Ds is 7 years old currently in 1st grade. We just tested his IQ. His WISC score is 146. He was tested in WISC to have 6/7 grade reading level and his math is probably at least at 3rd grade. We will be doing achievement test sometime in April to understand his ability better.
DS is highly verbal and very outgoing. School is boring for him, but he will tolerate school so that he can play with other kids.
Currently school has ability grouping. He is in the highest ability group in language arts. The reading group is reading at around 4th grade. It's not good enough, but it's at least something. He is learning language arts with other 1st grader, but it's clearly too easy for him. We asked his teacher to send him to 2nd grade for math. The second grade teacher challenges him by asking him to explain his answers and find other ways to get to the same answer.
Some information about his school: His school uses GATE curriculum to teach all students. They don't have a specific GATE program. Teachers also utilize Sandra Kaplan's approach to teaching students to learn in depth and complexity. Most teachers have GATE certificate plus Sandra Kaplan's training. In general, they don't like grade skipping, but keep advance students in the same grade and challenge them in depth and complexity. I wish I can explain more.
After IQ test, we talked to the psychologist. He strongly believes ds should go to a gifted school or homeschool so that he can advance as he wish and be able to branch out and learn any subject of interests. There is no gifted school in the area and it costs too much anyway.
I have no problem homeschooling him, but ds is very outgoing. Homeschool in the area provides 2 days of school. I don't know if it's enough for him.
Second grade teacher wants ds to stay in second grade math next year to continue challenge his reasoning. She said he computes very fast, but not able to explain his answers. However, next year I will be doing 4th/5th grade math with him at home. In fact, he is already doing some this year. Our psychologist said to push for 3rd grade math next year. He also mentioned that requiring a highly gifted child to explain his answer every time is unreasonable. Ds has gotten 100% in his 2nd grade math tests except one, which he has never learned that topic before.
I feel that I have no time to explore his interests with him after school. Homeschool situation is ideal, but I don't know if ds will do well socially.
After the achievement test, we will try to schedule a meeting with school administration see how flexible they are with gifted kids.
Here are my questions:
1. Should I continue with this school or should I take him out and homeschool him?
2. If I stay next year, should I push for subject acceleration in math and put him in 3rd grade?
3. Am I "wasting" his ability by keeping him in school?
