PLEASE Don't Do THIS If You're Homeschooling Gifted Learners | Dos & Don'ts of Gifted Homeschool
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- čas přidán 17. 09. 2022
- Today, I'm sharing some of my top DOs and DON'Ts for homeschooling a gifted learner.
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I'm Rachel, a mom of two and the oldest in a family of 8 kids. I'm a second-generation homeschooler who is passionate about education. I'm originally from Michigan, but am living overseas. My two young boys and teaching homeschool lessons to my youngest sisters keep me busy, but I make time for writing and for making CZcams videos, too! On this channel, you can expect videos featuring books and homeschool curriculum, homeschool tips for hard days, our journey raising bilingual kids, and vlogs about the intentional adventure that our homeschool lifestyle allows! Subscribe to join our family here:
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Thank you! I was a gifted kid in the public school system growing up. So much of this video resonated with me. I am homeschooling my boys and my oldest is reminding me so much of myself as a child. Even with my upbringing I was already making some of these mistakes. Thank you for these reminders!
I am so glad i came upon your video! My son is 6, he was tested by a private psychologist and landed an IQ score of 147. He is currently in public school but he is beyond bored, his brain needs more, he CRAVES to learn. We have turned to homeschooling as we are not happy with the public school system and the gifted program in our area, wasn't appealing when we did the tour. We have decided this route is best for my son. I am watching and learning all that i can so that i can do the best for him.
You're doing the right thing---learning and getting prepared for the great adventure that lies ahead!
Love this Rachel!!!! Thank you for this video!!!
Glad it's helpful!
💯 agree with your wisdom. My son was reading by age 3, and I didn’t teach him. He was exposed to reading, and that’s all it took, so I would never take credit nor propose I had any universal solution for others to follow.
His grandfather’s mother took credit for her son reading by 3, which led to grade skipping, and I never questioned this until I witnessed my son’s acquisition through simple exposure.
I’m a gifted teacher turned gifted homeschool mom. I’m nervous about helping him grow in the ways that honor his needs and bring him satisfaction. I am excited to learn more from your perspective.
Have you had a IQ test? I'm not sure where my daughter falls. I'm not a flash card parent at all she is 3.5 and already knows her letters and almost all letter sounds and 1-10 number identification plus low level addition and subtraction (particularly in word problem format) and we didn't remotely work hard towards any of these skills. We have ABC and number fridge magnets, some puzzles, and a few like ABC toys like a pull dog that has buttons that say the letter and sounds. Sure I play with her and answer any questions but we don't even close to do daily flash cards or structured learning activities. I've seen other children around her age with parents that intentionally work towards early literacy and math who aren't where she is but I don't know if she is very exceptional or just slightly ahead but still within normal range. I don't know what to do to make sure she gets what she needs from a educational engineering. So I'm trying to find out what other people were seeing from gifted children around her age (especially those that have a iq of 130-145 area as that seems to be the rage that they would benefit from a early kindergarten or a gifted school)
Very encouraging, Rachel. I feel like I get a lot of personal healing when I watch your videos.
I think I have so much empathy for my daughter, because I believe some of my own giftedness was overlooked as a child.
The first point really hit home. Thank you for sharing your story. I definitely care about character development and I also want to be one who celebrates my girl for the amazing and unique way God has made her.
It sounds to me like you truly have a heart for helping your daughter to appreciate the way her mind is wired while also growing to be the whole person God created her to be.
Thank you very, very much! This was SO helpful!
Glad it was helpful!
This is excellent! Thank you, very helpful.
Glad it was helpful!
Totally guilty of the expecting my gifted child to always act like an adult… I’m always shocked when something age appropriate happens…
I know! There's a dissonance between their age and the way they act in so many ways...but then again, they are still kids, and they need to still be kids.
Thank you for the great tips! ❤
You are so welcome!
Great tips. Very helpful.
Glad it was helpful!
Thank you for your videos on this topic. I have a gifted learner and you have helped me so much understand her learning process. I have switched my approach with several things and our school day is so much better!
I am so, so very happy to hear that!
Thank you for the video! Please make more videos on such topics!😊
I do try to make gifted homeschool videos regularly, and if you search this channel, I have made several from earlier this year!
