Are you sure you don't belong to our school district? Wow, That is very much were we were and still are in some respects.
Because of the lack of gifted programing here (for DD10), we finally had her skipped to 5th grade. It took a couple of months for her to adjust and it definatly was NOT easy, but she has finall adjusted and even some of the other kids are coming around to talking to her where before she was the outcast. She is still getting very good grades but has some challanges at the same time which is what we wanted for her, to work for a grade.
The twins are 9 and in 3rd, and while they don't seem to be as far ahead as their sister, they are a little ahead in some stuff and I don't feel that either of them would benefit from a grade skip. So we provide stuff at home when they ask for it, and they usually do ask for it around when they see their older sister doing something in math (they wanted to be shown multiplication and division which I've been giving to them a little at a time ahead of schedule).
Now with the reading situation, one of the twins this year said she went to the library and wanted to check out a Harry Potter book and was told she couldn't check anything out that was thicker than the width of her thumb. Thankfully this one's teacher was the older sisters teacher last year who recognised her and "got her" so to speak, so she fixed the problem with the library. I also found the series of Harry Potter on Ebay and told her to take it to school any time she wants to
DD10 started reading the James Patterson Lake House series (teen version only so far) and was bringing it to school with her, and got some flack from the teachers that they never let children read James Patterson but that since it was her books they would let her. What 10 year old wouldn't want to read about other kids who had wings and could fly and go anywhere they want?
I also have a son who's 5 but isn't in Kindy till next year and no way we are going early with him. He's self teaching himself to read but is so bouncy and not mature enough. We are fine with him where he is.
All in all, I wish I knew also how to help school do more for children like her. I had thought it would be good to have something on Saturdays at the school if they could let us have access to the computer lab (I think they have one) so kids who want some acceleration could work with them, kind of like a "club" of sorts, but how to get a hold of other parents in the area? I mean you can't just ask for a list of names and numbers right?
