I could really use help in two areas:
1. With DD8 having an ability at a much higher grade level (WIAT results), during our meeting with our school administration what should we focus on in terms of potential acceleration, differentiation, grade skip etc. (We are clueless!!)
2. Dependent upon the educational component being met, will staying within our school setting provide the intellectual peer relationships necessary for DD to develop better social skills or would a gifted school possibly provide a more suitable environment ? What do we need to consider in this area?
Is your son in the very next grade up? Would it work for your family if DD is in the same grade or even higher grades?
One way to look at it is to try and get your daughter into the classroom where she would be 'able to make mostly As IF she works at it.'
Another way to look at it is to try to get her into a classroom where her 'ready to learn' level is within 3 years of the class average. This isn't scientifically documented, but word in the gifted world is that most teachers, most of the time, are fine going up to 3 years beyond the class average with 'differentiation' but that after 3 years it take a superteacher.
As far as peer development, acceleration can do that quite nicely. Most kids are a mix of ages throughout the day - and what about the one room schoolhouse where kids of all ages played together? She just needs to spend some time each day with kids who get her jokes.
Of course, if she goes to her own school then passing her brother is much less of an issue.
I would encourage you to look at other schools, mostly because I learned so much from watching those experts evaluate my kid. And there may be scholarship money so that it's not much more out of pocket than your current school.
Good luck,
Grinity
Hope that helps,
Grinity
