Son is bright

[Rizzoli123]

I have a 6 year old son.

He is in a private school. The school test them every term to see if they are hitting targets in Spag, maths, reading, writing and comphrension.

He is hitting all his targets in fact he is excelling in all aeras. He started year 2 in September and by the end of October he was already hitting his end of year targets. His reading age is 9ys and 7 months. He is 6 in March.

My question is what do I do to support him and further his learning so he dosent get bored in class. Teacher is giving him extension work but he still has to do the year 2 syllabus obviously.

I know he is bright but when at home all he wants do is sit in front of TV. I get he is working hard at school but i want him 4o do a little more and learn at home and as well as school. We have the 11 plus books (teacher recommended) and he has answered some questions.

Also could I get a child mensa test?

Agree with others that say stop the 11+ stuff now and let him just be a child.

I have a 9 year old in year 5, we are going through the 11+ tutor process now. I was repeatedly told by several different tutors there is no point starting them early - due to the linear nature of our education system, as others have mentioned . As part of this process he had assessments of where 'he's at' - he has a reading and maths age of a 15 year old - he is not 'gifted' - he may not even pass the 11+, we will just see how it goes.

We praise effort not grades.

I love the shoe laces comments - he struggles with those as well.

I really don't get why so many people say limit screen time. Just because he watches stories on TV or interacts with stories on computer games doesn't mean he doesn't also read and play??
Both are also highly educational! TV helps you learn about other cultures, time periods, gives fuel to your imagination and develop empathy through seeing other people's emotional journeys.
Video games help develop problem solving skills, team work and communication etc.
I went to oxbridge so obviously know a lot of clever people. We all watched TV as kids and still do. Doesn't mean we don't have other skills.

My husband was the bright child, his Mum pushed him & he was very lucky to get a prestigious scholarship to a top school. He did well up until 16. Produced good GCSE results but his Alevel results where dire, resat a the local college and after two failed attempts at settling into university he got a apprenticeship type job and got on with his life.
The pressure for him was too much. His mum was very upset and still goes on about what could have been.
Our younger daughter is bright and we’ve chosen not to hot house her & provide support at home but importantly an outlet (for her drama classes) She attends state school and is doing well, but no pressure from us - her love of learning is without expectations.
Your son is 5 let him be 5. Take the pressure of you both it’s not healthy for either of you.

@sweetbellyhigh Played well, the violin is beautiful, yes. But for about the first five years it sounds like shit. Plus Y3 is rather late to pick up violin for a child who is presumably going to be attempting music scholarships etc for 11+. Most recipients will have begun around 3 or 4 on Suzuki.

Piano is an excellent instrument to learn, as you learn to read both treble and bass clef. It's not an issue, provided a child has an ensemble instrument too.

I’m with converseandjeans - get him out and about, encourage an enquiring mind in a fun way and help him to develop interests and hobbies.

Let him be what he is - a little boy - and please don’t make him feel that results are the be all and end all.
His school is obviously target and results driven and unless he’s telling you he’s bored in class I’d be leaving the teachers to do their job and not add more of the same when he’s at home.
It’s your job to add some fun to his life and teach him the important life skills not always taught in school.
11+ tests and Mensa at 6 seem a bit much to me.

@Thissucksmonkeynuts independent schools vary just as much as state schools vary. There are state schools that stretch the most able, beyond the curriculum but broadening it, and there are independent schools that would not stretch brighter pupils if they went past the level of curriculum they were on. Every school is different.

Lots of fun day trips to interesting places.

Nature walks, art galleries, science museums, National Trust. Theatre, Pantomime. Sport - whatever they enjoy. Lots of variety. Helps a brain to grow without lots of pressure.

I never limited screen time. There are things to be learned on CBBC. DD is studying Earth Sciences. She found her love of that watching documentaries on TV with her dad. DS watched short physics videos on YouTube.

I also never pushed extra homework. If they are interested they will look at extra stuff themselves. If they want to slob about - also fine.

