Gifted Issues Discussion homepage Forums Learning Environments Homeschool co-op with older students

We had a pretty shaky experience trying to have my children take a class for older students at a local homeschool co-op. The teacher welcomed them, based on an e-mail introduction. We met with her, and she kept commenting on how little and young they were. Imagine my lack of surprise when she sent an e-mail removing them from her class because she feared they would get "hurt" because they were so little. (They are small for their age, but still. Major eye roll here.) I think homeschool co-ops, run by other moms, has its inherent limitations -- to the point we primarily participate for social reasons with no expectation that my children actually receive any real education there.

We had much a better experience enrolling them in science classes for much older children held at a local science museum. They have been welcoming of the children, despite the palpable age difference, which is even more accentuated because my children are tiny for their age.

One thing that I think has allowed us to have a positive experience is that I emphasized with my children the importance of being extremely "good classroom citizens," i.e. participating (appropriately, not dominating), following the teacher's instructions, etc. I am pretty sure that if my children had misbehaved in class it would have been taken as "proof" of their inability to participate well in the class.