Portia, I don't have any suggestions, but I agree with you that learning with my DC seems to occur not in small stepwise increments, but rather in "explosions" of progress. DS5 somehow went from learning to add and subtract this year to multiplying, dividing, and understanding and being able calculate simple square roots. DD8 just took the MAP test in math, which I think of as her RELATIVELY "weak" area (she routinely scores in the 99%, just not as high of a 99%) and her score...I still don't believe it - it is about 2.5x the amount of progress that was "projected" this year (DD said her teacher looked stunned when she gave her the score). She had similar growth earlier in the year in reading.
HK's comments about readers and non-readers concern me. Both of my DC can read (very well, I might add), but only DD is a bookworm. DS5 learns VERY quickly, but also a very normal little boy - he spends a great deal of time climbing and jumping off of things (not at all hyper, but also doing what the other little boys do). I am still trying to figure out how to make sure they both have their learning needs met.
