Gifted Issues Discussion homepage Forums Identification, Testing & Assessment Recommendation for homeschoolers

So I'm finally biting the bullet and applying for DYS for my son. Trouble is, we homeschool, and while he has contact with plenty of adults, none of them is really in a position to evaluate him from an academic standpoint. His piano teacher can't exactly say whether he "gives novel solutions to problems," and his Sunday school teacher can't really say if he "reads unusual books" or if he's "not easily discouraged by a difficult task." The teachers at the science class he goes to three weeks a year I don't think know him well enough to comment fairly, either.

So for all you homeschooling parents of Scholars, how did you handle the outside recommendation?

Thanks,
Karen

Hi! When we applied to DYS for one of my children, we had the parent of another DYS child submit a rec along with a family friend, a respected researcher, who had known our child since birth. For the other child, a parent of a DYS child along with a preschool teacher. HTH! Good luck with your app!

I know that this can be a particularly vexing problem for homeschoolers (and my DD is now among those), but don't feel bad. It can be equally problematic for kids who go to school. Think of all those teachers who subscribe to the "every child is gifted" philosophy. In many cases people are applying to DYS because their school is not accomodating their child's needs. It can make it awkward or difficult to get recommendations from teachers.

What I tell people who are concerned about this issue is that if the rest of your application clearly shows a DYS child, then it's not going to matter if the recommendations are less than stellar. You can always explain in the application that there was no ideal candidate to supply the recommendation.

Good luck!

They know lots of PG kids homeschool and they are supportive of homeschooling, so don't worry. This is not at all an uncommon situation. I'm sure piano teacher would be fine especially if he or she knows him well. We asked a homeschooling co-op teacher who knew our child for just six months and it was fine. As the child gets older certainly it is a good idea to bring in more outside teachers and mentors into their lives.

Thank you all for your input!

I could not have asked a teacher because our school experiences have been so deeply flawed.

I asked a close friend, another mother who had known my son since birth-- just someone I knew was articulate, intelligent, and cared about and appreciated my kid for who he was.

Good luck

We couldn't ask our DD5's teacher for a letter (preK) because during the school year, when DD and I begged her to do more with her in the classroom that would be interesting for her, the teacher responded with "I don't want her to feel different". Then, she would call me and say things like "she seems to..um...think differently" but then couldn't explain what she meant by it.
Needless to say, I didn't ask her for a recommendation letter. So, even us parents who do use schools can't always think of an obvious person for these letters.

I would think a piano teacher would be great, assuming your child learns piano like they learn other academic things. I would probably go first to our piano teacher if I had to find a recommendation for my son. We are homeschooling now after 2 years in PS. I could have never found anyone in our school environment to give this kind of recommendation.

Just for the record, we have not applied to DYS. I'm just too cheap to go for full testing without good reason. Maybe someday we'll do the testing for other reasons and then we might. DS's end of year standardized testing was well in range.

kimck,
We are going the portfolio route. He has standardized testing scores through the Midwest Academic Talent Search that more than qualify him.

And...music is not his forte (no pun intended). Yes, he learns the theory quickly, but he kind of has a tin ear that has turned to...copper, maybe, over four years of lessons. But I still may go that route, thinking now about the theory learning. On the plus side, she knows he's capable. On the minus side, he has struggled to be polite and respectful in the face of a challenge -- as in, not liking to submit to correction until he's logically convinced that he's wrong, and sometimes not even then. MAJOR character issue that we're working on. But I think she recognizes that that's a symptom.

Anyway, thank you all again for your input; I feel more confident now.

I think it is helpful it you look it as answering the question... The form used to ask someone a question - seems less intimidating to select a person to answer vs feeling like you are asking for a college letter of rec.