Gifted Issues Discussion homepage Forums General Discussion Dream a little: the perfect setting?

A 9 year old is profoundly gifted in math. He loves literature and science and recess. He likes to paint and to play chess. He's shy, but is a loyal friend. He's not at all competitive. He's a tiny bit lazy. He loves fish, and fishing, and the sea. He loves large animals--horses, cows, really big dogs. He hates school. He knows the teachers are trying to challenge him, but he wants to be left alone to read. He's given up on the idea that they will teach him anything in a real, consistent skill-building sense. He's discouraged that they seem to just give him hard math, but don't teach him the skills to do it; instead the make it a little easier until he gets it. He wants to homeschool.


What kind of an academic setting/set up does this child need? What would really be the very best case scenario?

I have a list of stuff for you to look at, but I haven't seen them used. I've only read about them online. Looks like they're designed to teach him something.
Hands on equations algebra.
Calculus by kids for kids.
Life of Fred.
Art of Problem Solving.
Just making the list for you to google.
Everything cost like $100.00 each.
Maybe he'll like orgami,
Or Lego Mindstorm Robotics.

ETA: these aren't really educational plans, more like supplemental diversions he'll likely enjoy. There's books out, what's the one I just saw? Developing math talent, or nurturing math talent. Again, I have not read them; I've only read about them.

It really does sound like homeschooling would work well for him, particularly if you also kept him involved in things like a community chess club, 4-H, and scouting, let him read extensively in his areas of interest, and found a mentor for him who could help him move ahead in math if neither parent feels qualified, along with using one or more of the Khan Academy, Life of Fred, Alcumus /Art of Problem Solving, EPGY math, ALEKS, and/or any of the other resources suggested elsewhere in the thread.

I could have said most of the things about my ds 9 as well. The challenge that I have found with my ds is that he is not a self-directed learner. And maybe one should not expect that from a nine year old, but that is why so many great resources that are out there do not work for him, Life of Fred, EPGY and Khan Academy included, or I do not know how to make them work for him. He is happy to explore any new resource for a month or two, and then just gets bored, loses interest and wants to move on to something new. I have been asking myslef similar questions and very much look forward to responses here.

I know you are joking a little, kcab, but we have been searching our region for a small farm. DS is one of five children ages 1.5 to 11, and we've been looking for a place where we could have more animals--a couple of horses (I grew up riding, and my brother runs a large horse farm/riding stables and is more than willing to help us get this underway), chickens and a large dog or two--and expand our gardening efforts. We see this as a priority for DS especially--his mind whirs constantly, but he seems to get very centered and peaceful around large animals--my brother's horses and any dog he can get near, for example.

I think it probably sounds a bit flaky, but DS does connect with animals. Even when we lived in an apartment in dirty, overcroweded Moscow he was able to find creatures--insects, mice (!) and straycats--in what seemed like a lifeless urban tower.