Cindy West - Homeschooling Gifted and Advanced Learners

GIFTED AND
ADVANCED

Copyright 2012 Prufrock Press Inc.

Edited by Lacy Compton

Production design by Raquel Trevino

ISBN-13: 978-1-59363-909-9
No part of this book may be reproduced, translated, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, microfilming, recording, or otherwise, without written permission from the publisher.

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Chapter 5: Technology and
the Gifted Homeschooler.

Chapter 7: Organizing Your Homeschool
Day and Record Keeping.

My first real book. Wow. When my sweet editor, Lacy Compton, approached me about writing Homeschooling Gifted and Advanced Learners, I was ecstatic. However, I never realized the amazing support system I would need in order to write (and research) a complete book, homeschool, and manage our already busy lifestyle.

My family and friends have been invaluable, and I thank each and every one of you from the bottom of my heart. My husband, Steve, and children, Mahayla, Caleb, and Eli, provided so much encouragement and precious time while I locked myself in the office to write. My parents, Bill and Patty Knapke, and in-laws, Bill and Marilyn West, were great babysitters and occupiers on those days I needed to write for hours. Loving friends, Kim Adamson, Lisa Hutchins, Jody McGuire, and Carla Stamper, offered their homes for play dates and carted my children to field trips so I could have quiet writing time. I love and appreciate you all!

Homeschooling can seem like a daunting task, while homeschooling a gifted or advanced child can seem downright unmanageable. Im here to help. By the end of this book you will have the information and tools you need to homeschool your gifted child with confidence and joy!

I will hold your hand as you begin to think about things like choosing curriculum, planning schedules, and finding homeschool groups. I will help you discover your childs learning styles and most appropriate learning environments. Ive included oodles of practical ideas, both secular and religious, for meeting your childs exceptional or twice-exceptional needs in just about every subject area under the sun.

But, dont think this book is only appropriate for the new homeschooler. Any parent of a gifted, advanced, or even twice-exceptional student who needs to reevaluate or revamp his or her homeschool will find fresh ideas and encouragement to pursue a purposeful and exciting path. Youll learn new ideas for everything from record keeping, to project-based learning, to integrating technology into your homeschool in creative ways. Heck, Ive even included a chapter on college planning!

Why am I qualified to write such a book for you? Well, Ive been homeschooling unofficially for 14 years (since my oldest was born), and officially for 9 years (the time when I had to start submitting records to my local board of education). All three of my children have been homeschooled from the very beginning, all are gifted in various ways, and all are doing exceptionally well in their studies. I also happen to have a masters degree in education and speak regularly to parents across the country about homeschooling, meeting childrens specific needs, and teaching in creative ways.

My hope is that you will find this book incredibly practical, helpful, and easy to read. My prayer is that you and your child (or children) will enjoy an abundantly fruitful life while homeschooling.

My Story

I was a gifted child. Not a genius by any means, but a little girl who had great academic and leadership potential. However, it wasnt cool to be smart. Once I realized, by upper elementary school, that heading to gifted and talented classes made me stand out from the crowd in less than desirable ways, I quickly learned to hide my abilities.

Even if I hadnt, by middle school the only special classes available to me were a logic elective in seventh grade and an accelerated algebra course in eighth grade. I still maintained my position in these accelerated classes and continued to make good grades, but no one prodded me, or any of the other gifted students, to reach for the stars. And most of us were very glad of that because reaching for the stars meant almost certain insult from our peers.

At least in elementary school we had a gifted teacher who encouraged us to excel, and we had each other to be different with. Without that sort of encouragement and camaraderie in middle school, by high school I was really no different on the outside than the cool group that I so desperately wanted to be part of. So, like many gifted children, especially girls, I lost my giftedness in order to fit in. I still took upper level classes, made good grades, and got into my chosen college without a hitch, but I didnt reach the potential that was in meand I knew it.

As I began my career teaching elementary children, I was keenly aware of the peer pressures placed on children as young as second grade to fit in. Each year I taught in the public school classroom, there were very clear lines drawn between those who were smart, those who were gifted in other ways that made them different, and those who were what most would call normal (or typical) students. The third group always determined themselves to be the cool ones, while those who were gifted were placed outside of their circle. Very seldom did a child cross over the lines to be part of more than one group. As the school year went on and children were pulled from my classroom for special classes, the lines became even more pronounced.

As much as I tried to erase those lines as the teacher, encourager of gifts and talents, and encourager of acceptance for everyone, there was little I could do. It was very eye opening for me to watch my own story unfold as 7- and 8-year-old children would lose their giftedness in order to fit in.

Im now the mom of three children who are all gifted in one way or another. I didnt set out to homeschool from the moment my first child was born because, for some reason, I believed in the school system that had failed me so. I believed in the school system in which I was teaching, even though it was crumbling right before my eyes. Young children were facing peer pressure, they were being introduced to adult issues around every corner, teachers had their hands full with discipline issues, teaching was being dumbed down so everyone could learn, courses were taught that didnt line up with my beliefs, and the list goes on.