Should I pursue this higher educational program for my son?
373505
Your son will succeed in life with or without the TAG program, not because of his great intellect but because of his great heart. Let him follow his heart. The world is full of opportunities for him to cultivate his mind, but let him do it on his own terms. You have a son who loves his sister and is patient and kind. He appreciates his friends and doesn't aspire right now to move away from them and set himself apart. Even if he stays in regular classes now, by the time he gets to middle and high school, he will automatically start moving away from some of his classmates, as he discovers that he easily grasps abstract concepts that other kids struggle with. The patience he has learned from helping his sister will help him in dealing with the differences he discovers between the way his mind works and the way most other minds work. At this point, if he is not bored in school and he is happy with his life, why pull him out? Let him develop his own enrichment program based on his own passions and interests. He will do just fine. He sounds like he has wisdom, which is far more important than mere intelligence. He has already told you what is the right thing for him.
1117057
Get a copt of his birth cert. and that is all you need and mom you can get it..your son don't have to
997796
I am a special education teacher, and also the mother of a child with special needs (learning disabilities, ADHD, OCD, and a bunch of other diagnoses).\n\nMom to mom.... don't freak about this.\n\nYou hit the nail on the head when you noted that HE is not phased by the idea of doing kindergarten again.\n\nThe BEST time for repeating grades is in Kindergarten and/or 1st grade.  This allows him to get a good foundation of those basic skills, rather than falling farther and farther behind while being presented work of greater and greater difficulty.\n\nEven at higher grades, if he did the repeating thing early on, most kids won't notice that he's that much older than them. However, bullies will be bullies, and they find something to pick on with everybody... just report them and the school should deal with it.\n\nWhen he is 30 years old, nobody will care if he graduated at 18, 19, or even 21! All they'll care about is whether he has a high school diploma or not. If he goes to college...the college won't care what age he got the high school diploma, either!\n\nYou said he is in a private school. Is he getting speech therapy for his apraxia? Is his teacher trained in special education methods? You do know that the public schools will still provide speech therapy and special educator resource services for children in private school (required by law).  \n\nIf this private school he's attending didn't get you and him linked to the services he needs, if their teachers do not have special education training... I would strongly recommend that you seek a different school for him. With his learning differences, he really needs teachers highly trained in instruction methods for kids with language disabilities and ADHD, as well as speech therapy. How's his handwriting? Have they discussed Occupational Therapy for him? \n\nTwo years retention is really the most he should ever have. In public school, especially in special education, retention is rare and usually only involves repeating kindergarten once and/or 1st grade once. Additional instruction needs are taken care of through pull-out special education with specialists trained in helping students with learning differences build their learning skills.\n\nThe earlier the correct intervention, the better off he will be in the long run. \n\nIf you want to keep him out of public schools for faith reasons, you may need to look at moving to a place where there is a Christian private special education school.  If you can't afford to move, you may have to trust that your and your church's instruction of faith will be enough to compensate for the concerns you have with public schools, and send him to the special education teachers and therapists that can give him the academic help he needs. \n\nLook at these sites:\n\nhttp://www.wcris.org/WebFiles/ResourceFiles/ESeries4.doc\n\nhttp://www.policyreview.org/jan99/fox.html\n\nhttp://dpi.wi.gov/sped/doc/prischpart.doc\n\nAn example of public school provision of special ed to private school students: http://www.sandi.net/comm/factsheets/special_ed_pppss.pdf (requires Adobe Acrobat)\n\nFinding a new private school? Try these:\n\nhttp://www.privateschoolreview.com/\n\nhttp://www.stlrcga.org/x439.xml (many states and large cities offer this sort of listing)\n\nhttp://www.napcse.org/\n\nhttp://www.schoolfinders.net/\n\nhttp://aerkis.com/\n\n\nTake care, pray on this, and trust that G-d will guide you.
1114104
Yeah, everything is possible in the United States. All u need is enough proof of High school completion. Let him just make sure he doesn't loose his focus in college. i bet u he's gonna have a hard time at the beginning but his brains are gonna get him into any student group he wants to join. Students turn to associate more with really intelligent students like him. Good luck Pal.
1119725
Sorry, but he is too young to be away from mum, particularly in a semi structured learning enviroment. Boys, in particular, would find this difficult. The nursery are more concerned with filling their places than in your sons welfare.\n\nYou don't say whether you have to send your son to nursery school, or whether you just think that it is a good idea.\n\nIt is vital that he is allowed to be a child so that he can learn about the world in the inquisitive way that children normally do.\n\nHave you thought that exposing him to structured learning by strangers at such a young age could put him off the learning process for life.\n\nI don't think that some of the answers you have received are giving you good advice. Young children need to feel emotionally secure, that is their main need.
540882
If it is determined that a "Home Program" is the best environment for your child, then your local school system must provide and pay for program.  Speak to your doctor, psychologists, therepists, teachers, etc.  Get support behind you.
542799
I wouldn't do it.. it's better to go to a physical real school.  You'll probably get a better education at a community college, and save yourself a few thousand bucks in the deal.
894452
Your son is a prime example of what is wrong with our education system. He sounds intelligent, and there are lots of intelligent people out there who dont test well. Our education system is one that if you dont test well, you are punished and labeled as a failure, no matter how intelligent you really are. The best thing you can do is encourage reading. Or with gaming, encourage him to find deeper meaning in the games. Gaming as of late can actually be considered an artistic form. Games such as Silent Hill, there is deep symbolism riddled with the games and story line (basically a visual novel). As with physics, try seeing if he can apply the physics he is learning to real life. Remember it is one thing to learn things in a book, it is a completely different aspect to actually apply what you learn. I hope that helps :D
920216
Great letter - I'd be surprised if other parents didn't write in about this class, as well. If they refuse to switch classes, then switch schools. Your son's teacher is not giving her classmates the attention and support they need, and because of her, the students are out of line, able to do whatever they please. It inhibits your son's education as well, and the work ethic he builds in these early years sets him up for life.
