Gifted Issues Discussion homepage Forums General Discussion Advice for 1st grader

Before you invest a lot of time looking for literature to advocate, first call your school district and ask if it's something that you can do (or ask through a local homeschool organization). It's quite possible the school district already allows it but it's not one of those things that's widely publicized. I haven't done it with my kids, but have a friend who did it K-2 with one of her children, and she found out through her research that there were other families in our district who had also done the same 1/2-1/2 arrangement.

Best wishes,

polarbear

I'll echo the comments from previous posters about finding local resources and policies. Where we're located, school enrollment is optional prior to the year in which students turn 6. Provided that schools aren't at capacity for the relevant grade, the additional funds are generally welcome, especially if the student in question is advanced.

I think it is so hard to find ways to meet the needs of kids whose subscores are uneven. Here's some thoughts on your questions:

Instead of focusing more on either math or areas she is already excelling in, I would recommend meeting her where she is in both. Sounds like she is still at grade level for math, so it's more about enhancing her learning in all areas.

For her IQ, I would not use either one, but both. Have demands and expectations based on her subscores instead of the total score.

I assume the GATE program is a gifted program, it seems like the real advantage is not enhanced learning, but getting the social support and being around other children who think similarly.

For acceleration, I assume your daughter is pretty young for her grade already. When my kids school wanted to accelerate my daughter, I started asking numerous teachers what they thought. Interestingly, I found that every elementary school teacher (from numerous states) ALL recommended accelerating her, while EVERY middle school/high school teacher recommended against it. They all said that while socially/emotionally it wouldn't matter now (kindergarten), she would be "eaten alive" socially in the older grades. So I would recommend also looking down the road as well.

I have no experience with half days at school, but I do know that kids thrive with consistency, and I would be worried how your daughter would feel being pulled out of school halfway through and not having the same experiences as the rest of her class. I have considered going to the school and taking my daughter to the library to teach her myself, that way she would still get to do the other subjects and school events with everyone.

Good luck, those are difficult decisions to make.

I know a few people whose kids part-time (like only in school for special subjects, or just morning, or a midday interruption), including one of mine. My DD leaves school part of the day, and after the first week, it was just her thing, the kids just accepted it. Other kids leave the room for things -- some leave for special reading or math help from other teachers, so it's part of the routine. Based on the rules, our district wouldn't allow on-site homeschool (though we did stay to work a couple times due to circumstances). Liabilities or something. It was way more comfortable at home, more fun. I wish I'd known about it sooner, though perhaps she'd have been less comfortable doing something different when younger.

My son did half days/homeschooled half day and after a while you are right it was just his thing. He did mornings at home and then arrived right when they were finishing up lunch. He was like Norm coming into Cheers..."NORM!!!!!!" Sometimes he met them in line right outside the cafeteria on the way back to class, sometimes he walked into the cafeteria and sat with them as they finished up (he ate at home before he left).

We did one or two days a week (the days with specials and science) in school, and the rest at home. It quite rapidly became just the way things were. Kids adapt rather well, as long as adults present it as part of the routine. That part depends a lot on buy in from the school, of course.

Here's a further look down that road...

This seemed like a good resource for partial homeschool/public school options:

https://www.hslda.org/docs/nche/Issues/E/Equal_Access.pdf

Doesn't look good for Oklahoma, unfortunately.