Well aren't you a breath of fresh air! This was so helpful as I consider homeschooling my 2nd grader ❤
I'm glad this can be helpful! I have a handful of videos on my channel regarded homeschooling with gifted kids--it can be a fantastic option for letting them truly learn at the pace they thrive at!
So helpful 💗. I always look forward to your videos, they are very informative 💝
Thank you so much!
Honestly one of the most helpful homeschooling videos I have ever watched. So simple, but such great reminders. ❤️
This comment made my day! Thank you.
@@SevenInAllhave you had a IQ test? When you where a child in particular? I'm trying to figure out where my child falls so I can make the best decisions for her education
Thanks again for this video. I know I watched it months ago, but I was still doubting my observations that my kiddo was gifted in Math. By now, it’s clear to me, and I was encouraged by your reminders and experience-pointers here. Thanks again.
You are so welcome!
Thank you this was helpful.
Glad it was helpful!
Oh I loved this! My second child was gifted and taught himself to read before he started kindergarten. This was in the old days when kids weren’t expected to know the alphabet by 5. My older children were not homeschooled and did not get formal preschool. I read to my kids and we learned through play, but that was it. My son learned from following along with me reading to him and by listening to books on tape and following along. He just figured it out! I also love you first point. And I think this applies to non gifted, eager learners, as well. We owe it to them to provide options and opportunities. As long as my children are doing well with the concepts, we keep going. My 11 year old flew through three math curricula in one year. And I would never want him to think that his desire and ability weren’t being nurtured and supported by me.
That's a good point, that not downplaying the importance and joy of academics is something that can apply to non-gifted learners as well!
Thank you for this. Ive always thought my oldest was pretty "smart", people would comment about it all the time. but her being my first, i just saw it as thats just her. I didnt realize she was a bit different. However ive always had difficulty with her emotional aspect. Finally i break down, feel like i dont know how to help her so i talk to her new pedi at her first apt. She immediately responses with sounds like a highly intelligent child. Was taken back as she never even met her before but this was also something ive been told before but i agreed etc. now im searching youtube and it all sounds so much like her and this video is making me really realize what type of child i have an ways i can help her. So thank you
The emotional needs and challenges of gifted children definitely cannot be ignored--and the impact on the parents raising them! I have a number of videos on this channel touching on the subject of giftedness. Learning about the way her brain works will definitely help you to help her best!
Awesome tips!!! I’m thankful that my 2 gifted kids are social able but my son is really needing to learn patience at the moment and it could be his age but we are worth on it!!! I love self paced learning with all my kids!!! My son who isn’t gifted needs it to be self paced as he expects to be on par with his twin who is gifted!!! My gifted kids are gifted in 1 or a few areas!!! I’ve noticed my son taught himself to cook at 13, his foreign language skills are better than his English skills!!! We still help him there even though he’s gifted!!! I love seeing my daughter being a kid and I’ve seen her at 3 say adult things like my dog is a worry!!!
Patience is a skill that will be useful for a lifetime! It's an adventure, for sure, raising these kids!
Such great tips Rachel! I am trying to figure out if my son Michael (3 year old) is gifted. I need to rewatch your videos and research more about it! I sometimes feel like I'm holding him back
It's definitely worth looking into and seeing how you can adapt to his pace and his needs!
This was helpful for me, even though my child is not on this level! He is 3 1/2 and just beginning to read, but I don't really think we're quite on the journey you're describing. Still, this was really helpful insight for me. :)
You're welcome! I think giftedness comes in a wide range and there's a lot of overlap in helpful strategies!
I can’t take any credit for Kade’s brain 🤣🤣 he’s smarter than I am 🤣🤣 I definitely had nothing to do with it.
We can't take the credit but we can come alongside and try to help and guide the best we can!
Another great video! Thanks for sharing your perspective - it’s like a little window into my child’s mind. We are currently working on those social emotional skills and I am wondering if you had any favorite books or activities for that. Also did you struggle with perfectionism as a child?
Good question! I'm planning on doing a video about perfectionism in homeschool at some point.
Thank you Rachel for the video. All of these are great points and a reminder for myself. Would you be able to create a video on how to guid a gifted child on writing? I have a gifted one who enjoys writing. We have a great curriculum we use but I sometimes wonder if I need to know something else than what I use or know of academic writing. God bless. :)
That's a great video idea, thank you! For the moment--I think with a gifted child who enjoys writing, when they are old enough, I would invite them to challenge themselves to create longer, more ambitious writing projects--not just the paragraphs or short essays typically assigned in school, but more long-term and in-depth projects like novellas. Research into what are some of the main characteristics of different types of writing and learn to implement those key characteristics (i.e. historical fiction, biography, fantasy, realistic fiction, educational non-fiction, editorials, science writing, etc.).
