Gifted and talented options in the DMV?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I recommend a Montessori school.

Montessori was a poor fit because he masters a task after 1 or 2 tries and then wants to move on, whereas Montessori demanded more repetition in practice.

This varies widely with the specific school, even among the set of AMI or AMS accredited Montessori schools. Some will require a certain amount of repetition, but others will not if child can demonstrate mastery of the material.

It is worthwhile to look at all the Montessori options nearby to try to puzzle out which will require lots of repetition and which do not.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP here. Thanks for the replies. I'm surprised there aren't more options around here given the size and education level of the area. There seem to be many more options in Boston (both public and private options for lower school) and at least a handful more around NY/NJ area.

NP. I do not know why this is a surprise.

Per the original post, DC is in the top 0.1% of the entire population. That is literally 1 student out of 1000. In a (hypothetical) county public school system of 100,000 students across all grades that would only be 100 total across the whole county with many schools and so many students. And it would be a little more than 8 students per grade county-wide.

Separately, I have a similar IQ percentile. One result is that I have read a lot from the Mensa Educational Research Foundation (MERF). Two things stand out.

First, the margin of error for IQ tests gets wider at the bottom percentiles and top percentiles, especially at younger ages. I do not doubt the score OP quotes or the experience of rapid learning, but a different student might score 98% one day, 99.9% another day, and some number in between on a third test day

Second, and a surprise when I first started reading the research results, very high IQ people often are not academically successful. Sometimes, not always, this is because the student has a fundamentally different learning style than any traditional school curriculum could offer.

For my own kids, the best option would be homeschooling (to meet them where they are academically, not for religious reasons). We are not financially well off, so we could not do that. Someone else in a better financial situation ought to strongly consider homeschooling. All of the homeschooled kids I know about were taught at home to meet their academic needs, not for religious reasons. And they have been accepted to top schools such as Oxford (UK), Cambridge (UK), Stanford, Princeton, and MIT.

Last, please go read a short bio blurb about Stephen Wolfram. His only academic degree is actually his PhD in Physics from Caltech. He studied with Feynman. OP's child might not have the same experience as Wolfram, but it still can be informative.

[Anonymous]

Also that of Erik Demaine

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP here. Thanks for the replies. I'm surprised there aren't more options around here given the size and education level of the area. There seem to be many more options in Boston (both public and private options for lower school) and at least a handful more around NY/NJ area.

NP. I do not know why this is a surprise.

Per the original post, DC is in the top 0.1% of the entire population. That is literally 1 student out of 1000. In a (hypothetical) county public school system of 100,000 students across all grades that would only be 100 total across the whole county with many schools and so many students. And it would be a little more than 8 students per grade county-wide.

Separately, I have a similar IQ percentile. One result is that I have read a lot from the Mensa Educational Research Foundation (MERF). Two things stand out.

First, the margin of error for IQ tests gets wider at the bottom percentiles and top percentiles, especially at younger ages. I do not doubt the score OP quotes or the experience of rapid learning, but a different student might score 98% one day, 99.9% another day, and some number in between on a third test day

Second, and a surprise when I first started reading the research results, very high IQ people often are not academically successful. Sometimes, not always, this is because the student has a fundamentally different learning style than any traditional school curriculum could offer.

For my own kids, the best option would be homeschooling (to meet them where they are academically, not for religious reasons). We are not financially well off, so we could not do that. Someone else in a better financial situation ought to strongly consider homeschooling. All of the homeschooled kids I know about were taught at home to meet their academic needs, not for religious reasons. And they have been accepted to top schools such as Oxford (UK), Cambridge (UK), Stanford, Princeton, and MIT.

Last, please go read a short bio blurb about Stephen Wolfram. His only academic degree is actually his PhD in Physics from Caltech. He studied with Feynman. OP's child might not have the same experience as Wolfram, but it still can be informative.

Who is home schooling the kid? The mother? This assumes the mother doesn't work? Then what it the point of a woman going to MIT then doesn't work?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP here. Thanks for the replies. I'm surprised there aren't more options around here given the size and education level of the area. There seem to be many more options in Boston (both public and private options for lower school) and at least a handful more around NY/NJ area.

NP. I do not know why this is a surprise.

Per the original post, DC is in the top 0.1% of the entire population. That is literally 1 student out of 1000. In a (hypothetical) county public school system of 100,000 students across all grades that would only be 100 total across the whole county with many schools and so many students. And it would be a little more than 8 students per grade county-wide.

Separately, I have a similar IQ percentile. One result is that I have read a lot from the Mensa Educational Research Foundation (MERF). Two things stand out.