@alienbotanist it's easy for a kid to start violin in Y3 and overtake the Suzuki early starters! There are so many disadvantages to the narrow repertoire of Suzuki and many people don't appreciate the cult-like approach.
My older starters have ownership of their learning and read brilliantly as well as making a great sound right from the start.
Maybe I'm a gifted teacher...

My DD is also 6 in Y1 and very bright. Goes up a year for English lessons rather than phonics etc etc. We buy lots of books that she wants to read and visit the library, explain anything she asks in an age appropriate way and make every day mundane things learning opportunities (eg splitting 3 left over roast potatoes at dinner between 4). We don't do any extra worksheets at home though. I feel really sad this Christmas as relatives haven't bought her any 'toys'. She's got craft stuff, books, posh drawing paper, book tokens but very few things just to play with. Even though academically she's bright she still needs to be a 6 year old. Social interaction, going to the playground, playing with Lego and dolls are all just as important as reading age and the ability to use correct punctuation at 6!

Just enjoy him.

My eldest is very bright. Always has been.

Parents evenings/reports are always the same. Being told how amazing work is etc.

But DH and I always rush the academics part to ask how DC is emotionally/socially.

Soon it's secondary school and again we aren't focusing on just academics, we're even (shock horror as we both went to grammars) looking seriously at a non selective school as having both been "bright" we actually in many ways feel going to prestigiously academic schools railroaded us into university courses (the same one at the same university - top option for what we studied) that actually looking back neither of us were that passionate about and now don't work in.

We're looking at schools that will grow DCs confidence and let them follow their own interests.

All I got at my school were "you are in the top 2% of the country. We have a very large Oxbridge success rate and except 5 of you in this room to go to one of those two" etc etc

But now I wished I'd gone to a school with staff who would have told me that of course I could be a travel agent if I wanted to, or a graphic designer. Both of which I'd enjoy immensely.

So in short - keep an eye on your DCs passions and encourage them. You can't force them to be someone or something they're not without the losing some of their spark.

@minipie whilst there will be bright children in private schools lots of children round here end up in private school because they are struggling in state schools. They are often the ones who are a bit below average so their parents send them to private schools hoping they will fare better. Depends on the school of course - some are more selective.

It's not a phrase I like but my son is bright. His teacher gave him a foundation GCSE maths paper to complete in year 2. We've felt his schools have provided the right level of stretch.

I'd echo what others posters have said, academics are one part of a wider education. My son has spent a lot of time doing competitive sport. We have done some stuff with him at home, but in moderation. At that age, we probably tried some more testing maths questions and also encouraged creative writing using interesting vocab. (Both pay dividends if you're sitting 11 or 13 plus entrance exams).

I also agree with the poster who said that bright kids have their own challenges. My son is used to finding work easy and has sometimes panicked when faced with tougher work. He's also not nearly as conscientious as his brother as he can coast and get high marks. He also rushes through everything and makes silly mistakes. He will undoubtedly come a cropper at some point in his GCSEs or A levels.

[quote alienbotanist]@sweetbellyhigh Played well, the violin is beautiful, yes. But for about the first five years it sounds like shit. Plus Y3 is rather late to pick up violin for a child who is presumably going to be attempting music scholarships etc for 11+. Most recipients will have begun around 3 or 4 on Suzuki.

Piano is an excellent instrument to learn, as you learn to read both treble and bass clef. It's not an issue, provided a child has an ensemble instrument too.[/quote]
Not at all, my son was playing the violin beautifully within months. As was my sister who went on to become a concert violinist. A talented student combined with a passionate teacher is a beautiful thing.

@Autumncoming

I really don't get why so many people say limit screen time. Just because he watches stories on TV or interacts with stories on computer games doesn't mean he doesn't also read and play?? Both are also highly educational! TV helps you learn about other cultures, time periods, gives fuel to your imagination and develop empathy through seeing other people's emotional journeys. Video games help develop problem solving skills, team work and communication etc. I went to oxbridge so obviously know a lot of clever people. We all watched TV as kids and still do. Doesn't mean we don't have other skills.

