Need Advice for advanced 3-yr old (Greensboro, Star: magnet schools, live, bill)

[ibeg4sushi]

Hey everyone,

I am hoping someone can give me some advice. My daughter is 3 (April child) and is pretty advanced for her age. Not trying to be snobby - I mean, she's very much a 3 year old!! - but I think she may have a photographic memory. She knows her whole alphabet forwards and backwards, knows letter recognition and wants to learn how to write. But I don't think she's "gifted" or some Mozart extraordinaire or something.

I tried signing her up for Pre-K at the Greensboro Academy but they said she was still too young. What else can I do for her? Does anyone know who I should at least be asking about this?

She has no playmates here yet and I'm not enough for her! :O Yikes! Got advice for us??

[fallfanatic]

Here are a couple of sites that will help you. I don't know any specifics about them, but it seems like a good place to start.

Gifted Educational Resources for Families


Gifted Information Center


I hope these help.

[ibeg4sushi]

Thanks, I'll take a look around.

[flipster]

Oh gosh, I wouldn't worry about getting her into any 'formal education' program. I'd just get her exposed to other children her age so her social skills can grow. Just let her be a child. If there are fun things she would like to do like go to the museums or see live music, those would be great and fun for her.

If she's that smart now, she'll be that smart when she starts school and then the teacher's can work with her and she can be placed into gifted programs at that time.

Good luck and have fun with that little girl of your's.

[bvanevery]

I regret that my parents weren't more "on the ball" about more advanced education at various points in my life. Things like teaching myself how to program computers and binary number systems in 6th grade with no help should have been a clue. But in 1981, computers were not yet well understood by my parents' generation. Plus, let's face it, my Dad is plenty smart but he's not an intellectual, he doesn't value that kind of pursuit. If I had had more academically oriented parents I would have had better education and would have been farther along in certain areas. The Bill Gates and Steve Jobs of the world were people who had early access to computerdom, whose parents knew about the facilities that were doing those sorts of things in the early days and got their kids started early. Meanwhile, nothing my parents ever did, or didn't do, aided my social adjustment at all. So I just sort of roll my eyes when people say, "don't teach your kid more advanced stuff, just make them social with their peers." That's a joinerism mentality, made I think by people who really aren't as smart as the kids they're talking about. If the kid's bright, stretch those neurons as much as possible. Americans, in particular, ask so little of children in most of their public education systems, it's pathetic. Thankfully my parents got it right by the time my 2 sisters came along, they sent them to private school and it definitely helped them.

[mom2A&c]

I could have written you post. No one wants to help me in the "system". I sent my son at 3 to a moravian preschool..at 2 he was doing his alphabet forwards and backwards.. at 3 he was reading simple books.. I decided to send him to a normal preschool for social skills..Yet, I continue to teach him learning skills. He's 4 now and reading at a first-second grade level. He's learning addition and subtraction and knows about 30 states. I'm still doubtful about the public school for him.. but unless we hit the lottery, how can we afford private school? They won't test him until grade 2, which I think is crazy.
I'm sure you can at least continue to do what you are doing and push the schools = be annoying. Give your dd Highlights or another somewhat educational magazine. Start word searches ( sounds nuts, but my son is doing the "easy level" adult word searches now at 4.. he started these while he was 3. Start her on computer games 1/2 hour when she wants to play.. but do the educational ones like starfall.com
That's all I can say for now- b/c we are in the same boat.. but realistically, keep encouraging learning.. I too can't stand when people say "don't push him" - I never have.. it's all him.. it's his thing.. he loves to learn.

[ibeg4sushi]

I know!! Thank you!!
Seriously, I feel like I'm just not enough for her. This past couple of weeks she taught herself to count to 10 in spanish from watching DORA. Man that is an awesome show! They teach on so many levels, if you can get through the shouting kind of dialogue, it's actually very educational and fun.

Word search - what a good idea! I found an activity book that was geared more for 4-5th graders I suspect, has mazes, what's missing, word search and lots of different things. I got it, it's big and fat, at Barnes & Noble for like 3 dollars. She loves it!

I have to ask - how does you son take in things? By seeing, hearing, reading or doing? With my daughter, it seems to be whatever she sees, she can copy. She gets frustrated with problem solving. Her memory is impeccable and her language skills are where alot of her "talents" lie. But hey you know, she's a kid, and likes to get stuck in the mud and run to her hearts content.

I'm just happy we are here now and have found a place where she can run and jump and feels like she can ask more questions. Fireflies, trees, etc.

BY THE WAY - Funny that you should reply today! Earlier this morning I was lurking on the NC schools website and I can across the Magnet schools link. Apparently there ARE magnet schools at the elementary level, which is great news!

Hm, I think I am going to send you a private message now! I could write all night. *giggle*

~ Angie