I do have an older video on my main approach to teaching writing with my sisters to prepare them for academic writing in college. I love the approach of "writing in content": czcams.com/video/bboLksR-q90/video.html
I'd also love to know what curriculum you are using and finding to be excellent!
@@SevenInAll Thank you so much for your reply. She has used IEW, Michael Clay Thompson(MCT) and this year she is using Classical Composition from Memoria Press (this I believe is somewhat similar to Writing Rhetoric). She likes writing and it comes easy for her she finished IEW one year program in one summer in 2021. She used it for another semester but toward the end of the two year track its first level, she got a little tired of all the requirements to include in her writing. It is a great program but it may feel rigid time to time. It is great that MCT is for a gifted child but it provided little scaffolding so it required a lot of me-involvement. She is now 10 years old and writes beautiful and grammatically well structured sentences. I hope Classical Composition will provide great ways to organize ideas. This past summer she did some creative writing and wrote a few page novel in her creative writing club. I did mostly academic writing in my life and creative writing is not my niche at all. I can tell if a story is good or not but I don’t think this is an area where I can help or instruct her.
Great points. I would add 1) Many gifted children are not "racing forward" all the time. We can be lazy learners just like everyone else ; ) 2) Do NOT get your homeschooled child tested for giftedness. Testing and its after effects are nothing but destructive. There's no real reason we need to compare our children to others. Just educate them at the level they're ready for next.
Yes, laziness is a temptation for all of humanity, no matter how your brain operates.
I think testing students, after looking for specific assessments that would give useful and robust information, can help better determine how quickly a student can progress through different subject areas. This would be more data for optimization and not for mere surface-level comparisons.
@@letsdomath1750 How would a test give a homeschool parent more information about her child's capabilities than she already has from 24/7, one-on-one observation?
@@annai157 Tests, when properly chosen, can reveal things that we did not know to look for as well as things that we didn't know about. Some things are nonstandard, and others would only perhaps appear much later on.
For instance, an IQ test or prep booklet contains many questions on abstract spatial reasoning. If your child tests really well in this area to the point that it is clear that they are gifted and quite advanced, it may indicate that they are not being challenged by standard math curriculums when it comes to plane geometry. They may benefit from being exposed to polyominoes and hexaflexagons and can learn more advanced concepts like symmetry groups, which have applications in pure mathematics, physics, and inorganic chemistry. Again, fine-tuning would be needed depending on their other skill sets in reading comprehension and such. Moreover, highly developed spatial reasoning skills could indicate that your child may benefit from art and design classes that would be used in architecture or engineering.
Also, in terms of verbal ability, a test could reveal that your child has a very well-developed set of vocabulary skills that allows them to learn multiple foreign languages quickly. If you're monolingual and don't heavily emphasize that, or only do so much later, your child's abilities may go unused, even possibly atrophy, when they could be rapidly learning Spanish, French, Italian, and German quite rapidly and confidently at a very young age. They can then learn Mandarin Chinese, Russian, and Arabic. This can be a tremendous boon for them in their personal and professional lives later on.
Conversely, a diagnostic test can reveal deficiencies and problem areas that need to be worked on sooner rather than later to help your child thrive later on. Kids should be tested for dyslexia, dysgraphia, and dyscalculia.
Without the first test in that case, following a standard K-12 curriculum would not have revealed this specific talent and skill set that your child had when they were very young and that they can hone and develop into a career and life that they are naturally suited for. Without the second test, the child would have been blindsided and struggled in certain subject areas when a more proactive approach would have better prepared them for the transition.
@@letsdomath1750 I guess we'll have to respectfully disagree. I've seen far too much damage done by IQ tests, and far too little good come from them. Perhaps we can agree, though, that a "Standard k-12 curriculum" is seldom best for *any* student.
This is a lot harder than I thought it would be!!!!!! 😆I would just like to add something here.... about who should be the boss.... these children are smarter than we think they are and way ahead of of where we are as well. If you don't believe it then be careful about making idle threats because they know when you are doing it. THAT IS ALL.
