Gifted Issues Discussion homepage Forums Learning Environments EG/PG kid in School

Yes, there are many success stories here, but be prepared for a lot of advocacy. I have mentioned to you in another thread that things got better for my DS in our local school after a grade skip (plus additional differentiation and some GT pullouts). We are lucky enough to have an accelerated program for HG kids within driving distance, so we ended up finding a much better fit there, but things would have worked out in our local school. It was just a lot more advocacy work. Usually, even after a grade skip is granted, a school will think that their work is done. The fact is that pacing will still be an issue. With luck, the school will cluster kids with similar abilities together, and with more luck, they will compact the curriculum or differentiate, etc.

I think the key factor is flexibility on the part of the school, plus the creation of a partnership between the school and the parent. Most likely, the school will not have encountered many (if any) kids who are so out of the box, so a lot of the time it is a matter of getting the school to understand how differently your kiddo learns. Schools see this most quickly using their own tests they are familiar with (e.g., MAP testing is nice because they can compare where a kid is across grade levels). Another way schools can be flexible is by blocking their main subjects so kids can easily go to a class at their level (so that all math across grade levels is taught at the same time, e.g.).

Homeschooling is not the only option, and it doesn't work for everyone. It is not an option for my family as both parents need to work full time. If it is an option for your family, please note that it is a lot less work than you may imagine (and the homeschoolers here can pipe in). Partial homeschooling is also a nice option, if available in your district. You can be responsible for the classes you think the school is ill equipped to teach your kiddo (pulling him out for math, e.g.). Some schools are willing to allow advanced kids to do online math programs, like EPGY or Aleks, instead of the regular math. They may be even more willing if you are in a position to offer to pay for it.