We are seeking guidance on how to choose a pre-school for our gifted 3-year-old son. We are concerned primarily about his social development, given the disparity between his intellectual maturity and that of his age-peers. We have found an excellent Montessori school, but it is a 5-day program and he has never been separated from us. Furthermore, we are concerned that the learning emphasis, while captivating for him, will detract from his social growth. We have also found a 3-day program with a gradual transition approach at a nice parochial school that provides developmentally-appropriate activities and emphasizes the development of the whole child as a future "world citizen". After having read the "social adjustment of extremely gifted children" article, we aren't sure which option is best. We are concerned about a statement he made: "Do you know what I discovered about myself? I don't like to play with children. I prefer to play with adults." We have seen him try to engage other children in conversation, but they are often just interested in parallel play. Montessori would stimulate him and give him older peers. The parochial school would ease the child-parent separation and remove the emphasis on learning, allowing perhaps for other kinds of growth. Any suggestions? Can anyone recommend any appropriate resources? (Unfortunately, home schooling is, circumstantially, not an option.)
