Val,
I think our society is in such a public school mindset that it is so hard to get away from. The first question that 9.5 out of 10 people ask my kids when they meet them is "what grade are you in?" They don't ask "how old are you?". Classes in sunday school and through the recreation department in our city are grouped by "grade". It is embedded in so many things. We have been homeschooling from day one. None of our five children has ever been taught in a public school. That said, all three of the children who are doing school right now are about 2 grades above level. Because we have not dealt directly with public schools for our kids, I have distanced myself from them. I hope that homeschooling and programs like DYS will have a positive affect on public schools, but I doubt it will happen anytime soon. I was the product of a public school education. I was tested for GT as a young child and put into one of those "cheesy pullout" programs that were mentioned in another thread. My memories of it are not that positive. I was singled out from my peers because I was the only one leaving my grade/class for the hour in the library. We didn't do anything special while we were together and really I remember a bunch of goofing off. That was years ago and I don't really think it has changed for the majority of schools. I think that homeschooling can have a positive affect on society in that it can provide some kids with a better educational experience than public school - not just for gifted kids either. A lot of kids who struggle with learning excell at home too. I'm not sure if any of this is making sense - I'm a bit distracted here today - but an interesting book that I have read is called Fed Ed. It's about the new Federal Curriculum that is being introduced in public schools. I recommend it.
C~
