Clay, I'm going to play devil's advocate a bit and go back a bit on something your mom said. (Sorry, this is long)
My DS6 starting reading when he was 4, before his last year of pre-K. He attended a play-based preschool in which he was the only reader in his class. The teachers didn't know or care, but they were loving and provided many stimulating play-based things for the kids. I know other parents of gifted kids who kept their kids there until regular K age and were very pleased.
Even though they didn't do "work", the kids had lots of opportunities to learn in whatever way they were ready for. I did gets lots of questions when one of the teachers was trying to teach DS to paint in big brushstrokes. He looked at the strokes, told her that was "infinity" and continued in his meticulous ways. I read something recently that talked about preschool being a better environment for gifted kids than K b/c teachers will accommodate fast learners just as they accommodate any other child. I found that to be the case with both my children. The pre-K kids didn't really care or notice that he was doing far different things than they were.
The downside for us was DEFINITELY entering K in our neighborhood elementary school. By then DS was reading at a grade 2 level and tested fully done w/1st grade math. I couldn't get many accommodations for him. The curriculum is the curriculum. When I brought work of his in, the principal said she couldn't verify what I was telling him as he did the work, etc. Still, that didn't stop his growth. (It only frustrated me!) We simply continue to do things at home and he ended the year reading at a grade 4 level. Thankfully, he's switching schools next year to a school that will accommodate his needs and give him a same age peer group. He definitely encountered more kids who would say they liked him b/c he could read, hence noticing the difference between him and them.
One other note: There was a child in DS's K class who entered early. He's doing well academically. DS is good friends w/him (gifted kids gravitate towards each other, I think). Where I really notice the difference between the two boys is in athletic kind of stuff. My DS can swim the length of the pool, ride a two-wheeler, etc. His friend's not developmentally quite there yet. It simply means I need to be careful about the kind of play dates I schedule with the two of them so my son isn't leaving the other boy behind, causing bad feelings. It's not a big deal at all, and I'm sure the other boy will catch up quickly enough.
