Gifted Issues Discussion homepage Forums Learning Environments Homeschooling more than one gifted child

Hi,

I have 4 kids. My eldest boys are 6 and 5 years old. I withdrew my eldest from school this year to homeschool him for lots of reasons - one being that he was bored and the school unable to cater for his learning needs. So now...my 5 year old is due to start school and I'm planning to homeschool him also...BUT...

My 5yo is highly gifted (tested). He is CLEARLY a little brainiac (in fact, I'm pretty sure he's smarter than me) and stands out even amongst his siblings who are also gifted (or so we suspect). The psych who assessed him said he would definetly need a specialised programme. My husband thinks he needs to go to school but the only school around here (in Australia) that caters for giftedness is a mere $30K per year.

So, does anyone homeschool more than one gifted child? How do you do it? What resources or info is out there?

Any advice is hugely appreciated!!!

I would say that there are no 'hard and fast' rules about what works for a profoundly gifted child. Sometimes the personality of the child dictates that the local public school is best. Sometimes the personality of the child dictates that homeschooling is best. Sometimes that 30K a year school is actually a bargain. You have to get to know your child and at age 5 there hasn't been much time to observe how he reacts to 'grouplearn' situations.

Of course if you say that he has already been kicked out of three preschools then I would suggest that you have had lots of experience with how he does in grouplearn situations.

So I don't see any harm in sending him to the local public school for a while and seeing how things go. He may love developing an independent identity from big brother. Often younger siblings are more skilled in navigating the social waters and waiting their turn and do really well in public schools, particularly public schools where the adults are open minded and flexible.

So I would take the advice of the assessor with a tiny grain of salt. After all, how many kids has this particular individual known who are 'beyond the beyond' gifted like your son?

BTW Have you asked your DH to share with you exactly what he is observing that convinces him that this son in particular needs school?

So back to your actual question. I suggest:
1) join a elist for parents who are homeschooling gifted kids, perhaps you have a local one, or from Hoagies


Gifted Homeschoolers Forum (GHF)
A non-profit, all-volunteer organization that works to educate and advocate for gifted homeschooling families. Work includes a well-regarded website with resources and articles from parents and experts, an online community for support and advice, sponsorship of events with nationally known speakers, and a schedule of conferences, lectures and other opportunities...

GT-World
A world full of resources for parents of gifted children. Mailing lists: GT-Families for families of gifted children, GT-Special for families of twice exceptional children, GT-Adult for gifted adults, and GT-Talk for ... heated discussions moved from other GT-World mailing lists

The TAG Project
A support community for Families of the Gifted and Talented, including mailing lists TAGFAM for Families, TAGMAX for home education, and TAGPDQ for "more-than-just-gifted" families


A2Z Homeschool Chat Room hosted homeschool chats on various topics... check the schedule

Facebook Groups and Fan Pages...

Gifted Homeschoolers Forum for parents who are homeschooling their gifted children...

and here's a link to a forum specifically devoted to homeschooling gifted kids http://wp.me/P2tcDf-L

Please let us know how it's going,
Grinity

I have a 7 year old and a 5 year old, both gifted, the younger with 2e issues as well. Both are homeschooled. I'm lucky that the eldest is decently self-motivated. The little guy picks up a lot from what the older one does. We talk a LOT, look up stuff online to answer unending questions a LOT, and go through a LOT of paper. The older one uses EPGY for math and language arts and I'm starting the younger on it this year as well, for math at least. Honestly it's hard to stop them from learning at an incredible rate. My hardest thing is simply keeping up with them.