Hi,
My DS6 (next week) skipped K this year and is doing great in 1st. He loves it and it is the right place for him in general. He's reading at a 2nd grade level and is progressing quickly but is ability grouped for reading and spelling and, besides, is able to read at his level at home. So, I'm not concerned about that. With math, however, he's at the top of his class. When I go in to the class once a week I work with the top kids in his class on math enrichment/acceleration activities, but all the rest of the time he is just doing the basic math curriculum, which he already knows. He can add and subtract 4+-digit numbers with regrouping, counts money with no problems, tells time to the minute, does basic multiplication and division, and just thinks about math all the time. Math concepts just seem to come naturally to him.
So, finally, my question: Would it be okay to have him work in a math workbook that is at his level on the days that he doesn't have math homework for school, or even on the days that it takes him literally one minute to finish the homework? Or should I just leave it alone so that he doesn't get further and further ahead of his class? He really does love math and thinks the workbooks are fun and he only takes about 10 minutes to do a page. BTW: He doesn't usually think to ask to do a workbook page but is always enthusiastic when I suggest it. If he doesn't want to do it, he doesn't do it.
I just know that math is really a set of skills that has to be taught, and he's ready for more advanced work. Does anyone have any thoughts?
