In article ,
Ericka Kammerer wrote:
Donna Metler wrote:
"Ericka Kammerer" wrote in message
...
Beliavsky wrote:


And what concerns me a bit is that it's not going to always work for all
children at all times. The statement that placing a child who can read in
kindergarten is emotional torture kind of bugs me, because while a 5 yr old
might be reading on a 4th grade level, that doesn't mean that they're not 5
yrs old and going to school in the big building for the first time.

There are ways around this problem.

It also doesn't mean they're ready for the content of
some books appropriate to 4th graders ;-)

They probably are, more that fourth graders denied a decent
education. Besides, one learns little from reading fiction
without considering it as entertainment plus philosophy.

My 2 1/2
yr old is on a kindergarten to 1st grade level in most academic areas, but
emotionally, physically, and socially she's still an almost 3 yr old who
goes back and forth between being excited about getting to go to the "big
class" (preschool, as opposed to the infant/toddler MDO classes) and wanting
to cling to what she knows and mommy. There's no way she'd be able to handle
kindergarten right now, even though I'm regularly looking at 1st grade
materials in order to provide her what she needs at home.

Well, and there's also no guarantee that kids a couple
years older will be more kind to someone who's even more
obviously different or that the teacher will be more qualified
to deal with a gifted child.

Children should be in classes according to their abilities in
EACH subject, and these should not generally be at the same
"grade" level. In fact, a 6 year old who is doing mathematics
at the "normal" level of a 10 year old needs to be in an
accelerated class at that level. The difference increases
with age.

I suspect that when she's 5, kindergarten will be about her speed in
everything BUT academics-and that accelerating her to the point that she's
challenged academically would not be a good choice in any other area.

In many ways, I wish there was an equivalent of her preschool once she gets
to kindergarten. Her 12 hours a week at preschool are serving an emotional
and social need even though academically she's not learning anything new
there, and I can easily, with that schedule, teach and supplement at home. I
suspect if she were able to go to school part-time and homeschool part-time,
it would be a better fit for her, at least in early elementary before GT
programs pick up (which isn't until 3rd grade), than either homeschooling or
traditional schooling.

See the above. There is no reason why the program you suggest
should be difficult to implement, but do not expect the traditional
schooling to be able to do much of the job, except possibly in
music or art of "physical education". Some items do not have an
academic order, so doing some of them in school, and moving other
aspects up and doing them outside, can also be done. They can
wait to learn American history in school and study the currently
untaught "prerequisites", ancient and medieval history, first.

I think a lot depends on what kind of support the
school can offer, and what her personality and interests are
like at that time. If the school can offer enough enrichment
that she's not bored and she's enjoying the social and other
aspects of school, then she may be fine with what enrichment
you can provide in after-school hours, especially if this
is just a stop-gap until 3rd grade.

You underestimate the amount of boredom which will result.

It all gets back to the
question of whether it's essential that they push their
limits academically at every possible opportunity.

Not necessarily push, but don't let slide; this is a bad
habit, and hard to overcome.



--
This address is for information only. I do not claim that these views
are those of the Statistics Department or of Purdue University.
Herman Rubin, Department of Statistics, Purdue University
Phone: (765)494-6054 FAX: (765)494-0558