A big thanks to Andrea for inviting me to share in the adventures of homeschooling our kids who have grown a bit since the last time I wrote. The last time I wrote, I had two children that I was homeschooling full time. Now I have three full time and two part time–Lizzy who is in 4th grade, Alex who is in 2nd, Meghan who is in K and the twins who are so insistent that they too be homeschooled that despite my reservations about preschool, they too get some “school time.” (Don’t worry folks, just reading out loud and phonics practice at their insistence!)
Adventures in the World of Giftedness
I have written before about Alex, who has a propensity towards numbers and science. That’s actually an understatement. At the time that I wrote, we were doing very little math and mostly critical thinking, and mathematical reasoning. He’s older now and that’s no longer true. No two ways about it, the kid is gifted. Not just bright, but truly one of those gifted people especially when it comes to numbers. How do I know? Because I’m qualified to tell you. . .sort of.
Choosing Math Curriculum for a Gifted Child
I just want to give you a snip it of life with a gifted child. While many people think that it would be nice to have a child who is especially gifted, it’s not. It’s not bad either, but like any special needs child, it requires extra effort, thought and time. Well worth it–but it is what it is nonetheless. However, our biggest adventure over the past year went something like this:
*Mom panics when she realizes that child will finish Calculus well before high school.
*Mom seeks advice, tries other “harder” curriculums. . .
*Mom disregards advice.
*Mom realizes that she is in fact qualified to teach a child who will finish Calculus before high school, despite the fact that she herself finished it her senior year of high school.
Stay Tuned. . .