Challenging a bright child

[todster]

My little boy is currently in Year 1 in an Independent School. He has always been a very bright boy - he knew the alphabet at 14 months and was reading fluently by 2 1/2 years. He had various problems whilst in pre-school nursery - being dispruptive due to being bored. We then decided to send him to an independent school where he could be in small class size and challenged. Unfortunately this has not turned out to be the case. Although he does get extension work (when the teacher remembers to give it to him), he is basically left to get on with it. I am currently in talks with his current teacher and the head of kindergarten with a view to him moving into the class above. The school do not have a very good gifted and talented policy in place and argue that although my son would have no problem coping academically in the class above, he lacks maturity (he is the youngest in his current year group). Does anyone have any experience in dealing with a similar situation???

[snorkle]

A girl at my dcs school was in a similar position at that age. The school was happy to move children up who were older in the year but not the younger ones. In the end the family moved area during year 2. I don't know what the new school did provision-wise but I do know that she did stay with her year group. To be honest I think a move up can be a bit of a quick fix to the 'bored' problem at that stage - the difference in levels between the years gets very much less as they get older, and if they continue to learn on an accelerated path you are soon faced with either skipping another year (which starts to get much more difficult socially) or being in much the same position as you were to start with. I think that, coupled with the fact that a single skip doesn't always work out well socially for the child (though it can be fine, but if your ds lacks maturity that makes things more difficult), is why schools aren't so keen on it as they used to be. I'd explore all the options that might be available before pushing too hard for the skip.

[Milliways]

My DS is an August Birthday too, and he was terribly bored in Yr1, but his teacher in Yr2 was great. It really did vary year to year but he had good friends so I wouldn't have moved him from them.

We did do 11+ work together at home from Yr5 (exam is at start of Yr6) and he did enjoy the projects they did at school eg Olympics, Victorians etc which makes school more varied.

He is now in a Grammar where he is very stretched

[avenanap]

Don't let them allow him to skip a year. It is really frowned upon in schools. My ds is at a private prep. I've had real problems finding him a new school because he's skipped a year. I've managed to find him a new school but he's going back into his age group. All the schools I have spoken to have said that the school he's at now should be able to adjust his work to his ability (he's at least 2 years ahead). It is a quic fix for them, it will cause you problems when you come to move him though. If they are not giving him the support he needs then I'd look elsewhere. I used to have to do extra work at home with ds, something that they didn't offer at school so he wouldn't have to do it again.

[cory]

Agree with Avenap, skipping a year can lead to problems later on. There are lots of ways that you can stimulate him at home- make it clear that learning isn't something that's restricted to school. My parents taught me foreign languages. My db is teaching his son to compose duets. My dd is writing a novel. As Avenap says, give him something to do that is slightly different from at school- extend his range rather than just push him forward.

[marialuisa]

We've turned down offers for DD (7) to skip a year (private school). In our case the School were relieved but felt we should have the option. DD would be fine socially but as she is bright the School felt she would still be ahead if she were moved up a year so not much gained and possibly quite a lot lost.

DD's school is very good at providing appropriate work and we have found that encouraging her music has also helped. does your DS do many activities? We've also found it gets beter as she gets older and there is less "play", not a popular view on MN. DD hated YR as there was so much emphasis on playing "counting games" and so on which she'd outgrown.

[fatzak]

I missed a year when I moved from my state primary to prep school - went into Year 4 instead of Year 3. I did two years in Year 6 and to be honest it wasn't a problem at all. Then again, things have changed just so much in education since those days!

[Romy7]

ds1 (yr 1) goes up to yr 2 to work with their high achievers for a couple of sessions. the rest of his time is with the yr 1 class - 'his' class. next year he's got the yr 2 teacher he works with 'upstairs' as his class teacher lol. he's getting away with nothing

[newforold]

Dd was offered to go up a year but i turned it down as she is one of the youngest is her yr (2nd youngest in fact). Although she is very bright she is not emotionally ready to mix full time with her older peers so we have now compromised.
Dd has maths and literacy with the year above and all other classes with her yr group. It works better this way i think as in some of her subjects she would struggle.
ie, she is not as physically developed as the girls in the yr above her and would really struggle to keep up in sports.

[PrettyCandles]

Have a look at the NAGC. They are very helpful.