Gifted Issues Discussion homepage Forums Learning Environments Please share updates on your kiddos

I have been in the background this year but still actively read the boards and have benefited from some great ideas and rec's.

DS(7) was accelerated to 3rd grade from 1st grade at the end of last year. I agonized over the decision but with your support and advice we took the leap. He is doing well for the most part. Academic wise it is a better fit but I have begun to realize that there are going to be some gaps in his education regardless. To compensate we are offering him after-schooling and extra curricular activities.

Socially he is much more aware of where he fits in with his peers. Dh insists it is typical for his age/grade and I tend to agree. In 1st grade he was very self-assured and socially unaware just like his classmates. This year he has developed empathy where previously we would have to point out how others felt. On the flip side he is very sensitive to embarrassment, laughter and his differences. He prefers the teacher not call attention to him but likes to be praised on his grades. He is growing up so fast.

Ironically ds(7) is more open to possible future changes in his schooling. This has come up in family conversations about our oldest daughter's education needs next year. We have discussed the possibility of her being home schooled (she adamantly opposes it) or a possible school change (she dislikes the idea). Ds(7) said he would change schools to be with his siblings if we wanted and would like it if he was home schooled.

When I was scared and overwhelmed a wise poster told me "take it year by year" Luckily we don't have to have all the answers right now, all we have to do is find a solution for the moment.

How is everyone else doing?

DS7 is back in public school after trying 2 months at a brand new school for gifted children. It was not a good fit for DS7 since it was so small and there was not enough structure for him. He found many ways to manipulate the adults in charge and he also become quite a big behavior problem for the other children.

At the beginning of November DS7 transferred to public school with a 1 year grade skip to 2nd grade. So far so good. He is pretesting out of the fundations/spelling work, he is in the high level reading "book club" and he is supposed to be getting some math differentiation. His teacher is really nice and is trying really hard to keep him motivated and challenged. It's not perfect but it's not a disaster. During the time when he is not doing the same work as the other children, DS7 has project time where he works on something independently. The last two weeks it was writing Mad Libs. There have been a few power struggles and behavior problems but still not to the degree that we had last year.

Not sure what next year will bring so I totally agree with the "take it year by year" statement above.