Hi,
I don't have any experience with science acceleration, but my DH and I both have science degrees and we tend to focus a lot on science in our general everyday life of learning. So take this for what it's worth.
I think what your school is doing is fantastic. Science is generally taught in a spiraling curriculum, looking at the same topics over and over, just in more depth with each passing year. It sounds like what your school has already set up with him is a chance to increase the depth of his study. Too, with the individual attention of a mentor, he should be able to delve into more complicated math-based analyses of science topics, as well as topics of his interest. This might not be the case if he simply moves to a different grade level. He'd still have 30-ish other kids needing to learn at the group pace.
I'm generally a person all for acceleration as needed (my two youngest are grade-skipped). I wonder, though, how your 5th grade DS would feel about his brother leap-frogging him? Maybe save your energy for later acceleration efforts since the school does seem to be trying so hard to meet his needs.
I'd say, at least for now, go with all the options your school is offering. They're trying and seem to have thought this through and your son gets INDIVIDUAL attention! If you need to meet again later to tweak the plan, then you can. Maybe his mentor can encourage him to just jump through the hoops of his regular science class since he will be getting a chance to learn new things with him/her. Maybe he could specifically call what happens in class "review" for the more in-depth work they do on the topic together (call a spade a spade and not have to pretend that it's anything more than review for him, not condescend to him).
Last edited by mnmom23; 11/04/09 11:03 AM. Reason: Add stuff
