I've started reading 6+1 with Mite. He's fascinated with it. I find him looking up examples of ideation and voice in his favorite books now. I'm hoping he will spurt when we start working more intensely in our "summer homeschool" program in July.
I do feel he can do 5th grade work with very little difficulty intellectually. With the excellent additions to his IEP in the 1:1 indenpendent aide, keyboarding instruction and OT services, I really think he'll excel in a more challenging classroom setting.
Now the principal says if we skip it has to be to the gifted cluster. Again, there are not any "identified" gifted kids in the clusters. Rather it is a high achievement cluster. At this point, I'm not worried about Mite being the highest achiever. I know he'll come into his own once he learns that he can learn. Then he will achieve. Right now I just want him challenged. Everything I have read has pretty much indicated that rigorous academics are the only way to help a gifted child realize potential. So far, Mite is able to spend way too much time in his "head" and not in the present. He needs rigor to learn to attend to the present, imo. It is one step towards realization of the giftedness, imo.
Now don't ask me what I think tomorrow:^)
