I think this goes back to asynchronousity and gifties being on their own non-linear timeline more than other people. �Just because she learns some college level math doesn't have to mean she has to go to college right away, does it? �Just because she's not going to college yet doesn't mean she can't learn a little college math, right? �I would call all education compared to what little I know about reading instruction. �Early in school you learn to read, shortly after then you read to learn. �During the learn to read stage there's many things that may be taught in various orders depending on the school, phonics, spelling, handwriting, decoding, comprehension, and vocabulary. �These components can be advanced really in any order but they all lead to reading to learn. �(taking notes when it gets too advanced). �
There have been conversations on this board that suggest science and math are the same way. �For example there was an article somewhere about a twelve year old that understood astrophysics on a college level but was having a hard time paying for it because he was too young for scholarships. �If you read the comments of the article a couple professional astro-physicists pointed out that the article hyped it up like the kid might have something to tell us new right now, but really he was just reaching a level where he could begin to understand and be taught by people that knew something about it. �Do you see the difference? �
I don't even know if I answered the question good, but you did ask for opinions, right? �I think I'm noticing a grey area that most people are seeing the future as a flow chart and don't want to take a wrong turn or miss an opportunity. �While time keeps marching on an milestones and years have come and gone I think the future is more fluid and organic and billowous than a neatly define flow chart on a timeline, and with more layers too! �Dang it, I know what I'm saying. �I don't think I brought that idea across very clearly.
Fwiw Austin (someone here) has recently thought about it and thinks after the kids can solidly do algebra it's time to hire them a private tutor from the university, a student with a math degree. That way they're learning from a real mathematician when it counts.
