Gifted Issues Discussion homepage Forums Learning Environments help creating afterschooling curriculum for DS4

(See previous thread about 4yo losing his marbles for background)

So, DS is saying that he wants to learn things, wants to learn harder stuff, etc. Basically, he's expressed repeatedly that he is looking for some actual instruction.

1. I don't want to do math, unless it's logic or other stuff not likely to be taught in school. He's far enough ahead already as it is.

2. His writing is mid-K level at best and an area where he is easily frustrated. They do a lot of writing at preschool already. So, I don't want anything with any real writing, though he can easily circle, underline, and write a few letters or numbers.

3. He can read at about a mid 3rd-grade level; higher if interested, esp. when it comes to science and nature. Science is a primary interest.

Some kind of science, logic, or...reading comp? where he could just circle answers or answer questions verbally would be really good. He wants to "do work" and show mastery, not just read or look at stuff. Here's the catch--I have little time to find or set up this stuff. So I'm looking for something canned--curriculum, workbooks, or a nice list. Online is okay. He's fine with a mouse, but not super-great with high-level hand-eye stuff yet. I find that if the content is on his level, the motor skills required may not be.

My thinking is that he can do it during his sister's homework time which is (cringe) an hour to an hour and a half daily.

We have tons and tons of books and games already. He likes all that, but wants to be set a task. I have not been workbook-oriented. All we really have is maze books and some nature coloring books.

A logic puzzle book would seem like an obvious ingredient. DS had some of the ones by MindWare (Perplexors, Code Breakers etc.). The ones I just googled up had a suggested age range starting at 8, so that may be about right ;-) Can't help otherwise...

We just introduced DS4 to soduku. The easiest ones are 4x4s, and they help with logic. You can print some freebies here: http://www.printactivities.com/Kid_Sudoku_Puzzles/Kid_Sudoku_Puzzles.html.

I just got an add in the mail for Highlights Top Secrets Adventures, and think they might be fun for "afterschooling."

We do have a Kumon workbook, but it requires the students to write words/numbers to answer problems. You might visit your local bookstore and see if there are any that are multiple choice. (Maybe ones geared toward standardized test prep.)

Good luck...and be sure to post if you find anything good! DS seems to be similar in development.

I wonder if he might like the Building Thinking Skills book from the Critical Thinking Company. I think they have different levels. He would likely be past the lowest one, but maybe the next level (primary, I think?). These are just workbooks, but I have heard good things.

Top secret is awesome but not sciency. DS and I highly recommend the brainwaves - we jumped right to the older ones but they also make younger ones depending on content level. If he likes magic school bus they have science kits which spin off the books. If be wants to do things with question and answer - brainpop jr - was worth the fee cause you can get full content for up to 3rd grade. Also AMNH.org - natural history museum website. Has a whole kid section. I have more but out will finish post later!

I also wonder if it might be time to look into EPGY for math. (Would go through an open enrollment group so you don't have to get testing and because I hear it is much much cheaper.). Honestly if you have a 4 year old happily doing double digit addition, I doubt holding him back is the way to go. You might be postponing a battle best fought now. He might be happier & by the time he is in regular school, you will have documentation from Stanford of where he is and why regular unaccelerated math won't cut it.

Just a thought. Fwiw my kiddo is way younger and not tested.

I think this pov makes a lot of sense. I've lost track of what you've said about where he is now, but I did see "probably end of 1st grade maths" a while back, which seems consistent. I've said before and doubtless will say again :-) that IMO/E if they need acceleration, it makes sense that it's a lot easier if they obviously need acceleration. And it sounds as though you may be in that position - even if your DS learns no more maths between now and when he starts school (you put him in a math deprivation chamber, in DeeDee's wonderful phrase) he's likely still to need special maths, isn't he?

My one slight wondering is related to a thread you started a while back about your DD seeming to be stronger on calculation than conceptually. If you think the same might be true of your DS - he may be able to do things algorithmically, but perhaps not be crazy fast at really grokking them? - then it might make sense to slow him down.

Thanks for the great suggestions so far. Keep 'em coming.

I'm not sure I have him figured out mathwise. He seemed not so mathy up till about 6 months ago. He hasn't expressed the same natural interest in it that DD did at his age; he just picks it up super fast, if taught. I think he's picked up a lot from playing dice and card games for older children.

The good news is that he will presumably test into DD's gifted magnet and start there in grade 2, so we just have to keep him...not miserable...till then. (The magnet is likely not totally sufficient for a kid who is more than MG, but it's been "good enough" for DD.)

Fwiw, when my DS was 4 I thought he wasn't all that mathy, too!

Mine wasn't mathy either. But horrible science was so wonderful for him i tried murderous math and lo and behold he is now mathy at 7- you might also try bedtime math for that. DS enjoyed it. He is not natural with math facts although has picked up speed but seems to intuitively understand much more complicated math - goes with the science. He already gets and enjoys mm's math games and loves algebra type things.

Other ideas - microscope kit - not necessarily a real microscope could do the ones witht. Big screens and nobs for little hands.

I probably have more thing to recommend which I forgetting - like snap circuits!

Small hijack - I am getting ready to approach principal after getting nowhere with science teacher. To get some back up, I gave him a 3 grade levels up state science test. He missed 4 out of 45 questions for a top score, and 1 of those he missed because he was more accurate than the question called for - and two he missed because of unwillingness to write out the complete answer (an issue we have with his homework and happily he was piqued so this might have cured him of that). So in reality doing only massive ingestion of reading material he is unchallenged at 3 grade levels up.

We just started a great courses course video on the mysteries of the universe - advertised as college level and he was eating it up - and already knew a lot of it! And was getting the math involved too!

DeHe