Advice for supporting a high achieving elementary school child?

[StealthRabbit]

Advice for supporting a high achieving elementary school child?

I understand about the BORING part... what a waste of 6-8 hrs / day (in a classroom) (coming from a teacher AND homeschooler)

Do something FAR different from 'school' (4H, volunteering, community service, travel around the country in an RV.... TEACH / read to less fortunate kids)

You mention she is taking a Spanish course. Head to Peru or Chile for a few weeks (or months), school will always be there when / if you return. MOST foreign countries LOVE kids and they are an avenue into the lives / home / societies of others.

International living was superb experience for our kids and family.
We 'escaped' to international living when oldest was age 6. Came back to USA a couple short spells, and volunteered in public schools while continuing to homeschool.

Yes it was a HUGE sacrifice (time and money, career, investments) and RISK to our family, but the 'season' (grades k-8) could never be repeated, or better spent than traveling, relating, volunteering, struggling, rejoicing, learning and teaching as a family. Our kids did the currency conversions and daily shopping / travel planning. They researched and found the places to explore.

Yes, MANY dissuaded our choice and could not believe we would put our kids at such danger .... But we considered the 'risk' of spending 8 yrs in US public schools much greater danger to the future careers and aspirations of our children.

You can do ALL of this VERY cheap... we just returned from a yr RTW, and only used 4 hotels, spent most of our time living with locals (for free).

[sonderella]

I've found that classroom teachers in lower elementary are able to differentiate quite well for a wide variety of abilities when it comes to reading and writing. I've been very impressed with how they are able to take each student, regardless of starting level, and move them forward.

Less so with math. It's much more one-size-fits-all instruction. We did a single subject grade skip for one of my kids in elementary, that worked well. I would have preferred to not skip, and just have accelerated instruction, but as that wasn't an option, it was the next best thing.

[Katarina Witt]

Originally Posted by sonderella

I've found that classroom teachers in lower elementary are able to differentiate quite well for a wide variety of abilities when it comes to reading and writing. I've been very impressed with how they are able to take each student, regardless of starting level, and move them forward.

Less so with math. It's much more one-size-fits-all instruction. We did a single subject grade skip for one of my kids in elementary, that worked well. I would have preferred to not skip, and just have accelerated instruction, but as that wasn't an option, it was the next best thing.

My kids' elementary school did have advanced math for kids starting in about 4th grade. Of course, they didn't think either of my kids was capable of it, but then one got invited to be part of "Rocky Mountain Talent Search" and take the math SAT in 7th grade b/c of her 5th grade state math scores!

[psikeyhackr]

David and the Phoenix (1957) by Edward Ormondroyd
http://librivox.org/david-and-the-ph...rd-ormondroyd/
http://www.gutenberg.org/files/27922...-h/27922-h.htm

The Wind in the Willows (1908) by Kenneth Grahame
http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/289

The Boxcar Children (1924) by Gertrude Chandler Warner
http://www.gutenberg.org/files/42796...-h/42796-h.htm

The Fourth R (1959) by George O. Smith
The Fourth "R" - George O. (George Oliver) Smith | DigiLibraries.com

My mother taught me to read by the time I was 4. But she did not suggest what to read after that. I didn't find stuff I wanted to read until 4th grade.

psik