feel a lot more confident with her.  :)  

 

Kind of a change of topic but...what are some of the best toys that you guys can think of for her age and abilities?  Her birthday is next month, and the twins are turning 1 in December, and...I really don't want any more "light up and sing songs" type toys...there's so much noise with just the *kids,*  not even including their stuff, I just can only take so much lol.   And I've been thinking, with the decision to homeschool, I'd like to have more toys around that are going to be fun but also serve a purpose developmentally (like motor skills, or sensory, that sort of thing) as opposed to just making beeps and giggles (I don't have a huge problem with those toys, just that we definitely already have enough.) 

 

Any ideas?  

[HomeAgain]

Check out Timberdoodle, cebrick.  Quite a few of our toy recs have come from there, and they've led us to other products by those companies.  Things that have been hits in our house:
 

Night And Day puzzle

Wedgits (we got the regular ones and the cards to go with rather than the 3-5yo ones)

Billibo

Automoblox

Learning Resources play food (it's rather realistic, some of it) and a tabletop kitchen

Marble run

Haba blocks - the architecture series

balance maze

legos

Viewmaster

board games: Candyland, Sneaky Squirrel, Animal Upon Animal, Memory

Layered puzzles (like from Beleduc)

Play silks

 

 

 

[Kiara.I]

Balance bike, if she doesn't have one.  (unless she's ready for a pedal bike, in which case that.  No training wheels though!)

[chocolate-chip chooky]

I second the Marble Run.

 

At a young age it is a great exercise in following the pictorial instructions, trying to build the same run as on the box. But it has years of fun in it. As they get older, they design their own runs and quickly learn to plan ahead. 

 

Our marble runs have had years and years and years of use.

 

Other ideas: magnifying glass, tape measure, scales, magnetic letters and numbers.  

These can all be used in really fun, everyday type ways, but offer great educational foundations.

[Jackie]

Keva or Kapla blocks

Hop ball

Magnet kit

Binoculars

Carson zOrb microscope

Every art supply imaginable

[Kalmia]

I had two gifted preschoolers (one is now 16 and the other 11). Both, with minimal phonics instruction (games with letter sounds), taught themselves to read by three. (I continued phonics and spelling rule instruction through spelling curricula up until middle school. All About Spelling, Logic of English Foundations, and the Writing Road to Reading are three good choices for this.). My kids had access to many books our home library and from the public library, and I continued to read aloud to them both through middle school. (See The Read Aloud Revival podcasts (fyi: they have a small amount of religious content) for more info on the importance of read alouds. Scroll down and start with podcast #1. http://amongstlovelythings.com/read-aloud-revival-the-podcast/ ). They also played daily with blocks, Legos, art supplies, and engaged in imaginative play.

 

However, the part I considered "homeschooling" was a intentional effort to learn about the world firsthand. We spent hours at the pond, in the field, in the woods and saw and learned the names of hundreds of plants, insects, animals, and fungi. We went to art museums, history museums, transportation museums, zoos, train museums, science museums, etc. and saw and engaged with hundreds of machines and artifacts and scientific concepts. We went to local events such as raptor shows, archeological shows, rock and gem shows, quilt shows, Native American pow wows, and agricultural fairs. In this way, they were exposed to an enormous amount of background information that the typical child in brick and mortar preschool rarely encounters (see current thread on this forum about the new preschool teacher who was told "weather" was too abstract a concept for five year olds. That made me choke.) We were once complimented by a teacher that saw us playing in a waterfall on the Appalachian Trail. She told us we were great parents. That her second graders were having a hard time with their reading and it was because they had almost no life experiences outside the walls of day care or school. Even though there was a thirty foot waterfall in their town, a five minute walk from the road, none of them had visited it, and if they encountered the word waterfall in their reading, they would have no reference for it, and their understanding would never be as good as our kids' who felt the spray, heard the crashing water, dropped sticks in from the top and saw them hit the weathered rocks at the bottom.

 

My kids were able to hold paleoindian projectile points in their hands and try their hand at knapping their own from a flint form because we attended a local educational event held by our county archeological society. The kids in the local school were denied the opportunity to see the huge collection of Paleoindian artifacts a local farmer had collected from his fields (and had shared with the school children in previous years) when the new principal declared that arrowheads and spear points were not of interest to modern children and "the past" was too complex for a child that age to understand. Um no.

 

So use your neighborhood, your local museums, arboretums, nature centers, interesting events, interesting people, use them all to teach your gifted child directly about the world nearby, faraway, long ago, now, and in the future. This is the meat of an advanced education. Experiencing of the wonders and beauty of nature and human creativity will endow your child with the knowledge to make connections, draw inspiration, and understand more of the written word than any worksheet or curriculum ever will.

 

 

p.s. My hyphen key is no longer working. Sorry!

Edited September 20, 2016 by Kalmia

[AdventuresinHomeschooling]

Look at something like Five in a Row or Tapestry of Grace Primer series. You can also start with some phonics and math. I highly recommend the Saxon K level for preschool as it is all manipulatives and no writing (other than writing numbers on a calendar.). Whether you continue in Saxon or not (I don't anymore,) their K level is great for preschool. because of where she is in writing and developmentally, I would caution against several phonics programs out there that include writing. You could try an oral lesson approach or even get the McGuffey Primer. Hooked on Phonics, Starfall, Reading Eggs, and Explode the Code all have great apps too. But I would just read and read and read.

 

On writing, you can have start to trace letters in salt. This helps her make the motor skills connection with the shapes without the pressure of writing.