Thank you for the posts. It is great to just hear experiences, like Lorel's comment: "Sometimes a gifted child will want more, more, more, and then go into a period of apparent dormancy when they process all that they have taken in or work on a different (maybe physical or social) sort of skill."
Because you kind of question yourself when you get those head turning moments and then it is princess dolls and no puzzles. And you think that her calculating the number of blocks home was some sort of mistake on your part.
Kimck wrote about violin lessons: Our experience. One place does 3 year olds, but you have to take lessons also. Another place, highly regarded, said piano first, despite DD3 articulating clearly why she wanted violin. They hear the tune on the piano right away and it helps them play instruments better. After a year on piano, they can add/switch to violin.
We decided for the fall, because we just weren't committed to adding piano (2 lessons a week they said) right now.
I want to add about Montessori experience here. One, this particular Montessori school had 1/3 of their kids going on to kindergarten test for the gifted preschool 97 perentile or higher last year. Two (out of 11) got in. And all Montessori schools are not alike. And it boils down to teachers wherever you are.
I found out that Wila's comments about spines on the animals was due to a discussion at school about vertebrates and invertebrates.
I appreciate all comments. I read through the pre-K discussion. And it was interesting to hear people dealing with this without the resources I have. Wila will envy the rural story. We went to a "Dude Ranch" over New Years for a few days and it was hard to get her off the horse.
Ren
