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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]NP. Curious about how after schooling was scheduled. The school day already feels so long. Do you mind sharing what a schedule for elementary would look like?[/quote]

It wasn’t that structured.  As I noticed gaps (there were many), I addressed them.  They had both learned to read, count money, and tell time before they started school, but some of the things I had to teach one or both of them at home after they started school included:
How to hold a pencil 
How to print letters
How to write in cursive
How to use a dictionary 
Parts of Speech
Capitalization
Sentences need verbs
How to use a textbook 
To not rely on calculators
That you need common denominators to add and subtract fractions
Factoring
Long Division
Adding and subtracting negative numbers 
The Bill of Rights

I also tried to expose them to as many different things as possible and encourage their interests.  I wanted them to be excited about learning and to have fun doing it.  There was barely a science curriculum, but there was an extracurricular science class after school that was very popular.  They had a variety of other extracurricular activities, as well.  We went  to museums, zoos, the forest, the beach, festivals, library programs, etc.  We read a lot, both together and individually (although I strongly oppose requiring daily reading after a child has mastered the skill).  We played games (great for math), did crafts, baked, enjoyed many different kinds of music, etc.

Contrary to the prevailing DCUM wisdom, I also considered screens to be a useful tool.  To me, they’re just an alternate form of media and should be judged based on their content (which I supervised).  They watched a lot of educational TV and children’s movies, and often we watched together.  They had access to a computer (in a common area when they were young and with safeguards when they were old enough to need their own).  Their dad (a computer guy) made sure they had great educational software and as they got older, I found websites that I thought would interest them.  Youtube wasn’t around then, but if my kids were still young, we’d definitely be taking advantage of some of the fantastic educational videos that bring the entire universe vividly within reach.

They worked hard at school, excelled academically, and I couldn’t be prouder of the adults they’ve become, although the credit for that belongs to them.[/quote]But aren’t all of these activities just parenting? How is any of this ‘extra’? Are these activities considered for ‘the gifted’??[/quote]

PP here
Yes, a lot of it is just parenting.  While my kids were identified as “gifted”, I think the term is problematic and try to avoid it.  “Giftedness” is too squishy  with different definitions and measures.  A child might be identified as gifted by one assessment but not by another.  Moreover, interest and determination can accomplish wonders.  Who will go farther, the unmotivated genius who doesn’t apply themselves to anything or the highly motivated child of average intelligence who lives and breathes a subject of interest?  Knowledge is not a limited resource that needs to be rationed.  All kids should be encouraged to explore the world and pursue their interests.

The reason I described my experiences as “afterschooling” had nothing to do with my children’s giftedness or lack thereof, but with the deficiencies of the schools.  While I expected to have to occasionally answer homework questions, I did not expect having to identify and remediate significant knowledge gaps from “one of the best school systems in the country”.

As for “extra”, whether you want to describe it as normal parenting, as some people have as a pushy mom trying to make her kids “gifted”, or as I experienced it, a mom running as fast as she could trying to keep up with the interests of her kids who were constantly pulling ahead dragging her along behind them, I have a lot of resources for a lot of subjects.  If anyone wants ideas, I’m happy to offer suggestions.  FWIW, my eldest was a mathy kid, so I especially have a lot of experience in supplementing that subject.[/quote]

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