I am not sure what to do with my 5 year old

amother

Pumpkin

Tue, Jan 15 2019, 1:47 pm

I have 3 kids like this. They weren't necessarily reading at 5 but once they learned the basics were reading advanced chapter books (like harry potter in first grade) quite quickly. They were doing fractions and exponents in preschool and early elementary school. My rule is that I won't teach them ahead, but will answer any questions they have. I was afraid of them being bored in school. Bottom line, they are bored in school. But with the activities that they have in the classroom, and the teachers trying to stimulate them, and the social, they are happy for the most part. My oldest, now in high school, wasn't challenged in kodesh until he got to gemara.
Try not to teach what they will learn in school, but expand their knowledge in other areas. He may enjoy logic type stuff --if he's good at math.

urban gypsy

Wed, Jan 16 2019, 10:11 am

amother wrote:

OP, don't assume that just because your five-year-old picked up reading quickly, he'll be on a fifth grade level in a few months. Don't even assume that because he's reading on a first-second grade level in English, he belongs in second grade. To belong in second grade academically, he would have to be fluent in Hebrew reading and translating and capable of learning Chumash on a second grade level; reading on a second grade level; doing math on a second grade level; and in general, having second grade level critical thinking skills. Only the reading is coming through in your post.

I don't mean to burst your bubble, but in the early ages, development can be unevenly paced. It's possible that your son will be reading college-level texts and doing advanced calculus by the time he's eight, and it's possible (and more likely) that at some point, things will sort of level off.

For now, if you're not considering changing schools anyway, just continue to nurture him and his interests and keep an eye on his academic and social development.

I extremely agree with everything written here. As a kid who was screened and found to be gifted and spent 6 years in a specialized gifted school, I can tell you for a fact based on myself and my peers that yes, the "intelligence" levels off and as we got older we were all rapidly outpaced by our harder-working but less intelligent peers. The number one most common complaint I hear from grown up "gifted kids" is that our lives were derailed by never learning a strong work ethic and to push through challenges, because everything was so easy for us. Don't bother with the academics, they will fall into place. It doesn't matter if your kid learns fractions in grade 2 or grade 4. Teach your kid to work hard on things that are difficult and unpleasant and he will be miles ahead in life.

mha3484

Wed, Jan 16 2019, 10:31 am

I have a child that is a few years older (8). He is labeled as twice exceptional. Tests off the charts but struggles socially and emotionally. I had a meeting with his menahel at the end of 1st grade where he told me he could put him in fourth grade and he would keep up just fine. Socially not really. We do put a lot of effort into that area. At the end of your life relationships and social skills are everything. Its a unicorn for a gifted kid to have amazing social skills and no delays in that area.

I think when he was in Nursery/Pre 1a we focused a lot on meeting his intellectual needs. I got him books we watched youtube videos on every topic under the sun. There were some wacky ones lol. As he gets older I find hes still a voracious reader but he really just wants to do 2nd grade boy stuff. Play chess, knex, lego, read, swimming etc.

Its important to provide outlets for his interests but also he needs to be a kid too.