Yes, absolutely true, idle threats should not be a part of a wise and healthy parenting approach.
I notice my kiddo makes huge quick jumps in areas sort of one at a time. Until age 7 she was about 3 years ahead in math skills and was not quite interested in reading. Almost overnight she went from sounding out 20 sentence easy readers to reading at a 5th grade level. Really within a month. Once she learned to read she slowed down in math and went to a 10th grade reading level within 2 years of learning to read. Since she read so much she went through 6 grades worth of social studies curriculum in those 2 years. Her spelling and handwriting always lagged far behind reading. 6 months ago she had a 2nd grade spelling level with a 10th grade reading level. I implemented changes in homeschooling as if she has dysgraphia and last week she took a spelling assessment on the program we use and her spelling is now at a level of 80% of 16+ year olds lol. From a 2nd grade level to high school in 6 months. She also types constantly now and is less interested in reading. It's like her brain can only fit so much at one time and I just support whatever changing skill she is focused on.
Yes, asynchronous-type development is often seen in gifted learners, where you don't have the gradual development across all types of skills at once, but fast development in certain areas.
So I like your point about having the kid take their own reigns, so to speak, so that they don't have to wait for Mom to get the learning they are craving.
Any ideas for young kids that way? My 3rd is going to be 5 soon, and the jury is out on gifted vs eager, but the kiddo is very eager!! I want to rush ahead with him, but I don't know how to do that with a kid who is so little (he doesn't read yet, but is eager to learn). I do try my best, but it is more than a few times a week that I have to tell him, "No, now is not a time for a lesson, but I am so glad you are excited to learn!"
I have do say just about the same thing with my oldest son fairly regularly, so I very much understand! I think that once the eager-to-learn child can read, so many new doors open up to them with being able to explore, and I've explained that to my son, which increases his motivation for phonics lessons. I can't do schoolwork with him constantly, though, so when he's asking and I can't, I will tell him that he can get out our schoolbooks and look at the pictures, he can draw pictures of things he's learned about in his notebook, he can color or do sticker activity books that he can manage on his own...things that are semi-school-ish enough to satisfy that desire but don't require reading.
@@SevenInAll That's pretty much how it works here too, but I am glad to know I am not the only one having to tell a kiddo, "not right now" 😆
Do you have a unit or books you use to help with the social emotional learning that needs to be done?
I don't. There are more and more great books for kids coming out in the social emotional learning realm, I know, but I don't have specific experience. Mostly I recommend lots and lots of very candid conversations to help equip kids with the ideas and skills that they are going to need--often conversations before particular experiences as well as de-briefing conversations afterwards.
I have a gifted kid question! What would you do for science and geography if you have a 4 yr old and 9 yr old both gifted? Mister 4 taught himself to read (he already read simple sentences at 3) and he completed a math K curriculum in 3 months for fun. 9 year old is also gifted. I have an artistic little girlie in the middle too. 4 yr old isn’t due to start ‘kindergarten’ until 2024. I’m not sure how to incorporate family subjects. Though he’s gifted, he’s still just a 4 year old at heart, and he doesn’t have that added extra maturity that my eldest had. I know I could have my 9 year old power on independently as he loves science, but I also know he doesn’t really want to do a heap of subjects on his own. What would you do in this scenario?
Family style learning can be extra difficult with gifted kids. I will admit that I did very little of my own education "family style" with my siblings, because as both the oldest and gifted...I simply did not have the patience to learn alongside them most of the time--I did my own thing independently and was happier that way. With a 5 year age gap, with both being gifted, you may want to look at using a science program with different levels of student notebooks/assignments (there are several curriculums that offer multiple levels of assignments while the content covered remains the same--Apologia is one, but that is a Christian curriculum...I know there are more but I don't know the names off the top of my head right now).
I tend to strongly recommend literature-based learning with gifted kids because when it comes to how much you can learn based on a book--the depth of learning really is up to the individual kid and their brain. You could read the same book to multiple kids and one kid (who struggles with listening comprehension) could learn very little or very surface level, while another kid might be able to summarize and narrate everything you read and use that basis as the starting point to jump off into a project that takes them deeper. Does that makes sense? Not all, but many gifted kids have a fondness for reading non-fiction (i.e. science encyclopedias), so adding topical science/geography encyclopedias and adding age appropriate projects based on those can be a way to "beef up" a curriculum that may need beefing up to satisfy the appetite for knowledge that you often see with gifted students.
