Great thoughts everyone! On paper Bianc, the HG school sounds like the same one your child is at in terms of selection (it is all HG or PG kids...minimum 145+/- and 99+ on achievement + portfolio and interview...but it's a public school). And, honestly, having seen the older students' classroom (2nd grade)- it looks like they may have a different formula or something for those kids - they looked relaxed and so did the teacher, etc. But the K/1 class is 7 desks lined up against a wall (facing the wall) and the kids work at their desk most of the time, independently, mostly progressing through textbooks and doing writing assignments. The homework amount is not just parent-reported, but teacher reported - she and the coordinator both told me during my tour that a lot a homework is expected (supposed to be about an hour a night, calibrated for these kids, not "average" kids. One K mom reports that her daughter usually takes at least 2 hours). Homework is primarily drill worksheets and writing assignments (and the teacher said she expects that they do every problem in every textbook). They truly want to see how far they can get them. If they were just working 2 (or 4!) grades ahead and they were doing it in a collaborative, fun way, it would be my dream school, but it really is tons of textbook/push through as far as you can/test you for mastery at the end kind of work. I have a DS who thinks that measuring every piece of furniture in the house and adding all the numbers up is a hoot...put those same numbers on a worksheet and tell him to add them and WWIII will break out.

But, the other school really would be easy peasy for him. And, I will definitely take to heart the advice from several of you on not letting him become a little professor. I am going to explore a skip to 1st in the Learning Immersion program. That might help a lot. Yes, his previously bad preschool behavior was directly correlated to lack of challenge (then again, he was in a school where they had determined that he was "not that bright" and was being poorly parented...the test results were a BIG shock to them!!!). So, it wasn't JUST lack of challenge, but also total failure to try to challenge that caused the other problems.

I'm really enjoying everyone's take on their own philosophy for educating these little ones...keep them coming!