I am trying to figure out the best approach to take with math for my (currently) first grader. In kindergarten she was utterly bored and eventually disengaged, as she already knew the content and the class did little to differentiate. At the start of first grade we requested more differentiated assignments, and the teacher offered a variety of enrichment activities for kids who are ahead -- Sunshine Math led by a parent once a week, "challenge math" packets, and an adaptive iPad app. The gifted program also has a math pullout once a week for an hour, with more math games and enrichment. All of that except the app is grade level (addition/subtraction) only as the school does not want kids trying advanced topics like multiplication before they are taught.
Our daughter has repeatedly complained that all of this is too easy (though she likes the Sunshine Math problems) and stated that she wants to do more advanced math. After reading Developing Math Talent, I suspected enrichment alone might not be enough to meet her needs, and math acceleration might be appropriate. We met with the classroom and gifted teachers and principal to discuss our options. The teachers said that they would provide harder math in the packets, including simple multiplication. However, the principal was very resistant to the idea of subject acceleration (even one grade) in math starting next year, citing potential "holes" in math knowledge, social issues from being in class with kids a year older, and scheduling.
I wanted to see what our daughter already knows, so took her to a local Mathnasium for an evaluation. She passed their end of second grade test with 96%, and end of third grade with 89%. She was slower on the third grade test since she had to figure out her own strategies for multiplying and dividing larger numbers (she hasn't been taught the standard approaches).
In reading and writing she is also at the top of her class, but not by as much as in math, and the adaptations are meeting her needs (for example, she can bring in books from home to read). So we haven't considered full grade acceleration. Starting in third grade the gifted program changes and gifted kids stay together for the full day; this would be at a different elementary school. At that point the math content is supposedly a year accelerated. After fifth grade the district uses ITBS and district achievement test scores to determine the math track for each kid, with algebra in seventh or even sixth grade if they are ready.
Some options we are considering for next year (second grade):
1. Push the school to send her to a regular third grade class during math. This is what I originally wanted when meeting with the principal. Our daughter would be closer to the math level she should be learning. But she may still find it easy, since by then she will probably be learning 4th grade math. And this could complicate getting the enrichment she is receiving now, since none of the other kids in that class would be pulled out for gifted services. The next year she would probably stay with the gifted third grade class for math since it is accelerated a year.
2. Have her leave her second grade class to go to the third grade gifted class during math. This would be closer to her level, but more logistically complex (if even possible) since it would be at a different school. Then in third grade she might go to the gifted fourth grade class for math. But it isn't clear that the elementary gifted program is set up to accommodate math acceleration; for example, they have many integrative projects.
3. Ask the school to let her follow an advanced push-in curriculum during her math class time, e.g., online learning. She would learn at her own pace, but this could be very isolating, and the teacher probably wouldn't be able to help when she had questions.
4. Leave math in school as is, and accelerate outside of school with Mathnasium, Beast Academy, Singapore Math, etc. I'm not excited about adding a lot of academics outside of school at this age, but am okay with it as long as she enjoys it.
5. Leave school math as is, and don't add outside math. She will be somewhat bored, but will still have the school enrichment activities, and a gifted math class starting in third grade.
Any suggestions or similar experiences?