@@SevenInAll you’re right. As a gifted child myself, I went CRAZY when I had to slow down (mainstream schooled). We love Apologia, though I’m not sure how long my youngest would stay for our conversations. Adding literature is a great idea and I’m surprised I didn’t think of it as he already reads non fiction science books for fun. Thank you! 🙏
The "unexpected journey" of homeschooling a gifted student haha! Hobbit reference 😃
A surprisingly relatable story in some ways...
What are your thoughts on interest led learning?
I think that some amount of interest led learning has a place in every homeschool--as a natural way of life. A lot of gifted children have very strong interests that they naturally desire to explore, but also, esp. young gifted kids tend to benefit from learning all the basics of core subjects that will allow them to explore interests to the best of their ability.
@Seven In All @Seven In All thank you for this response. Do you have any recommendations for curriculum for gifted learners? I have 2 gifted children. My daughter who is 9 can finush 500 page books in 3 days. My 7 year old son studies high-school level science encyclopedias for fun. I want to fan their flames in these areas but curious about core subjects. Unschooling doesn't believe in subjects for obvious reasons. We are interest led eclectic learners. I want them leaving my home LOVING to learn ALL things because learning is fun, exciting and a privilege. I struggle to keep them challenged. They pick everything up so quickly so self paced learning is best but curious on my options for them in these areas.
Pregunta 🙋♀️ disculpa no tiene que ver con el video. Quise comprar el bundle que tenías en español y ya no lo veo. Intenté comprarlo hace dias y solo me permitía usar Venmo, como yo no tengo me espere para que mi esposo lo comprara, pero ya no lo veo. Me podrías mandar el link por favor?
¡Lo siento mucho! El bundle solo estuvo disponible hasta el 21 de septiembre. :( La señora que organiza los bundles en español es Dayana de Cedar Hill Kids, creo que hará otro, tal vez en noviembre. ¡Pero lo siento mucho! Solo hacen estos paquetes durante una semana, por lo general. Este es el sitio web de Dayana: cedarhillkids.com/
@@SevenInAll muchas gracias por contestar. Busque en el website por “contact info” pero no lo encontré. Crees que me puedas compartir un email para poder comunicarme con ella porfa? Intente comprar el bundle tres veces la semana pasada y no me dejo con tarjeta. Muchas gracias!!
@@luciaochoa7354 cedarhillkids@outlook.com
In K my son went to public school. They tested him and he tested into 3rd. We homeschool now and I gave him the California Achievement Test (CAT) test last week. He tested into 9th grade and he’s 9. Are you familiar with that test? I’m wondering if it’s true or a mistake. He’s super smart. The type of kid who hears or reads something once and he remembers it. I’m at a bit of a loss because I feel like I’m holding him back. Even if 9th is an overshot he’s at least 7th or 8th grade level. This is a first for me as he is out eldest. Lots of what you said resonated with me and my interactions with and observations of him. Any further advice? Love your channel!❤
One big tip I have with gifted learners who are still young is to go BROAD in their education--not merely going up or going fast. Because their minds can be very hungry but they are young, and may not be mature enough to handle some topics taught in high school/college (i.e. your son may read on a 9th grade level but may not be ready to emotionally process some of the really heavy or mature content contained in literature leveled at a high school or adult audience). To continue challenging his mind without necessarily leaping into high school content, I would consider adding challenging electives--foreign language, music, specific topical science or coding classes, etc....based on interests and your own family culture (foreign language is a particular favorite for me because my brain is wired to appreciate the puzzle of communicating in other languages.)
I agree with this broad learning approach for these kinds of kids, they can really surprise you with how much they can grow this way. In addition to the regular main high school curriculum subjects (math, language arts, history & science), this year my gifted teen took Japanese III, Spanish III, Violin IV, Trombone I, AP Computer Programming, Driver's Ed, participated in an international honors music society club, took the SAT, and is teaching herself coding & digital design (12 different subjects in one school year - I thought it would be too much and too stressful for her). She not only did exceptionally well (all As & a 4.2 GPA), but she really enjoyed herself and had a great year. I am glad she didn't let me limit her to the two electives I thought sounded reasonable for a high schooler to manage and still be successful with. My mind was blown 🤯.