Gifted Issues Discussion homepage Forums Learning Environments homeschooling ... advice

my son will be in 5th next school year. We had him in a regular public school k-3rd and have tried a public online/blended program the year.

We experienced a huge growth spurt academically this year. We were able to have our son learn with all grade level restrictions removed - and at his own speed because his school used online programs that placed the kids according to their individual level. Unfortunately the school has decided to add more in building days and conventional instruction with a book based approach next school year.

I am strongly considering homeschooling because I don't want to switch schools for 5th and then again for middle and ... My son has covered so much this year that it would be hard to find a school that could accommodate this growth. I loved having him home, he is an independent learner, very responsible and I love teaching him . He is 4-5 grade levels ahead in most areas so I figure that it would be better to go broad rather than just do advanced curriculum. It is time to just have fun learning and spend some time on the quirky subjects he obsesses over ...
Are there any homeschoolers here? What curriculum do you use? We like ALEKS math but I would like to find some type of online curriculum for language arts that allows us to move on when needed?
I would be grateful for any advice from other gifted homeschoolers.

You've received great advice above.

With a 5th grade student who is about 4-5 years ahead, it appears as though you may be looking at 9th-10th grade curriculum?

While others may have more specific advice, this old post has a brief roundup of resources for beginning homeschooling.

As above. But rather than looking at standard 10th grade stuff go for the things aimed at gifted mentioned even if they are labelled a lower grade. MCT are developing a 'mentoring' programme which is online but self paced and affordable. AOPS and eiMacs. Lukeion, online G3. Read "the calculus trap' on the AOPS site.

Thank you for the great tips. I will read through the recommended material - all sounds great!
I think we are not going to go higher as far as grade levels go and proceed with high school math, instead I think we'll just play around with concepts, deepen understanding and and find some real life applications.
We are a science nerdy family and my son's passion is zoology and biology - plenty to do there and we'll just have fun with it .
Language arts is what scares me as I am not a native speaker ... but we'll manage.

I think schools have to approach to just give the TAG kids advanced curriculum while I think that there is SO much more to learn so we'll branch out into history and geography, and science topics and music, arts ... my biggest worry ... that we'll end up going overboard ... Two curious people on the loose - who will keep us in check and on track ;-)

You'll be amazed at how much you cover in a short amount of time. Homeschooling really is radically different from a traditional B&M education, because it promotes a mindset of constant learning and curiosity. The world is literally your classroom.

And please don't worry about chasing rabbit holes. You will, and that's part of the process. The critical thing to remember is that the rabbit holes will follow your and your child's interests, and will provide unparalleled learning experiences.

I'm with Portia on this--deep, project-based or investigative learning is an excellent way to fall in love with a subject, and learn a lot of material!

As a former homeschooler who has to outsource, I must say I'm envious of your experience! I don't think I was ever happier than as a homeschooling teacher to my son--it's such a joy to watch your child delight in learning!!

ditto!

We literally spend 2 hours a day on formal-ish schooling for the elementary-age kiddos (including ELA, math, science, history, and a world language). Which leaves ample time for interests specific to the child, whether it be (for example), Scratch, art, ukulele, or reading many, many novels. Not to mention running around crazy!

We kind of had some of that experience because our public online/blended program was pretty much a part time job. The overall requirements were so low that we just expanded and added extra things...
After starting part time homeschooling and seeing what it does I am convinced that it is the way to go for gifted kids ... I was in a Montessori environment and it worked out but a regular school can only accommodate so much.
A year at home and he breezed through 3 years of curriculum in 9 months - and he found it rather easy and relaxing because he worked at the most 3 hours a day.
It is a joy to teach a curious mind - and we have done quite a bit on the side - from documentaries, to museums to research and ... yard work, cooking, experimenting.
And because there are no peers sitting next to us who would judge my son for actually enjoying to learn and explore - the attitude towards learning in general has changed ... a difficult math problem went from being a "problem" to "fun challenge". And suddenly my child writes pages of essays and stories... voluntarily because ... no hurry and no pressure ... I think the 2 hours for " state standard" schooling is very realistic - a bit more depending on how much writing there is but plenty of time for extras for sure. Many parents of gifted children aim for early graduation ... I personally would rather like to see my son go broad and get extra knowledge in other areas- non school subjects, or deeper understanding, than race through the state curriculum and join college early. There is so much to learn to keep a curious mind busy!