To be fair, screen time can be damaging especially to very young children. Peripheral vision in new entrants has changed...

Sign him up for 1-1 skateboarding lessons and then take him to skate parks at weekends.

I have a bright son who read chapter books age 3 and all the Harry Potter books in Reception. He is also very good at maths, science, history, languages. We were always home he is higher than top 1 per cent across the board.
To be honest, we always just stretched laterally so he played loads of sports, 3 instruments, chess, gave him access to foreign language apps. That kind of thing. He loves Mandarin and coding.
If they are bright they are going to be good at English and Maths anyway. I think far better to stretch in other things that might actually come in handy in the long run. The only thing my DS isn’t good at is art. But he can’t be persuaded to do more of that

@JulieGoods a non selective in an area with non selectives is not the same as one in an area with grammar schools. Just be aware that there might not be the same peer group and also the 'non-selectives' sometimes push the more academic students almost harder than they would be in a grammar school because they are wanting to prove that their environment is better and that their highest achieving students get places at Oxbridge too. It is though very much about the right school for the right child, just don't assume that a non-selective school won't be pushing as hard academically.

This is a useful thread, my DS is the same age, very bright at maths (could easily do year 6 work) and his teacher thinks he has a photographic memory, I am hoping he will want to go to the Grammar school but not planning on thinking about it until he is year 5 because things change and what seems bright now might turn out to be average in year 5. We do Chess, puzzles, football, swimming and will probably start an instrument soon, I do need to read with him much more though so that is my new years resolution.

Encourage sports, musical instrument and Art/drama. My dd was very bright. She had a reading age of 8 years and 7 months when she started school at 4. We encountered musical instrument, dance, drama and Art. She excelled at languages as soon as introduced to them. She never took to Art but went on to get a scholarship. At home she did music, dance and swimming, horse riding etc. She worked hard at school and needed to relax at home.

[quote Rizzoli123]@WorraLiberty

I know i just don't want him to lose his love of learning[/quote]
Then keep it fun he will lose it if he stops enjoying it. Don't focus on outcomes let him enjoy it for himself

[quote Rizzoli123]@WorraLiberty

I know i just don't want him to lose his love of learning[/quote]
The only way he will lose his love of learning, is if you get wound up about him being gifted, and try to hot-house him, making everything about learning. Just let him be. He is 6.

He's 6 years old, yet him be a child, I'm a primary school teacher and the only thing I recommend is to read with your child. Please don't force extra learning on him.

Offer opportunities to learn a language. Children learn them much better than adults.

Music lessons. These are not only fun but stimulating, give good fine motor skills.

Games - chess, scrabble, carcassone, loads of fun games. Try to do a mix of luck based ones to teach being a good loser, strategy ones, and collaborative ones.

But do allow plenty of "down" time. School is tiring not only because of academics but more so due to the behaviour requirements and routine, nothing wrong with him watching a bit of tv to unwind.

The normal range for reading and some other academic skills is roughly one-third of chronological age either side of actual age, so 9 yrs 7 months (at C.A. 6yr 9mth) is above normal range.

The article "what a child doesn't learn" provides a good summary of the consequences if a child is left to coast for years without appropriately challenging work.

Re: "he still has to do the year 2 syllabus obviously", that's not actually the case. All children need instruction and curriculum that matches their pre-existing attainment. For the very able that means accelerating (and enriching) the curriculum. Nothing in UK law or regulations precludes this.

We ensured ours had an additional language class all through primary as state primary don’t really do language. Best decision ever dd1 hit ground running at secondary and doing languages a level.

Ours are both amazing at words and reading but Dh and I love reading ourselves. Lots of books, they’ve always seen us reading, we talk about books as a family, we go to the theatre often and cinema together, art galleries lots of cultural stuff that we talk about. They teens now got both top of their respective years in English and seem more grown up than their peers, their English teachers love them - shame about the maths and science both average at that!