Thanks, Val. I take every suggestion to heart and truly appreciate the insight of those who have gone before me. I appreicated your angle on the motivation of the private schools. I'm sure you are right about the carrot and the limitations in the schools due to NCLB. The public school has no motivation to work with me or even let me come check out their program.
The more I hear, the more I think I will keep her in pre-k next year then find a private K that will work with her at her level, or a private school that would let her jump to first grade. I may speak to the school she is attending now. They already know she is very advanced, but I am not sure how they might accomodate her if we go there next year and there for kindergarten. The one negative thing I see is that she already is hiding skills because "children my age don't (fill in the blank). I bet they would let me observe their kindergarten.
I am going to call the public school again today, and will ask directly about accelaration. When I called before they said "all our kids are gifted" (I hate that phrase; they wouldn't say "all our kids are talented violinists").
One thing I worry about is that she is already younger than many at her level and is impulsive and emotional by nature and that would make her two years younger and I don't know how mature she will be. Her language is very mature though and she uses words like concentration, structure, expression, cumulonimbus, figurines, expression, etc. (she tends to use the proper formal terms for things,will say "flatulence" for gas told people Santa gave her a "plush toy" for Christmas etc. and very precise, clear speech) where some kids in her three year old preschool are barely spitting things out so it would be nice for her to eventually have children she can actually talk to around.
I know that is the struggle most parents on here have but since she is only 3.5 I really don't know how gifted she is. Yes, they gave her tests and some of her abilities are extremely high and none are below what most places call gifted, but she may not be gifted to the point some kids are on here that would require her to actually be in a different grade. She is already past the end of kindergarten expectations and into first grade, but might she one day be in the right place at the "right" grade level?
I am rambling now, sorry...
