Parents Homeschool

[Maitland]

I would first and foremost make sure your ADHD daughter is in a system or program that understands this condition and will have a plan to help her in the short and long run. A gym-run homeschool program may know nothing about ADHD. Early intervention is of tremendous help. If the issue is that her current school is not addressing her needs, I would push for an assessment and individual plan. I would do this before I moved her to a program that probably does not legally need to provide this type of assistance. Gymnastics may be her passion and it may always be her passion, and that is wonderful, but I would not sacrifice her education for such a big question mark. Good luck to her and to you!

 

[Natasha]

I guess that depends on how you define enrichment. I am also the mom of a "gifted" child - 3, in fact, with one close to the 99th percentile. I also homeschool so I have btdt.

Teaching gifted kids is not just about letting them learn at a quicker pace. It's about satisfying their thirst for knowledge. While mildly gifted children (75th-95th percentile) might be satisfied with a quicker paced regular ed curriculum, most moderate and up gifted children NEED enrichment to satisfy their curiosity.

When we first started homeschooling, I let my kids go at their own pace but when my oldest two ended up 4+ years ahead of their peers after 2 yrs of schooling, I realized it is far better to add enrichment to slow down their academic pace. They were so much happier because they finally were getting what they wanted - deeper understanding of what they were studying instead of the superficial learning they were doing. By enrichment, I mean to delve deeper into topics - much deeper than they would ever get in regular ed lessons; Allowing them to research their interests through projects; doing electives (music, sign language, robotics, computers). They are still a year or two above grade level, depending on the subject but they have a much deeper body of knowledge, which should serve them better in high school and college than if they just blasted through the regular ed curriculum, graduating years ahead of their peers. Of course, I suppose I could had also gone the route of just sticking with the regular ed curriculum and schooled only about a 1/3 of the school year....

So the value of enrichment really depends on how you define it. I will agree that the enrichment most schools do for their gifted students really is just extra busy work. It would be better if they would modify their regular assignments to provide true differentiation so that the students are not being punished with more work just because they are quicker to grasp concepts. But this rarely happens.

I so agree that it is all about going deeper into the studies, not faster. My dd attends a public school for gifted children. At her school they "get" what enrichment is really all about. Although they do work a little above grade level, it is definitely about going deeper into topics, not just getting through the curriculum faster. Their Social Studies class is almost all project based along with lots of group work. In science they are constantly doing experiments, creating models, etc. Most recently in science they turned their entire room into a giant model of the living cell and invited the younger classes to "walk through" their cell (think Magic School Bus!). In English they often have debates and creative presentations- often revolving around a novel they are reading. My dd never has workbooks and rarely has traditional homework. It is almost always projects, presentations, or studying for a test. Since starting at the gifted school, she loves going and rarely complains that she is bored at school.
On a side note, it is very difficult to miss school for meets as she misses so much that is hard to make-up. Unfortunately we have 2 back to back Friday meets!

 

[emorymom]

That is all well and good and that's what some kids want. But some gifted kids don't want to delve deep into science, or social studies group projects. They want to ... for example ... do gymnastics 25 hours a week. Or pre-pro dance. Or act in movies. And they'll satisfy their curiosities about other things watching NOVA or reading.

So don't say that because a kid is gifted, there is one way they need to be taught or and it can't be taught that way in a 3.5 hour gymschool academic period.

 

[gymgal]

I so agree that it is all about going deeper into the studies, not faster. My dd attends a public school for gifted children. At her school they "get" what enrichment is really all about. Although they do work a little above grade level, it is definitely about going deeper into topics, not just getting through the curriculum faster. Their Social Studies class is almost all project based along with lots of group work.

I really wish we had this option here. There are a couple of charter schools like this but they are impossible to get into due to the lottery system (which rightfully takes staff and siblings first, leaving very few spots open). With our state finally doing away with the cap on charter schools, I hope that more will open soon. Don't get me wrong, I have loved homeschooling but as they get older, I worry more about the highschool courses, labs, foreign languages, not to mention NCAA regulations. We likely will be looking for an alternative to homeschooling in the next couple of years.

 

[gymdog]

Flip it gymnastically. It is like saying, instead of allowing a really gifted gymnast to score out of a level and do more than one level some years, we need to take that gymnast and make her do one level a year but we'll enrich her by making her compete rhythmic too.

