Homeschool World Forum

[lishut]

Hi, im new here and i am considering bringing my 3rd gr ds home from ps. he has scored 99.9% on his standardized testing through school and is just bored to death and is receiving no challenge, but yet they say he barely missed the opportunity to be a part of an accelerated program. I think they were just full. Does anyone know of a good curriculum choice for such a child? He likes color and pictures, nothing dull looking.
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Lisa

[momo3boys]

Accelerated children are perfect for unschooling, they are usually very excited about learning and you want to foseter that. You don't have to be totally unschooled, but use this for your extras, like history and science. Let him find out what excites him, taking things apart, nature, simple machines? Does he like american history, state facts, world history. Let him explore in the library and find some great things to learn about. Then gear his math and english studies around it. Example, if you are learning about planets, have him build scale models, and write a report about his favorite one. You've just covered, science, math and emglish.

I'm sure others have great resources about unschooling, i just kinda did it and then found out what it was called.

I hope this helps.
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Phi 4:13 I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.

[Ramona]

I like to keep my kids a grade or two ahead of what they would be for their age if they were in an institutional school. Right now DD1 just turned 16 and will finish 11th this month, and DD3 is 6 1/2 and will finish 2nd grade in July. You could skip your son ahead to the material for the next grade up.

Also, I like to use old schoolbooks from before 1950 as I find they were less dumbed-down back then.

Ramona

[hmschooling]

I would recommend Veritas Press. They are excellent!! My DD is 6 and advanced as well. I have to buy a grade or two up generally, but not with Veritas Press...they are right on with her. I can get 1st grade level there where somewhere else I would have to get 2nd or 3rd. They are full of color, pictures, easy to pay attention too lessons, and just plain good.

[ncmom]

My son,who is 12 1/2, is 2 to 3 grades ahead in math and reads on a college level and is at least 1 to 2 grade levels ahead in the other subjects so I have all different grade level books for him. I pulled him out of school for the same reason. He was bored. It depends on what kind of curriculum you want to use. I use a combo of stuff. I use Abeka for most of my subjects (which is Christian curriculum), I do try to get the older books though in fear that the new ones are dumbed down. If you want to use regular "school" books then I would simply get a grade above where your son was at. I also order a lot of free things off the internet for our lessons. For example, I ordered (for free) a unit on solar fusion and he is doing computer programming classes online that were free. We have done lots of outside projects with bugs and plants and this year we are doing a unit on the Holocaust and a girl who survived the concentration camps, which I had to order but it was completely free (other than my stamp). He also loves to watch the History channel so I let him, as long as it is an appropriate show. He is researching birds right now and loves it. As long as he completes the stuff that is required I let him pick out the other stuff he wants to learn about and if I can't find some curriculum on it I make up our own or just let him research it. He never quits talking about whatever it is he is researching, since it is something he is interested in, so at the end of the day I know exactly what he has learned so there is no need for a test.