Schooling for my Not-even-4 who's reading/writing/doing math

[neatostacy]

What do I do? My daughter will be 4 at the end of October, so she wouldn't be able to go to K for another 2 years (misses the cutoff by 2 months). Not that I'm ready! Thing is, she can read almost anything you put in front of her without us prodding. This morning, she started reading the newspaper at the breakfast table. I always find her sitting somewhere reading books or writing stories. She voluntarily pulls out the first grade level math and reading workbooks I got for her to keep her engaged and learning things. She reads the instructions and does most of the work correctly. She is also creates some pretty complex pictures. Basically, she blows us away with what she can do with little help from me or my husband.

She went to a local church preschool 2 days/wk last yr and this year she's going 3 days/week. She's learning some social skills and having a lot of fun, which I know is very important at her young age. I just don't feel right about her "waiting around" academically. She is so eager to learn. I don't necessarily want to start her on formal schooling, what else I should be doing for her? Ultimately, I just want her to follow her interests, be able to make a difference in the world where she feels led, and learn to do well not just for the grade but because she truly wants to do well. I remember when I was in PS, I did well because I was a people pleaser and wanted the good grade, which I had trouble with once I was out of school and didn't have any authority figures to please. From what I've seen, many homeschooled kids seem to develop their personal interests much earlier and learn the importance of serving others because it is right and not for the "service points" they'd receive. I just need some help thinking through the issues - PS or home school? How can I help her now?

[mama_to_DJM]

That's how my oldest son was, too (he taught himself to read at 3), and this is one of the many reasons why we homeschool. There's no way I could have put him in a regular kindergarten class, he would've been bored out of his mind! As for what to do with your DD now, I say just keep providing her with material- books, games, paper & crayons, etc. A kid like this doesn't need to be taught so much as they just need to be provided with the opportunity to learn. Just sit back & enjoy, it's great to see a kid's mind at work!

[7mom7]

We started Kindergarten Math, Reading, and Handwriting this year. Honestly DS1 can already read the K words that he is "learning" but I wanted to work all the way through the program that we have without skipping ahead. I'm going to let him progress at his own pace in these areas. He also does part time preschool, mainly b/c he is a social butterfly. His preschool teachers have mentioned that he finishes his work very early and they try to find other activities to occupy him. I know last year he really struggled and had some behavior problems, perhaps from boredom b/c he's a pretty good kid.

When I was a kid they had a PS pull-out program for gifted kids. My parents said I didn't like it b/c none of my friends were there and I had to miss out on other fun stuff in the regular classroom. They said I begged to be taken out of it so I think I stopped going in first or second grade. I'm hoping HS will allow DS to move at his own pace and keep learning fun.

[BellaPepper]

It sounds like you are doing all the right things. You are teaching her age appropriate social skills, giving her access to learning materials and still allowing her to be a kid. If she seems bored just get her some fun work books. Mazes, dot to dots, K math and a handwriting book.

[3girlymom]

You remind me of what we went through.

When my oldest was 3 1/2, she started in Alpha Omega Horizons K materials. She was so ready for it. At that time we thought about homeschooling and were pretty sure that is what we'd do. But, things can change. We felt that by moving forward, this gave us 2 years to move slow (or fast) through the K materials. At the end of that time, we'd certainly know if homeschooling was for us. If it was, we'd move on as we were. If not, she'd be ahead of the game and ready for K (or Gr. 1).

We stayed with homeschooling. My oldest is now 13!

I would certainly provide your child with the appropriate educational materials. You have a whole year, or two, with which to decide if homeschooling is right for your family. It's nice to be able to take advantage of this time without all the additional stresses of being in school (public) on you at the same time.

Those that we know who thought about homeschooling, and didn't, both the parents and children have had a hard time in public school for many reasons. We (homeschoolers) seem to look at things differently than others do.

One book I'd recommend is "From Crayons to Condoms" (all about the demise of the PS system, very eye opening). And, there's a dvd called "Indoctrination" that we just bought but haven't had a chance to see yet. The trailers on YouTube for it are intriguing.

[cbreeding]

My DD is a lot like your DD and the #1 reason we chose to homeschool. I can teach and she can do activities that are at her level and engage her. She would just now be starting kindergarten if I put her in school but I felt like it would stunt her learning because she is already at about a 2nd grade level (at least by our state standards).

If you ultimately choose traditional schooling, maybe there are "schools of choice" or specialized schools (like for the arts) that would fit her better and feed that love of learning.