polarbear: "but my first thought when I read your OP was - you must not be a scientist"
LOL! For sure, I am not a scientist! If there were such a thing as an anti-scientist, I would be it. Although I do understand the scientific method and what makes a good research study (really I do!), by no means is science my strength. Although my parents were both engineers, my siblings are engineers and actually 2 grandparents were engineers. That whole gene skipped me or was never expressed.
"it sounds like your thoughts were headed in the direction many folks' thoughts default to for kids who are good at science: accelerate in math, and look to Lego League"
The math acceleration is driven completely by DS. If he could have things his way, he would accelerate everything as fast as he can. He is one of those "rage to learn" kids that many of us have. If knowledge and analysis could be served to him intravenously, he would sign up for it. To give an example, at public school he was learning a foreign language one day a week. DS asked if he could go 5 days a week and just join the upper classes and "pick it up" while he was there. This is not even a strength of his! He just wants to master this particular foreign language because he wants to do it. It's interesting to him.
DS really is like his dad. I've mentioned before on here that DH was accelerated 4 years when he was in school and had his Ph.D. in a STEM field by 22. At around the same time, DH actually almost qualified for an Olympic team (one of those not-really-followed sports). Then he took up another language - just for the heck of it - and became fluent in no time. Ten years after shooting to the top of his field and teaching at one of those fancy universities, DH went back for another doctorate - just because he was "really interested" in this other topic. (The next doctoral degree is in a non STEM field.) DH and DS have the same "rage to learn". They are both people who gobble up life and learning and see no point in learning something unless you can really master it. (If any of you have spouses like this, it is both exciting and exhausting beyond belief sometimes.)
Anyway, the first Lego league was actually a suggestion that I got here. I didn't really know anything about it until I got here. My philosophy with regard to educating my children is definitely to let them lead the way. So, right now DS has an extreme passion to create and build. I'm just trying to find and facilitate things for him to meet his needs. (And I am also open to more suggestions as to how to do this!)
Thanks polarbear for your input! It is much appreciated.
Last edited by somewhereonearth; 07/16/14 06:11 PM.
