QUESTIONS,
I really appreciate your post. I have begun to realize that we are going to have to do more �hot-housing� also. For one, something has to be done to make up for the lack of writing instruction for the last two years of my daughter�s education. Their school does give a lot of homework, so I feel that I am some �stage-mom� type character if I add on more. I wish I could pick and choose the classes to send them to and which to do at home.

I am also realizing that many opportunities are available to kids who do really well on these above level �competitions�. We have only considered them practice for when it will count, but if they concentrate some effort on tackling these difficult tests, they will actually learn faster in the process. I make them practice for their band competitions (two firsts today, BTW, which do not mean the first place), why not make them spend more time on ALEKS to get a higher math score? I�m not interested in getting them through school any faster at this point, but it doesn�t hurt to offer a preview of what they will learn in HS and college. Unfortunately, the high schools here in our immediate area don�t even offer AP classes of any type, only honors.

I know there are some kids who haven�t had any type of advanced instruction, yet still blow the top off an above level test, however, most do get advanced instruction, some a great deal, either at home or at school. I have to stop thinking of this as �hot-housing� and think of it as more of �talent-development� as the Davidson Institute refers to it.