We went to our local gifted conference and heard the heads of local HG schools talk about their programs. When asked what was the best part of the schools, each included in their response that the kids get to be with other kids that are like them.
I went on a tour of one of the schools, and I got teary-eyed; there were classrooms full of kids just like my DS6. They work one year ahead on curriculum, and at a faster pace so they get to do all kinds of neat extra stuff that there isn't time for in a regular classroom.
DS6 is currently in our local public school, grade-skipped one grade with additional acceleration for math/LA. The school is doing its best with him, but they aren't set up to deal with kids like him, and there aren't other kids like him, at least not that I know of. The grade skip plus the year ahead/faster pace at the HG school looked like a perfect fit for DS right now.
Of course, the catch is that there might not be space for DS next year. Oh - and it would mean a 45 minute drive each way (but it's close to my work, so not so bad for me). But it just seemed so perfect; I wish he could go right now.
Just curious - how have others felt about the importance of intellectual peers, especially in early elementary school? Before I visited this school, and talked to these kids, I thought we would worry about peers in a few years. But now, seeing how there were herds of these kids, happily liking school because they are now challenged, reading the same books DS reads, I'm thinking it might be important now too.
