Anonymous wrote:I found second grade to be the absolute worst for advanced kids. The read gifted programs typically haven't kicked in yet, and the schools are laser-focused on making sure all the kids can read, add, and subtract before the step-up in work in third grade. (The famed, "learning to read vs reading to learn" transition)

So the best thing to do now is probably take advantage of the DL environment to supplement with cool, interesting things that make their brains work, but aren't necessarily related to the content they'll learn at school

This is so true. I have a third grader who is in FCPS's AAP program this year. She was bored to tears in second, but is much happier and more engaged in third.

I found second grade to be the absolute worst for advanced kids. The read gifted programs typically haven't kicked in yet, and the schools are laser-focused on making sure all the kids can read, add, and subtract before the step-up in work in third grade. (The famed, "learning to read vs reading to learn" transition)

So the best thing to do now is probably take advantage of the DL environment to supplement with cool, interesting things that make their brains work, but aren't necessarily related to the content they'll learn at school

When it's time for book reports, have your kid do them on harder, longer books. Teach your kids the concept of jumping through hoops, and tell them they need to do that in order to get to the harder, more fun and challenging stuff.

My son was this type of kid - the teacher would begin to teach a concept, and he'd come home and teach it to himself inside and out. Then he'd go back to school and be bored for six weeks. In one grade, he turned in a completed math workbook in mid-November and asked, "Now what do I do?" The teacher jokingly said, "Just sit at your desk and look pretty." So he started writing rap songs to the beat of already-existing rap songs and the teacher screamed at him and sent him to the office. Luckily he brought his math workbook with him. The principal listened, then asked to hear the raps, then said he'd fix the problem. Two days later when it was time for math, DS was sent to a grade two above his.

My kids are in the same boat. We supplement with a tutor who specializes in working with gifted kids.

Try private school, or get into aap program, plus continue to have kids learn advanced work at home.

I would suggest contacting the teacher, the principal, and the advanced academic teacher, and say that your kids need more, and you recognize the limits of distance learning, and ask for help. The advanced academic teacher should be able to provide lessons to substitute for what the class is doing.

If the teacher is not differentiating, ignore the school homework and use that time to supplement at home. Easy peasy.

You have a lot to learn

The primary years are as dull as ditchwater, OP, in private or public (some magnet programs are OK).

Supplement at home. We like(d) going to museums a lot, I make a point of introducing my kids to classic literature, one kid started violin at 3, the other read my old college immunology textbook in mid-elementary, we do extra math, especially in the summer... whatever you and they want to do! Education begins at home.

You might want to consider homeschooling. Otherwise, your best bet is to provide enrichment, but that doesn't have to mean "homework". Keep in mind that any acceleration (teaching them standard curriculum at a faster pace than their peers), will compound your problem later. While distance learning undoubtedly makes differentiation less likely, advanced learners were often left unchallenged even in school pre-COVID era.

If you do decide to homeschool or accelerate (or even to catch any gaps caused by DL), the series What Your _______Grader Needs to Know by E. D. Hirsch, Jr. , provides an excellent general reference.

The Hoagies website has an area that offers links to fun enrichment for kids in all subjects.
https://www.hoagiesgifted.org/links.htm

Brainpop has animated lessons on a multitude of topics.
https://www.brainpop.com/

The National Library of Virtual Manipulatives lets kids play with and explore math concepts online.
http://nlvm.usu.edu/en/nav/vlibrary.html

Sir Cumference books by Cindy Neuschwander provide an introduction to geometry topics.

For history, you might try the Timewarp Trio series, the Magic Treehouse series, and Ben and Me. I've heard good things about a series called Horrible Histories, but have no experience with it.

Play games. They almost always have a math component (keeping score, making moves, etc.) and encourage logical thinking. Some, like Sleeping Queens and Monopoly, incorporate math more directly.

Logic Puzzles are great. DD loved Rush Hour. Magic Squares and Sudoku are also good.

Mathisfun has games, puzzles, and explanations of math topics
https://www.mathsisfun.com/games/index.html

Cooking is excellent for fractions. For added challenge, you could double or halve recipes.

Crafts can be great for math. Many projects involve measuring, calculating perimeter and/or area. Origami helps with geometric thinking.

Give the kids tape measures. Timers can also be fun.

Secret codes might be interesting for them. Seymour Sleuth mysteries by Doug Cushman are picture books featuring codes and puzzle clues. The Third Grade Detectives series by George E. Stanley explores secret codes in the context of chapter book mysteries.

Encyclopedia Brown and Einstein Anderson are mysteries for the reader to solve.

Madlibs is great for an introduction to parts of speech.

Schoolhouse Rock

Freerice is a program that donates rice as you play their quizzes. If your kids are charitably inclined, it might motivate them to work on vocabulary words. There are other subjects as well.
https://freerice.com/about

TV can be a great asset. Magic School Bus is excellent for Science. Cyberchase is great for math (although I think the focus has shifted in recent seasons, I think old episodes can still be found on the PBS kids website.)
https://pbskids.org/cyberchase/videos/?selectedID=331ac4a3-bfe1-4ef1-b6e4-db8204f97796&episode-id=2883225c-0ec9-4490-9f88-7890cfb1689a
PBS shows are generally good.

My kids loved Zoombinis and The Incredible Machine computer games.

If your kids are interested in computers, Scratch is an excellent introduction to programming. It's a programming language designed by MIT to teach programming to kids intuitively.
https://scratch.mit.edu/parents

If your kids are interested in foreign language:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCyY3Wd5x85o8AKXjYSoxFAQ
https://www.Duolingo.com

If there's homework you feel you can sub out with your own stuff at home, you can ask the teacher to accommodate that perhaps. Susan Wise Bauer has a section on gifted kids in Rethinking School that covers how you might try to get a school to accommodate.

For my gifted kids we just do extra.

You sound like an intelligent person so use that intelligence to answer your own question. My kid was years ahead in reading. He read books we checked out of the library. He was never taught on his level but improved on his own year after year just by reading.

Do more at home. Even in regular time teachers are bot set up to teach students grade levels ahead.

It is up to you to supplement once your kids are grade level ahead in first and second grades. Don't pester the teacher.

You do more at home.

My kids are in 1st and 2nd grade. Both need more challenging work from their teachers. Both are grade levels ahead in reading and in math. I've asked for more, generally speaking, and gotten answers like 'we are using the programs Dreambox and IStation for differentiation'. I 100% recognize that teachers are doing their best during this situation. Also, I really like both of their teachers and think they are doing their best. But - my kids need more. What specifically can I ask for in this era of online learning? My oldest is in the Gifted program already, but he only gets to go to that 2 times a week for 20 minutes each time. Do I just leave it alone and do extra stuff at our house? I hate to do this because I don't really want the kids to have more homework - just harder homework.