441746
As a parent, you have to realize that the school can only do so much. Have you ever volunteered in your son's classroom? Why is is that your son is reading on a third grade level? Do you ever read with him on a consistent basis? If you did, then his reading skills would definitely improve. I have not trying to be harsh, I just want you to get the big picture. The schools can't do it all. This has to be a family effort. Would it make sense for you son to be in a third grade class because that is his reading level? Emotionally , it would be damaging to him.It would be better if you encourage your son to hit the books. Get him a tutor to help him in the areas that he is falling behind in. He might have learning disabilities. Have him assessed and then proceed accordingly. Don't focus on why he was passed on year after year. There is nothing you can do to change that. Instead, focus on your son and what is going to be his best game plan for getting back to grade level. Talk with his teacher. She will be able to give you ideas on what needs to be done at this point. I wish you all the best.
1123496
The quick answer is yes and no.  First, it depends your parents - are they ok with it?  Second, it depends on the laws in your state.  Third, it depends on your age - if you're 8-10, I'd say, no way.  If you're 15 or older, I'd probably say OK.\n\nMy older son (11) works pretty independently on some subjects, while I oversee/teach others.  Of course, I always check his work, so he's never completely independent.\n\nYes, there are independent study courses available both on-line and for home use (Switched-On Schoolhouse from Alpha Omega comes to mind).  So it is possible to 'teach yourself'.
360883
Bright and immature usually go together. LOL. Anyway... yes, you MUST take matters into your own hands. It depends on what state you are in, regarding what programming is available to your school district. But all states have something for gifted kids. \n\nIn New Mexico (where I am), gifted education is under the special education umbrella. We have programs ranging from regular education in-class curriculum compression/acceleration, to pull-out programs (what I teach), to self-contained gifted programs (in Albuquerque). One model being utilized in a variety of locations in New Mexico is the Autonomous Learner Model. \n\nNow, that being said... not everything in life is interesting. If your son is being given materials and instruction at his academic developmental level, is being encouraged to socialize with same-age peers to develop his social skills, and is being given additional activities in his areas of interest to study in-depth, then guess what. Sometimes we get bored. They way I explain it to my students is that dishes are boring, but they've got to get done. \n\nOn the other hand, if these things aren't being done, then make some noise at your son's school. Enrichment does NOT mean MORE work, it means work at HIS ability level. If the grade-level curriculum package ends on its enrichment suggestions below his ability level, then his regular ed teacher (in collaboration with the school or district gifted education staff) should be coming up with REPLACEMENT activities for him at his true academic development level.\n\nIf your son is finishing well before the other students, then he should have an independent project in an academic area of interest that he is working on for his own personal growth and edification.\n\nI work with K - 5 grade level Gifted kids for one hour each day. We just finished studying the 4 kinds of dams, human need, environmental impacts, and the physics of construction, and building our own models. To wrap up the year, we're going to be studying the UFO phenomenon from a mythological/legend context, including area 51 and stealth technology, ancient Greek and other myths, modern myths and legends, and hold a class debate on how and where potential life may exist in our universe.\n\nAnd they still have to do the regular ed classwork "dishes." LOL.\n\nMake that noise in your school!  Get them to use the programming available from your state!  Parents are the squeaky wheel that make good schools into great schools!
899117
http://www.disabilitylink.org/docs/programs.html is a good place to start...\n\nGeorgia has an outstanding peer specialist training program... their info is http://www.gacps.org/Home.html\n\nI am glad you are looking for resources... it means that you are hopeful for your son's future and if you are, there's a good chance he will be hopeful too... that's key to success in staying on track\n\nbest of luck on his journey... he's lucky to have you
205118
First of all, if your son's ADHD is not already being treated, consider getting him some treatment.  No matter what kind of school he goes to, he will find it hard to concentrate and therefore succeed.\n\nSecondly, people with ADHD can do many kinds of things.  Find out what your son's interests are as far as his future, and then find a program that fits those interests.  A local community college might be a good place to start.  Many people with ADHD go on into successful futures.  If your son didn't have ADHD, I suspect you'd be encouraging him to pursue something that interested him.  Why not do the same thing for him now, then?  I like the idea of checking with the office for disabled students.  They have special advisors that can help your son.\n\nI hope you and your son have a lot of success.
118511
There are quite a few schools that offer this.. specs howard.... I went to columbia school of broadcasting.. I'd suggest he'd go to a four year university and get his journalism degree, with a minor in radio-tv.  That way he has a better chance of getting somewhere
1073277
education in its ideal form would be tailored to each indivdual so that each students needs are being met.  It sounds like your child has special needs in that he/she is so far advanced that he/she may get bored by staying home.  My son is pretty close to the same criteria as your son and I know I am sending him to kindergarten because of his social interation, cognitive and problem solving skills.  Some kids mature physically faster than others as I sure you know, but I think they can do so mentally as well.  Send your child to school, he/she will benefit from the interaction with others and reinforcing what you have already taught him/her.
353993
It is most likely some kind of honor your son is being nominated for by one of his professors. I would imagine its probably for something in his major, and it is most likely a pretty nice accomplishment. Id congradulate him.