What does one do with a gifted preschooler? I know that every mom probably thinks their child is gifted, but from my experience in education, I am pretty sure mine is.
I started realizing he was about 6 months old and had object permanence (when a baby realizes that things are still there even if he cannot see them- like a toy under a blanket). Then, when he was 2 years old, he read a bumper sticker in a seafood restaurant that said, "Eat Fish." I nearly tripped. He can't read phonetically, but he has a lot of sight words- more than I think I realize. Then, I started realizing it this past week when I realized he has perfect pitch. He even can sing back minor intervals. Weird.
He speaks in complete sentences.
He has an affinity for adjectives.
He has perfect pitch (weird, huh?).
He often restates the question in a complete sentence when he answers you.
He knows the 10 basic colors.
He knows all of his shapes.
He not only can sit through a whole story, he prefers books with fewer pictures.
His favorite books are anthologies (not even kidding).
He knows crazy things about how the world works.
He has a least 10 sight words, including his name.
He also shows very psychologically mature traits, like compassion and a sense of justice that goes beyond what most kids his age seem to have, as well as a unique ability to manipulate people. Some of the ways that he thinks that he can manipulate people surprise me that he even thought of them.
So what do I do? He has all the traits that they look for in kindergarten readiness, but he will only be 4 this Fall. Do I look for a school that will admit him early? Do I supplement his education at home? Do I enroll him in music lessons? Do I talk to his preschool teacher about making accommodations for him so that he is more challenged?
The Author
- Niki
- I am a high school English teacher, and mother of two charming little ones of my own. I teach in a high poverty urban charter school, while I live in a typical American suburb that has frequently been rated one of the safest cities in the country. It is a paradox I struggle with constantly, but it is my life.
Natalie Newbill said...
ReplyDeleteSend him to Kindergarten! It's so much better for him! There are private kindergartens that accept at 4 years. And right now the state is trying to get the rule changed to 5 years old by Sept 1st!! Which really sucks! It's been a debate in ECE for years.. They think Children aren't socially and physically developed enough by 4, which is not true! It just means that your kid is stupid or you didn't send them to a good preschool early enough. Proper ECE is extremely important. I could always tell if a kindergartner had been to preschool or not, and the 4 year olds never seemed less intelligent than the 5 or 6 year olds.
Either that or just send him to public school and lie ;) Worked for you and me!
I can't lie about a whole year. Private school costs like $800 a month.
ReplyDeleteNot a Private school like Grace Bretheran....I meant something like La Petite or Tiny Tots. But if you're doing it to save money...
ReplyDeleteI suppose the only other way would be to just talk to the principal of White Oak or wherever he's going about it and say his preschool teacher recommends he start early, that might work. They let smart kids skip a grade with recomedations, so I don't see why they couldn't let a smart kid just start early.
Good luck.