My son started reading spontaneously at 2, and we went through waves of disbelief, shock, excitement and fear before we finally got our bearings. For months, we struggled with what to make of it all and even consulted our pediatrician, who gave us the useless advice "Make sure he spends lots of time outdoors, not just reading books." It wasn't until DS read to my mother and she reacted with horror rather than pride or joy, that I realized I had to take control of the situation--that I needed a concrete plan and a ready response to the question, "If he's doing X now, what is he going to do in kindergarten?" In search of the answer, I read everything I could find on giftedness, started following this forum religiously, and began researching our local schools. By the time my son was 3 1/2, I had visited our local public kindergarten, decided with absolute certainty that it was not a viable option AND found a fantastic alternative. The end result was that DS started kindergarten a year early at age 4.5 in a school that "gets" him and is meeting both his academic and social needs. At this point, DS5.5 is happy and thriving, and I am so confident in the path he's on that no amount of weird looks from family or friends can phase me. So my advice is, continue to hang out here, read the books that are mentioned and start researching your school options. The more you know, the easier it will be to embrace your child's giftedness and the less fearful you'll be of the future.
Last edited by MsFriz; 06/23/10 05:35 PM.
