After our son was advanced mid-year to 5th (@ 8y2m) more people are making comments & asking questions. His first skip occurred before coming to this school so the acceleration wasn't so public.
Quite honestly, I'm much more up front about the whole GT thing now, especially after reading so many conversations here about fielding questions & comments IRL.
I'm most impressed by the way he is handling himself, though. A few different times while I was around him, other kids have asked him why he's in 5th, if he's really smart, if he's a genius & so forth. He's very nonchalant about his answers (at least the ones I've heard), which range from "I'm in 5th because I finished the 4th grade work this year," to a simple "I guess so."
His 5th grade teacher said that he's got a fantastic attitude in class and never comes across as pompous or arrogant. He said that the other (older) kids really look up to him, realizing there's something special about him. But that nobody makes a big deal about it because my son doesn't. That conversation really warmed my heart.
I gotta sneak in a funny.
The 5th grade teacher said that he thought my son was advanced primarily because of math ability, and that within the first week or so of class, he was totally surprised by my son's more than capable participation in discussions on science, reading, etc. He then called the 4th grade teacher to ask about this and was told, "Oh yeah, your really in for it with this kid. Watch out!"
