Kim - my son's interests are with automobiles and racing. Real life interests aside, he loves shapes and patterns. I saw the game qbits at Barnes and Noble that I intend to pick up for Christmas. He loves board games, which helps him work on his motor skills along side his love for math and counting.
Notnaf - his interest in school is probably the whole spectrum. He demands his own homework, so we often do my oldest's as a group. She can do it independently, but she liked to sit down in a collaboration because I always inevitably branch off from that into what they're both asking. He wants a backpack so he can have his homework in it. We have an online program that is math based that he enjoys and also refers to it as school and homework often. I have to slow him down to eat breakfast before diving into school at home.
We are active in the community and attend many EC settings where he is able to freely socialize. I'm having trouble finding learning groups, but I still keep searching.
As far as cars (his interest) I've been able to find some great steals on the Disney cars learning books as well as vehicle books in general. My aunt purchased him a book where he was the main character in a car race. To work on his skills that are lacking, such as a disinterest in writing, I incorporate his match box cars to trace large letters on a white board with the cars. He'll put them on the letters in a pattern, count them, and then willingly trace and erase the letter to do the next. I try to sneak in the things he doesn't want to do along with other tasks he does.
Indigo - Thank you! No I haven't looked into that forum, but I will. Any resource that can help me introduce new things, or different ways of seeing things is great. Last night the two oldest did ribbon painting. They thought they were making decorations for my living room, which is true, but they had to try and manipulate the ribbons into straight lines and simple shapes. I figure any activity to engage motor skills is okay by me!
Connecting - I haven't looked into that. Is there any sourdough place that I should be looking for materials? I just found a very small school that's loosely basedan on montessori, but it is a private gifted school that he would have to test into. I wanted to do more research before committing anywhere. I made the mistake of trusting my daughter's former pre k and got a hard dose when they said they could not give her more curriculum based on the school's policies. I yanked her so quick at that remark, because the travel included made it not worth my while when she has many other activities to socialize.
Dude - my husband is as clueless as I am to our son. I thought similarly, but since my husband travels, has been even more stunned with what comes out of his mouth. We were visiting family, and the same reactions happened. He's just either learning in a way we can't figure out, or he's learning and subsequently hiding it until he's ready for the shock value.
Howler - how did programs approach this uneven balance with you? Is there anything I can expect? I know he weaknesses, and described above the little steps I try to do at home to help him. He also has some unknown health issues (gi related) that while aren't serous have stunned his growth so he just hit 36". So while he's 3,he looked lie he is younger than 2.
Blue - cars and vehicles in general, numbers in any context, patterns either simplified or complex (he lives for structure if any kind), colors and anything general kids are interested in. He's currently being a car, running around my rooms like he is in a race himself, trying to coax my 12 month old to crawl and race after him. He loves shows like magic school bus, stiff the science kid, and umizoomi. He gravitates toward the learning videos, not necessarily ones like bubble guppies that teach behavior and social skills.
Loy - he is sight reading and can actively follow while being read to. He understands phonetics and can guess some words rather accurately. He can strangely spell words better than read. He's currently spelling words to turn around and spell them backward. One day during what I guess you could call free time, he began saying his abcs in reverse without having to stop and think, just like he could visualize the concept of abc and go in reverse. We don't push reading or his ability, we just read. I'm an audiobook fan myself. I've explained to my oldest that once she is ready to gravitate away from picture books, she can read on her tablet many more stories than we have at home or the library. We haven't hit that want for more yet, and I'm content exposing them to the library rather than the computer. He's only recently taken an interest back toward books last month. I wouldn't be shocked in a few months if he's solo.
GGG - We have three years until school (he will start at the end of 2017). I'm terrified what will continue to grow until then.
I have an entire room that is all craft material. I loved hands on projects, so working at Joanns as a teenager, I rarely saw paychecks. We just made punch paper Santas for Christmas cards. I also have workbooks (more my daughters interest than my son's) that I snag on clearance from the local stores. Target had some great addition workbooks, but they were almost too easy, but for 1$, I had to try.
I am so glad to hear I'm not alone, even if my children haven't been tested as of yet. I have three, the youngest just turned 1, and my husband travels and is maybe home a total week of a month, if we're lucky. I feel like my house hold is running full steam and I'm struggling to divide the attention where it needs and figure out how my 3 year old does what he does, while making sure the baby isn't trying to eat the crayons or fall into the tile floor. Cooking is my only solace. I can break out the tablets (a very old innotab and a kurio) and my laptop and they will sit at the table while I cook. The baby gets put in her seat and typically placed with snacks in view of something so she can be happily and safely contained while I whip up meals.
I know how my mother felt raising me (also gifted), except there was only one of me. I've got two making my head spin, and God help my sanity when the baby starts taking the initiative herself too.
