Gifted Issues Discussion homepage Forums Age or Ability Specific Forums Pre-school So should I just plan on homeschooling?

Okay two reasons why I am asking this....

My mom works at a school and I asked her to get me the list of skill ect that they expect at the end of K4(4 year old preschool) and at the end of K5 (Kindergarten). Well she did, and DD 2 and 1/2 has about 3/4 of the skills expected at the end of K4 and about 1/2 of those at the end of K5. And her birthday is in March so here she could not start K for 3 more years. She will be way advanced by then.

Okay second, I was speaking with our local children's librarian, who is absolutly wonderful by the way, and she was speaking to me about how advanced and gifted DD is. She told me that our school district is awful for gifted students and has no gifted programs. She said, "you really might need to homeschool her"

We are homeschooling preschool, ensuring that she gets around lots of kids and learns to follow the directions from others by doing weekly story times at the library and homeschool co-op for preschool age once a week. So two times a week schedualed group activities. Anyway, I am just wondering if I should prepare myself that our school district just wont fit her well. Our librarian is extreamly knowledgable and it just struck me when she told me this about the district coupled with the evaluations my mom sent me.

Just wanted some thoughts. I don't think DH is really on board yet with homeschooling once K rolls around, but I know he will do whatever is best for DD....it sometimes just takes him awhile to accept thats not always what is the norm for everyone else.

I think before you make a decision you should investigate the school some on your own. See if there are other schools in the area. Find out what kind of services are available for Home schooling in your area. Sometimes there are lots of classes you can bring children to. You want to challenge your child but also consider the very important social opportunities.

I have a friend who pulled her children out of school to home school. All their kids are very bright and spent lots of time reading because they would get done with their work early. All the reviewing was getting to them. They are doing an online school with a teacher they talk to thru email and the phone. In our state this online schooling is free. Kids can work at their own pace. She says her son is a different boy since they made this change. They go to gym classes with other Home schoolers.

good luck.

"Take one year at a time!" This is something the parents of our local gifted groups keep telling me over and over again . . . I still can't get it through my thick skull but it is beginning to sink in slowly.

I went to school with the same people K through high school (and even some college) so the idea of jumping from school to school, program to program seems so foreign and crazy to me but, ultimately, being flexible and constantly assessing what is best for DC is what needs to happen. At 2.5, I wouldn't rule anything out nor would I sign any contracts.

Good luck!!
P.S. We're homeschooling this year and hoping for an acceleration at public school next year. Of course, that may all change next month . . . Ahhhhhh!

Flexibility is the key!
I wouldn't make any life decisions that preclude homeschooling, however...
Seems like getting to know the local homeschooling resources and local gifted resources is a good investment of your time and energy.
Smiles,
grinity

All 3 of my kids are gifted. Our elementary school was very good at teaching kids at their level. All kinds of accommodations were made to make sure they were challenged. At the Middle School level, I was met with resistance and hostility. My oldest son was the guinea pig, unfortunately. He was bored throughout his middle school years, keeping himself challenged with Spelling Bee, Geo Bee, community service, home projects.
Middle son was lucky and had a strong peer group who raised the whole class's level some, so he survived.
Youngest (daughter) is being homeschooled for Middle School, because there was no accommodation and no strong peer group for her.
Our school DOES allow partial homeschooling, so I take her for Science and lunch. Just enough that she can swim for the school team and keep up w/ her friends.
At home I use online gifted classes through JHU's CTY and am very happy w/ them.
I would caution you against pulling your child out too early-I think an important function of school is learning that not all the world is just like your home. What my kids learned at school is how to get along with all kinds of people. Also, I was able to raise my school's awareness of the needs of gifted kids, since not all gifted kids have gifted parents who know what to do w/ them.
I did not take my kids out of public school easily. What I tell people is that I "Homeschool AND send my kids to school." Most of the real hard learning they have had at home, but the lessons they learn at school are also valuable.
Good luck!

The hardest thing for me to do is to take one step at a time. But having DS5.5, I've had no other choice. When his teacher, who initiated the whole grade acceleration process, had her concerns about what to do when he's 15, and his classmates are 16 and driving, I simply stated "we'll cross that bridge when we get there". Maybe by then a private school will be more suited for his needs - maybe homeschool... I don't know, and I can't think about it now. What I do need to do is focus on where he's at now, and what his needs are now.

Plus, as someone who has first hand experience of the hoops you need to try to jump and lines you need to try to cross PRIOR to kindergarten, it's really not worth the stress (both for you and your DD) of trying to jump the hoops and cross the lines now. Of course, keep track of your DD's progress and things she is working on, etc... but cross the next bridge when you get there.

And do keep her involved in things to expand her social skills. A lot of times, gifted kids have a little difficulty with that part since they are more advanced academically than their peers.

Good luck!

Thanks to all of you. It is really hard for me to take it one day at a time LOL...I have never been good at that, I am such a planner.

It might be good to start getting over that, Amanda. For HG+ kids, we say that getting 6 months to a year of a good fit is about normal. More is great, but don't count on it.

That means that for many people, about the time the plans are all in place, it's time to change them again...

Obviously there are lots of exceptions, but I think it's smart to start thinking about school in bite-sized chunks like that. If you're one of the lucky ones, so much the better! If not, then you're mentally prepared.