I think my son's scores helped with the decision to accelerate him.
Also, a lot of positive feedback from the GATE teacher helped. My son had trouble finishing up work in his 1st grade class, but not in GATE. Also, he was able to handle himself pretty well with the older kids in GATE, and his GATE teacher saw no problem in accelerating him up a grade.
I'm so glad that your school is being flexible with your son. Isn't it interesting that for our kids, hard is easy and easy is hard? But, yes, it doesn't suprise me at all that he has no problems finishing up his work for the GATE program. I might have trouble finishing up 1st grade work if I had to do it day after day after day, and my coping skills are preety well developed - wink!
I'm so glad our support helped you through. Pat yourself on the back. For me, the challenge has been at this stage to step back from the advocacy role and back into the parental role. I've had to say to myself: "ok, I've given him the opportunity to learn and grow, I've given him a fair shot at being successful at school. Now it's up to him and "the unknown" to see what he will do with it."
I do occasionally step back into the advocacy role, when needed, but I have tried to spend most of our time together teaching values, having fun, and introducing him bit by bit to the rest of the world. Currently that means teaching him folk guitar, and doing impersonations of classic rockers he may want to look into. Also trying to figure out together what the meaning of Neil Young's song, "Pochahontas." Cooking, Gardening, Reading fiction and a little woodworking. I'm so glad that school is doing it's job so that I can do mine. Wheew!
Love and More Love,
Trinity
