Gifted Issues Discussion homepage Forums Learning Environments Multi-Grade Classroom or Homeschool?

For those who doesn't know DS, let me do a short introduction. DS7 is in first grade. In January, he did an WISC IV IQ test with GAI 146. In April, we took him in to get an achievement WJIII test done and he is scoring pretty consistantly at middle school level reading and writing, and high school level in math. I think he is seriously bored in class, although he denies it.

We had a talk with the head teacher of the school. She refused to subject accelerate DS and was reluctant to grade accelerate him. We did not proceed to talk to the principal because we thought it would be very hard to accommodate DS without radically accelerate him and we don't want to do that. After thinking much about his education, we decided to pull him out next year and full time homeschool him.

We have a very small school. The principal of our school is also the principal of 2 other schools. She came in to observe the teachers today. By the way, DS has a pretty bad teacher this year. She thinks that gifted kids are a burden. The principal saw that DS was quite unfocused in class. They were supposed to do their work quietly, but DS was not paying attention and the teacher did not care. So the principal walked up to him and asked if the work was too hard. Then DS started a whole lecture about how he knew those words years ago and he knew many more harder words and he was reading way ahead of others... and the lecture went on. It shocked her to see that DS was so bored in class and the teacher was doing absolutely nothing about it.

Without knowing the above had happened, I called this morning to set up a meeting with the principal. When I met her at the end of day, she saw the IQ and achievement scores and related to me her encounter with DS. She finally realized how advanced he was. I told her we were leaving to go full time homeschooling next year. However, I told her I wanted to see if there were other options within this school. So she offered me an option in another school under her. So here are my choices for next year:

1. The school she offered to us has multi-grade montessori classroom. She will put DS in Grade 3-6 as a 3rd grader next year for 4 days a week. They ask lots of open ended questions in class with lots of projects that suits students at different levels. She also offered to do 2 days homeschooling and 2 days in school per week if we want. However, this school is 40 miles away from where we live, with a 40-45 minute commute (mostly freeway). It seems very far. This is a small school.

2. The principal also offered us another option. Next year, she is going to pull one of the good teachers from option 1 school to a school near us. This school is also montessori based, but new and not very established. It also offers a multi-grade classroom. DS will be put in 3rd grade in grade 3-5 classroom. Currently the school is not very well run.

3. The homeschool program I have already enrolled DS in is 14 miles away (30 minutes, mostly local). It provides 1 day of academic classes and 1 day of play classes on-site at its campus. This is a traditional homeschool with classes. It is popular among homeschoolers in our area. However, because the school is so big (1000+), DS may not see the same people every time.

All 3 schools draw money from the state and are tuition free.

Does anybody has good experiences with upper-elementary montessori schools for HG+ kids?

Are multi-grade classrooms a good idea?

I don't have much time, but I did want to comment that HG+ kids often do well the first year of a multi-age classroom, since it gives them a higher ceiling and older kids to befriend. That part sounds like it could be good in either of the two classrooms.

The downside is that they often need something else in later years. Being the oldest child in a multi-age classroom can be a real problem for an HG+ child.

I don't think that's a reason to avoid a multi-age classroom for that first year. One year at a time! Definitely! If one of the schools looks like a good solution, I say do it! But it does mean that you can expect this solution to have a limited shelf life, perhaps even more definite in its limitation than many educational solutions.

FWIW...

WOW on the school choice. WHere I live there are no choices. I'm envious.

HHm 40-45 min commute 1-way, 1.5hrs x2/day. Do you have other kids that this would affect? A friend did this and it was hard on the toddler and on her. I read of someone online who did this and she got a part-time job near the school so she didn't need to travel back and forth everyday in order to make the distance work. But then if you do the part-time option, you'd only be making the drive 2 days per week....hhhmmm

As far as option 2 - even if the school is poorly run, if it's a fantastic teacher, it might not matter depending on how poorly the school is run and if that affects your DC.

Tuition free? WOW!

So, I guess I have nothing really to add lol as I know nothing about upper-elementary montessori.

The good thing is since there is no huge monetary committment, if one option doesn't work, you can always try another.

I also have DD4 that will be in the car with me. As I think more into it, option 1 will be a bad option. 1.5 hours on the freeway to drop off and another 1.5 hours to pick up will be really hard on both kids... that only assumes there is no traffic on the road.

I will try to check out the teacher that's going to teach in option 2 site next year. The teacher makes a big difference, right?

We are tired of dealing with teachers and administrators. Homeschooling is still a peaceful solution to our problem.

On the other hand, DS7 still wants to be homeschooled. I think he is tired being fed the same information that he has learned years ago over and over again.

