Hi T - you could be writing about my youngest daughter *sigh* I agree that she's probably just trying to make school as fun as she can. Art, sport, music, drawing - are probably survival strategies and coping skills. It's easy to blend in and feel just like the other kids when you're doing this. It's harder to feel the 'same' when you're reading chapter books when everyone else isn't.
Like me, you're probably wondering whether a 5 year old really has the capacity to dumbdown to this level. Perhaps she's not really that gifted after all? Because surely if she was then she would be running rings around everyone, completing work way beyond the standard of everyone else, self-motivated to study algebra while everyone else is counting to 10... Not gonna happen!!!!
What I have learned thru watching my eldest daughter is that when you get a good fit with the teacher, when you're not the smartest kid in the class, when you have to apply yourself to get good grades, when you have to learn how to try, when the material you're learning is interesting (not just finger-painting fun!)... learning becomes addictive and exciting and satisfying!
Keep your chin up and let me know if you come across any answers... jojo
