Hello, my name is Heather & I am new on here. I am the proud mom to a 5yr old DS who we are fairly certain is gifted. He has not had testing for financial reasons so we have no idea on LOG. I can say that he discovered math at 3 & knows everything expected of him in K, but doesn't start till the fall. He is in love with science & this is where his true talent lies. He can demonstrate the rotation/revolution of the earth around the sun, knows the sun is a star, there are other stars bigger than ours, there is no gravity in outer space & he can name about 4-5 other planets. He undertands the basics of the circulatory system & digestive system & enjoys looking at cross-sections of the heart & brain. Oh yeah, how mountains are formed & how volcano's explode are pretty cool too. All this, but not quite reading yet. He has most of the letter-sound associations, so I think he is close.

My question is, how do I know what to ask the school to do? We have started Kindy registration but they don't have the curriculum info session till June & I am not up for waiting that long. My DH knows someone that works at the school(pre-k aide) & is going to try to get info from him. Still even if we meet with people in advance, I am not sure if I would know a good fit for DS if I heard it. I don't want to push him too hard & kill his love of learning but school is not just socialization either. Any suggestions on striking that balance? Thanks

Can you make an appointment with somebody at the school now and talk to them about your concerns? Maybe they'll have advice on what you need to do to get him tested.

Here you can contact the school board to have your child tested and they have to do it. I'm sure it's not like that all places though.

I would make an appointment with the principal. Bring in samples of the stuff your DS is doing and voice your concerns. Samples are important so that you don't get the "everyone thinks their kid is smart" speech. Presentation is everything.

Another option would be to contact a college in your area and inquire about testing. Many colleges have grad students that will do the testing free or at minimal cost. They are overseen by their professor. Depending on their degree program, it may be required in which case they'll fall onthemselve to help you with testing.

Hi Heather,
I'm wondering how things are going.

I was thinking that sometimes if a child has experience with preschool, then it gives a better idea of what is needed in elementary school. If he did preschool, what worked and what didn't work?

As for killing one's love of learning, I tend to see as many kids 'turned off' from being underchallenged as I do from being pushed. Noticing one's child and trying to process one's own baggage are pretty much the only way to get into the ballpark.

I'm often guilty of trying to give my child the kind of parenting that I wish I had gotten, rather than what he actually needs. (Turns out that yelling actually helps him sometimes!)

Of course, processing one's own baggage, or keenly noticing one's child isn't easy in a culture where being unusually smart is so taboo to talk about that there aren't even many words to describe the experience. We are trying to remidy that here.

Love and More Love,
Grinity