From someone who has been driving 35 min each way to school every day for two years... it's HARD! It eats up my entire day, DS is tired and hot and cranky when we get home. We are carpooling with another family this year and we each drive one week. Add into that minimum days, time I have to be on campus for this or that? It's a lot of work. I am essentially a professional taxi.

We are changing schools next year. If the school were perfect for DS, I'd keep on driving. But there have been a huge multitude of problems. So we're looking for a closer option.

I soooo know the feeling...that's why we're hsing. I gave it 3yrs and it just wasn't working.

If you were to HS for a year, would you be able to go back to these schools?

I would most definitely check out the teacher for option #2 as a first step. If she doesn't tell you what you want to hear (that doesn't mean she'll do it but at least there's a chance) then you know where it leaves you. w/ a DD4, option 1 would be difficult but some make it work w/ audio books etc.

What are your reasons for not HSing? Some people have a calling for HSing, others like myself were what I call "reluctant" HSers who really had no other choice. It's been a successful year and DS and both survived. I feel he and I are closer and his love of learning has returned and he's able to tolerate boring subjects more b/c I keep it short and it's not busy work...it has a purpose.

Wow - well when you think about it, that is 3 hours a day on the road. Or in less time than that you can easily homeschool a GT 7 year old. You do have your child with you the rest of the day. But my son has become good at entertaining himself when his school work is done. A lot of the time it's self directed learning. Just a thought when thinking about a long commute!

CAmom, I forgot there is minimum days, and all the open houses and such in school. That will be a pain to drive like that.

D&C, the principal mentioned that seeing this kind of gifted kids is such a rare opportunity and she will do everything she can to accommodate him. She currently has all my IQ and achievement tests reports. I believe she is studying them and will bring this up to the school director to discuss the issues. I really don't know what she can do since we only have 2 more weeks until the end of school. I think after I HS for one year, the principal will still be willing to take DS.

I don't mind HSing part. DS can be a good student. He is an attention seeker and an extrovert. He will get all my attention in HSing. However, having DS 24 hours a day is frightening since he will be asking for me all the time to play with him. I am more of an introvert. I guess it's the matter of training him up to entertain himself. I guess "cold feet" is the shorter version of my explanation.

fangcyn....I doubt there are few you don't get cold feet wrt HSing....it is a commitment...harder in some ways but easier in others. Also, that first year is a learning year for you BOTH...and I don't mean academics. Things are so much smoother now w/ almost a year under my belt. I forsee our 2nd year being even better!

Oh btw, please call me Dazey....I neglected to see that my username shorted to D&C (a medical procedure I'd rather not think about

It is possible for an introvert to homeschool an attention-seeking extrovert, but you will have to have some supports in place from the start if you choose to homeschool so you don't go crazy. (Said the introvert...)

Make sure you have time alone. It should be a top priority. Get a sitter if you have to--homeschooling high school kids or local college students are good choices for daytime sitters. Even a 12- or 13yo neighbor child can be a good mother's helper so that you can go into the bedroom or office and close the door a couple afternoons a week. If money is an issue, see if your local YMCA or YWCA has free or cheap child care with a membership. Ours does, and I used the heck out of it for the first year we homeschooled. It also gave us access to the exercise equipment and the pool in the summer, as well as to swim, science, art and cooking classes for the kids. All for an $80 family membership. Such a bargain!

Think of your time alone the way they discuss the oxygen mask on the airplane: put the mask on yourself before you assist others. Your needs--and some measure of alone time is a *need* for an introvert!--must come first before you serve the needs of your child.

Also, I strongly recommend that you build "alone time" into your family's daily schedule. Be patient, because it will probably take time for your extrovert to adapt to this concept. But saying patiently that "it is now alone time. We'll talk in 15 minutes," and redirecting whenever your DS comes out to tell you something is good training. Give him a pad of paper or a voice recorder so that he can remind himself about whatever he wants to tell you. It helps with the patience if he knows that his great thoughts won't be lost forever if he doesn't say them RIGHT NOW. Eventually you can extend the time so that you get a decent chunk of peace and quiet.

(And actually, I recommend this strategy for all introverted parents of extroverts! Homeschooling or not!)

Offering fun educational projects are also a good way to have a child get absorbed in his own thoughts and not need your attention quite so much. I find that when my little extrovert (DS4) is engrossed in a challenging project, he doesn't pester me so much. (Again, this is a good thing to do whether homeschooling or not...)

Finally, consider using educational TV as a sanity saver if you choose to homeschool. Obviously planting a child in front of the TV 24/7 is not okay. But if DS is learning and you get 30 minutes or an hour to yourself once a day, I can't see the harm in it!

HTH!