Actually that would be a GREAT thing for most talented gymnasts!

 

[gymdog]

That is all well and good and that's what some kids want. But some gifted kids don't want to delve deep into science, or social studies group projects. They want to ... for example ... do gymnastics 25 hours a week. Or pre-pro dance. Or act in movies. And they'll satisfy their curiosities about other things watching NOVA or reading.

So don't say that because a kid is gifted, there is one way they need to be taught or and it can't be taught that way in a 3.5 hour gymschool academic period.

I think we have different definitions of "gifted." And I'm sure the OP's daughter has one single thing she would enjoy learning besides gymnastics. Save the 25 hours a week of gymnastics for later, when it's necessary and she will be in a better position to consent to it. I honestly think it is a huge mistake to dedicate so much time to one single pursuit at this early age and I will not sugarcoat it. By the way, I have seen "the other side"...scary. And scary that people who make the decisions actually have no idea what those consequences are. But I can't force anyone to believe anything, just give my two cents.

 

[gymgal]

That is all well and good and that's what some kids want. But some gifted kids don't want to delve deep into science, or social studies group projects. They want to ... for example ... do gymnastics 25 hours a week. Or pre-pro dance. Or act in movies. And they'll satisfy their curiosities about other things watching NOVA or reading.

So don't say that because a kid is gifted, there is one way they need to be taught or and it can't be taught that way in a 3.5 hour gymschool academic period.

Not saying this at all. just countering your notion that "gifted kids, by definition, need less enrichment, not more", which simply is not true. Parents/schools may choose not to provide that enrichment in favor of other avenues, as you mention, but they are doing it at the expense of the child reaching his/her full potential. Depending on the situation, the parent/child may decide that this is ok - that pursuing a dream is more important. It's not a decision I would make but I can understand how/why others would.

btw, I have no problem with a condensed school day. Most average kids can get through what they need in a 3-4 hour work sessions, if they are motivated and have a good support system. The only reason it takes so long in school is because of all the extras - gym, lunch, snack, walking between classes, discipline, etc. My kids work for about 15-20 hours a week, plus reading. and I am not saying that gifted kids should be given extra work to fill their day. I am saying that the work they are given should be challenging to them, which it's what enriching a curriculum does, if it's done correctly.

 

[gymdog]

And on the other hand, there's nothing wrong with gym and lunch and activities at school. Many children thrive in school. Many child pursue high level athletics and full time school. If I believed my child was brilliant (and this is not atypical of children with neurological differences) I certainly would not pursue "full time gymnastics" or move for it. I would get into an immersion program and exploit the opportunity for the child to have a fluent second language (the window for this will close rapidly). And I would do whatever I could to help them develop their academic talents (math, literary). I am not a pushy person, more practical. Gymnastics is not a suitable basket to put all your eggs in. It just isn't. Gymnastics is a GREAT thing and it absolutely improves cognitive functioning, without a doubt. BUT there is a limit. You need to consider the lifelong impact of your child's education.

By the way, gifted children are not always bored...brilliant individuals tend to fixate on figuring out anything (things on the wall, etc). So I always find the boredom thing a bit strange. The hyperactivity is probably coming into play here and that is why I think a non-traditional environment like Montessori might suit her.

Incidentally if I thought my daughter was "brilliant at gymnastics", I would do exactly what a previous poster laughed at and enroll her in rhythmic gymnastics training or serious ballet at this young age, until she was 10 or 12. Again, practical. I can tell you there are lot of gymnasts out there that could have benefited more from early diversity in training and not just doing vault drills repeatedly with no success.

 

[gymgal]

And on the other hand, there's nothing wrong with gym and lunch and activities at school. Many children thrive in school. Many child pursue high level athletics and full time school.

I agree. I was merely stating that if a child wanted more free time to do other things, it is very possible to condense the school day - for most kids - not just academically gifted. Full time school offers valuable outlets of learning and socialization that many kids may not get otherwise.

 

[3gymgirls]

I am a public school music teacher. I see my students in grades 1-3 after they have spent over 2 hours straight on reading and language arts. They get a bathroom break in between and most of them change classrooms for reading and language arts (ability groupings). By the time they get to my class, they are ready to be up and moving. They need my class and PE immediately after that to be moving some. Many kids need PE simply because their lives are too sedentary otherwise. This may not be true for our gymnasts, but it is for most kids. They just don't play outside like they used to.