First, the margin of error for IQ tests gets wider at the bottom percentiles and top percentiles, especially at younger ages. I do not doubt the score OP quotes or the experience of rapid learning, but a different student might score 98% one day, 99.9% another day, and some number in between on a third test day

Second, and a surprise when I first started reading the research results, very high IQ people often are not academically successful. Sometimes, not always, this is because the student has a fundamentally different learning style than any traditional school curriculum could offer.

For my own kids, the best option would be homeschooling (to meet them where they are academically, not for religious reasons). We are not financially well off, so we could not do that. Someone else in a better financial situation ought to strongly consider homeschooling. All of the homeschooled kids I know about were taught at home to meet their academic needs, not for religious reasons. And they have been accepted to top schools such as Oxford (UK), Cambridge (UK), Stanford, Princeton, and MIT.

Last, please go read a short bio blurb about Stephen Wolfram. His only academic degree is actually his PhD in Physics from Caltech. He studied with Feynman. OP's child might not have the same experience as Wolfram, but it still can be informative.

Who is home schooling the kid? The mother? This assumes the mother doesn't work? Then what it the point of a woman going to MIT then doesn't work?

Or the father or hire tutor(s)…think outside the box because there is a very wide range of “homeschooling”.

[Anonymous]

Look into “Fusion Academy”, where each student is taught 1:1 at the student’s own pace, whether fast or slow…

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP here. Thanks for the replies. I'm surprised there aren't more options around here given the size and education level of the area. There seem to be many more options in Boston (both public and private options for lower school) and at least a handful more around NY/NJ area.

Because kids that young things change

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Look into “Fusion Academy”, where each student is taught 1:1 at the student’s own pace, whether fast or slow…

This is a weird suggestion. If OP's child is sociable and at all interested in a traditional school experience, Fusion would be a nightmare. Academics would literally be the only piece that would be supported because the rest of these student body is kids who who could not engage in a traditional school due to social emotional difficulties.

[Anonymous]

5? Homeschool then Davidson Academy after testing again.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP here. Thanks for the replies. I'm surprised there aren't more options around here given the size and education level of the area. There seem to be many more options in Boston (both public and private options for lower school) and at least a handful more around NY/NJ area.

NP. I do not know why this is a surprise.

Per the original post, DC is in the top 0.1% of the entire population. That is literally 1 student out of 1000. In a (hypothetical) county public school system of 100,000 students across all grades that would only be 100 total across the whole county with many schools and so many students. And it would be a little more than 8 students per grade county-wide.

Separately, I have a similar IQ percentile. One result is that I have read a lot from the Mensa Educational Research Foundation (MERF). Two things stand out.

First, the margin of error for IQ tests gets wider at the bottom percentiles and top percentiles, especially at younger ages. I do not doubt the score OP quotes or the experience of rapid learning, but a different student might score 98% one day, 99.9% another day, and some number in between on a third test day

Second, and a surprise when I first started reading the research results, very high IQ people often are not academically successful. Sometimes, not always, this is because the student has a fundamentally different learning style than any traditional school curriculum could offer.

For my own kids, the best option would be homeschooling (to meet them where they are academically, not for religious reasons). We are not financially well off, so we could not do that. Someone else in a better financial situation ought to strongly consider homeschooling. All of the homeschooled kids I know about were taught at home to meet their academic needs, not for religious reasons. And they have been accepted to top schools such as Oxford (UK), Cambridge (UK), Stanford, Princeton, and MIT.

Last, please go read a short bio blurb about Stephen Wolfram. His only academic degree is actually his PhD in Physics from Caltech. He studied with Feynman. OP's child might not have the same experience as Wolfram, but it still can be informative.

Who is home schooling the kid? The mother? This assumes the mother doesn't work? Then what it the point of a woman going to MIT then doesn't work?

MIT doesn't just make you a better employee, it makes you a more knowledgeable person with a deeper understanding of how the world works, and with critical thinking skills to back it up. These all carry over to parenting and homeschooling.

[Anonymous]

Another option could be a forest school or some other school where academics aren't the focus, allowing you and him to work at his own pace on academics after school.

[Anonymous]

OP, provide opportunities for him, but do not push.

He's 5. He's smart. He will continue to be smart. Let him play and develop naturally. Do not push him ahead. I've seen that as a teacher and the child misses out on other learning opportunities.

Reevaluate when he is seven or eight. But, right now, do not push him. Provide experiences and let him read, read, read.
Do not make him a hot house plant.